Who Fiona is
As the trainers describe her
A chug, meaning a chihuahua-pug mix. This is said on day one and repeated to strangers in every public outing of the second program. Her owner-confirmed alias, Fionita, is how the June trainer addresses her.
On film
she is a chug a pug and a and a chihuahua a chug
sit you can her name's Fiona she's a chihuahua mixed with a pug she's a chug
That's right. Yeah, I like Fionita the Chug.
Untrained at arrival and inclined to ignore, in the first handler's words on day one.
On film
fiona has never had any formal training
High energy and strong play drive. A frisbee is her tug toy because most balls are too big for her mouth. She plays mouthy and 'nibbles' when amped, and a trainer says plainly that she does not bite.
On film
lots of fun she has lots of play drive her training has gone wonderfully she's learned
She got so much energy.
a bunch of toys i can't use like 90 of the toys they just don't fit in her mouth she can't pick
that for hours if you amp her up she will she'll she'll nibble at you she won't like bite anybody
Sensitive to the e-collar and resilient about it. Three handlers in the second program say she is sensitive, and one says she screams at any level. The trainer who lowered the level reads her yelp as surprise, not as damage.
On film
Good thing about them is Fiona is actually pretty sensitive to the e-collar.
i think it just surprises her she'll go right back to doing what she's doing afterwards
Cause that is, she is incredibly sensitive to it, it seems.
swear she screams no matter how low i put the e-pilot
She arrived with a reputation that her handlers reject. In the second program she is called 'vicious' as a joke, and they say her 'show' looks worse than it is.
On film
Yeah, they were like, she's so vicious.
She's not vicious.
hadn't like a kind of like an untrained eye um you would think oh god she's she's gonna try to
Intelligent and compliant for a trainer. The June trainer's summary is close to unqualified, and a trainer's own claim of 'hours' on place is recorded here as a claim.
On film
and sweet she is she's incredibly intelligent she's incredibly smart she listens to all of
and leave i can i can leave her on place for hours i can go inside i can leave her like on
Affectionate. She rolls over for belly rubs, sometimes in place of the down she was asked for, and one staff member says she 'lives for that'.
On film
Now we're rolling over and getting a belly roll.
The program, stage by stage
Intake, off camera
Form submitted 2026-02-01. Nothing filmed.
A 14 lb chug, about fourteen months old and adopted from a rescue two months earlier, whose owner had never walked her. She was reactive 'Often' to every category of person and dog, pulled hard enough to hurt the owner's shoulder, toileted indoors and would not stay off the owner's lap. A consult was done by Kelton, according to the first go-home trainer. The consult was not filmed.
On film
she never once pulled for you uh-uh well she probably so kelton he did the consult and he
Stage
About 2026-02-02 to mid-February. Filmed: day one only (watch).
Day one is a getting-to-know-you walk: her first time on a prong collar, a 26-foot flexi, one tentative 'come'. The rest of the first program is not filmed. The go-home describes what was built: 'nope' as the correction marker paired with a locked-wrist leash pop on the prong, 'let's go' as a redirect, a recall that ends in a sit, and 'place' renamed 'bed' for her home. The first trainer says two corrections on the prong stopped her pulling on the first day. No e-collar, and no off-leash work. A visit to the owner's home the week before go-home is mentioned and was not filmed.
On film
we are today is her first day and we're just going to walk around i'm gonna get a feel
is when i first went to um put the prong collar on she probably tried to pull me but i gave her
but cool girl and you remember uh last week when i was here uh we reviewed the things um what to
so we teach them that but with um fiona we didn't train her to be off leash right we train her to
First go-home lessonTurning point
Mid-February 2026 (probably 2026-02-16); published 2026-02-19.
The handover restates the problem as leash reactivity, reactivity to people and pulling, and teaches the owner the correction: say 'nope' first, then lock and pop, and take her audible reaction as proof it registered. They also prescribe more walks, other neighbourhoods and pet-friendly stores, because walking her so little has left her pent up. They define come as arriving and sitting, and teach 'bed' with gradual duration and a release she must wait for. Indoors she is corrected for jumping and settles. The upload ends as a staged jump for a 'hard correction' is being set up.
