Key Points
- Moving forward your job is to make accountability with the dog in relation to the obedience and overall behavior of the dog.
- You achieve accountability with a combination of Motivation and Obligation.
- Motivation is created with praise and food or toy rewards, you do not use these things to bribe the dog into compliance but to reward the dog for a job well done after completion of a command or a good behavior choice.
- Obligation is created by correcting the dog for failure to comply with a known command. Corrections take the form of the remote collar or prong collar and are delivered with an intensity commensurate with the situation.
- 99% of behavior issues are a result of poor management, follow our management guidelines to the letter in relation to your dog to ensure optimal behavior.
- You will never give your dog a formal command without having a means to ensure his or her compliance that means having a leash or remote collar on your dog at all times.
- All undesirable behaviors like aggression are to be punished as you were shown in the return session immediately, do not allow even the smallest bad behavior to go unpunished.
- Start every outing with your dog with obedience for 5 to 10 minutes prior to releasing your dog to play.
- Do NOT leave the remote collar in the same place on your dog’s neck for longer then 3 hours.
Markers
CHEEP – Marks the moment your dog has done something to earn a treat. Simply mark the moment the dog does something you want to reward then give the dog a treat.
NO – Is the marker for punishment. Say NO the moment the dog does something undesirable then apply the punisher.
GOOD – Is a verbal marker for desirable behavior that reinforces for the dog that he is doing something desirable.
OK – Marks the end of a stay. Your dog must maintain any behavior he is asked to until you mark OK. If the dog breaks a behavior prior to hearing OK mark with a NO and replace the dog in the behavior.
E-Collar
Ensure the collar is fitted snugly to the dog’s neck. When you are walking the box should be on the left side of the dog’s neck if the dog is a left side dog.
Do not leave the e collar in the same place longer then 3 hours, remember to loosen it and move it every 3 hours.
When using your collar for general obedience the level should be such that you see the dog act like they received a leash correction. Generally, it looks like a twitch. We do not want the dog to over react, just respond productively to the stim.
When your dog is ignoring your commands or failing under certain circumstances to respond to the stim turn up the collar significantly, catch the dog high a few times to make accountability then go back down.
The E Collar should be put on 10-15 minutes prior to any use and you should NEVER give your dog commands without the e collar on for at least 6 months.
Structured Walk
Please ensure you do at least one structured walk with your dog every day. The structured walk is essential for the new respect based relationship you are forging with your dog. Every walk should be a healthy mix between loose leash walking and heeling.
Loose Leash Walking
Never allow the dog to make tension on the leash whether you are still or in motion. Any time the dog pulls on the leash deliver a quick pop to the leash in the opposite direction of the pulling dog and simultaneously push the remote collar to deliver a correction.
If the dog ignores the correction simply turn up the collar quickly and deliver another correction while again popping back on the leash or push the red button to boost the level.
Remember, please say your dogs name if you need your dog to move towards you and simply stim the dog if he or she fails to come to you. Remember to praise the dog for compliance. NO PULLING EVER!
Heeling
*REMEMBER start all heeling patterns at a slow pace do not move faster until you and the dog are moving well. If you start to lose the dog for any reason SLOW DOWN again and correct the dog as necessary if he fails to adjust his pace to yours.
When you give the dog the heel command the dog must come to the left side (unless you have a right side dog). The dog must then stay next to you whether you are still or in motion. The dog’s shoulder must never pass your shoulder.
The dog must sit when you stop. The dog is not to sniff the ground or move at a different speed then you. If the dog fails in this criteria or attempts to leave you for a distraction and immediate correction is delivered via the remote collar at a level sufficient for the dog to comply.
Remember, if the dog is excited or distracted a higher level is warranted then the usual level you use with the dog. If the dog gets away from you and is more then 3 to 4 feet away use the dogs name to call him back then command him to heel again.
Place Command
If you have a young dog or a dog with behavioral issues in the home like issues with aggression, resource guarding or the door the place command is something you should practice every day whether you need it or not. Point the dog to the desired place which must be an elevated object that is discernable to the dog.
Place is anything you decide it is however you must take the dog to the object and show the dog the item then have the dog get on and off the place a few times so he knows what you want before leaving the dog on place.
If the dog attempts to leave the place simply say NO PLACE and give your dog a continuous remote collar correction until he gets back on the desired object. If the dog appears confused or attempts to leave simply continue tapping the collar go and physically place the dog either with a leash or the dog’s flat collar back on the place. Stop stimming the dog when he is back on the place.
If you have a dog that has issues staying on the place leave a leash on the dog even if you are using the remote collar. If the dog continues to attempt to leave place simply escalate the level of correction for leaving. Do this quickly and catch the dog on a significantly higher level and you will see the behavior end quickly.
Do not leave the dog on place unsupervised otherwise you will not be able to correct him or her for leaving. If you want to get to the point where you make your dog strong on place unsupervised, proof the command by pointing a WiFi camera or baby monitor at the place and simply correct the dog for attempting to leave on a higher level. Generally, only one or two instances are necessary for proofing this.
Recall
Your dog’s name is the recall command. For the sake of this writeup we will assume your dogs name is FIDO. To call your dog simply say FIDO, if the dog turns to come to you immediate begin praising the dog loudly and enthusiastically. When the dog gets to you either release him again with an OK or command him to SIT or HEEL.
I recommend marking with a CHEEP every so often when your dog comes to you and rewarding your dog with a tasty treat. This helps to maintain that motivation that is also important to your dogs success.
