The Thing Before Your Dog's Thing #16

There's one question you can ask yourself to solve almost any dog training
problem. If your dog is jumping, digging, chewing, biting or doing something else you
want to fix, you need to know “the thing before the thing”.
🐾 Key Episode Moments:
00:00 Solve any dog training problem.
00:49 Stop 4 common ‘naughty dog’ behaviors.
01:15 “Behavior is lawful.” - Bob Bailey
01:36 Traditional way of fixing unwanted dog behaviors.
02:32 Dog behavior consequence.
02:53 The antecedent of the dog’s ‘bad’ behavior.
04:53 Two ways to fix dog behavior.
05:12 Teach a dog to not jump on guests.
06:13 Alter the dog’s environment.
06:51 Stop dog digging.
09:00 How to stop destructive chewing.
11:40 Stop dog biting.
12:54 Dogs biting kids.
In the episode you'll hear:
• The four most common naughty behaviors in dogs.
• How to use the ABC’s of dog training to fix anything.
• What the antecedent of a dog’s behavior could be.
• How the consequence could be contributing to the problem.
• Two ways to fix anything.
• What I learned from my dogs about the things before the things.
Resources:
• Recallers - dogsthat.com/recallers/
• Podcast Episode 6: The Art of Manipulation - • The Art of Manipulatio...
• Vlog Post: The ABC’s of Dog Training - susangarrettdogagility.com/20...
• Podcast Episode 4: T.E.M.P. (Tail, Eyes/Ears, Mouth, Posture) - • T.E.M.P. (Tail, Eyes/E...
P.S. Subscribe to our KZbin Channel so you get notifications of new videos!
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Dogs That is brought to you by Susan Garrett and the Say Yes Dog Training Team.
Susan Garrett’s interest in animal behaviour started at the University of Guelph where she earned a Bachelor of Science majoring in Animal Science. Since then she has developed into a preeminent dog trainer and canine sports instructor and competitor. Susan is one of the most successful agility competitors of the last three decades. She has won multiple Gold Medals at National or World Championship events with every dog she has ever owned over the past 30 years.
A natural teacher and an entertaining speaker, Susan is world renowned as a leading educator of dog trainers. Her understanding of how to apply science-based learning principles to both competitive and family pet dog training has been pivotal in changing how dogs are trained.
Susan is now helping many thousands of dog owners in 82 countries have the best relationship possible with their dogs. The real joy for her comes from bringing confidence to dogs and their owner through playful interactions and relationship building games that are grounded firmly in the science of how animals learn.
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Our Website: dogsthat.com
Our Podcast: shapedbydog.com
Facebook: / susangarrettdogagility
Instagram: / susangarrettdogsthat
TikTok: / dogsthat
LinkedIn: / dogsthat
Pinterest: pinterest.ca/dogsthatcom/
Twitter: / susangarrett
There’s always something new happening at Dogs That, so if you’d like to be the first to know, visit our website, register to receive updates, and we'll keep you in the loop.
dogsthat.com

[@azogal53]

The thing before the thing: a simple way to remember, and act on, a life changing concept. Another ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐ podcast!

[@paoladipaolo3163]

Excellent - and so helpful1

[@fxavierls]

grrrrrreat! very useful.

[@siduri03rob]

Susan - I am so lucky to have access to your experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm! Love, love, love your insightful explanations and your willingness to share it for the sake of our dogs and for us who are eager to learn. Also appreciate your generosity in all your free sharing. Oh, and I am taking your Home School the Dog course too. Thank you so much! 😅❤

[@topdogk9services601]

Love how you explain things!!!

[@clevercanid573]

Gems that I’m trying to lodge in my brain 😁👍 yet another great podcast 🤗❤️ Susan/Amazing team; thank you all for these great podcasts

[@andreajennings2967]

Another great podcast. Susan is such a generous dog trainer. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@maryrice1162]

Lol. Trigger =me pouring my morning cup of coffee. Behavior = Dogs get all excited and anticipate we are going out back to play ball.

[@Rottncattledog]

So grateful for your training and "Life" insights! God Bless ♥♥♥♥♥ = 5 STARS!

