Who Callie is
As the trainers describe her
A working-line German Shepherd, and a big one. This is the only breed statement on film. It is used to explain why her pulling survived weak corrections.
On film
because she just like I said she's a working line German Shepherd and you
technically this is my first shepherd that i trained
shepherd trot now they always look lanky when they do it
because she's so big, and it's like
Soft and sensitive. One handler says so in those words, and her one yelp on the e-collar was read the same way.
On film
Callie's a very sensitive soul.
consistently but I will turn the e-collar down a little bit based on that because maybe she's a little sensitized right now because of the environment
Motivated by freedom and sniffing rather than by play. The trainers read this off her and paid her with it for the whole program.
On film
Well, she likes freedom,
Maybe they don't want to compete with you directly yet.
got a little bit of play with the stick haven't been able to get her to play super hard but
A hard puller at the start, by two separate accounts.
Friendly with other dogs by the middle of the program, after raising her hackles at one on day two.
On film
Oh, yeah, she was going towards the dog, and her hackles were raising, so I had to recall her over.
no she doesn't look like she wants to hurt him
Levi's like dude I love this chick she's
Affectionate and physical with people. Both jumping and climbing were handled by putting contact on a cue ('uppies').
On film
So what I'm teaching her here is calm liberty.
Good girl. You're a lover.
As the family describes her
At the go-home visit the family's own concerns were jumping and her going for the garden. The owner also reports that she twice ran off for about half an hour when let out without a leash.
On film
you don't like her jumping on you
i brought her out one morning with no
leash and let her go and i spent 30 minutes chasing her around to get her back in
that happened to me twice
The program, stage by stage
Intake, off camera
Form submitted 3/5/2026. Nothing filmed.
The family asked for obedience and behaviour together: listening, sit and stay as the priorities, and pulling, jumping and aggression as the problems (source: intake). She would sit for a lure and knew nothing else. She had already worn an e-collar at home. She was in heat (source: intake). The fifteen unread short clips, including 'Callie Day 1!' and three parts of a first session 'seeing what she knows', presumably cover the program's first days.
Day one: assessment, the first leash work and a first outing
Undated. After the intake (3/5/2026, source: intake) and before the day-two session watch (published 2026-03-23). One clip remarks on 75-degree weather, which does not fix a date.
A prong collar sized to her neck; toy, tug and treat offered, tug declined; sit not given on the first cues; the handler reads low interest and little eye contact and sets engagement as the first job; the tune-up begins when she puts tension on the leash, and a slack-leash stretch is praised with 'walk her on a finger' set as the goal; a greeting with a passer-by at a park; an informal reactivity check near another German Shepherd, outcome not described in the audio.
Day two: recall with a marker and praise, and hackles at a dog
Undated. Published 2026-03-23, and probably filmed in March near the end of her heat.
A four-minute clip that is really a lesson on the recall. Call, mark 'yes', praise, then give another command: 'two commands one marker and praise'. The rule stated is that a dog that comes is never punished, even if it came slowly. On a walk she goes toward another dog with her hackles up, and the trainer recalls her away and puts greetings off. A big truck passes with little reaction. She is coming out of her heat, so the session is kept light. The corrective markers have not been introduced yet: nope and ah-ah come once she knows the commands, except for reactions to dogs.
On film
This is day two of Callie's training, so I don't know what to expect when she's going towards a dog.
so two commands one marker and praise
they you know the commands aren't clear and so you never want to punish your dog for not coming
Callie is just coming out of her heat cycle so we're gonna keep it light today
The pulling is diagnosed, and jumping is put on a cueTurning point
Undated. Placed before stages 4 and 5 on the state of 'uppies' and the down.
A long neighbourhood walk. A lead trainer handles Milo and coaches the handler who has been working Callie. She had been dragging that handler, and the loose-leash walking done 'last night' has turned it round. The lead trainer's diagnosis: she is a working-line German Shepherd and the pulling was not punished hard enough. She was learning to escape the correction, not to avoid it. The new standard is that she comes off the end of the leash the instant she feels it. If she braces, it is a leash pop and an e-collar tap. When she hits the end once at a passing scooter, the handler reports the collar is on 50 and is told to drop to about 25 or 30 because she has understood. Jumping is put on a cue, 'uppies', with an 'okay' release, so uninvited jumps can be corrected without making her wary of contact. The down is still hard: many reps, e-collar taps at about 15, and physical help. The lead trainer then takes her for downs and a heel lesson split into heel entry and heel in motion. She sniffs Milo and walks away.
