Field Notes · An evolving learning library from Angier K9

Cases · Case

Milo

Who Milo is

As the trainers describe him

Small, and treated as small in every decision - equipment, leash length, walking pace and which dogs he may meet.
On film

he's he's a little guy so like say you got a big dog like that yeah you might want to you know tell

Watch at 21:08 ↗

make sure there's not any tension on leash because he's just a little guy

Watch at 9:06 ↗

So it's a micro educator. It's made for little tiny doggies

Watch at 15:47 ↗

On normal cues the same trainer says he does not expect Milo to go at a dog.

On film

hard enough for it to be a problem he's got that big dog attitude that's a beautiful dog

Watch at 7:33 ↗

then punish that i don't think he'll do it right to be honest i don't think he'll do it um but it's

Watch at 9:48 ↗

Milo is okay. He makes friends

Watch at 3:41 ↗
Fine with people - said in November, shown in December stores, and repeated in 2026.
On film

i wouldn't let them meet each other yet i'm not sure if he's ready for it he's fine with people

Watch at 8:46 ↗

Oh yeah, he loves the pets.

Watch at 2:25 ↗

lovers she's a little bitey bite they love hugs they love hugs yeah that's

Watch at 5:17 ↗

Somewhat nervous and physically sensitive: 'a little nervous' at the first 2026 session, shaking in a cold store, a panic at a low e-collar level, and 'very dramatic' at another. One speaker calls him fear reactive and is answered with 'A little bit. Maybe.'

On film

little nervous good boy come on so i think i'm just gonna play with him a little bit milo

Watch at 3:32 ↗

You are just shaking.

Watch at 2:36 ↗

I can tell he's fear reactive. Fear reactive? Yeah. A little bit. Maybe.

Watch at 16:29 ↗

low down okay good boy good job very dramatic on this tiny micro educator

Watch at 15:24 ↗
Velcro. In 2026 his defining training problem is that he will not leave the trainer, which makes recall practice impossible until something is found that he wants to leave.
On film

as an opportunity to use a recall on Milo. Because if I was just out here by myself with

Watch at 0:08 ↗

him and we didn't have Josie or Major, he wouldn't go anywhere.

Watch at 0:18 ↗

sometimes gets a little stuck on me when I recall him

Watch at 40:49 ↗
Not food-driven; affection, face contact and later play are what work. Food is refused twice on camera.
On film

Milo here good boy come on yeah yes good good boy and giving him access to my

Watch at 3:25 ↗

that honestly right now for them the biggest reinforcer for them is to just

Watch at 22:41 ↗

interact with somebody and get petted and like jump up on somebody and be like

Watch at 22:48 ↗
Changed by the second period in ways the trainer remarks on unprompted: bigger, and more open on walks.
On film

He grew a foot.

Watch at 36:41 ↗

fortunately I've got him he's opened up a lot on the walks you can see he's got it like a happy

Watch at 38:42 ↗

As his family describe him

The dog who goes after small dogs - Toby at a friend's apartment for 'the whole 20 minutes' - and who, when Josie clamped on him, pinned her and stopped. The owner's accounts are the source of the whole November lesson.
On film

down i was like short leash um hold on to him and he it did not matter where toby went walked

Watch at 3:29 ↗

whatever um he it was like that the whole 20 minutes

Watch at 3:36 ↗

He pinned her and said, don't ever do that again.

Watch at 14:31 ↗
At the go-home lesson: the one of the pair who engages passing dogs negatively; and, at a later meeting with a new dog, the one who reacted, was corrected and then let the dog approach.
On film

to like engage them in a negative way which is always him doing that

Watch at 15:23 ↗

yeah the smaller dog um but this time milo reacted a lot better right well or initially he reacted

Watch at 4:34 ↗

bad but we corrected and then um and then after about like five or ten minutes he let him approach

Watch at 4:40 ↗
In 2026: so small off leash that the owner loses sight of him.
On film

oh there you are they freak me out though when i'm when i have them off leash um not because

Watch at 14:44 ↗

i'm worried they're going to run off but because they're so small i can't tell where they're at

Watch at 14:49 ↗

The program, stage by stage

Stage

Up to 2025-11-14. Nothing filmed.

A dachshund bought as a puppy in spring 2025 (source: intake), living with an older-trained sister, Josie, a cat and a family. Josie had already been through the company's program; the owner says so in November. By the owner's accounts, Milo pinned Josie when she clamped on him during play, and then went after a small dog, Toby, on a short leash in a friend's apartment for twenty minutes - the first time she had seen it. That incident is the reason for the November lesson.

On film

whatever um he it was like that the whole 20 minutes

Watch at 3:36 ↗

but he flung Josie and like it stood on top of her and everybody was still you know you know

Watch at 14:02 ↗

The behaviour-modification lesson - one visit in three uploadsTurning point

Published 2025-11-14 and 2025-11-15.

