Who Major is
As the trainers describe him
Tiny, fluffy and affectionate. On the first day he turns down toys and treats but welcomes petting.
On film
you like treats no but you like pets you like pets
It's a little tiny dog, Major.
In the program for nervousness, according to the first-day trainer. By the place hold the same program describes him as an aggression case whose kind is uncertain.
On film
he's experiencing nervousness. And so we're just going to expose him to the outside world.
Major has previous training but mom really wanted to target his um excitement aggression i think it's excitement maybe it's fear
yeah i think it's fear it's kind of hard to tell with him because he's not like over overly excited when he is walking out at the park
Food is weak currency for him, which rules out lure training.
On film
he luring he's not following the treat he doesn't care about the treats very much you just use pressure just do little annoying pops
he hasn't he hasn't even a treat in a whole month
Easy for the trainer. He was patient and settled through the 15-minute hold, and the go-home trainer calls his behaviour around dogs 'really good'.
On film
He's doing great, he's very patient.
his demeanor around dogs is really good oh he don't mean the problem is me is you dogs and people are not the problem it's me it's when I'm around
Barking is what he enjoys, not what he fears. The follow-up trainer uses this reading to explain why weak corrections stopped working.
On film
he loves barking at people it brings him joy it brings him so much joy to be be able to bark and so when you say nope he's supposed to listen or he'll get a consequence
after a while he's like man i don't care about that that don't do nothing to me
As the owner describes him
Protective of the owner. The owner locates the problem in their own presence rather than in dogs or people generally, and the trainer suggests the owner's anxiety may be part of it.
On film
maybe it's also because you carry some anxiety around and he feels it
the closer they get to me the more he disregards that yeah and so he'll bark and or lunge
He walks past children but reacts when they come to the owner. The owner's estimate is that he goes wild at about 85 percent of the dogs they meet on walks.
On film
he never barks at them he just walks right through them okay yeah it's when they come to me
everybody i think about 85 percent
An emotional-support animal, by the trainer's words and the owner's account. It bears on training because the family's goal is a dog who can go into public and be touched by strangers. The owner's personal reasons are private and are not summarised.
On film
and he's supposed to be an ESA he can't be acting out like that
everybody's like oh but he's such a good dog he said yeah but he's not friendly yeah that's it and i need him to be friendly
The program, stage by stage
Intake, off camera
2026-03-02. Nothing filmed.
He had a long record of earlier classes, always reacted to new people and new dogs, and was aggressive at the door, at delivery vehicles and at children playing. He had never been crated. Earlier tools had worked with an instructor and rarely at home. The two priorities were to stop the aggressive barking and to make him friendly with anyone, children included (source: intake). The family did not frame it as an obedience problem.
First day: what does he want, and a gentler leash
2026-03-04
A motivation check and an exposure walk. He turned down toys and treats and took petting. The trainer swapped a large flexi for a 16-foot small one because the big one pulled too hard on so small a dog. She noted that he knew his name and walked him to see the hens. The stated reason for the program is nervousness.
On film
So this is Major, this is his first day of training and we're going to find out what
because it's giant it has more um like a pull to it and he needs something more gentle
The 15-minute place, with a purpose tied to his front door
About 2026-03-11 (second camera: Astro's Session 4)
A timed 15-minute place at low distraction on the property: a farm cat, chickens, a car in the driveway, and Astro doing his own 15 minutes nearby. The trainer ties the exercise to his real trigger. At home, staying on place when visitors or deliveries arrive is how he will calm himself down. He stayed the full time without ever lying down, which she reads as him being ready to go. His release broke Astro's stay. Afterwards she lists what is done and what is still to do: loose-leash walking done, recall 'pretty good', and the down, heel and off-leash recall still to come. He wears a micro-prong. On the other camera she is coached to use pressure for his down, not a food lure, because he does not care about treats. A park version of the hold is planned for next time.
On film
if he stays on place, when they arrive, then he can calm himself down, he can regulate his emotions.
major little boy major I'm surprised he hasn't like lay down it's a while that means he's ready to go
timer says 15 minutes are done major okay major great
we did some loose leash walking we did some like that let's do some down you need some down and we got to work on your um heel and your recall your recall is pretty good we got to do off leash recall though
next time we do this we'll We'll probably be at a park with lots of dogs and people walking by.