On film
probably to like the loose-leash walking I was doing last night with Callie and
You she was only being taught to escape it
But it wasn't strong enough for her to want to avoid it
yeah but it looks like she's staying off the end of the leash completely now
That one's on 50. Should I lower it now?
Yeah, you can probably lower it to about a 25.
go try again use the e-collar what level setting should i put use it on like a 15 and just do like
The e-collar down, and a line that is droppedTurning point
Undated.
A dog-park session on a flexi, paid almost entirely with 'go sniffies'. Recalls past other dogs need no collar. After a long run of cues she downs on the e-collar alone, and the trainer says she has 'learned how to escape it'. Later she downs off cue with no reinforcement at all. The 'uh-uh' is said to be gaining power. One uninvited jump is punished. The trainer then drops the long line to test her recall without a hand on it. She is slow to come, and he says this is why you do not go straight from a flexi to off leash. She ends tired, needs help getting into the truck, and the next session is announced as a play session.
On film
Kelly come did not have to use any collar there she came back without any negative reinforcement
it looks very good much better and she's learned how to escape it so she's able to do the down now
she just downed off q she just downed with no no nothing no negative reinforcement
See, that's why you don't go straight from the Flexi to fully off-leash.
Trying to find a game
Undated.
A ball, then a tug on a line, then keep-away. She will not compete for the toy, and the trainer reads that as not wanting to compete directly yet, not as a lack of drive. Having seen that 'she likes freedom', the trainer pays sit, place, 'uppies', down and recall with release to sniffing. At one point she declines an 'uppies', and at another she is very calm on the grass. The session ends with downs and a plan to try loose-leash walking again.
On film
Cali yeah start playing tug oh they don't want to play it at first oh you
I'm not giving her any formal commands yet.
Well, she likes freedom,
Go get a stick. What why are you so calm? You want to do nothing?
Proofing on a state-park hike
About 2026-04-01 (Levi's first day). Published 2026-04-07.
A 47-minute group hike with other program dogs, framed as proofing everything around other dogs. Sits are checked for duration, and a down offered for a sit gets 'Nope. Not a down.' She holds a two-minute down at flexi length, about 26 feet, with the trainer turned away. A sit is held while he walks past her. She keeps the heel for its whole length and crowds a little. She places on a rock. She greets Levi happily and recalls off Akira. The trainer states that 'everybody trains on the flat collar' and that no prong collars are used. On one recall the e-collar, at a level used about fifteen times before, makes her yelp. He reads that as context, turns the level down, and explains that the point of a reliable recall is that she never feels the collar at all. By the end she hops into the truck.
On film
good so it's important that she understands how to behave around other dogs
distance and duration here flexi goes out about 26 feet so see if she gets up
two minutes now good girl give her the release command
on flat collar everybody trains on the flat collar with us we're not using prong collars at all
And that's interestingly enough, the same level on the e-collar that I've used the past, 15 times I've used it.
come on she hops right in now so no issues there anymore
A house lesson: calm liberty and a long place hold
Undated.
Ninety-two minutes indoors, most of it silent. Under rule 13 that silence is a duration place hold, not missing footage. It starts with quick sit and down checks and a longer down while the trainer sits, because that is harder for a dog. Then 'calm liberty': pets and freedom in a home, but no climbing on the handler unless invited. Then long place-cot stays proofed by leaving: the trainer goes to the fridge with headphones off so he can hear if she gets up, goes to find a jacket, and goes outside while watching her through the door. He reports that she stayed and did 'fantastic'. After an hour, sit and down with 'eh-eh', an invited 'uppies', and a second place hold that runs to the end of the file.
On film
training session is a house lesson for Callie
So what I'm teaching her here is calm liberty.
something from the fridge and we'll see how Callie does with it. I'm going to take my headphones off so that if I hear her get up I can reinforce her staying in position.
She did fantastic on the place cut stay.
Go-home: a family handover in one visit, two uploadsTurning point
On or about 2026-04-10.
