About Suzanne Clothier

"Training is a mechanical skill that can be learned. Problems arise when we mistake training for a relationship."
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About Suzanne Clothier

Suzanne Clothier has worked with animals professionally since 1977, with a background includes obedience, agility, puppy testing, breeding, Search and Rescue, conformation, instructing, kennel management and AAT.

Her Relationship Centered Training™ approach blends science and heart to create humane, effective and practical solutions for dogs and the people who work with them, whether professional working dogs or couch warming companions.

A “trainer’s trainer”, Suzanne has long been in demand as a speaker at conferences around the world. She has taught on a broad variety of topics throughout the US and internationally for groups as varied as Wolf Park, FEMA (Northeast Region Disaster Dog Teams), Alaskan Dog Musher Association, Assistance Dogs International NA, Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and University of MN’s SPEAK! conference. She is a popular speaker at online conferences such as Geek Week! and the Lemonade Conferences.

An innovative trainer always seeking better ways to understand, assess and improve what we do with and for dogs, Suzanne has published a variety of books, DVDs, online courses and training tools. Her ground breaking book, Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs (Warner, 2002) was twice voted a Top 5 book by the Wall Street Journal, and is considered a classic in the field.

Her tools and materials have been put to use for every day pet owners, by trainers, breeders, veterinarians, in guide & service dog organizations, in animal assisted therapy, and by academics and in research. She serves as a consultant to guide and service dog organizations around the world, with her RCT materials, innovative assessment tools and Enriched Puppy Protocol being incorporated into their programs.

Her suite of assessment tools provide a powerful framework for trainers and organizations:

  • RAT™ (Relationship Assessment Tool) – handler/dog dynamics, rapid assessment plus ability to track and compare
  • CARAT™ (Clothier Animal Response Assessment Tool) – temperament assessment on 6 categories, 21 dimensions
  • FAT™ (Functional Assessment Tool) – a ground-breaking app provides functionality/welfare assessment across physiological, social and cognitive dimensions

A long time breeder of German Shepherds, 11 generations of her dogs have been successful in multiple dog sports, SAR, therapy work, and as guide dog breeding stock. Her Enriched Puppy Protocol (EPP) reflects her deep understanding of how to provide age-appropriate challenges to create puppies that are connected, confident, coordinate and capable. EPP has been put to use in multiple guide & service dog organizations and with private breeders to maximize the critical early puppyhood development.

She lives on a working farm in upstate New York with husband John Rice, and their considerable animal family.

Books
  • Agility Training Workbook: A Step-by-step Motivational Approach (1991, out of print)
  • The Clothier Natural Jumping Method (1991)
  • The 7 Cs (1993)
  • Physical Therapy for the Canine Athlete (1994, out of print)
  • Understanding Puppy Testing (1995, out of print)
  • Body Posture & Emotions (1995, revised 2022)
  • Understanding & Teaching Self Control (1995, revised 2022)
  • Following Ghosts: Understanding the Tracking Relationship (1995, revised 2018)
  • Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships with Dogs (Warner, 2002)
  • Finding A Balance: Issues of Power in the Dog/Human Relationship (1995, revised 2018)
  • Attentive Cooperation (2015)
  • The Connection Collection (2014)
DVDs
  • Motivational Agility Training: Step-by-Step (1991, 0ut of print)
  • Your Athletic Dog: A Functional Approach (1995)
  • Introduction to Relationship Centered Training (2013)
  • Arousal, Fear & Anxiety: Empathy, Understanding & Options for the Shy & Fearful Dog (2014)
  • Mindful Socialization: Because Life is Not a Checklist (2019)
  • Really Real Relaxation: Creating authentic, connected relaxation with your dog (2018)
Training Programs & Materials
  • The Connection Course Cards (2014)
  • Fruits & Veggies Training Game: Mind Your Peas & Cues
  • RCT Training Games (with Heather Leonard, 2013)
  • The Enriched Puppy Protocol (2007; public release late 2022)
  • CARAT: Temperament Assessment Tool (2007)
  • RAT: Relationship Assessment Tool (2009)
  • FAT: Functional Assessment Tool (2015; released mid-2022)
  • CCC-Connection, Cooperation & Control (with Cindy Knowlton, 2018)
  • Treat-Retreat Certification Course (2021)

What our customers say about us

RCT Skills for Reactive Dogs - helping him blossom!

Very useful and applicable even for the non-professional trainer. Lots of helpful tips and ideas to help us with our adopted Australian Shepherd who is defensively aggressive and a little unsure of how to deal with the world at times. These techniques along with lots of patience are helping him to really blossom and it is very rewarding to see him relaxing and enjoying life. He was about 7 years old when we brought him home – it’s never too late to help!

Chantelle Beare

A Suzanne Clothier seminar is must-have experience for all dog lovers.

Learning from Suzanne has broadened my skills, taught me new skills and techniques, and helped me reassess the way I work, as well as inspiring me with her compassion, knowledge, courage to tackle the difficult subject, and her kindness and humour. With the dog always at the centre of everything, RCT gives you an invaluable anchor to hold on to and return to when trying to problem solve.