Recall on a long line with a micro-educator, and other dogs as distraction
Mid-March; uploaded 2026-03-17
Recall practice on a long line with a 'micro-educator' e-collar on a very low setting. The trainer's view is that he comes because he wants to be with people, and that the collar is for the moment something else interests him more. She brings out the running dachshunds, Milo named among them, as a distraction. He comes, and is described as 'just chilling'. Most of the recording is silent. In a Milo and Josi session uploaded 2026-03-15, Major is the distraction for them instead, and has 'his own' educator.
On film
We're going to practice his recall with the e-collar. He's on a micro-educator, which is really low and subtle.
Major did it. He was just chilling.
Because if I was just out here by myself with him and we didn't have Josie or Major, he wouldn't go anywhere.
The unread week
About 2026-03-18 to 2026-03-24
Shorts titles from these days describe a Tractor Supply outing to see how he reacts to people and the environment, a multi-part 'behavioral analysis' with his owner, barking interrupted with 'No!' and 'Major Noope!', and a claim that he hides from men but greets women.
Home a week early, because the problem lives at homeTurning point
About 2026-03-25 or 26 (published 2026-03-26)
This is the program's central decision, and the trainer explains it herself. He behaved for her and reacted with the owner, so another week in the kennel would not help, and they would work out the rest in person. The hand-over is short and practical. The spray bottle worked in the program, but the loud 'nope' matters most. He held 15 minutes of place for the trainer and not for the owner, so the owner is to practise place while leaving for other rooms. Walks on the retractable are to be used for recall. The owner reports that he ignored a neighbour's dog walking by, but on walks goes wild at most dogs, about 85 percent by the owner's estimate. The trainer offers the owner's anxiety as one reason he guards.
On film
he was acting like that when you were around so it makes no sense for me to have them another week if the main issue is when you're around
did you see that for 15 minutes when you left uh-huh and i tried to do that he didn't do it
Well, most importantly, it's your nope. It's a correction word that you use
The relapse, off camera
About 2026-03-26 to 2026-03-30; known only from the owner's report
For the first two days home he slept on the couch rather than the owner's bed and seemed subdued. Then, in the owner's words, he went back to where he was three weeks earlier within three days: barking at windows and down the hallway, and leaving place when a package arrived. Over the weekend a child approached at a play area. The owner corrected him on the prong, he screamed, the owner added a link fearing it was too tight, the collar caught and he squealed, and the owner took it off and comforted him. The owner suspected he had been medicated in the program. The trainer denied it flatly.
On film
he's turning back to where he was three weeks ago within three days
at first the first two days he didn't want to sleep in my bed he slept in the couch
i'm gonna take it off and then he did it again i said i'm just not gonna put it at all
well nothing nothing was in his system at all we didn't give him any meds
Tuesday: the correction is rebuiltTurning point
2026-03-31 (inferred); watch and, probably, watch
The longest teaching in the case, all of it aimed at the owner. On the diagnosis, dogs test at home when commands and corrections differ from the program's. A correction two or three seconds late cannot be connected to anything. The owner's 'stop', 'no' and repeated 'place' are replaced by 'nope' followed by the command. On the prong, the trainer removes the added link and shows why an over-long collar sits wrong. She teaches a wrist pop with slack in place of a pull, 'nope' first and never together with the pop, and only a light pop for so small a dog. She says the screaming was avoidance, and taking the collar off and comforting him taught him that screaming works. In a live test a passer-by is asked to walk toward them. The owner corrects before he does anything and is told next time to let him choose first. Children and a neighbour's dog, Tequila, then greet him without incident, and the children are taught to offer a hand first. In the second clip the trainer explains why the owner's earlier beeper faded: the correction was weaker than the joy of barking. A correction device was raised from 'six and seven' to 11 and then abandoned, the spray bottle is the current tool, and the prong is the next rung if the spray fades. She adds that one or two good corrections end a behaviour that many weak ones only feed. A walk is booked for tomorrow at four.