[@heidigunkle6742]

Susan Garrett, you are the greatest dog trainer I have ever seen. Your the first person I have seen that breaks down step by step instructions and you are funny. I am training my own service dog with help of another trainer. My 10 month border collie is more manageable by the mention you teach. Still have lots to teach and smooth some of her, "tigger-like" personality.

[@janegilbert9851]

Love the explanation. I’m always watching out for triggers, sometimes they are obvious, sometimes it takes a while to work out there are more than one thing before the thing. It’s so rewarding when you get it right and help your dog.

[@nancyhooper1742]

💫💫💫💫💫💫 Totally Love watching and hearing this. Always useful ❤❤❤❤

[@ctremblay4423]

Totally awesome! So well explained. BRAVO Susan!

[@goodlifezone2328]

Susan, please, tell what to do in my case. My dog goes crazy about food, especially when we have family barbecue parties at a countryside. It’s a complete disaster, we have many guests who take food everywhere with them all day long and always leave something eatable in the areas which are accessible for a dog. Also we have 1 year old toddler who also carries chops of cheese e.t.c, near the barbecue it’s impossible now to get her away from licking the fallen drips of fat on the grass. Now I have to lock her in the house until we are done with barbecue. 😖 I never try to punish her, but I have to call her every minute from the activities she wants to do. How to deal with barbecue parties? How to prepare dog for them? HOPEFULLY YOU WILL ANSWER MY QUESTIONS IN ONE OF YOUR FURTHER PODCASTS ❤. SENDING MUCH LOVE!

[@DogsThat]

Hi, the game that will really help with this challenge is ItsYerChoice. We'd love for you to join our brand new online dog training series that is open for free for everyone who loves dogs! And includes progressing ItsYerChoice to real life situations like the ones you mentioned: doggyflix.com/yt/season-of-nuance

[@goodlifezone2328]

@@DogsThat thank you, I’m already a member ❤️

[@suedavies6743]

The thing before the thing! I love it!

[@rhondamacfadzen2591]

I have learned so much! Thank you for sharing! 5 Stars for sure!

[@ionicamermaid1141]

Totally agree that there are lots of gems in every episode!

[@lynettethom8820]

So much great information in these podcast's , really enjoying them .. definitely 5 big stars ......

[@annfry9072]

I must say I LOVE LOVE LOVE that photo of Tater Salad in the middle of this episode. Gems: what is the thing before the thing? Antecedent Behaviour Consequence. Could you teach an incompatible behaviour or eliminate the possibility of the undesirable behaviour. The five star Gem: Dogs always do the best they can with the education they are given in the environment we expect them to perform in.

[@LukeSimshauser]

Loving these podcasts! So good to hear the ‘why’ behind what to do. Keep up the awesome work.

[@milbrymcdowell2600]

🤦‍♀️ The thing before the thing! Such a fabulous idea 💡 yet so hard to train the trainer to BOLO. Thanks so much for the reminder! 🙂

[@ruirodrigues7217]

Very good

[@trees5338]

Wow, 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 came across your channel too late to help our puppy, he had some absences, after that became aggressive, ( couldn't cope with the environment) we missed his signals and he ended up on medication. So sad to think of those opportunities that we missed, could have had a different outcome, we used to call him Happy Jack, looking back at his photos, his eyes never looked happy. Am learning from your videos, will stick with older rescue dogs .

[@darlenereisterer5653]

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ just doesn't feel like enough!! Your Podcasts are so important so packed full of knowledge!Especially when there are those of us that have been taught to do those negative training methods. I'm so appreciative for what you do.....( Training Humans ).. I have been taught to do pretty much everything incorrectly. Now I'm learning new methods and praying that my dogs can forgive me. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐👏

[@ursulanaylor6771]

Love this episode and I have been binge watching all of your podcasts. Still trying to figure out the "thing before the thing" that triggers my labrador to swim off and not come back when recalled. It does not happen every time she swims at a lake but now I can't trust her until I figure it out. it's not water as she is fine in ditches or creeks. How would I determine what else it could be? Could it be deeper water where she has to swim? She swims with a life vest now and a tether but I would love to learn what creates the crazy splashing and swimming off and not coming back when she was not tethered.