On film
uh you say no first and then you do the lock and the pop it um it helps to remind her that that's
14 days isn't going to change that habit completely, right?
as much because of her reactivity yeah so it's like it's like holding back food you know and
But it was a cot that we use places for yes, but I switched the word to bed because she has a bed
Follow-up handler sessions: what held and what did notTurning point
One visit about a week after go-home (watch + watch, published 2026-03-06), then another about a week later (watch, upload dated 2026-03-12).
The owner's report card: 'let's go' and sit are good, bed and down are not. Bed held through one dinner and failed the next morning. There have been no accidents indoors since training. The trainer's answers are more correction ('it has to be a hard correction'), a smaller quick-release prong because the old buckle was too big for her neck, a raised cot to replace the low home bed, a recall with 'no option', and 'nope' reserved for a broken command. The trainer also recommends an ordinary four-to-six-foot leash rather than a retractable. At the second visit Major is used as a neutral dog. Fiona does not react while the trainer is present, and the owner says she acts out when the trainer is not there. The owner's leash correction is reshaped from an upward pull into a quick pop down and back. The idea of a board-and-train refresher is raised because the owner will be away in May.
On film
let's go has been good the sit has been good the bed not so good and the down
And it has to be a hard correction, unfortunately.
leash so um fiona you need a regular um not a not a not a retractable but um okay like six foot yeah
she's been coming off of bed and there hasn't been any consequences. Now she feels like she
so she's she's been acting out when i'm not here but when i'm here she's here she's okay yeah
That's just a pull.
Second board-and-train: e-collar, calm liberty, and the leash-tension thesisTurning point
Late May to about 2026-06-03.
She is back, and the vocabulary is new: calm liberty, free shaping with penalties, the conditioned punisher. The series is made explicitly for the owner. The first recordings are home-context place holds, mostly near-silent duration work under rule 13. She holds about five minutes with the trainer out of the room. When amped first, she gets off and climbs back on by herself. She resists the down by rolling onto her back, and the trainer blocks it with an arm. The e-collar is introduced during play and used on a reaction to a dog behind a fence. The couch video argues that the conditioned punisher, not sit or down, is what the owner must keep. Then comes the pivot. In a yard session the trainer tests the hypothesis that she has only ever reacted on a leash or at a barrier. Off leash near two passing dogs she shows no interest. The trainer concludes that her reactivity is '100' attached to leash tension, and tells the owner to stop locking the leash.
On film
free shaping that one might think of, I'm going to be free shaping with penalties instead of free
because what she's learned is that she can roll around
the dogs in the backyard named echo and i was able to just punish it with the e-collar good girl let's
condition punisher? It is. Right. So that is going to be what you need to keep up with. It is more
go get him seems to have no interest i think it's because there's no leash tension
and there's no barrier so fiona's reactivity is 100 attached to what
Second program in public: flexi, parks, a store, a trail
June 2026. watch uploaded 2026-06-16. watch, watch and watch uploaded 2026-06-23. watch is the go-home day.
On a loose flexi she passes other dogs, and the trainer credits the flexi and nothing else. Come is defined as 'come to me and sit' and let's go as moving on. Recall is proofed on a dragged eight-foot line at a busy park. At Bass Pro she places on store fixtures, waits at a door and holds a two-minute down, but going into the down is still sticky. The handler reports that she 'hasn't done that in a while' about barking at people. On the last day the Micro Educator at 15 proves too strong, so the level goes to 8 and the second recall is better. Down has 'improved a lot'. The collar is moved to her left side for heel. There is one reaction early in the session, and the trainer attributes it to his or her own bad timing.
On film
what I did? Nothing. I literally did nothing. That's it. Nothing. Literally nothing. Just a
Recall should be pretty darn solid at this point.
Yeah, sometimes she'd bark at people and stuff like that,
but she hasn't done that in a while.
That was not good timing. Apologize to anybody who saw that. Not good timing. My timing was way
down overall it has improved a lot the girlie her down was was there a little bit but it was
Second go-home lesson (Part 1 only)Turning point
On or shortly before 2026-06-23.
