5 star rating

I Almost Didn't Take This Class, But I'm So Glad I Did!

Jess Spanos

I'm a nerd who prefers a pragmatic, science-based, approach to all things dog. I almost didn't take this class because at first glance, it sounded a bit, I ...

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I'm a nerd who prefers a pragmatic, science-based, approach to all things dog. I almost didn't take this class because at first glance, it sounded a bit, I dunno, "mystical," maybe? Gosh, was I wrong!! Suzanne provides a ton of important info in the webinar that would be useful for any dog owner, no matter their experience level. She's also an engaging speaker with a great sense of humor so this presentation is fun to watch. I liked it so much that I'm planning to watch it again to make sure I absorbed everything, and am also going to gift it to a friend who is getting a new puppy. Definitely 5 stars!!

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5 star rating

Excellent!

Katha Miller-Winder

I am a Therapy Dog handler/partner and lead a Therapy Dog group. So much of this resonates with the ways we need to constantly check in with our Therapy Dogs...

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I am a Therapy Dog handler/partner and lead a Therapy Dog group. So much of this resonates with the ways we need to constantly check in with our Therapy Dogs. Is this OK? Are you comfortable? Do you need to stop? Can you/Will you visit another person? I want to make every one of my teams watch this.

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5 star rating

Absolutely fabulous webinar

Sharon Johnson

Absolutely loved it. I have watched it twice, because there is so much to grasp. I love Suzanne's style and presentation. Looking forward to more.

Absolutely loved it. I have watched it twice, because there is so much to grasp. I love Suzanne's style and presentation. Looking forward to more.

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5 star rating

Excellent!

Lora Robinson

I love everything Suzanne Clothier. This webinar is no exception. The entire thing was so interesting and as she is explaining things, I found myself saying ...

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I love everything Suzanne Clothier. This webinar is no exception. The entire thing was so interesting and as she is explaining things, I found myself saying 'Yes!', 'This!'..... There is SO MUCH MORE to dogs than just training basic cues. Their comfort in this world, in the homes they are in, through no choice of their own, is so critically important. Definitely am now armed with more info to share with clients, some of which I have 'felt' but not known the best way to explain. Favorite moment, which brought tears to my eyes, was at the end where Suzanne said 'keep the light in those eyes'... YES! Thanks Grisha and Suzanne, for this excellent webinar!

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5 star rating

Fantastic!

Emma Bass

I fell in love with Suzanne when I read Bones Would Rain from the Sky. The Elemental Questions webinar just cemented that feeling. The topic is relevant, th...

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I fell in love with Suzanne when I read Bones Would Rain from the Sky. The Elemental Questions webinar just cemented that feeling. The topic is relevant, the presentation easy to understand, Suzanne is an enjoyable speaker. Thanks Grisha for hosting.

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5 star rating

Even better than I expected (and I expected a lot)

Deborah Robson

I'd already read Suzanne Clothier's Bones Would Rain from the Sky and watched an extended DVD of a workshop she presented (somewhere, some time, I forget), s...

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I'd already read Suzanne Clothier's Bones Would Rain from the Sky and watched an extended DVD of a workshop she presented (somewhere, some time, I forget), so I knew that I'd enjoy the class and would learn things that would be both practical and philosophical. That is very true. Thanks to everyone who made this possible, including Suzanne, Grisha, and the other folks who kept everything working so smoothly. Rescue dog Tam (sitting next to me) thanks you all, too.

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5 star rating

Informative

Sydney Small

Over all I thought it was great - highly informative, easy to follow and lots of rime for questions. very glad for CC feature also!

Over all I thought it was great - highly informative, easy to follow and lots of rime for questions. very glad for CC feature also!

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5 star rating

Wonderful!

Karin Kirtner

I learned so much! I love Suzanne’s explanations of the elemental questions. My future clients as well as my own dog will benefit from what I’ve learned.