The owner's own story of Milo pinning Josie becomes the model: stop, still, release, relationship intact. Part 2 moves to the walk (do not stop for passing dogs; say 'let's go') and to the implied stay the owner asks about, with Milo creeping forward 'red light green light' and taken back to his spot each time. Part 3 brings Josie in, fits her prong, recaps, advises against meeting Toby yet, and sets homework: don't pause for barking dogs, don't repeat commands, film practice on a tripod.

On film

how it goes cuz I kind of want to like have a little bit of pressure I want an

Watch at 1:31 ↗

opportunity for him to kind of react to it

Watch at 1:37 ↗

supposed to nope nope nope no now he stopped yeah yeah okay and so then you

Watch at 9:41 ↗

another choice point and you saw in that choice point he made the right decision right he decided

Watch at 18:15 ↗

start back there and now he's over here it's kind of like red light green light

Watch at 18:35 ↗

i wouldn't let them meet each other yet i'm not sure if he's ready for it he's fine with people

Watch at 8:46 ↗

Intake, off camera, and the correction becomes a teaching video

About 2025-11-25.

On film

every dog she sees right so she came up and sold oxen Milo's his name was like

Watch at 24:16 ↗

and then immediately launched trying to try to bite her right so what I do in

Watch at 24:21 ↗

Stage

About 2025-11-28 to 2025-12-10 (dated uploads 2025-12-07 to 2025-12-10; watch and watch placed here by content).

The down is built from zero, as the intake says it must be: first shaped with help and no word, then cued with small pops and 'nope', with a recurring problem - he curves his back and will not flatten - and a handler who says he is not hard on Milo while he is trying. The same day the handler recalls him off leash without the e-collar, saying he would not usually do so. In two stores he walks, heels, downs and is petted by shoppers; his e-collar is too big for him and comes off, and the handler says a Micro Educator would suit him better. Josi is on the same trips.

On film

job good job okay good boy success of approximations we're getting there with

Watch at 2:16 ↗

But he's been putting the front paws down a lot better.

Watch at 1:53 ↗

That's a nice greeting.

Watch at 3:04 ↗

okay down Milo down you go nope down okay it's gotten significantly easier

Watch at 4:58 ↗

on right now but his recall has been really good so far um typically i wouldn't do this but

Watch at 5:56 ↗

good job Milo you know what we're gonna take that off because it's so loose on you

Watch at 6:17 ↗

The December go-home lesson - one visit in three uploadsTurning point

A public place, both dogs, one owner. The owner's worries are excitement, darting, pulling toward people and dogs, and two leashes tangling. The trainer's rule: excitement is fine, inappropriate expression is corrected until the dog visibly cares, then 'okay' and everything is good; he almost always lets people greet. On dogs he turns the owner's worry around: judge the other dog, because these dogs are small; keep the leash slack; if a pushy dog pesters Milo, move it off rather than punish Milo, and punish Milo only if he goes. The owner reports a recent meeting where Milo reacted, was corrected and then let the dog approach. The down is coached on both dogs (pop forward and down, not up; 'nope' once before any pop; a handful of reps spread over an outing), with the trainer letting Milo's not-quite-flat down stand because he is trying. The recall is put at 80 to 90 percent in the trainer's hands. It ends with the discharge paperwork.

On film

had to do until i saw that she cared right because that's all it is is if if you see she doesn't care

Watch at 9:40 ↗

know like a situation that um I would encourage you to think more about the other dog yeah and

Watch at 2:00 ↗

right so um uh with that greeting the most important thing is not to pressurize it

Watch at 7:45 ↗

come on yeah give him some space yeah and that's all that needs to happen if milo goes

Watch at 9:39 ↗

What you don't want to end up having is that down means getting popped

Watch at 3:56 ↗

they seem to confused because they normally know like it's about 80 to 90

Watch at 14:46 ↗

The gap

Mid-December 2025 to early March 2026. Nothing filmed.

The 2026 footage opens with recall and off-leash work, which is the intake's stated goal (off-leash hikes; source: intake), but no one on camera connects the two.

Session 1 of the 2026 run

A trainer assesses Milo from scratch in a quiet setting: three loose-leash phases with a longer leash and slower pace for his short legs; a duck toy from home he will not hunt, so running together instead; place introduced with help, on a long line to keep tension off a little dog; and a first duration hold with a 15-minute cap and a stated goal of full relaxation. Milo is 'a little nervous', refuses food, and prefers the trainer's chair to the cot. He sits at about 21 minutes into the file and is released from the chair near the 15-minute mark of the hold; whether he lay down is not recorded.

On film

So he's following me on the u-turns no problem. So that's phase one just the u-turns he passed

Watch at 1:21 ↗

all right well he's not really doing the duck hunting right now so we're just going to do a

Watch at 4:54 ↗

And so what I'm looking for is full relaxation. I'd like to see him actually fully lay down.