The handover is built around the conditioned punisher 'uh-uh': charge it with a real consequence, keep it charged like a phone battery, don't overuse it. Severity can come from duration rather than a higher dial, and 100 would be counterproductive for this dog. The goal is 'total welfare'. On the walk the owner confesses a 'trigger finger' on the flexi lock and is taught words first, lock only as a last resort. At a neighbour's she is released to greet, jumping is met with 'uh-uh' from several people, and she then sits without being asked. The owner says 'This never happened.' The upload ends as the couch work begins indoors.
On film
because if you don't have that which is it's called a conditioned Punisher you
being longer makes it more severe right so if i go and then i kind of like pop her on the nose
and then last case like last resort if you need to lock it lock it right if she's not listening
What's interesting here is that I didn't ask her to sit.
This never happened.
August: back at the facility, for reasons nobody gives
August 2026, during Stormie's program.
Fiona is trusted on the place cot during cleaning while Stormie is not. She is introduced to Stormie, plays with her repeatedly and mouthily, and is released by name. A staff member judges her foundation 'pretty good' and plans small-dog and cat tests, which are not filmed. None of the four recordings says why she is there: a third program, boarding, or a refresher.
On film
gonna just stay in there um i'm gonna see how she reacts with the big whistle like
She's using her mouth, she's using her mouth, she's having fun.
she needs help with dogs, like smaller dogs,
But her foundation is pretty good right now,
Skills
Walking on leash, and the reactivity that comes with it
How it was taught
Two opposite doctrines, one per program, each attributed to its trainer and neither disowned on camera. February: a prong collar, 'nope' then lock and pop, heel on a short or locked leash, a regular four-to-six-foot leash recommended, 'let's go' to redirect. June: a flat collar and a 26-foot flexi, no locking, 'no six foot leashes', let her choose and then consequence the choice with the e-collar. The lock is a last resort.
On film
do when she when she would either try to bark at someone try to pull you it was a simple nope and a
yeah when she does that you have to lock lock the prong and and and just like tap her to come back
out of habit lock this leash and you put a bunch of tension on it little miss fionita here
too much I haven't seen it but I know it that is that is the devil that is the
walking her on this flat collar um i've been taking her everywhere on that and she's been
definitely so like with like as an example I saw a few dogs earlier no
Down
How it was taught
Repeated cues and no-markers throughout. An e-collar tap when she broke it early in the second program. A physical block when she rolled onto her back to avoid it. Duration with the handler moving. One handler wonders aloud whether the position is uncomfortable for her. Nobody follows that up on film.
On film
down down so she got a little tap on the e-collar there she didn't go into the down
and I'm blocking her with this arm.
Yeah, the one she's a little sticky on the down for some reason but Fiona
I think maybe it's uncomfortable or something.
Just gotta strengthen that down, reinforce it.
Place / bed
How it was taught
February: taught on a cot as place, renamed 'bed' for her own bed at home. Duration built gradually. Released before she would break. When it failed, a raised cot replaced the low bed and a hard correction was prescribed. June: home-context holds while the trainer watches TV, then out-of-sight holds, then arousal before the hold to make it harder.
On film
and right before she's gonna get off you give her the uh release command so that she knows like oh
lower to the um to the floor and the cot helps because it's raised from the floor and um and it
Oh, and she's still in place.
because I amped her up before I left.
So you can place on any elevated object,
Recall
How it was taught
Come means arrive and sit, an implied stay, in both programs. February and March: no option; reel her in on the leash or retractable and press her into the sit. June: proofed at parks and past passers-by. The e-collar taps if she does not come. The level is read from her.
On film
comes she has to sit and wait for the next command or the release command yeah so with
There's no option but to come.
Come means come to me and sit.
Fiona come good girl that was much better the second time Fiona let's go
good girl now i did not have to use the color there i was going to but i did not
Greeting people without jumping
How it was taught
February: pet only once she has sat, and 'nope' plus a prong pop if she jumps. June: 'uh-uh' instead of 'off', from everyone present. Ban jumping, or manage it with commands if some people allow it.