If your dog fails a recall due to wilful disobedience or distraction simply repeat your dog’s name FIDO and add a remote collar stimulation. Continue calling your dog and pairing the dogs name with a remote collar stimulation until the dog turns to come, then praise the dog profusely all the way back to you. If the dog ignores your remote collar correction simply turn up the level.
RULE # 1: NEVER stop stimming the dog on the remote if he does ANYTHING other then come towards you. If you stop you will confuse the dog and possibly teach her to even run from the stim.
In the case of disobedience, do not climb up the levels slowly go up quickly until you see the dog react to the collar and cease ignoring the recall. Example, if your dog is at 10 on the collar normally and ignores a recall I will quickly turn the dial up without even looking before repeating FIDO and simultaneously correcting the dog on the collar.
If the dog continues to ignore the recall depress the remote collar button and swiftly turn up the collar until the dog stops and turns. Then immediately stop correcting the dog and praise enthusiastically all the way back.
RULE # 2: Always stim the dog for ignoring a recall command, you must continue to repeat the dogs name and tap the collar simultaneously until the dog stops and turns.
NEVER STIM THE DOG ON THE WAY BACK TO YOU!
Sit, Down, Stay
When you give positional commands like sit or down ensure the dog immediately assumes the position then praise. If the dog fails to comply immediately repeat the command and stim the dog at the same time. If the dog breaks the position mark the moment with a NO and repeat the command SIT/DOWN with stim.
If the dog fails the command keep repeating the command and stimming the dog until he reassumes the command. If the dog continues to fail continue tapping the collar and physically assist the dog into the position then praise the dog.
If you have put your dog into a down or sit stay and the dog breaks the position and runs to you immediately mark with a NO and take the dog by the collar and firmly take the dog back to the position you originally placed him and replace him in the position he was supposed to be in. Always keep your eye on the dog while he is in a stay, the second the dog attempts to break and mark NO and repeat the command with a stim.
Aggressive Reactive Dogs
If you have an aggressive dog, management in the house and correct behavior on the structured walk is the keys to success. Your dog has been trained to be obedient and also trained to be neutral to his or her triggers. Your job is to maintain the obedience and also follow up with any corrections for any undesirable behavior.
The obedience and structure we have put on your dog is essential to keeping your dog in the correct state of mind. Maintaining the obedience, structure and not allowing your dog to break these behaviors and expectations will prevent 99% of the aggression problems. Please refer to the obedience sections for how to maintain the obedience in the home and on the walk.
Finally, but of no less importance you must punish your dog for any undesirable behavior. An effective punishment is something your dog deems intolerable. You have been shown how to use the bonker and a remote collar in the context of punishment. Remember, before any punishment you must mark with a NO prior to applying the punishment so your dog completely understands why it happened.
Remember, its your job to keep your dog safe. Do NOT allow strangers or other dogs to physically interact with your dog depending on whether your dog is dog or human aggressive. You also must punish any instance of growling, barking or aggression of any kind, do NOT allow these behaviors to pass or it will get worse.
It is your job to watch your dog while in public. If you notice your dog hyper fixating on a target immediately snap your dog out of it by taking a few steps back and calling your dog. You can also ask your dog to look up at you by simply saying his name. If your dog fails to follow your instructions, immediately correct your dog until they show immediate attention to you.
FIXATION:
There is nothing wrong with allowing your dog to look at people or other dogs but its important to be aware of any hyper fixation and correct the dog for this or snap him or her out of it. Hyper fixation is the precursor to aggression. Allow it and your dog will start reverting.
PULLING:
On a walk most dogs will start pulling prior to any reactive display. Correct pulling the way you were shown. You may have to use a higher level on the collar because the more aroused a dog gets the less responsive to the collar they become. Quickly correcting the pulling is essential to eliminate the behavior. I see so many people allowing their dog to pull towards other dogs and people and wondering why the dog is becoming reactive. REMOVE THE PULLING and the aggression will follow.
Common Problems
Problem:
I just got my dog home and he is ignoring all my commands and is reverting.
Answer:
Your dog is used to misbehaving with you and in your home. Your dog knows what he is expected to do. It is time to make structure and accountability in your home environment. Remove all affection, put your dog on place in the house and hold him accountable to that. When you take your dog out take everything very slowly ONE behavior at a time. Correct the dog firmly for every failure and ensure he completes every behavior correctly. Do NOT accept halfway. Anything less then complete obedience is unacceptable. If you allow it things will quickly snowball and you will lose all control.
For example, if my dog cannot lie down at the door while I get ready we are not leaving the house until he does that properly. If my dog cannot walk down the driveway properly in a correct heel then we are not getting onto the sidewalk.
Problem:
My dog does stops listening when other dogs and people are around.
Answer:
Your dog knows the expectations, if he is getting over aroused slow everything down, dial up the collar significantly, catch the dog a few times when he is incorrect in his obedience then turn your collar back down to the normal level. Usually it only takes a few sharp corrections to bring your dog back down to planet earth. Keep your dog in obedience until he is visibly calmer.
Problem:
My dog keeps doing certain things I don’t like, for example jumping.
Answer:
If you want to remove undesirable behavior of any kind you must apply a punishment to said behavior. Remember to mark the behavior with NO then apply the punisher as you were shown in the return session.
Problem:
My dog doesn’t listen without the e collar on.
Answer:
Why are you telling your dogs to do things without the collar or some form of control on him? You are setting the dog up for failure and showing the dog that he only has to listen with equipment on.
Obedience is a habit and you must spend months instilling this habit before ever putting the dog in the position to ignore you successfully. Your job is to always ensure you are in a position to correct your dog for failing to comply with your instructions.
