Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett The 30 Second Reset - Because Your Dog Knows #326
Mar 6, 2026
A short, practical three-step reset for calming your nervous system before or during training. Personal stories about training through grief and handling pre-competition anxiety. Explanations of how your emotions subtly change interactions and can escalate problem behaviors. A reminder to view behavior as data and to practice emotional resilience with grace.
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Owner Nervous System Overrules Training Tools
- Your nervous system is the strongest antecedent in dog training, outweighing treats, plans, or tools.
- Susan Garrett explains dogs feel and absorb owner emotions (tension, disappointment) and return them as behavior that derails training.
Grief Stalled Training After Losing Twister
- Susan Garrett describes training struggles after losing her Jack Russell Twister and how grief stopped her from connecting with her other dog, Decaf.
- Weeks passed without training; guilt turned into shame as her nervous system stayed dysregulated.
Name The Emotion To Tame It
- Name the emotion you feel to tame it: say "I'm feeling anxious" (internal or out loud) to distance identity from the emotion.
- Susan Garrett credits Dr. Dan Siegel's phrase "name it to tame it" and says it often dissipates feelings quickly.