Watch at 21:43 ↗

March: the velcro problem and the backyard recall sessionTurning point

Every March session is shaped by one problem: the dogs will not leave the trainer, so there is nothing to recall them from. He lets them roam with other dogs as distraction, makes himself boring, pesters them until they go, walks them on flexis in a new neighbourhood, and substitutes place-cot stays on pavement when they still will not leave. The breakthrough is the backyard session: a helper, Hema, holds Milo in her lap as the spot he does not want to leave. On one recall Milo panics at a level the trainer says was a quarter of what he had taken before; the trainer names it sensitisation, turns the level down further, waits for him to return to baseline so he does not 'turn into velcro', and explains the escape-then-avoid logic and the need for the leash to give direction. The next recall is faster and he is finished for the day 'because he figured it out'. Four days later the trainer says that one session 'clarified things in their head a lot'; a colleague walking Callie hears that Milo's recall is 'getting a lot better'. In the same fortnight Milo is used as a distraction dog for Major and is told to 'be nice'.

On film

good so the important thing is that the lesson i don't want them to get is that they just have to

Watch at 3:39 ↗

So it's a sensitization thing, you know?

Watch at 22:11 ↗

return to normal before i can run another trial like another repetition because i don't want him

Watch at 23:04 ↗

but this is a spot that he does not want to leave which is ideal for this

Watch at 31:42 ↗

we're finished with Milo today because he figured it out he did it because he's

Watch at 32:23 ↗

i think that session just that one session i think it clarified things in their head a lot

Watch at 5:55 ↗

We're going on a walk. Let's go guys! Let's go! My goal is that they walk away from me a few times.

Watch at 0:00 ↗

jesse and milo's recall is getting a lot better

Watch at 26:05 ↗

The 2026-03-31 owner lesson - 'handler skills'Turning point

2026-03-31; published as parts 1 (watch) and 2 (watch).

A long, structured lesson whose stated aim is an owner confident enough not to make mistakes. Micro educator and micro prongs, a light 50-foot line, the four behavioural levers, markers ('nope' as punishment, 'ah-ah' as a prompt), and the rule 'always verbal first'. Then Milo in a busy park: threshold manners, a loose-leash warm-up he passes easily, and recall on a long line, with the rule that only 'come' is the recall word and that you do not recall from every distraction or you get a velcro dog. The trainer says Milo's recall 'looks a lot more reliable' and that he is very close to trusting him off the line. With the owner cueing, Milo's down 'looks a lot better'; the trainer explains he counts Milo's lowest squat as a sit and is weighing whether a flatter down is worth pursuing. Part 2 is Josi's, and records only an anecdote about Milo: a perfect recall rep accidentally punished when Christian stepped on the line.

On film

good yeah because see that's not a recall right that's not a recall what you just did right

Watch at 41:11 ↗

and then recall them away from them but i try not to recall them away from every distraction

Watch at 42:04 ↗

so that's starting to get to the point where I'm I'm really close right now to

Watch at 54:46 ↗

into the down and it looks a little milo-ish like how much do i care i don't know like um

Watch at 56:49 ↗

that looks a lot better actually that looks like what i want yeah that's a nice down

Watch at 57:11 ↗

yeah and and he was less likely to do after that and then he left major alone

Watch at 1:11:37 ↗

one of the videos recently where christian accidentally stepped on it when i had recalled

Watch at 0:07 ↗

Off-leash proofing with the owner

2026-04-02.

'Off leash' here means leashes and lines removed one dog at a time while both micro educators stay on; the trainer checks Milo's collar works before taking his line off. In a spring park with people, children and a football game, Milo recalls away from the owner, from kids running and from the football without the collar. Once he looks back at 'come' and turns away; the trainer taps at 25 - 'a little Yelp and then he ran back' - calls that the response he wants, and asks the owner to rewatch the moment. He also gives her the radius idea: she can decide how far they range, by voice, backed by the collar.

On film

So Milo's off now.

Watch at 2:49 ↗

see it yeah and I didn't have to use e-collar for it oh there he goes

Watch at 16:20 ↗

okay yeah so he recalled off the football

Watch at 18:36 ↗

but he was like this and then turned his head back he heard me right so then I

Watch at 20:37 ↗

on 25 right and that's why you got a little Yelp and then he ran back right

Watch at 20:52 ↗

Private Lesson #2 at home: borders and the road

Undated; after 2026-03-31. Order relative to 2026-04-02 unsettled.

At the family's house the trainer tightens both collars a notch and teaches the yard border with Milo first: throw a treat across the line, block, walk back, praise, until he stops on his own and walks off without a release. Then, stated as an exception to normal practice, the e-collar is used so the ground itself becomes the thing to avoid, because leaving the property is life or death. At the front, where the dogs must cross the drive to walk, a different rule: no road-like surface without 'okay', for life, while taking care that Milo still fetches treats elsewhere so he does not learn the wrong lesson. The owner takes Milo on the road rule at the end with the collar at 20.