On film
We've conditioned her when we say no. If she doesn't do what we say, we're giving that leash the pop.
So that's another one that you'll need to, so instead of using off, just use uh-uh. Keep it simple.
Have you ever seen her that calm?
Staying off the couch; calm liberty in the house
How it was taught
June only: tell her off, then do nothing, and tell her again only if she goes back. Free shaping with penalties. Recharge the 'uh-uh' with a real, humane penalty if it stops working.
On film
Yeah, and I don't want her up, you know, she had control of everything, but I like, I don't want her up on my couch, you know.
and you just let the dog do whatever it wants end of story now the dog does what it wants
So what I want to check for is some issues that we were having with you at home, such
She just wants to lay on there and chew it.
Heel
How it was taught
February: lock or shorten the leash on the prong, tap her back, a few steps, release, build duration. June: e-collar moved to the left side of her neck so a stim pushes her into position.
On film
position walking a few steps releasing her okay building up that um that um the amount of time
Move this over to the left side, that way it pushes her in the right direction if she
And her heel is pretty darn good now.
Recall
On film
Fiona come sit nope sit okay good girl good girl we just started learning the
fiona look at her i just gotta say her name fiona come good girl
Place / bed
On film
come sit fiona down fiona place um bed sit nope fiona sit
Fiona bed oh you found a lost treat bed sit down
Down
On film
it nope Fiona that's a nice down but I want to sit
Do you want to sit? Nope! Nope!
Walking on leash, and the reactivity that comes with it
On film
have her walk around i saw a dog coming in earlier so hopefully that helps with
collar do you huh you don't like the prong collar do you mama
Heel
On film
position walking a few steps releasing her okay building up that um that um the amount of time
Mama, that's rep number two.
So in this case, she was on a heel, and she was released.
Walking on leash, and the reactivity that comes with it
On film
So during this first walk, we get to know each other, but also we start introducing the let's go command, and we start introducing the nope.
might have some reactivity while walking and with people or with dogs
were just at the park but a couple of the crews the crew members are coming here to Bass Pro Shop so I said why not let's see what Fiona is all about right
Recall
On film
Fiona, come. Sit. Fiona, sit. Good girl.
Fiona, come. Fiona, sit. Nope. Fiona, sit. Nope. Nope. Okay. Good girl.
From the Shorts
Short clips posted from Fiona's training. They are undated, so they sit beside the program rather than inside it.
Come and sit, just started, in a busy store
On a rainy day at Tractor Supply in Angier, the handler says she and Fiona have just started learning to come when called and to sit. Fiona is called, asked to sit, told 'nope' when she does not and released with 'okay'; one recall is so fast the handler laughs. The handler thinks Fiona does not like her prong collar, perhaps because it is itchy, and tells a shopper that Fiona is half chihuahua, half pug.
On film
in angier so we came to we came to tractor supply
to train for a little and then i think i'm thinking we're gonna go to home depot
Fiona come sit nope sit okay good girl good girl we just started learning the
recall and just sitting she doesn't like that don't you don't like that prong
it it's probably itchy
Fiona come sit the way she moved so fast that was hilarious
she's a half chihuahua half pug
Games with a donut, and positions in between
In a play session the handler plays tug and fetch with a donut toy and, between games, asks for sit, down and 'bed' (the word used here for going to her bed or mat). When Fiona lies down instead of sitting, the handler says 'nope, that's a nice down but I want to sit'; another time, 'I see you trying to sit'. Fiona is asked to let go of the toy ('out') and is offered belly rubs if she lets it go. Most of the clips are praise and play.
On film
Fiona bed. Nope Fiona bed
yeah get it girl get it come sit fiona down fiona place um bed sit nope fiona sit
it nope Fiona that's a nice down but I want to sit
sit. I see you trying to sit. Sit. Okay. Okay. Fiona. Down. Nope. Down.
Fiona, out. Fiona. Nope. Sit.
belly right all right but you gotta let it go good girl Fiona come sit Fiona sit
As long as I got my donut, I don't care.