On film
sometimes even with us when we train dogs if we don't correct them immediately after they did whatever they did even if you're two three seconds late that's it it was too late they can't make that connection
he got what he wanted he got exactly what he wanted when you took it off
no you can't pull you have to be like this with your leash okay and this is slack
next time what happens is you want him to choose whether or not he wants to bark or be nice
whatever he desires to be as strong as the correction that you give him right or higher
once you get one or two good corrections i'm talking about good he ain't gonna do it again
Wednesday: watched from hiding, then tested on JackTurning point
2026-04-01 (inferred); watch, then probably watch
The trainer follows the owner and Major round the neighbourhood, hiding, because 'he acts out when ... the trainer's not around'. He passes cars, open garages and people without reacting. The owner's one correction is a 'nope' with an upward pop, not the taught wrist pop, but it works. The owner reports several 'nope, let's go' successes that morning and none of the usual barking at trucks since yesterday. The trainer then brings a 50-foot line from her car. The neighbour brings out her dog Jack, whom Major normally rushes. The handlers act as though they are not watching, so the choice is his. He gets one 'No!' and then greets without barking. The trainer tells the owner to praise heavily because 'this is different than what he used to do', and calls it a good interaction. At his lookout afterwards he watches cars and neighbours without reacting, several times. On the owner's account he went to Lowe's the day before and barked at nobody. The last teaching is about maintenance. Reactivity may need work every day. A playground-style fight against the prong gets 'nope' and a leash pop, repeated. The owner practises opening the prong's small links. The owner's 'what's that' has taught him to go on alert, and the trainer suggests a deliberate 'watch' cue instead. They agree to meet next week.
On film
He acts out when, you know, the trainer's not around.
Which, it's not the correct way to do it, but it was effective right here.
good boy good boy major good boy anytime he does something good praise him so much because this is different than what he used to do
No! No! Good boy.
this is something that you might have to keep up with on a regular basis
so i think um we can meet up next week let me know how your weekend went
After: nothing filmed
From 2026-04-02
A meeting was proposed for next week at about 5:30, at the house, at a park or elsewhere. A relative the owner says he usually barks at was due on Friday.
On film
do you want to do like 5 30 next time
Skills
Staying calm when people approach the owner (the presenting problem)
How it was taught
In the program: place as a way to regulate himself at the door, exposure walks, and the spray bottle with 'nope'. After go-home: the same work moved into the owner's hands, in his own neighbourhood, with staged tests (a passer-by, children, Tequila, Jack on a long line) in which he is allowed to choose, corrected with 'nope' and a pop if he chooses wrong, and praised heavily if he chooses right.
On film
so did he so did he bark or lunge at him no i did it i did it before he did it
this is good that was a good interaction
so he's doing good i mean there's cars driving by people coming out their car
He's not barking.
he looked over there but he didn't say oh that's really good like that's an improvement
Place (duration)
How it was taught
A timed hold with the trainer sitting nearby and release on 'okay'. The owner is to practise by leaving the room, and to correct a break with 'nope' and then the command, never a repeated 'place'.
On film
so don't just go straight to like put him on place cut make him stay there for 15 minutes he does he does it at home
timer says 15 minutes are done major okay major great
I could do the place put the cut yeah and so I could go to the bedroom in the kitchen and see if he understands
to place make believe that i was gonna greet the guy so i said place and he placed and when i grabbed the knob he got out
you're saying place and it's not place it's like nope you correct him by saying nope and then the command is place
Recall
How it was taught
Long line with a micro-educator on a very low setting, collar and leash together only if he does not come. Owner walks on the retractable used as recall practice.
On film
We're going to practice his recall with the e-collar. He's on a micro-educator, which is really low and subtle.
on walks and you have your retractable leash this is a perfect moment to recall him
so this one is from tractor supply this is 50 feet yeah so this is what we use when we're doing off leash recall
Loose-leash walking and 'let's go'
How it was taught
Not filmed in the program (a 'Loose-Leash Walking with Major' Short is title-only). After go-home: 'nope', then 'let's go', then praise.
On film
we did some loose leash walking
that you don't want him to you immediately say nope and then you redirect him with the let's go
Down
How it was taught
Leash pressure and 'little annoying pops' instead of a food lure.
On film
he luring he's not following the treat he doesn't care about the treats very much you just use pressure just do little annoying pops
Heel
How it was taught
Not recorded.
On film
we got to work on your um heel
The owner's correction: word, timing, order, pop, size
How it was taught
Explained, demonstrated on the collar with the dog, and then watched from hiding.