[@speediepaws7770]

Great, simple explanation & real life examples, a definate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 😊

[@ammi_10]

I just LOVE the way you teach! 🙂

[@DogsThat]

Thank you! 😃

[@davenportsusana]

Let me start by saying I *love you, Susan!* I am so happy I found you! Funny… I hear all you say and I go “Yes! I believe the same thing!” But I didn't know how to put it in action for my dog… and it's all coming together now (joined Recallers!) Anyway, I came back here b/c I have a question: Right now we went back to using the head halter, so our walks are a breeze. But before, when my dog walked nicely by my side and noticed me another trainer said that's when I should reward. Every time I did that, w/o a miss… my dog would take the treat and take off ahead of me… many times pulling! The thing I didn't want him doing got done b/c I rewarded him for not doing it! The thing before the thing was a reward… why did he do it? I never understood… I've tried to think why… Like I said, it's not an issue right now b/c he's walking with a halter and even before then I had him correct himself if he pulled (he was so cute, would stop and turn around to walk by my side). I still want to understand what went wrong, in case it comes back once the halter goes away. Thanks!

[@DogsThat]

@davenportsusana you are doing super! 💚 For the taking a treat and taking off, Susan has a great video on this very topic that explains what's happening and how to fix it - kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4PCgGqMgdmZb9U

[@elainedunlop5358]

Great podcast!

[@mindeemorning5887]

OK! the thing before the thing. I've been trying to figure this out. My dear 10-month-old pup barks his head off when we stop at a store, and run in to do my errand. I do not say anything to him, and he barks for a minute or two and stops BUT WHEN we go to our Barn Hunt class he goes off like crazy and will not settle down. I close the car door as soon as he stops barking and come back in 4 or 5 minutes. I have to do this move 3 or 4 times and he's always so jump crazy until he gets in the venue and into his kennel. I am stumped to identify "the thing before the thing". Obviously, it's seeing the Barn Hunt building, but I don't have an answer for how to substitute another behavior. I've got to get this under control if I am ever going to trial him because I can't enter a trial arena with an out-of-control dog. Thanks in advance for any hints anyone has. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5-star advice every time.

[@katychandler962]

I tried to put up the playpen for my puppy as it started to dig the garden, unfortunately he hates it there and start jumping on it or just sat down

[@juliea3904]

Awesome insight! Another 5 stars!!!

[@ruthpresutti4472]

Wow! I’m a new subscriber here. I’ve been around dogs all of my life. I feel like a lot of what I do is intuitive. This is such a clear and concrete concept for changing my behavior to get the response that I want from my dog. Thank you! Im so glad I found your channel.

[@DogsThat]

Welcome! Thank you for subscribing and for your lovely note, Ruth!

[@Shake_your_tambourine]

This is great! Any thoughts on what kind of incompatible behavior I could use help my sheltie not be reactive when he sees his reflection? Outside on walks I will try to teach him to heel better, but inside in my kitchen and living room, and in my bedroom, what can I ask him to do? I can't get rid of all windows, oven, dishwasher, mirrors, front door, etc. His behavior is escalating and I'm not sure how to help him.

[@user-pl8yh4dq1w]

What if the thing before the thing is entirely out of your control? I have a very reactive 3 yo McNab. People walk past the house, the neighbor repairs his deck which includes lots of new vehicles and hammers/noise? He is completely distracted and barking furiously and even if I pull all the shades and play touch games with him it is very hard to settle him. I confess to occasional bad behavior - yelling, putting him in the bedroom especially when I am in the middle of something I have to do right now. Of course the yelling either encourages the barking or shames him - neither of which helps either of us (GUILT city). Plus when separated from me he can get frantic scratch the door, chew blinds. My tiny bit of progress is when people come to the door to visit for any reason I step outside the door and give them a ball to have in their hand when they enter. Ball equals game equals friend. They roll the ball and he stops barking and he is actually pretty patient after that and will wait until he is invited to play again. I read books and watch your podcasts and take in-person classes and am not a dummy. I love this smart, driven working dog, but we have had a rough life together. When he was 16 weeks old a small yappy dog ran out in the street during a walk and the result was a broken wrist for me. When I returned to work I enrolled him in doggy daycare, but after several months he didn't make eye contact and seemed withdrawn, I was told " Doggy day care ruins dogs." I couldn't stop working so I put the largest crate I could find that fit in my CRV and took him to work with me. I had covered parking for him and I covered his crate. When we got home he had my undivided attention. He did seem better with this strategy. Then 2 years ago I was confined to a wheelchair for 3 months after a freak accident that has had lasting effects. It is scarey for me to walk him with his pulling and rabbit chasing. I have the means to pay for help but no one can advise me. I have been off work for 8 months working with him. I turned 72 this month. He will be my last dog. How do I get the help I need?