In a store, staying close
Walking a store on 'let's go' and 'this way', the handler says Fiona is good at staying close to her and at coming when called, and that she only has to say Fiona's name to bring her back.
On film
She does so good at, like, staying close to me. And when I call her over, she's good at, like, coming.
fiona look at her i just gotta say her name fiona come good girl
Her first day: a park walk, then two stores
On what the handler calls her first day of training, Fiona went from a walk in the park to Bass Pro Shop and then Tractor Supply. At the stores the handler checked whether doors bothered her. She walked through, including automatic doors, and the handler said 'So far, she's doing good.'
On film
Girl it is day one and she is at Tractor Supply she's been to the park. She's been to Bass Pro Shop. She is here at Tractor Supply today
first day of training and we are at Bass Pro Shop
You afraid of doors? Can you walk through them? Good.
So far, she's doing good.
she's learning the let's go ooh, no problem with the
these doors. Hi. Automatic doors.
What the first walk is for
The handler explains that the first walk is for the two of them to get to know each other and to start two words: 'let's go' (walk on with me) and 'nope' (a word meaning 'not that'). The handler says the walk is to see what she knows and doesn't know, and that it is her first time on a prong collar. In another clip the focus is the same two words as a Dalmatian passes, and she is walked on with 'let's go' and praise.
On film
So during this first walk, we get to know each other, but also we start introducing the let's go command, and we start introducing the nope.
just going for a walk i'm gonna see what she knows and what she doesn't know first time on a prong collar
So we're focusing on nope and let's go. Oh, look there's a Dalmatian
Let's go Fiona, let's go. It's okay. Let's go. Good girl.
Heel at Home Depot: the position first, the word after
On a rainy day at Home Depot the handler starts heel work: the retractable leash is locked short, Fiona is held at the handler's side, and a light tug on the leash follows whenever she tries to leave the position, walking slowly ('she doesn't need much'). After three repetitions the handler adds the word 'heel', then explains that 'okay' is the release word that tells her she may leave the position.
On film
We are here with little miss Fiona at Home Depot. It is raining, but a little rain won't stop us from training
i'm gonna start her on some heel work
the way i do that is i'm going to lock the flexi like this i'm gonna hold her beside me
and anytime she wants to get out of this position
I'm going to just give it a light pop she doesn't need much
walk like this nice and slow so that's rep number one for healing
Okay, so we have done heel three times now, and now I'm going to introduce to her the word heel.
So the okay is a release command, and when I say that, she can get out of the command.
A park full of birds, and she doesn't care
On a walk at a park with seagulls, geese and ducks, the handler waits to see what Fiona will do about the birds. She ignores them, which the handler finds odd because she ran straight at the ducks on the facility's property, and concludes she is more interested in sniffing everything around her.
On film
What you gonna do, Fiona?
She doesn't care.
That's weird, because on the property we have ducks, and she ran right towards them.
So I was curious as to what she was going to do with the birds, but I think she's more into sniffing everything around her.
we love bringing our dogs here
Lunging at dogs: wanting to say hello, not aggression
In a conversation filmed on a walk, which its title places with Fiona and Major, two people agree that when 'she' barks and lunges at other dogs it is not aggression: she wants to go and see the dog. They also agree that strangers are right to give her a wide berth, because nobody can know how their own dog will react to being barked or lunged at. Neither dog is named in the audio.
On film
yeah that wasn't that bad and for her it's not aggression she wants to go see the dog
i you know i try to tell people that but they look at me as they're doing a wide berth around
because she's you know snarling yeah that's understandable
because they can be calm on a walk but if they see a dog barking or lunging at them
they will react and rightly so
A walk to get used to everyday things
The handler turns the camera on because Fiona is interested in a person cleaning their driveway, and says she seems afraid of a lot of things, so an ordinary walk is a good way to expose her to them.
On film
Turning the camera on because Fiona is interested in the person cleaning their driveway.
It seems that she's afraid of a lot of things.
So this walk is a nice way to expose her to a lot of things.