On film

figuring out like oh like even if there's something i want over there i don't go over there

Watch at 13:10 ↗

did you see he was like he stopped on his own so let's see if he did it again come on buddy let's

Watch at 13:52 ↗

they're listening to me i want it to be like a thing where it's like associated with the ground

Watch at 24:18 ↗

go get it go go go right because what i don't want him to learn is don't go get the treats that he

Watch at 29:14 ↗

but that's okay that's kind of the point is they need to wait and get permission

Watch at 31:01 ↗

Skills

Behaviour around other dogs (the presenting problem)

At the startBy the owner's account, a sustained reaction to a small dog, Toby, and a pin of Josie when she hurt him. Intake: reactive to new dogs 'Always', familiar dogs 'Often' (source: intake).
By the endNot settled. Toby is never re-met on camera.

How it was taught

A deliberately arranged meeting with a neutral helper dog, a correction ('nope' and prong pops) continued until he stops and is still, then warmth, decompression and a fresh unforced meeting as the test. Afterwards, management of size risk (no big dogs, judge the other dog, slack leash, move a pesky dog off) rather than further correction of Milo, and habituation walks with other dogs in 2026.

On film

Nope! Nope! Nope!

Watch at 9:23 ↗

another choice point and you saw in that choice point he made the right decision right he decided

Watch at 18:15 ↗

Milo is okay. He makes friends

Watch at 3:41 ↗

bad but we corrected and then um and then after about like five or ten minutes he let him approach

Watch at 4:40 ↗

yeah and and he was less likely to do after that and then he left major alone

Watch at 1:11:37 ↗

cute good job he's just a cute little baby and he's letting callie sniff him that's good milo

Watch at 29:47 ↗

Down

At the start'Doesn't know at all' (source: intake). The earliest footage shapes it with help before any word is attached.
By the endDone without leash pressure and held while a dog walks by (spring 2026), released on the full fold of both front legs; still not flat every time, and the trainer openly weighs whether a flatter down is worth the cost for this dog.

How it was taught

Successive approximations with physical help, the word added once the position was forming; then leash pops and 'nope' for misses; position prompts ('all the way', 'flatten the legs', 'get the leg'); release the instant the second paw folds. The owner is taught to pop forward and down, not up, and to say 'nope' once before any pop so 'down' never predicts a pop. In 2026 the micro educator level for the down is dropped from about 15 to about 5 after a 'very dramatic' response.

On film

Just working on getting him to flatten out his back

Watch at 1:35 ↗

I don't know, he just curves his back a little bit sometimes.

Watch at 1:49 ↗

trying. That's why I'm not being super hard on him right now. Because he is trying. That's

Watch at 8:12 ↗

if you pop up,

Watch at 1:25 ↗

dude down that's a ghetto down yeah over here here down down

Watch at 26:13 ↗

He'll because he he'll do it without the leash pressure

Watch at 5:18 ↗

From like a it was like on like a 15. I turned it down like a five

Watch at 16:06 ↗

down and fold one paw but not the other so i'm just trying to show them as soon as he holds that

Watch at 29:30 ↗

that looks a lot better actually that looks like what i want yeah that's a nice down

Watch at 57:11 ↗

the way down down there we go all the way down like it's supposed to look good

Watch at 5:20 ↗

Recall

At the start'Usually reliable if low distractions' (source: intake). Good enough in December for an off-leash recall without the collar, by the handler's judgement.
By the endOn 2026-04-02, lines off with e-collars on, he recalls off children, a football game and the owner; one ignored 'come' is answered with a single tap at 25 and he runs back. Never shown collar-free in a busy place.

How it was taught

December: 'here' with e-collar taps and affection. 2026: first make recall possible at all (other dogs as distraction, a boring handler, a human helper as the place he does not want to leave); then cue, a second's chance, repeat, low taps with the long line for direction, pressure off the instant he heads in, cheerleading all the way, and a return to baseline between trials. Only 'come' is a recall word; informal calls when the handler is not ready to back it up. Line dragged before it is removed, one dog at a time, collars kept on. Repeat 'come' if he did not look back; tap at once if he looked and chose not to.

On film

there you go good boy give him a couple of e-collar taps there good job come on

Watch at 0:33 ↗

So pressure was on. I said the recall. I gave him a second. I said the recall again.