On film
the word that we use for correction is not stop it's nope
you say nope first and then you do the the leash
You can't wait five, 10 seconds after the situation happened for you to correct them because then they can't really.
like you're not afraid of what he will do and you know what to do
it takes practice it's not it's not an easy tool
Staying calm when people approach the owner (the presenting problem)
On film
we've uh seen kelton and connor no reactivity there
You didn't even bark at them, buddy.
Recall
On film
That is recall number four.
Major, come. All the way. Sit. Okay. Good boy.
Loose-leash walking and 'let's go'
On film
We have a prong collar on. He's not pulling.
He's walking pretty good, excited for this adventure
He actually has what we call a micro-prong collar.
Place (duration)
On film
he sat down place um section yeah good job he did good
and open the door now give him the break command
Nope. Nope. Place. Place. Place. Stay. Good boy.
Major come. Good boy. Sit. Yes. Okay. Good boy. Major place. Good boy.
Recall
On film
this is the first phase
he'll graduate to phase two which is the e-collar
to get the uh recall started and to help us get to the off leash recall eventually
his recall is really good he's probably not like 100 distracted
major come yes good boy
Loose-leash walking and 'let's go'
On film
Moving when I move, turning when I'm turning.
because he's gotten corrected on a regular leash
Staying calm when people approach the owner (the presenting problem)
On film
Yeah, to come out here and see how he acts.
so if i walk out he'll see
see and that's fine too
if a dog comes and greets me, the other dog, he might get a little aggressive.
The owner's correction: word, timing, order, pop, size
On film
but either way that shouldn't change the behavior
I tried everything and nothing yep the spray
From the Shorts
Short clips posted from Major's training. They are undated, so they sit beside the program rather than inside it.
Finding what he works for
Early in his stay, a trainer explains that the first days are spent finding out what motivates a dog. For Major it is being outdoors - he loves nature and sniffing, 'the environment is his reward' - along with petting and praise; he is 'not big on food or toys' so far, though the trainer will keep offering them. The trainer says he is in the program for aggression toward people and dogs but has not seen it yet: no reaction to Kelton and Connor from the staff, and none the day before with Fiona, another dog in training, who just wanted to play. They are on their fourth recall of the session.
On film
During the first few days, essentially the first session, we try to figure out what they like, what motivates them.
And because he is so excited to be out and about, it looks like he enjoys being in nature.
For him, the environment is his reward.
also petting and praising I've noticed he's not big on food or toys that I've noticed of course I'm still going to offer that to see we're still getting to know each other
Major, come. Good boy. Sit. There we go. That is recall number four.
He is here for being aggressive towards humans and dogs. So I can't wait to see that so I can correct him.
we've uh seen kelton and connor no reactivity there actually yesterday he was with fiona
he didn't react to fiona fiona didn't react to him fiona just wanted a friend
Ducks, a passer-by and a loud car
On a park walk the handler sets out to 'see how Major reacts to ducks and kids and people'. A short hello with a passer-by goes by with praise, the handler tells him he is 'showing off on your second day', and at the ducks he is praised because he 'didn't even bark at them' although they are bigger than he is. On another walk toward the ducks, on a prong collar, the handler notes he is not pulling, and when a loud car passes right beside them he is praised for not being scared. Whether these are the same outing is not known.
On film
Let's see how Major reacts to ducks and kids and people.
Can I say hi?
look at you showing off on your second day
You did so good. You didn't even bark at them, buddy. And they're bigger than you.
yeah you scared of that major everything looks big to you huh
Oh, you did good, Major, with that car right beside us. Good boy. You weren't scared of that, huh? That was pretty loud.
We have a prong collar on. He's not pulling.
A visitor knocks and comes in, and he goes to his place
Staff set up a visitor on purpose: a helper is told to walk over, knock twice, then come in 'so that we can see how he acts'. In a clip of the same drill, the speakers say Major went the other way and sat on his place, and that he 'doesn't even care' about the person coming in, which one of them calls a '180 degrees difference'.
On film
take your time and then knock on the door like twice
let's have you come in for a little bit so that we can see how he acts
he sat down place um section yeah good job he did good
and he doesn't even care about it wow that's awesome that is 180 degrees difference
Place at an opening door, with someone else handling
A trainer talks another person through the door routine step by step: put Major on his place, open the door, then release him with 'break'. The speakers note that he did not bark, and the handler is told 'You did it.' The clip does not say who the handler is; it may be the owner.