At her house she is overexcited, and the trainer says outright that her behaviour now does not reflect her training. The family are asked to allow two to three days for her to settle, like jet lag, and are warned that calm on arrival will turn into testing. The handover covers: prong collar and e-collar for walks, and a 36-foot flexi as near-off-leash freedom with recall; the place cot as a choice to stay, not a locked door; 'nope' as the firm correction followed by the e-collar and 'uh-uh' as the soft one; name then 'okay' as the release; recall as non-negotiable; tone of voice; jumping handled by letting her choose, then correcting, then redirecting; door and crate manners; her gated area turned from a time-out into a sanctuary; let's go before a lunge; tug and the out; and the list of five commands and three markers. It is partly live. Indoors, a recall needs one e-collar press. In the backyard she will not sit, and the trainer finds the family's e-collar was never switched on, apologises, and has the family feel levels on their own hands. The owner reports that she twice ran off unleashed. The heat history comes up here as well.
On film
so so her behavior now it doesn't reflect her her training right okay
Kind of like when you're jet lagged or when you're coming from a long trip, you know, you're taking it easy to get back into the routine.
correct that from pulling yeah so Callie would have her e-collar on and her prong collar on
it's the one we normally use i'm gonna try it see if it it wasn't even on omg my fault
two or three days but that that's gonna switch that's gonna switch in like two or three days
After go-home: nothing
After 2026-04-10.
The trainer asked the family to text when the testing started. A May 2026 owner in the Max case remembers a staff member who 'took Callie', but there is nothing to tie that to this dog.
On film
when she's back at home and then she's gonna be ah she's gonna test you and then once that happens
text me to let me know what happens
Skills
Loose-leash walking
How it was taught
A six-foot leash, with an e-collar press when she hits the end. When that stalled, the lead trainer said the correction was only being escaped, not avoided, and had it strengthened (the in-house collar on 50, prong implied) until she came off the end of the leash on her own. Then the level came down. At go-home the family get prong collar, e-collar and a 36-foot flexi, and are told to correct the first small test at once.
On film
and you're just walking and she's hitting the end of the leash you would press the e button the e
to maintain is that if she does feel the end of the leash she needs to come off
Because she's gotten the point of loose leash walking. Maybe a 30.
important to learn how to maintain her new training Callie she doesn't pull
have to correct it right away and if you don't she'll keep testing you a little by little um
Recall
How it was taught
Call, mark yes, praise, follow with let's go, and never punish a dog that came. Then a flexi around distracting dogs, with every recall finished. Then a dragged long line so she cannot tell whether the leash is held. The e-collar follows a refused recall, and the stated goal is a recall good enough that she never feels it.
On film
I marked it with a yes, and then I praised her for it, and then I gave her another command, which is let's go.
Good good girl. He's making sure she finishes the recall every time
if you're holding it every time they know they are not dumb they can see if you're away from it
minute duration down command got plenty of let's go got a decent recall
but I want her to recall consistently and avoid the e-collar entirely because
And so I did have to press the e-caller so she can feel it and be like, oh, yeah, she's calling me.
Down
How it was taught
Give her a chance without leash pressure, then 'no', then e-collar taps (about 15) until she goes down, with help where needed. Repeat until she downs on the collar alone ('learned how to escape it'), then with nothing. Then add distance and duration.
On film
chance to do it without using leash pressure get her attention first tell her no tell her no let's
down help her out show her down sure down is that a down there you go that's it yep
down down down down good girl so we almost have the down completely on the
down down nope down almost come on down okay good girl that was so good that was e-collar only
I did a two minute duration down earlier and she did good with that.
I'm going to do a little bit of a longer down
that good stuff okay callie down nope yeah it's kind of hard to get them to do things when once
Sit (and not offering a down instead)
How it was taught
Cue, then 'nope' for a wrong answer ('Not a down'), with the release as the end of the position (an implied stay).
On film
callie sit callie sit nope break oh yeah callie hey heel break yeah good girl
Callie, sit. Sit. Good. Get some duration on this one. Sit. Nope. Not a down. Sit. Good.
but instead I'm going to have her sit and I'm going to walk by her
so when she didn't want to sit i said nope and then i pressed the e-collar
Place
How it was taught
Place on raised objects (a surface in the field, a rock on the hike), then long cot holds proofed by the handler leaving. At home it is framed for the family as emotional regulation around visitors, and as a choice to stay because a cot, unlike a crate, does not lock her in.
On film
there catty place place one here good good job mama place place cali good girl good job
Kelly place place place get on the rock mama get on the rock up here place place
So that's a new challenge for her.
Okay, she stayed.
um a lot of the uh recent videos you can see that she stays on here she places on here
Heel
How it was taught
Only after the pulling was gone. Two parts taught separately, heel entry and heel in motion, on concrete where there is little to sniff.