Watch at 25:48 ↗

the long line so he would know where to go and then after that as soon as he started running

Watch at 26:05 ↗

come come Milo come good job oh he figured it out faster that time good boy Milo he figured it out

Watch at 30:05 ↗

um i think you can probably see that his recall looks a lot more reliable than it did

Watch at 1:01:40 ↗

okay yeah so he recalled off the football

Watch at 18:36 ↗

of the time even 95% of time without the collar it's just the 5% that I worry

Watch at 22:05 ↗

Sit, implied stay and place

At the startSit usually reliable in low distraction; stay only with food in hand; place unknown (source: intake). In November he creeps out of the sit when the owner walks away.
By the endHis sit is a low squat the trainer accepts if he holds it until release.

How it was taught

Implied stay: one 'nope', small prong pops, no repeated 'sit', back to the same spot each time, release only on 'okay'/'break', practised at every door and the car. Place: introduced with help on a long line, a duration hold with a cap and full relaxation as the goal, later cots on pavement with the handler walking off.

On film

very quickly get the idea that they can't get up until you say okay because that's all you do once

Watch at 16:39 ↗

right now he's making progress does that make sense so in his mind where did he

Watch at 18:31 ↗

we're going to wait. I'm not going to go past 15 minutes, but I'm hoping that in that 15 minutes

Watch at 19:20 ↗

come on please good place come on Josie Milo's on place now he's on the place

Watch at 19:55 ↗

if he stands fully up but if he squats like down as far as like he can then like that i'll count

Watch at 56:16 ↗

Walking, heel and passing things

At the startHeel on leash 'usually reliable if low distractions' (source: intake). The owner stops and waits when dogs pass.
By the endGives to the leash easily and does not pull (2026-03-31); heels and stops when the handler stops.

How it was taught

Keep walking and say 'let's go' rather than stop for a passing dog. Three-phase loose-leash walking adjusted for short legs. Heel taught only after pulling is gone.

On film

sense that loads him up yeah so we don't want to load him up we want him to think nothing's

Watch at 2:52 ↗

a little bit of help on this one do need to take into account that he's a little shorter so I have

Watch at 1:32 ↗

leash and so you can see he gives to it really easily he's not going to pull on it and so i'll

Watch at 39:32 ↗

heel is like this Milo heel you see he stops when I stop

Watch at 1:06 ↗

Property border and the road rule

At the startNot trained. The intake records digging but no escape (source: intake).
By the endStops at the yard border on his own after several reps; stops at the road edge and waits for 'okay'; handed to the owner. Nothing after this is filmed.

How it was taught

Temptation across the line, body block, walk back, praise; criterion is that he stops and walks off without a release; then e-collar at the border so the ground carries the lesson. Road: permission only on 'okay', and treats thrown elsewhere so he keeps fetching.

On film

we can do is um we can just give them a temptation across it basically so you give them a reason

Watch at 8:59 ↗

did you see he was like he stopped on his own so let's see if he did it again come on buddy let's

Watch at 13:52 ↗

and then I have the e-collar for you I'll trade you the e-collar and leash

Watch at 36:41 ↗

Play

At the startTug and fetch 'very often' at home (source: intake). Ignores a toy from home at the first 2026 session.
By the endCarries a toy 'so proud', tugs hard with the trainer 'like a big dog' by April.

How it was taught

Repeated throws only when he is looking; tug where he is allowed to win; built deliberately because play would beat petting as a reinforcer.

On film

all right well he's not really doing the duck hunting right now so we're just going to do a

Watch at 4:54 ↗

you've got it he looks so proud when he carries it he looks so proud

Watch at 20:40 ↗

hug on the other end of the rope and go like a big dog you know when he's

Watch at 11:48 ↗

Down

Update. Off leash beside Josi, Milo's down needs repeated 'all the way' prompts, both the first time and when it is asked again for duration.
On film

Milo down all the way all the way down

Watch at 1:05 ↗

little bit of duration Josie Milo down Josie all the way down Milo down down all the way

Watch at 1:56 ↗

so I can create some distance and for some duration good job guys and they do really well

Watch at 2:11 ↗

Walking, heel and passing things

Update. On a night walk, his heel still draws several 'nope's and a 'right here' before it settles. The handler mentions giving a couple of taps, most likely on the collar. Off leash beside Josi, the heel and 'let's go' are asked of both dogs together. Neither clip is dated, so the night walk may come before the owner lesson.
On film

Milo, heel. Heel. Nope. Come on. Heel. Nope. Milo, heel. Right here. Good job.

Watch at 0:03 ↗

i did tap the car a couple of times there good boy

Watch at 1:18 ↗

Behaviour around other dogs (the presenting problem)

Update. A new setting: off leash, walked on purpose past an area with lots of dogs, with Josi beside him. No reaction is mentioned, and the handler ends pleased. The audio does not describe how close the other dogs were or what Milo did as he passed them.
On film

I'm gonna walk by an area with lots of dogs

Watch at 0:08 ↗

So I'm very happy.