On film
go ahead and put him on place
and open the door now give him the break command
I didn't hear him barking yeah he didn't bark
You did it.
How the trainer teaches 'come', step by step
The trainer explains the order used for Major's recall. First the leash guides him ('leash helping'). Next a remote training collar (e-collar) is tapped at a low level while the leash is pulled, until he connects the tap with coming. Then the trainer checks that he understands, and only then practises with more distance, distraction and duration. The trainer says the same order is used for sit, stay, down and place.
On film
I called his name and I put some pressure on the leash at the same time.
learning and leash helping is what we call it we use a leash to help the dog know what to do
he'll graduate to phase two which is the e-collar so i'll put the e-collar on and i'll tap at a low
he knows he associates the low stem e-collar to coming
make sure that he knows what come means and then we will proof it in high distractions
three D's distance distractions and duration
but that is true for all commands not just the recall it is for the sit it's for the stay sit down place come
Women, men, and not being interested
When a woman stops to say hello, Major is praised for doing well; asked whether he would bark, a speaker says not at her, but he would at a man, so they need a man to approach next. In another clip the trainer says the goal is to make him social with men and strangers, and that if he simply shows he is not interested, 'that's fine too'.
On film
Would he bark? He wouldn't. A man he would. Oh okay. We need a man to come up to us then.
he's just avoiding he's just anti-social
we're trying to make him social with men and um strangers
he'll growl but most of the time he'd just be like no i'm not interested
see and that's fine too
What he was like at the first meeting
Speaking with the owner, staff recall the first consult meeting: Major was held by Christian and was shaking the whole time, reacting to any movement at all, and took about 20 minutes to calm down, only to start again when Christian stood up. Now, they say, 'he's doing good'.
On film
christian he like put him in his arm but he was like shaking and everything the whole time
he was really reacting to like any i don't even want to say sudden move just movements in general
he would calm down after like maybe like 20 minutes on the console then christian got up and he like started
yeah yeah he's doing good yeah yeah the power of training
Quiet when a person appears
With a woman who is probably his owner there, a staff member says 'the test here is me': he walks out to see whether Major reacts. Major stays quiet, and the staff member says he 'would have been barking by now'. In another clip a person is coached to call him while a man stands nearby; the speakers say he is not even looking at the man, where before he would have been barking at him.
On film
so the test here is me
he would have been barking by now good boy major
so now say major come major come good boy yes
he would have been barking at him okay wow he's gotten a lot better
he's not even acknowledging that he's over there
Getting to know the neighbour's dog, on a line
After the program, at the owner's home, the owner asks the neighbour to bring her dog Jack out while the trainer is still there. In a clip of the two dogs meeting, the trainer suggests they keep bringing the dogs out on a line to sniff each other and play, and offers to come back for the next session so they can all be together. At the end a staff member says 'He did so good.'
On film
if i tell her hey can you bring jack outside for a minute
i think it's a good idea if we continue to practice um them coming out on the line and just like smelling each other
i think maybe next session maybe monday tuesday i can come out and then we can have them all
just having them come out and just like sniff each other play around
He did so good.
'Nope', then place
The handler interrupts Major with 'Nope', praises him when he responds, and sends him to his place with 'Stay'. Afterwards the speakers remark on 'a big difference': he was 'freaking out' when they first arrived at the same spot.
On film
Nope. Nope. Place. Place. Place. Stay. Good boy.
Wow, that's a big difference.
Yeah, he was freaking out when we came here.
Your mood sets the scene, but the rule stays the same
A staff member tells the owner that Major reads her manner: when she is playful, he takes it as fun time. They had also walked him before she arrived, to take the edge off. But, the staff member says, none of that should change the rule: if you don't like a behaviour, correct it early, before he gets worked up. The owner says she had already tried 'no', 'leave it', a collar and a spray without success.
On film
before is playful your your demeanor the way you're talking it's like oh yeah we're having fun
we walked him before you came so his energy level was like yeah i'm too tired
but either way that shouldn't change the behavior
you have to punish that if you don't like it you punish it especially when he starts getting all crazy you just nip it in the bud
like i've tried everything no leave it the collar
When another dog comes up to his person
A speaker, probably the owner, describes his pattern: strangers who pet him get an 'I don't know you', and he greets other dogs normally, but if a dog comes to greet her, he 'might get a little aggressive'.