How the method adapted
Two kinds of adaptation run through Fiona's case. The small ones fit tools and words to a 14 lb dog. The large one changed the whole theory of her reactivity between February and June, and nothing on film reconciles the two versions. That is presented first, with both sides attributed.
The leash itself changed sides. In February, locking the leash and popping it was the correction. In June, locking the leash was named as the cause of the reactivity.
February trainer: the locked-wrist pop with 'nope' reinforces that the behaviour is unwanted, and her audible reaction shows it registered. June trainer: a locked, tensioned leash creates back pressure, and she reacts to that. With the leash loose, any reaction is her own choice and can be penalised fairly. The June trainer tested this once, off leash in the yard near two passing dogs. Neither trainer refers to the other's method on camera. The June go-home keeps a lock as a last resort, so the reversal is not total.
On film
and then i did the leash pop at the same time that's going to maintain that's going to reinforce
not okay right and then that that that did you hear when she said yeah yeah yep that's exactly
her here in heel you you lock it yeah you either keep it short or you lock it
that makes your dog pull and it makes your dog be reactive see little fiona here see how cute
simple fix, because she made a dumb decision, you didn't cause it, right, she didn't, she
pressure releases when they pull so they attach pulling to pressure being released even though
The recommended leash reversed too: an ordinary four-to-six-foot leash in February, and 'no six foot leashes', only the 26-foot flexi, in June.
February: the trainer wanted a leash she could lock and correct on, and a short house tab. June: a six-foot leash 'creates lots of like leash tension', while the flexi lets her choose without pressure already on the collar.
On film
like six foot four foot okay um yeah if you can keep it on her at home maybe even get a shorter
right so don't do that right um no six foot leashes no no leash tension flexes for the wind
because then you can let them make the choice they don't already have pressure on their collar
The correction word moved from 'nope' to 'uh-uh', and so did the theory of why it works.
February: 'nope' is paired with the pop, and it belongs to a broken command. June: the conditioned punisher is ranked above every obedience command. It is charged by real consequences and recharged when it fades. For this dog, severity comes from the duration of mild social pressure, not from a higher e-collar number. The owner was left with several words for the same job (nope, no, uh-uh, eh).
On film
Well, usually when you use nope, it's because she's in a command and she didn't do it.
working anymore you have to recharge it like a battery so you have to charge it
to dial this e-collar up to 100. Right? Which she would screech if you do that. I don't
E-collar level read down from the dog, on a small-breed model.
She is 'incredibly sensitive'. 15 on the Micro Educator was too much, so it went to 8, which the trainer calls equivalent to about a four on a regular unit. The model was chosen because a regular collar would be too big on her. A different trainer, coaching another dog's handler in the same June session, says to err on the high side. That advice was about Luna, not Fiona.
On film
Okay, that is on a 15 on a microeducator,
an eight which would be equivalent of like a four on a regular one good girly
breeds um because like the other collar is too big like it would look like a giant rock on her neck
Equipment fitted to a small neck and a small mouth.
The first prong's buckle was too big, so a smaller quick-release prong replaced it. Most balls do not fit her mouth, so a frisbee and a golf-ball-size ball are used for play.
On film
But I realized because her neck is so small, the buckle is big.
like none of the balls i have one ball that fits in her mouth you have to get the golf ball size
'Place' became 'bed' for her home, and then her low bed was replaced by a raised cot.
She has her own bed at home, so the word was changed at go-home. A week later she was creeping off the low bed, and the trainer believes a raised surface holds a dog better.
On film
I actually meant to put bed because I did teach her to get on her bed and stay on her bed
it makes a difference having something raised in my personal opinion it does
The reactivity hypothesis was tested, not assumed. She had probably never met a dog without a leash or a barrier in between.
The June trainer thought she had never had the chance to show what she does with a dog in range. A test with the trainer's own big dog was planned and not needed. Passing dogs were used instead. The trainer warns owners not to try small-dog/big-dog tests themselves.
On film
about is that I don't think she's ever actually gotten to do it. Like try it. Meaning like,
is in range um so normally i would not do this um and i recommend that you do not with a small dog
Recall proofing switched from a dragged long line to the flexi in crowds, for how it looks to the public, not for the dog.