Watch at 2:26 ↗

Sit, implied stay and place

Update. The handler's inventory says he knows place and that his duration is good. Place itself is not shown in the clip.
On film

NOPE which is the no no marker so yeah and they know place their duration is good

Watch at 1:46 ↗

Recall

Update. A trainer's comparison in a new setting (an off-site public trail): Milo's recall needed less work than Josi's, so Josi wore the e-collar on that walk. Whether Milo wore one is not said; the audio implies he did not. No recall is shown in these clips. Undated.
On film

Let's go with Josie for this time Josie's the one that needs a little bit more work on her recall than Milo does

Watch at 0:26 ↗

Behaviour around other dogs (the presenting problem)

Update. These Shorts show Milo in free time with Josi and Major, running with Josi; the handler's words are all greetings and praise, and no incident is mentioned. The audio does not describe any interaction between Milo and Major.
On film

josie and milo are running all around

Watch at 0:01 ↗

look at little baby milo little baby milo hi hi major you're so handsome you're so handsome yes you are

Watch at 0:41 ↗

From the Shorts

Short clips posted from Milo's training. They are undated, so they sit beside the program rather than inside it.

Off leash with his sister, past lots of dogs

A handler tests Milo and Josi together, off the leash and wearing e-collars, walking past an area with lots of dogs: both are asked by name to sit, lie down, heel and 'let's go', and Milo needs several 'all the way' prompts before his down is complete. They then both hold a down while the handler steps away to add distance and time. The handler lists what they know (come, heel, sit, down, let's go, 'okay' to release, 'nope' as the no-marker, and place), says 'they do really well', and ends 'very happy'.

Watch the Short at 0:08 ↗

On film

I'm gonna walk by an area with lots of dogs

Watch at 0:08 ↗

You know the proper response to the e-collars much more active off the leash

Watch at 0:14 ↗

Milo down all the way all the way down

Watch at 1:05 ↗

so you can see they know come they know heel they know sit they know down

Watch at 1:10 ↗

NOPE which is the no no marker so yeah and they know place their duration is good

Watch at 1:46 ↗

so I can create some distance and for some duration good job guys and they do really well

Watch at 2:11 ↗

So I'm very happy.

Watch at 2:26 ↗

A heel on a night walk

On a walk at night Milo is asked to sit, then to heel, and leaves the position several times; each time he hears 'nope', is called back with 'right here', and is praised when he is in place. The handler then ends the session for the night because Milo 'did real good'.

Watch the Short at 0:03 ↗

On film

Milo, heel. Heel. Nope. Come on. Heel. Nope. Milo, heel. Right here. Good job.

Watch at 0:03 ↗

i did tap the car a couple of times there good boy

Watch at 1:18 ↗

probably gonna hang on my hat with milo for tonight but he did real good

Watch at 1:39 ↗

Who wears the e-collar on a walk

Setting out on a walk away from the facility with Milo and his sister Josi, the trainer decides that Josi wears the e-collar this time, because her recall 'needs a little bit more work' than Milo's.

Watch the Short at 0:20 ↗

On film

Who is getting an e-collar for now?

Watch at 0:20 ↗

Let's go with Josie for this time Josie's the one that needs a little bit more work on her recall than Milo does

Watch at 0:26 ↗

A trail walk with his sister

Milo and Josi walk a riverside trail on retractable leads. Because it is getting hot, the trainer offers them water before setting out; at a steep, rocky drop-off by a boat launch the trainer locks both leads short 'just in case'.

Watch the Short at 0:33 ↗

On film

starting to get a little hot out here so i'll see if they want a little bit of water

Watch at 0:21 ↗

Yeah, you can see we got the river here.

Watch at 0:10 ↗

yep it's paved like you said it would be line curve ahead steep rocky drop off i see it

Watch at 0:11 ↗

make sure nobody falls off of there might lock your flexes up i'll lock those flexes up just in case

Watch at 0:33 ↗

How a training collar should fit

Before the walk, the trainer explains to camera how the collar should sit: on the left side of the neck, making contact, neither too tight nor too loose, and never choking. The collar type is not named, and the dog being fitted is a 'her', most likely Josi.

Watch the Short at 0:03 ↗

On film

Make sure it sits on the left side of her neck

Watch at 0:03 ↗

Milo, thank you. They both want the hugs. Make sure it's fitting correctly. It's making contact.

Watch at 0:09 ↗

Make sure it's not too tight or too loose. It'd be just right

Watch at 0:25 ↗

Make contact but not be choking them should be right there.

Watch at 0:31 ↗

Free time with Josi and Major

In three short clips Milo is let out with Josi and Major, another dog in training. A handler says Josi and Milo are 'running all around' and that the dogs are 'having the time of their lives'. Nothing is asked of them, and how Milo and Major got on is not described.