On film
Now, if somebody comes and pets him, he's like, I don't know you.
If there's another dog, they'll greet each other.
if a dog comes and greets me, the other dog, he might get a little aggressive.
Meeting a new dog outside
Major meets an unfamiliar female dog and is praised. One speaker says his barking has been because he wants people to pet him; another reminds them that before, 'nobody could pet him'. The clip ends with 'he's done really good'.
On film
and he's been barking because he wants people to pet
oh good boy look at you she's pretty
wow yeah nobody could pet him remember
Wow, well he's done really good.
A lead sized for a very small dog
The trainer explains why Major works on an extra-small retractable lead: a big one has a thick, heavy line, so he would feel pulled when nobody is pulling, and locking it would feel to him like a correction. In another clip the trainer praises him for moving and turning with her, and says the leash walking was taught first on a regular leash so that on the retractable he follows her rather than the line.
On film
this is a little tiny flexi
the leash itself is like thick and heavy and and it's like he feels me pulling on him but it's not me really pulling
if you were to lock it it'll it'll literally literally feel like he's getting popped.
Moving when I move, turning when I'm turning.
That's why it's so important to work on loose leash walking at first so that when you move, he doesn't know he's on a retractable, right?
because he's gotten corrected on a regular leash
Seeing the problem before working on it
At the start of a walk the trainer tells Major to show what he is there for and what needs work, including how he reacts to people. Nothing is corrected in the clip; the point is to see the behaviour first.
On film
show me what you're here for major i need you to show me what we need to work on
show me how mean you can get to people
A couple of days to settle in first
The trainer and the owner recall that when Major arrived, staff let him 'chill down' for a couple of days before training began on the Monday.
On film
Yeah, we let him chill down for a little, for a couple of days.
And then I started training with him on Monday.
Playing with other dogs during his stay
Several clips show Major loose with other dogs: with a playmate a speaker says he can 'actually play with', with Josi and Milo (where he mostly prefers sniffing to running), and with Angus, whom a speaker says he had just met and was already 'best buds' with.
On film
you found someone who you can like actually play with
he is so entertained in that and whatever he's sniffing on
they are having the time of their lives
They're best buds already.
And Major just met them.
Out in public with the trainer
The trainer tells the owner that at the park the day before, a woman with a large goldendoodle admired Major and joked about swapping dogs. Around people, a speaker says, he sat and waited quietly. People ask his breed; the answer given is a Morkie.
On film
I was telling you that yesterday I was at the park and there was a lady with a huge
I was like, nope, this isn't my dog.
I said, no, he's a Morkie.
when he's around people you just sat down he was just waiting to leave
Household noise does not bother him
In a conversation at home, a speaker says Major is not afraid of a blow dryer, the vacuum or mowers, and the owner says she introduced the vacuum gently and never used it to scare him. A staff member elsewhere puts his calm around noise down to being used to it.
On film
he's not afraid of a blow dryer and um vacuum and and mowers
we use a vacuum and i never scare him with it i introduce it to him
maybe he's just used to hearing all those noises
How the method adapted
Major is small, food is weak currency for him, and his problem shows up with someone other than the trainer. Almost every adaptation in his file answers one of those three facts. The biggest answers the third: the program ended early and the training moved to his street.
Equipment was scaled down to his size throughout: a lighter 16-foot flexi, a micro-prong, a micro-educator 'made for these tiny' breeds, and a pop the trainer tells the owner can be light.
A big leash pulls too hard on a very small dog, and a correction sized for a big dog is not needed for him.
On film
because it's giant it has more um like a pull to it and he needs something more gentle
He's so little, he needs a micro-prong collar.
you don't have to do it strong because he's a little man he's a little thing
No food lure.
He did not follow a treat.
On film
he luring he's not following the treat he doesn't care about the treats very much you just use pressure just do little annoying pops
he hasn't he hasn't even a treat in a whole month
The correction tool was changed when it stopped working, and it was changed rather than turned up. By the follow-up trainer's account, a device was taken from 'six and seven' to 11, stopped 'because this ain't working', and the spray bottle took over. The prong is named as the next rung if the spray fades. The owner's prior e-collar (source: intake) and the spray being called effective 'for us' in the program make an in-program e-collar the likely reading.
The trainer's rule is that the correction must match or exceed what the dog gets from the behaviour, and a correction he stops caring about only teaches him to ignore it.
