How To Shape Your Dog: The Ultimate Guide To Training Success #328

How To Shape Your Dog: The Ultimate Guide To Training Success #328

March 25, 2026 · 30 min · Episode 328

About this episode

This episode provides an ultimate guide to shaping your dog for training success through intentional planning and execution.

Visit us at shapedbydog.com How to shape your dog for training success starts with understanding that shaping isn't about waiting and hoping, it's about designing success from the start. In this episode, I'm sharing the ultimate guide to shaping, including the three phases I use to design, execute, and reflect on shaping sessions so they're clear, efficient, and confidence-building for our dogs. We'll look at how to define clear criteria, split behaviors into achievable pieces, choose reinforcement with intention, and recognize "cheap behaviors" before they become habits. When you shift from hoping to intentional planning and data collection, shaping becomes predictable, your dog learns faster, and your sessions become more effective and enjoyable. In this episode, you'll hear: • Why shaping can feel frustrating when there's no clear plan. • The difference between shaping and simply hoping your dog figures it out. • The three phases I use to plan every shaping session: Designing the Learning, Game Day Execution, and Reflections. • Why splitting behaviors into smaller pieces creates clarity. • How your dog's emotional state impacts the learning process. • What "cheap behaviors"…

People in this episode

Host: Susan Garrett

Topics covered

Keywords

More episodes of Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett podcast page.