Watch the Short at 0:01 ↗

On film

josie and milo are running all around

Watch at 0:01 ↗

they are having the time of their lives

Watch at 0:18 ↗

what's going on major what's going on buddy what's going on hi milo hi good morning good morning

Watch at 0:13 ↗

How the method adapted

Milo is a small, sensitive dog whose real problem changed between the two periods - from a dog who went after other dogs to a dog who would not leave his handler.

The reaction was provoked on purpose, with a dog chosen so nobody got hurt.

The trainer needed to see the behaviour to stop it, and needed a helper who would neither be harmed nor frightened. The same logic rules out small dogs as future testers.

On film

care she's friendly and pretty neutral she she likes being around other dogs um and people so

Watch at 22:31 ↗

that's not the right dog i would use my personal dog for that that's my tester she's an anatolean

Watch at 9:00 ↗

Size became a safety rule in both directions: protect him from big dogs, and do not let him meet the wrong dog at all.

A dog this small can be killed by one bad meeting, so the owner is told to worry more about the other dog than about Milo.

On film

he's he's a little guy so like say you got a big dog like that yeah you might want to you know tell

Watch at 21:08 ↗

know like a situation that um I would encourage you to think more about the other dog yeah and

Watch at 2:00 ↗

Equipment scaled down: a Micro Educator instead of a collar too big to make contact, micro prongs, a light long line, a longer leash and slower pace for short legs.

In December his collar was so loose it 'is not gonna do anything'; in 2026 the trainer explains the micro educator is about 30% weaker and made for tiny dogs.

On film

good job Milo you know what we're gonna take that off because it's so loose on you

Watch at 6:17 ↗

And so this micro-educator is 30% less strong than the mini-educator, right?

Watch at 29:20 ↗

the leash out just slightly longer for him and then also I'm not gonna move quite as fast in

Watch at 1:52 ↗

After a panic the level went down, not up, and the next trial waited for him to settle.

The trainer read the panic at a quarter of an earlier level as sensitisation, and a stressed Milo turns 'velcro', which ends recall practice.

On film

than it was. I'm going to go down to like even half of that. All right. Now we just need him

Watch at 22:21 ↗

return to normal before i can run another trial like another repetition because i don't want him

Watch at 23:04 ↗

The collar level was set per command, not per dog.

What was fine for recall was 'too much for him for the for the down command'.

On film

On the micro educator because it also depends on like the what command it is

Watch at 16:11 ↗

I think the 15 might have just been too much for him for the for the down command

Watch at 16:20 ↗

Because he would not leave, the trainer manufactured reasons to leave - and something to leave from.

A dog who sticks to you gives you no recall reps. A helper's lap, other dogs, a colleague making himself interesting, and a deliberately boring handler all create the distance.

On film

I'm gonna be as boring as possible going to ignore you to leave must go I'll do

Watch at 2:15 ↗

but this is a spot that he does not want to leave which is ideal for this

Watch at 31:42 ↗

His imperfect positions were accepted where the cost of perfection looked too high.

He is trying, and he is built low. The squat counts as a sit; the flatter down is openly weighed and partly let go.

On film

he's obviously trying to down properly

Watch at 4:44 ↗

into the down and it looks a little milo-ish like how much do i care i don't know like um

Watch at 56:49 ↗

Food was dropped in favour of faces, petting and built-up play.

He refused treats; access to the handler's face was 'a great reward for him', and petting beat any treat tried.

On film

Milo here good boy come on yeah yes good good boy and giving him access to my

Watch at 3:25 ↗

whoo that's a much bigger reinforcer than them for any treat that I've tried

Watch at 22:52 ↗

What the family was told

Stopping the reaction to other dogs, and repairing afterwards

that's all i would do and then i would just go nope and pop it nope and pop it and i'd pop it

Watch at 7:29 ↗

you want him to recover afterwards right so now like we don't want to give him a

Watch at 10:01 ↗

where you go over to your friend's house again with toby and you put a leash and the prong on

Watch at 8:42 ↗

Walking past dogs

continues like nope and then jerk a little harder or so here's what i would do um don't stop at all

Watch at 2:09 ↗

oh, Milo, let's go.

Watch at 8:37 ↗

Dog-to-dog greetings for a small dog

right so um uh with that greeting the most important thing is not to pressurize it

Watch at 7:45 ↗

just step in but without panicking if that makes sense so don't go

Watch at 9:13 ↗

come on yeah give him some space yeah and that's all that needs to happen if milo goes

Watch at 9:39 ↗

The implied stay and the release

right I always make them sit and wait right every time or I will put them in

Watch at 15:32 ↗

start back there and now he's over here it's kind of like red light green light

Watch at 18:35 ↗

Corrections: 'nope' first, and only if the dog cares

well then you didn't correct her it's just that simple it's just like if you if you give them a

Watch at 9:47 ↗

nope then if they don't then you can start yeah yeah say nope once you don't have to keep saying

Watch at 5:17 ↗

you help them it's always verbal first at least by a little bit right by like a second or so or more

Watch at 29:38 ↗

How many reps, and how hard

So it allows for decompression and learning to happen in the gaps.

