Interview with Ruth Elliott: Greyhounds and Contrast Training

06/03/20 • 51 min

The Dog's Way Podcast: Dog Training for Real Life

First, I hope that everyone has stayed safe and healthy through what may have been the worst of the stay-at-home orders that you may have been subject to. We went through a sort of "emergency sessions" period where the podcast episodes focused on specific things to do with your dog - and as a result we put some of the interviews we had scheduled on hold. Today is the first episode of one of those interviews.

What Is Contrast Training?

I sat down with Ruth Elliott and talked about a very unique type of training. Ruth is based in Australia, and got into her unique style of training, how she got started, and some of the interesting restrictions to training methods that exist in Australia.

Ruth is a greyhound specialist (although she trains all types of dogs). Her business is called Formal Dogs, and she trains and escorts people's dogs to attend their owner's weddings! This is the first I've heard of this and think you'll appreciate her story and her methods as a trainer.

We discuss some of the differences in our training style and talk about some of the fundamental teachings in training.

Email Bag

Amelia in Atlanta, Georgia asks about her dog "Beau" and the fact that he is experiencing a bit of stress her departure when going back to work that he didn't exhibit before. It's a great question, and I'll talk about some transitional elements to use when going from the shelter in place environment to going back to work.

Previous Episode

Emergency Session 94: Phase Two of The "Down" Method

In this episode we move to phase TWO of the "down" challenge for food motivated and non-food motivated dogs. I'll talk about an interesting discovery from listeners from the Czech Republic and Sweden and how their "crazy stay in place" situation is nothing like that! Life is proceeding pretty much the same there as it was before March.

So we we talked about sweeping the leg and your proximity to the floor in the phase one of the training. The goal in this phase is to wean yourself off of that proximity to the floor. We'll go back to those phase one elements of time first, then distraction.

Overview

Train in different contexts
Train through the whole arc of behavior with distractions
Use natural transitional rewards as you do small snippets of practice throughout the day

Emails

Cheryl from Ann Arbor, Michigan - She got her dog Oscar introduced well to the sit and the down. But he is confused between both sit and down. I'll talk about how to help your dog distinguish between them.
Sandra from Texas has an interesting question - and apparently has my voice from the podcasts in her head (Sorry, Sandra!)

Today's quote comes from Aristotle...

"Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others."

Click here for a closer look at the book on Amazon.

Next Episode

Session 96: Interview with Vermont Dog Trainer Ian Grant

In today's episode I sit down with Ian Grant, a fellow dog trainer with Vermont Dog Training, based (of course) in Vermont! Ian also has a podcast called Vermont Dog Trainer Show.

Ian's Background

Ian has a really interesting story before he became a trainer, having been a professional golfer for a number of years before finding that the world of training dogs was a fascinating study. He shares his story of watching The Dog Whisperer and following some of Cesar Millan's shows with the sound off to get a better feel for the body language between a trainer and the dog.

Training Techniques

Ian and I talk about his dogs Lula and Maddie, and how they became so important in the process of boarding other animals. We get into a bit of a deeper dive in the concept and practice of dog's behavior in crowds, our collective take on dog parks, and what you might want to think about before venturing into the park yourself.

Referral Program

I also wanted to let you know about our new referral program! After quite a bit of testing it's finally ready to roll out. I'll explain who might be eligible, and you can decide if it's something you'd like to participate in. You can complete a form at TheDogsWay.com/affiliate to learn more.

Getting Your Feedback

I've been contemplating whether or not to introduce some "mini" episodes that are with clients and dog owners that have some specific questions about there pet concerns. Would you like to hear these or participate in them? The plan is to create a few of these that are about 20-30 minutes. Contact me to let me know what you think or to participate!

Ian Grant's Contact Info (opens in a new window)

Vermont Dog Trainer Show Podcast (if you want to check out the episode where I was interviewed click here)

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