Episode 355: A tired dog is a good dog

About this episode

The episode explores the concept of whether a tired dog is a good dog and discusses various training strategies.

In Episode 355 of The Canine Paradigm, we ask a simple question with a messy answer. Is a tired dog a good dog, or just a flat one? We look at why clients and trainers sometimes try to tire the dog out before a lesson, and when that helps or hurts. Then, we weigh arousal, clarity, and quality of reps, and we talk about warm ups, decompression, and sensible resets. We also touch on session design, neutral exposures, and how to set criteria that the dog can actually meet. Sometimes you need a little exercise to take the edge off. Sometimes you need freshness, focus, and fuel in the tank. Choosing well is the craft. To keep spirits high, we finish with a few side notes and celebrate Step Brothers as one of the greatest films ever made. Boats and Hoes does not make it into the training plan, but it does make us laugh. Further Details Are you in search of top-tier dog trainers and steadfast supporters of the Canine Paradigm? Below is a comprehensive list of individuals and businesses that stand by our mission, contribute to our operational costs, and make significant contributions to the canine community. Glenn Cooke oversees a wide range of canine-related services at Canine Evolutio…

People in this episode

Hosts: Glenn Cooke, Pat Stuart

Topics covered

• dog training
• exercise
• session design
• arousal
• decompression

Keywords

• tired dog
• dog training
• arousal
• session design
• exercise

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Canine Evolution, Pet Resorts Australia, Serious dog business

Books & works: Step Brothers

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• Episode 366: The method that works on every dog · May 28, 2026 · 1h 10m
• Episode 365: Training dogs, avoiding burn out and alien invasion · May 17, 2026 · 1h 30m
• Episode 364: Love, death and robots · April 30, 2026 · 1h 16m
• Episode 363: I’m strong enough to tackle this situation · March 29, 2026 · 60 min
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