On film
so you teach two parts part one is the heel entry and then the other thing you teach is the heel in motion
do. Do it in a place where there's not a lot of stuff to sniff. Makes it a little easier.
She maintained it well for the entire duration,
Kelly yep yep yep good girl good job baby she crowds me a little bit
Jumping, 'uppies' and calm liberty
How it was taught
Free-shape the jump, name it 'uppies', release with 'okay', then punish the uninvited version and occasionally ask for the invited one. At the house lesson this becomes 'calm liberty': freedom and pets, but no climbing unless asked.
On film
when she goes to jump on you say uppies and then praise her tell her uppies and then praise her
So now, next time, if she goes to do it when you didn't ask her to, you punish it.
well is it tasty is it tasty girl good no let's go so I punished that one
So in a home context, she can get pets,
her to jump on on you just like let her make the decision right and if she does
Let's go
How it was taught
As 'follow me'. It is separate from the recall and follows it in the early sequence.
On film
so the let's go is the redirection cue it just means hey follow me we're going
Instead of correcting her for lunging or barking, right?
oops. Because he was in movement. Yeah. She doesn't, she, she can't connect the words
Play and the out
How it was taught
Ball, tug on a line, keep-away and sticks, with no formal demands while building interest. The out is taught by making the toy go dead and rewarded by giving the toy back.
On film
I just want to see if I can get her interested in the game
good job she's got a stick now yeah yeah she lazily walks up to the stick
and then they go run stuff like that but she does know the out callie out that just means she has
Loose-leash walking
On film
loose leash walking as you can tell she feels that pressure she's not removing herself from that pressure
that was number four no tension no tension
She's not pulling through the leash anymore.
She understands pressure on the leash.
We do five, 10 minutes of loose leash walking,
Recall
On film
Now I'm going to go find my Flexi so we can work on some recall.
we're obviously going to also target sit stay down stays implied though
this is day two of training second video of recall
we want to say cali come she comes and then goes into an immediate sit
Sit (and not offering a down instead)
On film
do you know how to sit no okay we ain't gonna penalize you for that because you don't know yet
Loose-leash walking
On film
do what is called the tune-up and what's going to happen is i'm going to randomly turn around
Yeah, that definitely worked because there's no tension on the leash.
Now we have to work on leash pressure.
but because she's a new dog i gotta make sure that we loose leash walk with this leash first
as you can see she has not been pulling and we only did a total of like I'd say like six to seven reps
Sit (and not offering a down instead)
On film
Callie, do you want to show me what you know? Sit. No. Callie, sit. No.
almost sitting. No. Okay. First day. Just trying to see where she's at.
just trying to see where she's at i know you know how to sit i know you're a smart girl
Play and the out
On film
You said nah.
She's just holding it.
She said, it's mine now.
No, did I take it too soon?
From the Shorts
Short clips posted from Callie's training. They are undated, so they sit beside the program rather than inside it.
Day one: a careful first walk
On what the handler calls Callie's evaluation session and first training with this handler, Callie had been hard to get into the kennel and was afraid, and once out she showed 'some nervousness'. So the handler let her sniff and explore and walked her in a quiet, empty field to start building a relationship, with a toy and treats ready to find out what motivates her. The handler explains that a prong collar goes on quickly, before it is properly fitted, the first time a new dog is taken out, because nobody yet knows how the dog will take pressure, and says 'I don't know her, she doesn't know me.'
On film
Okay, I have Callie here with us for the first time. Today is her evaluation session, first training with me.
and we're just gonna find out what she likes what motivates her
maybe it was kind of a struggle to get her in here she was afraid
I've noticed some nervousness so I'm gonna let her do her thing
I'm gonna just walk around in this field over there where there's nobody there
I'm going to build a relationship or at least try to build a relationship
because i don't know if she is sensitive to pressure
me i i don't know her she doesn't know me
Day two: learning to follow the handler on a loose leash
The handler says the first two or three tune-ups of day two (turning away so Callie meets the end of the leash) were not strong enough to make a difference, so the timing changed: the turn comes when the leash is slack and Callie isn't paying attention, not when it is already tight. From the fourth, the handler reports no tension; Callie looks back to check in, follows the turns, and when the handler stops she 'didn't push through'. In a later part the handler sums up the aim, 'she's going where we're going': if she doesn't keep up she feels a pop on the leash, and the handler points out Callie turning as soon as she sees the handler turn, and says she 'understands pressure on the leash' and gives in to it.
