Visit us at shapedbydog.com    The best thing we can do for our dogs is to protect and grow confidence. But what does that really mean? What is a dog who is worried, or fearful, or growling, or showing aggression telling us? Why do our dogs change depending on where they are and what is around them? When we have a baseline and know what our dog is saying to us, we can start confidence building exercises to help our dog in all situations.   In the episode you'll hear:   • What my friend Greg Louganis taught me about confidence in different situations. • How your dog’s body language can tell you a lot about how they are feeling. • Why to observe your dog’s baseline confidence in your home with no distractions. • Confidence factors including breed, genetics, and socialization. • The dangers of putting a label on your dog or puppy and confirmation bias. • How every dog has the potential to express a lack of confidence by growling. • The two ways to desensitize dogs to help grow confidence. • What I’m doing to grow confidence for my puppy, This! around water. • Why flooding a dog who is fearful seldom works. • How distance will help grow your dog’s confidence. • About using cues to mean “something amazing is going to happen”. • Why motion stimulates arousal and can help your dog be more confident. • The reason we want to prevent our dog from going over threshold. • How to keep a journal to help your dog. • How to grow your dog’s confidence in stages easily.   Resources:   • Podcast Episode 4: T.E.M.P. (Tail, Eyes/Ears, Mouth, Posture) - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/4/ • Podcast Episode 8: Get Your Dog in the Belief Loop of Awesome - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/8/ • Podcast Episode 29: Understanding and Preventing Reactivity and Aggression in Your Dog - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/29/ • Podcast Episode 38: 3 Keys to a Confident Dog - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/38/ • Video Blog: Vlog: Understanding Your Dog’s Triggers - https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2019/01/understanding-your-dogs-triggers/ • Podcast Episode 71: Pro Dog Trainer’s Secret to Help Your Naughty Dog - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/71/ • Podcast Episode 66: Resource Guarding: Dog vs Dog Aggression - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/66/ • Podcast Episode 70: Critical Info for Your Puppy’s First Day and Night at Home - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/70/ • Podcast Episode 78: How to Train a Rescue Dog with Behavior Problems - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/78/ • Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NzqJgT4dYB0