I learned so much! I love Suzanne’s explanations of the elemental questions. My future clients as well as my own dog will benefit from what I’ve learned.

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5 star rating

Suzanne Clothier is terrific!

Laura Glaser Harrington

Webinars that teach me new things, and make me rethink things I thought I already knew, are my favorite kind of webinars and this one definitely did both of ...

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Webinars that teach me new things, and make me rethink things I thought I already knew, are my favorite kind of webinars and this one definitely did both of those! Suzanne outlines questions we should always be asking ourselves and asking the dog while training to make sure the dog is willing and able to do the behaviors. Her description of the difference between resilience and coping skills, patience vs relaxation for example, were wonderful. Suzanne has a clear and often humorous way of describing what's in a dog's "thought bubble". I highly recommend this webinar!

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The 6 Essential Questions to Ask Any Dog

In dog training as in life, the questions we ask shape the answers we get! The Elemental QuestionsTM are six questions whose answers can profoundly shift a relationship and open your eyes to a new way of interacting. 2 CPDT/CBCC CEUs.

Suzanne’s simple but powerful Elemental QuestionsTM are:

  1. HELLO? Looks at the dog’s social interactions
  2. WHO ARE YOU? Asks about how the dog perceives and responds to his world
  3. HOW IS THIS FOR YOU? Asks about the immediate situation and the dog’s mental, physical & emotional balance
  4. CAN YOU. . .? Looks at the dog’s physical abilities & limitations
  5. MAY I. . .? Seeks ways to gain the dog’s cooperation and permission
  6. CAN WE. . .? Balancing the dog/handler team’s abilities and limitations against goals


puppy sitting on slippery surface

How Can You Really Understand Your Dog?

Suzanne Clothier is one of my heroes because of her empathetic perspective on dogs. I first heard her Elemental QuestionsTM many years ago at an APDT conference (incidentally, the first time I spoke there about BAT) and they continue to have a profound effect on the way I interact with dogs and even my own species.

Stating Suzanne's 6 questions is simple, but really 'hearing' the answers takes training, and helping people do that is the passion of her life. Watch the video above to learn a bit more about the questions (turn volume on in the upper right of the video).

The questions we hold determine what we can see. I invite you to learn more about how to hear dogs' answers to make your experience with dogs more empathetic, richer, and deeper.

Recorded live September, 2021.

  • Suitable for professional dog trainers and veterinarians, as well as families with dogs.

  • Learn to modify and adapt your dog handling and goals for enhanced relationships and better performance.

  • Understand how to truly “see the dog” and provide detailed information about each animal (or person!).

  • On-demand streaming video recording of live session with Q&A.

  • Earn 2 CEUs for dog trainer and dog behaviorist recertification with the CCPDT. We are an Approved Education Provider for the CCPDT.

Deepen your understanding...

and open your eyes to a new way of interacting.

  • Video & More

    Includes a video of the presentation and a PDF of the slides to assist your learning.

    2 CEUs for CPDT, and CBCC.

  • Learn in Community

    Course students are also invited to continue the conversation in the Grisha Stewart Learner Support Facebook Group.

    Diamond members can also always post in the special group for Diamonds.

About the Instructor

Dog Trainer, Author, Speaker

Suzanne Clothier

Suzanne Clothier has been working with animals professionally since 1977, with a deep, broadly varied background of experience. She is well respected for her humane, practical and sensible Relationship Centered Training (RCT™) approach to dogs and the people that love them.

Suzanne is always in demand as an exciting, informative and entertaining speaker capable of making complex topics easily grasped and practical.

An award winning author of videos, books, and numerous articles, Suzanne’s writings have appeared around the world in countless languages from Danish to Japanese. Her book, Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs (Warner, 2002) has received widespread praise from every corner of the dog world, including twice being included in The Wall Street Journal's list of Top 5 Dog Books.

A long time German Shepherd breeder, Suzanne lives on an upstate New York farm with husband John Rice, and their considerable animal family.