Watch at 7:12 ↗

make it worse right um and the better a dog knows something the worse you make it when they don't

Watch at 1:00:22 ↗

Recall

like that and i'm like oh that's a release to get away from me not to come towards me

Watch at 41:29 ↗

is almost identical is you give the recall you give them a chance to come to you and then if

Watch at 42:37 ↗

okay so have them come over to you just don't uh do the recall just do like an informal thing

Watch at 1:34 ↗

with with normally with just your voice um and then you back it up with the e-collar if you need

Watch at 10:09 ↗

Tools at home

wandering around the house or something like that because he doesn't or going to bed like

Watch at 25:50 ↗

the e-collar on them and it but then also have the front collar on them because uh little known

Watch at 20:46 ↗

yeah so like one thing to remember is i think both of their e-collars they're about one notch

Watch at 2:55 ↗

Borders and roads

but that's okay that's kind of the point is they need to wait and get permission

Watch at 31:01 ↗

not already on the gravel because if i was already on the concrete and i say come on he thinks i'm

Watch at 34:43 ↗

Filming practice

however much you work with them and then send it to me okay right because then i can be like all

Watch at 14:09 ↗
In the family's own words

The owner supplies the two stories the November lesson is built on - Toby, and Milo pinning Josie - and describes her own attempts (turning his face, a deep voice) as not changing what he did next.

On film

whatever um he it was like that the whole 20 minutes

Watch at 3:36 ↗

So, he stopped everything.

Watch at 14:25 ↗

At the go-home lesson she says the earlier owner meetings gave her too little practice, singles out one meeting at a park as helpful, and names Evan in the complaint.

On film

uh evan gets to yapping and then and then not enough dog training talk happens so we never

Watch at 13:54 ↗

and down yeah um because meeting with you guys at the the beach place at beach bluff at the park

Watch at 14:16 ↗

In 2026 her concerns are excitement with people, especially small children, and losing sight of two small dogs off leash.

On film

a little bit yeah or they might nip them a little bit yeah yeah because they're excited yeah and so

Watch at 16:31 ↗

because I know that was one of the things that you wanted to to try to have. If anybody wanted

Watch at 6:54 ↗

Outcomes

What the trainers reported

Reacted better to a new dog after the program - corrected once, then accepted him.

The owner, at the December go-home lesson

On film

yeah the smaller dog um but this time milo reacted a lot better right well or initially he reacted

Watch at 4:34 ↗

Tapped recall about 80 to 90 percent reliable in the trainer's hands.

The go-home trainer, December 2025

On film

they seem to confused because they normally know like it's about 80 to 90

Watch at 14:46 ↗

Recall much more reliable, close to being trusted off the long line; down duration now good.

The 2026 trainer to the owner, 2026-03-31

On film

um i think you can probably see that his recall looks a lot more reliable than it did

Watch at 1:01:40 ↗

he does really well with that now

Watch at 1:03:48 ↗

They come about 95 percent of the time without the collar.

On film

of the time even 95% of time without the collar it's just the 5% that I worry

Watch at 22:05 ↗

The border holds: he will not cross the spot.

The 2026 trainer at the home lesson

On film

now he won't go across that spot

Watch at 14:42 ↗

What the footage shows

The November reaction and its interruption are on the audio as events: the setup, the speakers' 'there it is', the 'Nope!' sequence and 'now he stopped'.

On film

opportunity for him to kind of react to it that's not what he did to tubby yeah there it is perfect

Watch at 1:37 ↗

supposed to nope nope nope no now he stopped yeah yeah okay and so then you

Watch at 9:41 ↗

Within one session the recall went from a panic to a faster response after the level was lowered and he was let settle - the clearest before-and-after in his file.

On film

come come come come good job that was so dramatic buddy you good boy why did you so dramatic you're

Watch at 21:23 ↗

come come Milo come good job oh he figured it out faster that time good boy Milo he figured it out

Watch at 30:05 ↗

Off lines in a busy park with collars on, he recalled off children and a football game without stimulation, and after one ignored cue came back on a single tap.

On film

see it yeah and I didn't have to use e-collar for it oh there he goes

Watch at 16:20 ↗

on 25 right and that's why you got a little Yelp and then he ran back right

Watch at 20:52 ↗

The down moved from a shaped position with no cue (late 2025) to a cued down without leash pressure and a nice down under the owner's cue (spring 2026), without ever being called finished.

On film

here come on milo down i'm starting to add the word to it because he's going into it way better

Watch at 4:00 ↗

that looks a lot better actually that looks like what i want yeah that's a nice down

Watch at 57:11 ↗
How it ended. Milo went home.

The ideas Milo's case runs on