[@hal7ter]

I'm 82 and my little ball of fluff is now, at six months, 60 pounds of muscle. While seeking the Lord, I prepared to give him up (re-home) last night and then found this channel. I am hopeful. And, I am hopeful for you. With the Recaller (?) program you'll have access to a community of people who might have some good advice.

[@Cayleona]

Love this episode

[@lynne-sheltiesrock2322]

Great information! (But who got drunk and gave Susan Garrett a thumb's down? LOL)

[@TheNeena85]

How do u fix that when I leave the house, my Little terrier jumps on the kitchen table (caught her in the act twice when I came back to the house too quickly because I forgot something). Is it only management (we have no door in the kitchen..)that I can do now? Or can I do anything to change the behavior still? :( She's a rescue dog so I couldn't teach her otherwise from puppyhood

[@judymeredith4556]

I have just started your Recallers program and have gotten sidetracked to your Barkenstein program. How do I control the outside environment like UPS/FedX trucks that drive her to a barking frenzy……she hears them coming into our quad long before I know they are there. She will run from room to room trying to get a glimpse of them barking the whole time. A neighbor can raise their garage door….i never hear it….and she will start barking. Hearing people outside talking, windows are closed, she will bark. Not sure if it helps but she is a miniature Schnauzer so I do take in that they are very verbal dogs. Do I need to go back to Recallers first before I try to fix her barking? Thx for any advice…..love, love your podcast and programs!

[@DogsThat]

Hi @judymeredith4556 the Recallers games are where the magic of growing relationship, trust and skills happen, so totally jump in and play. Barkensteins can be an addition and you can totally work on that as an extra. Here's our playlist for barking dogs which has a lot of awesome info as well - kzbin.info/aero/PLphRRSxcMHy0bpnsTRDCxIC7NrkOuWYsU&si=gIFzSTZnFTZhsV1U

[@inezhoffman3807]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@lindayoung5680]

Such great advice- I have a thing before the thing issue that I am struggling to solve - if you have any idea how I an get my 10 month puppy to sleep through the night when my partner keeps going to her and giving her attention and letting her upstairs with a treat.

[@DogsThat]

Hi @lindayoung5680 we have a video on the very topic of sleeping through the night to help - kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJWbqJ6jor-hrNU

[@vickydimitriou6156]

How do I stop a pup that wants to bite us all the time? I’ve tried games, but just want to rip carpet, or us, I do have him in ex pen, in & out for toilet & exercise, chew toys, & he goes in crate for sleeps.I am slowly doing tug game. He’s only young but has done the crazy’s since we bought him home. Cant enjoy puppy when he wants to chew everything that moves.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@DogsThat]

Hi Vicky, we have a playlist on puppy biting to help - kzbin.info/aero/PLphRRSxcMHy03hWZgAQfG1t5Q6YzGPi7z

[@dianneklingemann6064]

How do you stop a dog from eating dirt? My older dog (11 yo) when outside playing fetch in our fenced area will stop while walking around and start to eat mud/dirt. I've asked the vet about this and vet didn't think it was a health issue. I'm out with my dogs when this happens. My younger dog is too busy playing fetch to bother with mud/dirt but my older dog cannot continually play fetch as it is just way too hot and she's slowed down a lot as she's aged. BTW I am a Recaller but curious about the dirt eating. Your podcasts are great. Thanks for sharing them.

[@hal7ter]

They get worms from dirt. It's not good.

[@equinn1768]

Got it and yes it makes perfect sense! PAY ATTENTION to your dogs people. Don’t blame the dog gor the environment u put the dog in. And this is why dogs are being put down. This is IT!