On film
yeah she was at six and seven and i end up going all the way to 11 and i stopped i said no this ain't working
not because it worked for us the first few times
Yep, so we saw that the spray bottle was very effective for him because he doesn't like it
that happens just put the prong collar on watch him around
He was sent home a week early, and training moved to his neighbourhood with the owner holding the leash.
The problem appeared when the owner was around, so another week with the trainer could not reach it.
On film
he was acting like that when you were around so it makes no sense for me to have them another week if the main issue is when you're around
So she reached out to us and we are here working with her at home, walking around in her neighborhood.
The trainer hid. The first half of the Wednesday visit is a covert follow, so that the test measures the owner-and-dog pair rather than the trainer's presence.
So that he does not connect the trainer with his good behaviour.
On film
and know that i'm following them because i don't want him to think to connect me and his good behavior
Real neighbours became the test apparatus: a passer-by asked to walk toward him, the children in the street, Tequila, and Jack on a 50-foot line with the handlers pretending not to watch.
His triggers are people and dogs approaching his owner in his own street, so that is where the choice has to be offered and marked.
On film
i'll put him on my long line i think it's 50 feet and we'll just be acting like we're just hanging out together and letting him make the decision
yeah i want him to see that and if he goes and barks to him because we're on a long line we're going to say nope and we're going to and we're going to leash pop
Place was taught as a tool for regulating himself at his own front door, not as an obedience exercise.
Visitors and deliveries are among his named triggers.
On film
This helps Major, when he is back home, to stay on place.
His alerting was put on a cue instead of being trained out. The owner's 'what's that' had taught him to go on guard, and the trainer offers the deliberate 'watch' that her own dogs learn.
A guarding response is useful if someone with bad intentions comes along, but it should happen on the owner's terms.
On film
what's that what's that this is what he'll start growling if i say what's that
my dog we teach them the word watch watch which means look be alert and be aware of anybody suspicious and bark if you need to
What the family was told
The correction word is 'nope': loud, immediate, then the command
It's nope in a loud loud voice
the word that we use for correction is not stop it's nope
you're saying place and it's not place it's like nope you correct him by saying nope and then the command is place
Timing: seconds late is too late
sometimes even with us when we train dogs if we don't correct them immediately after they did whatever they did even if you're two three seconds late that's it it was too late they can't make that connection
And I told her it has to be at the right timing, has to be at the right time in order for that correction to be effective.
Order: nope first, then the consequence
so remember to say nope first and then spray or nope first and then the leash pop
you need to when you when you correct when he does something wrong you need to follow up with the nope first and then the pop so immediately he stops those behaviors and it doesn't become a habit again
The pop: slack, wrist, down, not a pull
you don't you don't do this this is pull
no you can't pull you have to be like this with your leash okay and this is slack
Instead of pulling up, it's a wrist pop, right?
Size: the correction must outweigh the reward, and one or two good ones beat many weak ones
whatever he desires to be as strong as the correction that you give him right or higher
once you get one or two good corrections i'm talking about good he ain't gonna do it again
you can't take him on the airplane you can't take him nowhere and that life is worse than one or two two strong corrections out in public
Screaming in the collar is avoidance; rescuing him rewards it
he got what he wanted he got exactly what he wanted when you took it off
you just rewarded that behavior for him you just said oh when you yell and scream I'm gonna pick you up
and there are babies but they are still a dog we need to treat them like a dog
the more he cried so if he were to try to do that again you say nope and you leash pop yeah because that's him trying to get away from the discipline
Prong fit and safety
So what happens is if it's too long, right, it'll do this.
you're not hurting him okay it may be uncomfortable
the clip is down here it's supposed to be in the back of the neck
if he's in the kennel at all like longer than 20 minutes take it off
don't do not hook him up to the prong
you just try to feel and always have your finger down here so you can feel it
Let him choose, then mark the choice, and praise the new behaviour lavishly
next time what happens is you want him to choose whether or not he wants to bark or be nice
good boy good boy major good boy anytime he does something good praise him so much because this is different than what he used to do
you have to have clear commands clear markers and clear discipline unfortunately unfortunately discipline does mean a pop
How strangers, and especially children, should greet him
you gotta let the you gotta let the dog smell you first
give the hand to the nose and if he lets you you can pet his head
The first days home: settle, then test, and meet the test firmly
Right. And so when they go back home, if the commands and the and the corrections aren't in the same way that that we taught them.