Sarah Whiffen, UK

Really Real Relaxation Pro - Incredibly helpful!

Incredibly helpful for reactive, high-energy, and dogs that need and on/off switch! I love this exercise and describe it to dog owners as a team meditation exercise. It’s an exercise every reactive dog should have the the opportunity to learn, for sure. I find this approach helps the dog their chill more independently and organically. The requirement of the handler to also regulate themselves helps to keep my tendency to micromanage in check. I have made dramatically better progress helping a dog find relaxation and self-regulate using this protocol after a single session than with weeks of daily drills with another protocol. (That sounds cliche, but it is true.) It is very integration-into-your-life-friendly. So great!

Laura Fennel

Intro to CARAT - made so much sense!

I loved the Intro to CARAT course. It made so much sense and reinforced the tendencies I see in patients. As a vet, I can see the huge range in personalities of puppies when they come in for their first puppy appointment. Being able to share a tiny snapshot of the CARAT concept with clients and explain just a little bit about personality traits makes a huge difference in their understanding of their new pet.

Dr. Megan Cathey

Really Real Relaxation Pro - "jewels" to add to my toolbox

RRR Pro

I enjoyed the course but more importantly, as a pro trainer, and I always look for new modalities and ideas to bring to my private training practice. This methodology is one of those “jewels” I will incorporate into my behavior modification toolbox to help my clients help their dogs relax in “real world” scenarios. Suzanne does a terrific job in delivering the information by providing clear examples of her protocol and what is not. However, do not be fooled by the simplicity of the exercise/protocol! There is much more nuance to the steps involved. From my perspective, there is a secondary benefit for dog parents to learn when engaging in Suzanne’s RRR. They will learn to look for small changes in their dog’s body language and demeanor, which supports their dogs in learning how to lower their arousal level.

Almudena Ortiz Cué C.H.A.C.O. Dog Training & Behavior Consulting LLC

See the Dog

Learning from and working under the umbrella of Relationship Center Training has acted as a north-star when navigating any behavioral concern. Suzanne always ends her webinars with ~see the dog~. I often find that when I am stumped or feeling insecure with a client, I am focusing too much on my own performance or what the client is expecting, instead of ~seeing the dog~. Once I tap back into that, my ego begins to fade and humble problem solving and skill building can begin again.

Kelsey Bennett

RCT Skills for Reactive Dogs - Invaluable!

LOVED THIS COURSE! This course is exactly what I was looking for. There is so much helpful information provided to help out our reactive dogs and their handlers. The specific training techniques, spelled out in detail, are invaluable. In addition to all the training techniques. The bonus material is much more than I ever expected. Well worth the price and I am excited to put these principles & techniques into action with my clients and add to my class curriculum. Thank You!

Bev Oliver

RAT (Relationship Assessment Tool) - Helping Clients Achieve Their Goals

Using R.A.T. helps me as a psychotherapist examine and identify essential elements of relationship quickly and clearly with my clients. And relationships are at the heart of most human issues. R.A.T. helps me point out therapeutic issues in a fundamental way that is often easier for clients to absorb because their interactions with an animal seem removed from their “real life,” with all the emotional landmines real life contains.

Ann Howie, LISCW, ASCW, CCA, CCFT, Human-Animal Solutions, author Teaming With Your Therapy Dog

Observation Skills Part 1 - Exceed my expectations!

OBS Part 1

The course that keeps on giving. Having taken many of Suzanne’s courses and webinars, I know they are always going to exceed my expectations. This course is not a checklist. It is training your brain to be a better observer. You’ll have several aha-moments during the course and course work, but it continues way beyond that. You will observe everything differently, and continue to improve your observation skills after this course. It doesn’t happen overnight, but the road to improvement is fascinating once you know the limitations of your own mind and how to better overcome those limitations. I can’t wait for part 2 of this course.

Vibeke Alstad Jagne

RCT is a way of life with the dog

My favorite part of RCT is that every interaction with a dog is based on the relationship. Training doesn’t occur in small blocks of time taken out of normal life activities. Instead with RCT training is a way of life with the dog. Every interaction with a dog is a chance to teach something. I love that RCT fostered a mutual partnership between handler and dog where both sides of the relationship is taken into account.

J.A., Pennsylvania

Understanding, Empathy & Uncommonly Good Sense

I count myself fortunate indeed to have the inimitable Suzanne Clothier as one of my teachers. She has a heart and mind devoted to honouring dogs, seeing them for who they truly are, and working with them (and their people) from a place of understanding, empathy and uncommonly good sense. Her teaching is full of nuance and holds the dog’s dignity in the highest regard. In any learning environment led by Suzanne the enormous breadth and depth of her experience, knowledge and skill is evident, and her perceptive observations, sense of humour & fun, and ability to offer insights and solutions are remarkable.

Melanie Sweeney, Australia