On film
So, I gave her like two tune-ups, or three I think, but they weren't hard enough or strong enough, so it didn't really make an effect on her.
so now that we are here i'm going to do it but not when the leash has tension but when it has some slack
that was number four no tension no tension
She looks back, checked in, very good sign.
If I stop, will she stop?
tension she didn't push through good girl
But we're teaching her that she's going where we're going.
and if she don't keep up she'll feel the she'll feel the pop
look at her turning around when she sees me turning
She understands pressure on the leash.
And she gives in.
Why the leash comes first
About ten minutes into the day-two session the handler says Callie is no longer pulling through the leash, holds it on the fingertips to show the slack, and gives viewers a simple test: you should be able to hold your dog's leash this lightly, and if you can't, your dog is pulling you. The handler calls loose-leash walking the foundation that has to come before any obedience or behaviour work, and says it is practised for five to ten minutes every session before switching to a long retractable leash for recalls.
On film
She's not pulling through the leash anymore. Literally, we just started our session like 10 minutes ago.
as you can see if i stop she'll feel that oh my fingers are right here
you should be able to hold your dog on a leash like this if you cannot do this your dog is pulling you
the loose leash is definitely the foundation of all of their behaviors.
we need to make sure we focus on loose leash walking before we can address any obedience any behavioral issues
We do five, 10 minutes of loose leash walking,
and then we switch over to a flexi.
Flexis are really good when we start recalling.
Day two recall: come, then sit in front
In what the handler calls the second recall video of day two, Callie is called with 'Cali, come' on the long retractable leash. The handler explains where this is heading: the dog comes, sits right in front of you and waits for the next instruction, so that on a busy street, if another dog is misbehaving, your dog is close and under control. The sit in front is described as the eventual goal, not something she was doing yet.
On film
this is day two of training second video of recall
so we're working on recall ali come and so essentially well not essentially eventually
we want to say cali come she comes and then goes into an immediate sit and waits for you to tell her what you know her next command
maybe you're walking down a busy street and there's a crazy dog
you have more control especially if you're on a flexi
And so essentially, well, not essentially, eventually, um, we want her to, we want to
'Yes' marks it; 'good girl' is praise
In the same recall clip the handler stops to point out a mistake on camera: when Callie did something right, the handler said 'good girl' instead of the marker word 'yes', the word that tells her she did something good. 'Good girl' is praise, the handler explains, but it is not the marker, and good behaviour should be marked with 'the actual word'.
On film
so i made a mistake there instead of me saying good girl i should have just gave her that yes yes she did something good right not the good girl
girl is also one of my um praises but it's still not the the word the marker it's not the marker
mark a good behavior with the actual word and not just the good girl
Callie, so I made a mistake there instead of me saying good girl. I should have just gave her that yes
No penalty for a sit she hasn't learned
At the start of day two the handler asks Callie to sit, finds she doesn't know it yet, and says she won't be penalized for that. An e-collar is put on only so she gets used to wearing it: the handler says it goes on in the first day or two after a dog arrives, while the dog is still in the learning phase, so it gets used to 'having something right behind their ear'.
On film
this is day two of her training
do you know how to sit no okay we ain't gonna penalize you for that because you don't know yet
Cali we're gonna put this um collar on just to get her used to it
for the e-caller we have to show her some commands she's still in the learning phase
we just put it on the first day or two after they come in so that they can get used to having something right right behind their ear
What she liked: being outside and being petted
The handler says Callie is not very food- or toy-motivated, 'which is a little hard, but it's not impossible.' Offered a tug on day two, she grabbed it and let it go; the handler says she enjoys being out in nature and being petted.
On film
She's not very treat motivated or toy motivated, which is a little hard, but it's not impossible.
want a tug you want a toy do you like toys oh she grabbed it nope she said no thanks
she enjoys being out in nature and she enjoys being pet
Her first day: finding out what she knew
The trainer spends Callie's first day seeing where she is. A prong collar is fitted to her neck (two prongs taken out to size it), she is offered a toy, a tug and a treat, and she is asked to sit, which she doesn't do on the first tries ('almost sitting'). The trainer says the first-day footage will be the 'before' in a before-and-after.
On film
All righty, I have sized her prong collar to her neck.
I only had to remove two prongs.
Callie, do you want to show me what you know? Sit. No. Callie, sit. No.
almost sitting. No. Okay. First day. Just trying to see where she's at.
