Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett

About Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett

Susan Garrett, world-renowned dog trainer, multi-time champion of dog agility, and leading educator on all things canine shares everything related to dogs! Susan understands dog behaviour and wants you and your dog to have the best life together possible.

Publisher

Susan Garrett

Category

education · kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Jun 2020

Latest episode

24 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

112 of 446 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   24 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   This Or That's: Your Dog's Decision-Making Blueprint #332

   Susan Garrett explains the five stages of "This or That" games, empowering dogs to make brilliant choices and grow into confident decision-makers.

2. 

   15 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   This Or That's: Why Most Dogs Never Become Decision-Makers #331

   Susan Garrett explains how teaching dogs decision-making skills builds confidence and reliability for real-life success.

3. 

   8 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Is Dog Training About To Change? #330

   Visit us at shapedbydog.com Is dog training about to change? In this episode, I'm sharing why a recent conversation about reinforcement-based dog training gave me something I haven't felt in a long time: hope. Looking back at an agility discussion from the mid-1990s, I reflect on how dog training shifts happen, why curiosity creates more clarity than blame or punishment, and why great results are not reserved for "special" trainers. We're talking about reinforcement, intrinsic motivation, meaningful change, and why dogs are always doing the best they can with the information we've given them in the environment we're asking them to work in In this episode, you'll hear: • About a conversation that gave me a glimmer of hope for dog training. • Why I've been feeling discouraged about the direction of dog training. • A mid-1990s agility story about weave poles, punishment, and clarity. • My thoughts on hearing "That might work for Susan Garrett, but not for the rest of us." • What I noticed listening to a balanced dog training podcast where my training was discussed. • The subtle shift happening in reinforcement-based dog training conversations. • Why ideas no longer being dismissed is a meaningful sign of change. • Karen Pryor's stages of change and how progress begins. • Why amazing results are possible for everyday dog owners. • Why great dog training is built through clear systems, not "special" trainers. • My reflections on asking myself: "Is it possible that I'm wrong?" as a dog trainer. • Why love in dog training means clarity, fairness, and understanding. • The difference between building understanding and building pressure. • Why clarity creates confidence while pressure creates compliance. • Why dogs are doing the best they can with what they understand. • How to replace blame with curiosity and better questions for our dogs. Resources: 1. Podcast Episode 313: Are You Learning Or Looping: What To Do When Training Your Dog Stops Being Fun - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/313/ 2. Podcast Episode 146: Balanced Dog Training: Does It Really Exist? - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/146/ 3. Podcast Episode 114: Dog Agility Training: 3 Big Mistakes All Dog Owners Should Avoid - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/114/ 4. Podcast Episode 78: How to Train a Rescue Dog with Behavior Problems - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/78/ 5. Podcast Episode 94: How the Best Professional Dog Trainers Use Reinforcement - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/94/ 6. Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube - https://youtu.be/-YyJwfvyyhM

Inside a recent episode

This Or That's: Your Dog's Decision-Making Blueprint #332

Published 24 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] It's not giving us feedback on how brilliant they were born. It's not giving us feedback on the limitations of the breed. It's giving us feedback on what we've taught them. Because sometimes what you think you've taught isn't what the dog learned. And what the dog learned is the only thing that matters. And so, their behavior is giving us that feedback. Our job is to take that feedback on board, not push back against it, not put our hands on our hips and stomp our feet. To take that feedback, take the behavior and say, how can I alter my training? to help you have more clarity in what I expect. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

13,257,277

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

680 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

464 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 82 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

87

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

99

Contact Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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