Grisha Stewart Dog School

BAT 2.0 is a must-read for anyone who has or works with reactive dogs. For years, dogs all over the world have benefited from the successful philosophies and empowering techniques in BAT, but Grisha Stewart has taken it to the next level.

A clear appreciation for the canine experience and easy to follow, practical techniques is what makes BAT 2.0 so beneficial for dogs that experience frustration, anxiety or fear in any social situation.

Stewart gives control back to the dog allowing a delicate balance of freedom, the ability to make choices and safety. The results speak for themselves. Dogs that were once reactive now become more confident because Stewart gives them the life skills they need to cope more successfully in a social environment. I highly recommend BAT 2.0 to anyone who is struggling with a reactive dog or who wants to gain a better understanding of their canine companion.


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I have enjoyed every chapter, every page and every line. It is not only original, but breaking new ground in that it strikes a blow for ethical ways of training.

I love the pedagogical approach of this book and the focus on how to install a feeling of control in a dog’s life; a fundamental recipe if you want your dog to feel safe and happy. It also adds an ability for dogs to predict events, which further strengthens its self-worth and being in control in relevant life situations.

What I especially like in BAT 2.0 is something which is often overlooked in dog training, and that is how to use naturally occurring reinforcers: A method based on “Premack’s principle.” Grisha does a great job of explaining how to use this in dog training.

The chapter "BAT for Puppy Socialization" earns special mention. It is simply excellent! Everyone who has a puppy, is getting a puppy, or is just interested in how to take care of puppies, should read and learn from this.

The BAT 2.0 book is a star among training concepts and Grisha Stewart has such a nice way of making everything easy to understand. Add her sense of humor to the topic and you have a book that is hard to put down.

BAT 2.0 is a nice improvement to an already excellent approach for dealing with reactive dogs.

BAT helps people understand how to read their dogs. You’re really helping people have that dialogue by giving them nice little tidbits that help them make good choices because they’re learning to interpret what their dog is telling them.

When I ask behavior professionals, “What are your eyes for?” they enthusiastically reply, “To see!” But when I ask, “What is your behavior for?” conference rooms fall silent. In BAT 2, Stewart provides the essential answer to this all-important question: Behavior is to have an effect, that is, to be effective. 

By safely allowing dogs more control over their own outcomes, especially in challenging conditions where fearful, frustrated and aggressive behavior is most likely, caregivers will be more successful shaping independent, competent, confident companions.

In our attempt to reduce aversive stimulation, we should be asking “who has the power to reduce it?” Am I going to reduce aversive stimulation by sanitizing the environment in which I raise my dog (or child). I think that’s a nuance here. When you come from the empowerment headset (as with BAT), then you ask “I want to minimize aversives in the environment, can I do that by me putting in the effort to move the aversives out of the path. Or can I teach the animal to move those aversives, or move themselves, with their empowerment to choose their outcomes.

BAT builds empowerment skills by approximations, just like we build other skills. So that the goal is independent good decision-making.

Grisha Stewart’s new book is an impressive piece of work, and I highly recommend it to trainers, behaviorists and dog owners who are ready to dive into the deep end to help their dog. Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0 (BAT 2.0) is a comprehensive and detailed approach to working with “fear, frustration, and aggression in dogs”.

No matter what one’s field, I always am impressed by people who continually re-evaluate their perspectives and advice, and I love that BAT 2.0 resulted from Grisha sitting back and asking what worked about BAT 1.0, and what could be better.

Grisha Stewart’s updated version of BAT is easy to understand with wonderful illustrations and pictures to help the reader visualize the process. One of the things I like most about this book is the attention paid to reading dogs for signs of stress in order to keep the dog as comfortable as possible during setups.

As a clicker trainer I highly value creativity. I love it every time a trainer uses the laws of learning in new and creative ways that results in better ways of dog training. What Grisha has done with BAT is just that. I find BAT to be a wonderful supplement to clicker training when working with pet dogs. The method combines operant and classical conditioning with a deep knowledge of the dog's natural language and behavior. And even though BAT is grounded in hard science, Grisha has a way of explaining things so clear and simple that everybody can understand it – and do it.

Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0 is unique--a living document detailing the evolution of a very effective intervention from the experience of many practitioners. I loved the practicality of this book, as well as Grisha Stewart's dedication to giving dogs a voice in their own development! This is must-reading for those working with dog reactivity in its many forms.

The more I engage BAT 2.0 techniques with clients the more organic it becomes. And the 'aha' moments when they see how quickly their dog responds to the freedom of choice...can't thank you enough, Grisha.

You've made a tremendous difference in opening minds to a new way of being with their canine companions.

I just want to say I loved the first BAT book. I couldn't imagine how it could be made better. Finally diving into the new BAT book and just WOW Grisha Stewart...WOW! So clear, so well put together /written.

BBRAVO! So thankful it really is easier for the people and better for the dogs.