and then they start acting out then they start testing you but when you when they test you you have to be firm in your corrections
it's normal for them to go back home after being in the kennel and just be different
that's why we do follow-ups because we know that they're not themselves for the first two three days
Practise the owner's part: place while leaving the room, recall on walks
did you see that for 15 minutes when you left uh-huh and i tried to do that he didn't do it
on walks and you have your retractable leash this is a perfect moment to recall him
Reactivity is maintained, not cured
this is something that you might have to keep up with on a regular basis
you have to continue working with it every day so it takes time
Why correct at all: a bigger life
a life with major going out in public on walks to the park on airplanes on public transportation
with time it'll just get worse where you can't even walk him out you can't take him to the stores
Equipment stays on even for a trained dog (the trainer's own practice)
do leave the e-collar on her at all times when we're out because that is my that is my um invisible long line or invisible leash
i trust her but i don't trust that or the situation around us
Car safety
i don't recommend where dogs are chest tied or neck tied to anything in the car
In the family's own words
The goal, in the owner's words: a dog people can pet.
On film
everybody's like oh but he's such a good dog he said yeah but he's not friendly yeah that's it and i need him to be friendly
A threshold the owner set: barking is acceptable, aggression is not.
On film
he's still working on that yeah but now i i'm okay with him barking as long as not aggressive
The owner's own test, done without being told to.
On film
i wait for them to come out just to test him
What the owner credits.
On film
i i really think it's the collar
The medication suspicion, and the denial. FLAG FOR REVIEW: a client's allegation on film.
Outcomes
What the trainers reported
He is doing really good overall.
On film
but he's doing good he's doing really good overall
A relative saw a big improvement at first.
On film
even my dad was like oh that's a big improvement
He was slowly getting back to his normal self after the first days home.
On film
he's back to normal now oh yeah i think slowly he's getting back to normal
No barking at trucks since the day before, and a UPS driver handled with 'nope, let's go'.
The owner, 2026-04-01
On film
lately he hasn't been barking at any of the trucks uh oh good the past day um since yesterday
A calm trip to Lowe's the day before: no barking, and people petted him.
The owner, 2026-04-01
On film
I took him to Lowe's yesterday that's nice after we were um after you did the the um session with me at four okay and he didn't bark at anybody there
Barking at cars and 'everything' had increased since he came home.
The owner, 2026-04-01
On film
before he wasn't barking at cars and lately he's been barking at everything and anything
What the footage shows
A 15-minute place hold at low distraction, completed, on two cameras.
On film
timer says 15 minutes are done major okay major great
Major just finished his 15-minute rest.
A long-line recall with running dachshunds out. The recording is thin and mostly silent.
On film
Major did it. He was just chilling.
A calm neighbourhood walk with the owner, watched by a hidden trainer. One owner correction, which worked.
On film
somebody out there he didn't freak out that's good look he sat
Which, it's not the correct way to do it, but it was effective right here.
A meeting with the neighbour's dog Jack on a long line: one correction, then greeting without barking.
Friendly greetings with neighbourhood children and a neighbour's dog, Tequila. The staged passer-by test does not count, because the owner corrected before he acted.
On film
i want him to be friendly he wants to be your friend that's why he's following you
so did he so did he bark or lunge at him no i did it i did it before he did it
At his home lookout he watched vehicles and neighbours without barking, several times.
On film
good boy major good boy you didn't growl
he knows he did something good he was just watching good boy
The ideas Major's case runs on
- A life that gets smaller, and the bargain
- Contingent, avoidable, and the right size
- Cue the trigger, correct the command
- Fit before level: check the tool before you judge the dog
- Freedom is given in measured steps
- Generalisation is the whole job
- He has to be allowed to get it wrong
- If it works, it stays: the strategy has to stop paying
- Keep the marker charged
- Maintenance is use, not practice
- Nobody is at fault; it isn't personal
- Put the unwanted behaviour on cue
- The dog is a different dog for his owner - and authority transfers
- The dog tells you the reward
- The gear list, and the reasons for each piece
- The handler is a variable: nerves, tension, voice and energy
- The leash is a prop
- The settling week
- The three Ds, and the variables nobody counts