TBP 210 :: Crag Dog Training with Jenna Teti

2022-08-03

This episode is a LITTLE bit different than all my others in that we’re going to be talking about training, but for a different species: dogs! So many climbers have dogs, and because climbing has gotten so popular in the past couple decades, there are more and more dogs at crags and boulders. Sometimes this is an amazing thing and sometimes dogs can be a little out of control. So I asked my dog trainer, Jenna Teti, to come on the show to shed a little light on some things we can do to get our dogs to behave better at the crag and boulders (...

Sometimes this is an amazing thing and sometimes dogs can be a little out of control. So I asked my dog trainer, Jenna Teti, to come on the show to shed a little light on some things we can do to get our dogs to behave better at the crag and boulders (and all the time).

Jenna is the owner and Head Trainer & Behavior Consultant at Think Smart Dog Training out of Longmont, Colorado, where I live. She has a LOT of certifications in dog behavior, and here is her description of what she does from her website:

As a behavior consultant, my goal is to go beyond teaching you and your dog skills. I work with the human client to help them better understand their dog and their behavior in a way that is informative and fun! With this deeper understanding of not just the individual dog but dogs as a whole, we can address behavior and approach it from a place of compassion and understanding that builds a stronger relationship with your canine companion as you work through the behavior modification process.

Jenna has helped me a ton with our young heeler mix, Willa, by changing the way we approach training. We talk about that in this episode, along with crag behaviors such as being able to just chill while we’re climbing, not being reactive to people and dogs, coming when called, and more.

I hope this helps you have a better experience outside climbing with your dog!

Here’s my dog, Willa, trying to be a good girl at the crag 🙂

More Details

How she works compared to other famous dog trainers
Difference between positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punitive training styles
How to get your dog to chill at the crag and at home
How to get your dog to relax without overexercising them
Why she thinks it's fascinating that so many climbers have herding dogs
How to improve the all-important recall ("come") with your dog
How to train "leave it" for when your dog gets into something it shouldn't
What to do instead of punishing a dog
How much time to spend training each day
Setting up an environment at the crag for success
Her thoughts on e-collars