I sometimes receive comments that some dogs need all 4 quadrants of dog training. But what does that mean, why does it matter for your dog, and what does science tell us? We all need to be aware of the blurred lines between quadrants, so I'm discussing each. Plus, I'm sharing experiences and insights on what unintentional punishment can be for dogs and how to avoid it, what reinforcement really is, and how it's possible to reinforce a dog for behavior you don't want.

📝 Read the transcript: https://dogsthat.com/transcript/episo...

🐾Key Episode Moments:
00:00 Understanding The Four Quadrants Of Dog Training.
02:44 Positive Punishment.
08:18 Negative Punishment.
09:02 My experiences with Negative Punishment.
10:12 Building value dogs loving to watch other dogs work.
11:51 Control - a lesson from B.F. Skinner.
14:30 Positive Reinforcement.
18:13 Negative Reinforcement.
19:11 Are you using a quadrant without knowing?
22:00 Swagger’s pawing habit as a puppy when the water bowl was empty.
25:54 Debunking the “we must be alpha” narrative in dog training.

Resources:
1. Podcast Episode 297: Why In 2025 We Still Have Dog Trainers Who Believe “Reinforcement Dog Training Doesn’t Work” -    • Why In 2025 We Still Have Dog Trainer...  
2. Podcast Episode 146: Balanced Dog Training: Does It Really Exist? -    • Balanced Dog Training: Does It Really...  
3. Podcast Episode 95: How Playing with Your Dog Like a Puppy Can Reduce Fear -    • How Playing with Your Dog Like a Pupp...  
4. Podcast Episode 107: Pedicure Please: 3 Steps To Dog Nail Trimming Or Grooming Success At Home! -    • Pedicure Please: 3 Steps To Dog Nail ...  
5. Podcast Episode 34: Time Outs for Dogs: Does Your Dog Need One? -    • Time Outs for Dogs: Does Your Dog Nee...  
6. Podcast Episode 251: Should We All Stop Using Non-Reward Markers In Dog Training? -    • Should We All Stop Using Non-Reward M...  
7. Podcast Episode 181: Training Multiple Dogs To Wait Turns And Relax -    • Training Multiple Dogs To Wait Turns ...  
8. Paper: B.F. Skinner's Theory of Performance Excellence: A Radical Behavioral Perspective - https://digitalcommons.du.edu/cgi/vie...
9. YouTube Short: Do We Really Need All Of The Quadrants? -    • Do We Really Need All Of The Quadrants?  
10. Podcast Episode 40: Using A Head Halter On A Dog, Why My Approach Is So Different -    • Using A Head Halter On A Dog, Why My ...  
11. Podcast Episode 153: Dog Muzzles: Everything You Need To Know And How To Muzzle Train Dogs -    • Dog Muzzles: Everything You Need To K...  
12. Shaping Success Book by Susan Garrett - https://dogsthat.com/product/shaping-...

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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 132 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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