This is her first day, so we'll follow up on this.
We'll do a before and after and see how she progresses during her training.
Building a connection first
In her first session the trainer says Callie is 'really not interested in me' and isn't making much eye contact. So the first job is engagement: getting her to focus on the handler, building the relationship, and building the training on top of that.
On film
Yes, she's really not interested in me we got to build that engagement we got to redirect that
Focus on me so that we can Build that relationship and Build on her training
she's not making eye contact with me a lot. So I'm gonna focus on that too
The 'tune-up': how the leash work started
When Callie put some tension on the leash on day one, the trainer started what the team calls a tune-up: the handler turns around at random, and because Callie wasn't watching where they were going, she feels the leash. After a couple of tune-ups the trainer says the tension had come off the leash, and that getting her to pay more attention to the handler than to her surroundings would 'take some time'.
On film
the loose leash because she's putting a little bit of tension on so to do that we are going to
do what is called the tune-up and what's going to happen is i'm going to randomly turn around
and she is going to feel the pull because obviously she wasn't paying attention to where I was going
Alrighty, we did like two tune-ups, what we call, so she stops pulling, and it seems to
have gotten the tension on the leash a little off, so that's a good thing.
We still, however, want her to be paying attention to me, and more so than the environment.
That's going to take some time.
The goal: a leash held on one finger
On what the trainer calls her first day, after praising a stretch with no tension on the leash, the trainer sets the target: to walk Callie 'literally on a finger' without her pulling, and to have her follow a light tug to the left or right by moving her head, 'kind of like a horse'.
On film
today's the first day
yep no leash tension that's really good
So we want to get to the point where we can walk her like literally on a finger without her putting tension.
if I tug on this a little to the left or to the right, she just moves her head kind of like a horse.
Toys: she'd rather hold one than tug
Callie turned down the tug on her first day ('You said nah') and dropped the tug toy. In another early try with a soft, fluffy toy she took it in her mouth and simply held it; the trainer wondered aloud whether the toy had been taken back too soon, then concluded 'you just like toys'. On a separate walk, offered cuddles and a walk, 'she'd rather sniff.'
On film
You like the tug toy?
You said nah.
smart girl she's dropping her tugs her tuck toy
I'm gonna try to see if she likes the tug.
She's just holding it.
No, did I take it too soon?
no you just like toys you just like toys
No? Okay, she'd rather sniff.
First outings: watching how she reacts
Early outings were used to see how Callie reacts before deciding what to work on. When another German Shepherd came into view, the trainer took the chance to check whether she reacts to dogs; the clip records praise and doesn't describe a reaction. At a park with kids, birds and people the plan was to watch her reaction first and train from there, and on her first day of training a passer-by stopped to ask about her.
On film
oh there's another german shepherd there maybe she has let's check let's check
that reactivity out with a dog maybe she doesn't have reactivity come on mama good girl good girl
So we're at the park. There's some kids here
There's birds and people and we're just going to see how she reacts to them.
That is what we are going to work on as soon as we see her reaction
It's her first day of training. First day of training? Yeah. Yeah. So we're just trying to feel it out.
A regular leash before a retractable one
The trainer likes retractable leashes, but says that because Callie is a new dog, loose-leash walking has to be established on a regular leash first.
On film
love my retractable leashes
but because she's a new dog i gotta make sure that we loose leash walk with this leash first
Day two: a little nervous, but it's all new
On a walk from her 'Day 2' series, the trainer says Callie is really enjoying herself, sniffing and smelling things, and that she's 'a little nervous, but it's all new to her.'
On film
She's really enjoying this walk.
Sniffing things and smelling things.
She's a little nervous, but it's all new to her.
Walks are for the dog to enjoy too
In another day-two clip the trainer explains the house view of a walk: dogs are given freedom to sniff and don't have to stay right at your side, and the walk is for them to enjoy as well as you. By the trainer's count Callie had stopped pulling after 'like six to seven' repetitions, with the warning that every dog is different and that a dog allowed to pull a little will end up pulling hard when it sees something it wants.
On film
We also believe in freedom, dog freedom, so we let them be dogs and just sniff things and not have to have them right beside us at all times.
this is this walk is mostly for them to enjoy for us too
as you can see she has not been pulling and we only did a total of like I'd say like six to seven reps
them just pull like a little bit eventually when they see something that they really like they're gonna pull a lot a lot a lot they will drag you
How the method adapted
Callie is not a fear case or a bite case. Her file shows the program adjusting to a big, soft, sniff-driven puller who did not care much for toys. Each move below is one the trainers made because of something they read in her specifically.