Stated: to avoid problems from people in a crowd.
On film
I don't wanna get any problems from anybody,
What the family was told
Leash handling - February version
okay so we see that she's wanting to pull here nope this is what we do to correct that remember
When you say nope, you're doing up,
This is a pop.
Leash handling - June version
So I implore you, stop putting leash tension with your dog.
you to do is instead of locking the leash just use your words right so she's
the leash is like a prop you you have it because you're supposed to right um but in reality you
Maintenance: the program is short and the habit is long
We have to continue to work with her, guide her, properly help her to understand that what she's doing is not okay.
most important thing is to follow the same the same method
you it's like a battery if you have your phone and you're like oh you buy a brand new phone
Walks and outings
and then with time going to the stores going to pet friendly stores like the
yeah um so if she's not in a command you can put her either to sit down and patiently wait for
Bed / place at home
practice that and if she comes off before you give the release command then she has to come back
an hour or two yeah you could probably have her sit there while you watch TV
The conditioned punisher and what counts as punishment
keep it charged for longer how do you charge it you attach something bad to it right because that's
people and also to different dogs so you have to go with what matters to them only the reaction of
a real penalty like with the e-collar or in some other fashion whatever you have
Handler energy
People will get what they put out energy wise with Fiona. So if I'm like Fiona come I
In the family's own words
doesn't do it she'll sit there and stare at me like i hear you but i'm not doing it
you probably have like a muscle memory like a habit i have a trigger finger yeah and so you
trying i when i do that i'm trying to stop her from running out the leash and strangling herself
i was i was making her sit but i thought there's gotta i gotta be able to do something other than that's
Outcomes
What the trainers reported
She stopped pulling after two corrections on the prong on the first day.
The first-program trainer, at the February go-home
On film
oh she was just pulling what pulling one yeah wanting to go she wanted to be the
the one in charge yeah no she's pretty good now Fiona let's go yeah yeah a quick um lock and pop
No accidents in the house since she came back from the first program.
The owner, at the first follow-up
On film
oh yeah so ever since she's been back from training she hasn't been pooping or peeing
Let's go and sit are working. Bed and down are not.
On film
let's go has been good the sit has been good the bed not so good and the down
Her reactivity is entirely a product of leash tension and barriers.
The June yard trainer, from one off-leash encounter
On film
and there's no barrier so fiona's reactivity is 100 attached to what
Recall solid; heel pretty good; the barking at people has not happened in a while; down improved a lot.
Second-program handlers, June
On film
Recall should be pretty darn solid at this point.
And her heel is pretty darn good now.
down overall it has improved a lot the girlie her down was was there a little bit but it was
Calm at a greeting in a way the owner had never seen.
The owner, at the June go-home
On film
This never happened.
Her foundation is good enough to start small-dog and cat work.
A staff member, August
On film
But her foundation is pretty good right now,
What the footage shows
That reactions still occurred during the second program: at a dog behind a fence early in June (watch 00:16), and once on the last day, which the trainer attributed to his or her own timing (watch 01:51). Both are narrated, not described in detail.
That she walked past passers-by and other dogs with a trainer, in February and June, without a reaction being narrated.
That at the June go-home she sat unasked at a greeting after corrections, and the owner said she had never seen it (watch 37:56).
That she held place with the handler out of sight in the facility yard (watch 05:30), narrated live on return.
That she was released, recalled and cued by name during supervised play with Stormie in August.
The ideas Fiona's case runs on
- 'Let's go' is not 'Come' - and the recall has an ending
- A raised texture, and never a punishment
- Another dog as helper, tester or draw
- Fit before level: check the tool before you judge the dog
- Keep the marker charged
- Maintenance is use, not practice
- Reliability is what you have not tested
- Restraint manufactures the reaction
- Switch him on, then ask for off
- The camera is part of the method
- The four windows, and calm liberty
- The handler is the first suspect
- The level is not a number
- The marker vocabulary: eh, good, okay - and two corrections
- The outlet comes first