They paid her in freedom because that is what she wanted.
Toys did not land and she would not compete. The trainer read that 'she likes freedom' and made sniffing the reward for the rest of the program.
On film
Well, she likes freedom,
so we're gonna use that for right now
the sniffies so i like this because it's a really easy way in this kind of environment to reward
The leash correction was made stronger rather than repeated, and then brought down as soon as it worked.
The diagnosis was that a working-line shepherd had learned to escape a weak correction without learning to avoid it. Once she came off the end of the leash on her own, the level was cut by half or more.
On film
probably just didn't yeah you just weren't punishing the pulling quite hard enough
You she was only being taught to escape it
Yeah, you can probably lower it to about a 25.
After a yelp, the level came down and the trainer did not treat it as a mistake to push through.
He reads the yelp as her being sensitised by a new environment, notes that her mood did not change, and lowers the level. It is the same dog the same trainer calls 'a very sensitive soul'.
On film
a yelp and sometimes it's like they barely felt it so it's very context dependent just like with
and you can see her mood hasn't changed she's still happy and exploring
Jumping was put on a cue instead of being simply corrected.
So that correcting the uninvited jump would not make an affectionate dog worried about contact with people.
On film
thinking that you're just like if they want to interact with you say you want to play a game with them they're gonna be worried about interacting with you
make it a command then they know okay this thing is actually fine to do if I'm asked to do it if uninvited it's a problem
The session was lightened for her heat.
She was coming out of her heat cycle on day two. The go-home trainer remembers low motivation the day before it started and odd walking during it.
On film
Callie is just coming out of her heat cycle so we're gonna keep it light today
walking all funny I'm like oh my god this is not a good time to train poor baby
Recall freedom was staged: flexi, then a dragged line. It never went straight to off leash, and her slow recall on the dropped line was used to show why.
Dogs know when the leash is held. The family's own story of two half-hour chases shows the cost of skipping the steps.
On film
Because if you do, you can end up with a problem.
Right? She didn't come right away when I said come.
At home, the old punishment space was turned into her sanctuary, and the family were told to redirect before a lunge rather than correct after it.
Her gated area had been used as a time-out, so she did not want to be in it. Let's go given at fixation stops the lunge before it happens.
On film
she went in there so it was like she didn't want to be in there because it was time out for her
but now it's like this is my spot this is my sanctuary this is my area if I want to calm down
something she's looking at it like this and before she even lunges you say hey
What the family was told
The first days home: two to three days to settle, then testing
home they act like this but this is only this will you know happen for the first like we we ask people to give them two to three days to adjust back home
But then once they calm down and once they slept and once they ate and once they get back into the routine, that's when you expect them to maintain the obedience.
but then calm you know because in the kennel we come in and out all the time dogs sleep like i
Maintenance: she will test you a little at a time
anymore but because that's what she used to do she's going to test you
until until she just pulls you really hard um one day and then it becomes a habit again
more but with time you won't need it as much anymore because you know it's kind
and not letting certain things slide because she will revert back if you don't maintain
Equipment: prong collar and e-collar for walks, the 36-foot flexi, and making the collar work
is it this this one gives her 30 36 feet so she knows not to pull right but if she does end up
of like i think about it as a an invisible um leash
no it's good so then you have levels one through 24 for this one so
A seven probably indoors would be okay for recalling.
okay okay yeah exactly yep so we realized that this thing wasn't on i'm sorry because i forget
don't want it to be loose loose to where it just slides because if it does you she's either never
yeah yeah because she wouldn't come back when you you asked her to anytime that she's out here i
The two correction words, and the circle that closes them
like it's not like it's like a soft correction like when when I put her here
no-no for you you'd be like nope and you get her off of you right um so that's when uh nope is like
that i told you nope you got off i said yes i petted you that was okay right so it's a it's a
say yes so it's like a full circle so it's the nope the um the the punishment and then when she
Place: a cot is a choice, not a locked door
there being on the cot is helps them to learn how to be patient because unlike the kennel right or
can't come out but here they aren't physically locked in and are able to
It allows her to be present, be around, but also regulate her emotions and stay on the cot, right?
watching tv maybe here sitting here you can put her on place and just practice that
Release and names
least command is O and then the K it'd be okay so she knows that Kelly okay
there we go and when you're gonna give her a command you should say her name
Recall is non-negotiable
say nope and then you press the e-collar yep so recall is non-negotiable it's
sit nope Callie sit good girl there we go yep so you can practice here in the backyard with
Jumping: let her choose, then correct, then give her something else to do
well I think you're just used to her just jumping on you right and so you
her doing that you just say um you just give her a redirection like let's go you get up and you walk
you don't talk to her in a high-pitched voice
girl. So you see that she's calm right now, which is good. You want to say, yes, good girl. You want
House manners: crate door, thresholds, and why home needs rules
so it's important that you know when you open the door you know you keep shutting it until she
lot on door manners too so we do it anytime she goes through a door or a
because training changes depending on where it's at it's situational so if she's always been crazy
The backyard: free-range her and correct each approach to the garden
okay should i still put her on the leash or should i just let her free range it's up to you um i would
she gets punished for it then she won't get close to it she'll ignore it with time
them yeah yeah if you give her toys um for her to interact out here in the um in the um backyard
Everyone has to be obeyed, not one person
specific person yeah but it's important that she also listens to you and listens to mom and
Tug, the out, and the list
to let it go so if she doesn't let it go you play dead you make the toy go dead
cali let's go yeah do you guys all have the list of the um commands and the markers
the sit the down the place the let's go and the come those are the five um commands
Keep watching the videos; reach out
the training but that's why it's important for you guys to watch the videos and watch what we say
want her to come to you callie come yep and so these are the you guys are going to make mistakes
In the family's own words
The owner asks what place is for, and which buttons to press on the remote. These are a new handler's questions.
He reports how she lives now: out for half an hour every three hours, with him there. Unleashed turn-outs are being given up because of the escapes.
On film
I usually take her out 30 minutes every three hours, and I'm always watching her.
i sometimes i wanted to let her free reign and now you know why i always keep her on the leash
The family feel the e-collar themselves and report what they feel.
On film
It felt like a pinch.
Up here, I don't feel a one or a two, but I feel a four.
Outcomes
What the trainers reported
She no longer pulls.
The go-home trainer, at the handover.
On film
important to learn how to maintain her new training Callie she doesn't pull
She stays off the end of the leash, and has 'gotten the point' of loose-leash walking.
The lead trainer on the Milo walk.
On film
yeah but it looks like she's staying off the end of the leash completely now
A down on the e-collar alone, then off cue with no reinforcement.
The dog-park trainer.
On film
she just downed off q she just downed with no no nothing no negative reinforcement
A two-minute down at distance, a heel held for its whole length, and a decent recall.
The hike trainer, summarising his own session.
On film
let me try show good stuff in this training session so you've got a two
minute duration down command got plenty of let's go got a decent recall
Fantastic on a very long place-cot stay near the end of the program.
The house-lesson trainer.
On film
She did fantastic on the place cut stay.
No longer any trouble getting into the truck.
The hike trainer.
On film
come on she hops right in now so no issues there anymore
What the footage shows
What the dog did between cues is known only from the handlers' narration. No audiovisual review has been done.
On film
two minutes now good girl give her the release command
At go-home, the program behaviour is not on show and the trainer says so. She is hard to get into a down or a sit, a recall indoors takes an e-collar press, and in the backyard she refuses a sit until a nope and a press. Part of that is explained by a collar that was not switched on.
On film
so so her behavior now it doesn't reflect her her training right okay
She's not sitting.
Did I even turn it on?
Around other dogs: hackles and a recall-away on day two; a sniff and a walk-away with Milo; a happy greeting with Levi; a recall and sit with Akira approaching.
On film
She's just sniffing. She just wants to sniff.
girl. Good girl. Got another doggy coming. Got Akira up here. See if Callie gets distracted
The ideas Callie's case runs on
- A raised texture, and never a punishment
- Cue the trigger, correct the command
- Escape before avoidance: the collar backs a word the dog already knows
- Freedom is given in measured steps
- Heat is a stop sign
- Heel entry versus heel in motion
- Never punish the return
- Play is a capacity you can grow
- Put the unwanted behaviour on cue
- Release to freedom
- The dog is a different dog for his owner - and authority transfers
- The level is not a number
- The marker vocabulary: eh, good, okay - and two corrections
- The settling week
- The three Ds, and the variables nobody counts
- Two events, not one - and what the handler does in between