Who Thumper is
As the trainers describe him
A dog the staff were fond of, said to the owner in several forms on go-home day.
On film
It was a pleasure having him. He was such a good dog.
He was such a joy to work with.
He's such a happy boy.
Motivated by everything - food, toys, prey, praise, people - which the trainers treat as both his great asset and his main difficulty: anything in the environment can outbid the handler.
On film
he's like the perfect dog because there are some dogs that have no motivation at all no treat
also like you got to be on it because he'll get distracted fast right but we
with a dog like Thumper. Thumper is going to be easy to train the recall with because he's got
He loves treats treats and toys and praise and belly rubs and people and dogs and he's just a perfect dog.
A sniffer. More than one handler loses him to the ground and chooses to wait it out rather than compete.
On film
I'm trying to sniff things. Uh-uh. He's not. He's not trying to play with me right now.
He's a sniffer
to avoid and go that way yeah well he's not even trying to avoid he's just being lazy he's just
Rough with the animals he lives with. This is the first reason the trainer gives for why he came in, and the owner reports it both before and after the programme.
On film
he came in because because he was pulling, jumping, bullying his cat sisters and his dog brother.
but yeah the cat he'll grab a hold of the back and he'll actually drag him across
the damn house yeah if he's outside and mac wants to come out and i open the door he's like
Less sensitive to the e-collar than his first handler believed. The correction to that belief is one of the clearest turns in his file.
On film
yeah because he had me fooled I thought he was sensitive he was on five
the shock he does not he does he um at the beginning he was kind of sensitive but he grew
Afraid of vehicles, and nervous at novelty. The store entrance is the only fear filmed inside the programme; the vehicle fear is filmed only after it.
On film
you shaking are you scared buddy oh oh well we're gonna go inside that pro shop and we're gonna see
he's more afraid of anything that's moving than than anything like then his
Let's go. Come on. Let's go. Come on. Let's go. Yeah. He tried doing this when we were,
Resilient - the go-home trainer's reason for not expecting boundary training to shut him down.
On film
her back there yeah i don't think that would be an issue for him because he's he's really good at
Energetic but finite. An hour of play tires him; staff describe getting him so tired he fell asleep on his cot mid-play.
On film
we've played for like an hour and and he's completely out and tired after that hour.
we got thumper so tired the fool went to his cot and he
He dislikes collars being put on him - named by three different people.
On film
right good boy oh my goodness he he hates getting collars on he hates it he'll like sit sit sit and
you you love doing that dumpy you just love lifting your face all the way up until we
As the owner describes him
Not aggressive: high energy that people misread because he looks part pit.
On film
like part pit people are afraid of him and they and um and they act like because he's high energy he's aggressive but he's really not he's not aggressive he's not he's a good boy
Soft-mouthed: he once carried one of her bantam chickens round the yard and it was unharmed. The trainer adopts the owner's reading.
On film
his mouth and he didn't kill him perfectly fine not feather missing so he was using a soft mouth
The program, stage by stage
Intake, off camera
Form submitted 2/4/2026. Nothing filmed.
An eighteen-month-old pit and retriever mix, neutered in December, living with two young cats and an elderly dog on a fenced rural property (source: intake). The owner's priorities were obedience, the chewing, and the cats; what she pictured was a dog she could take in the car and into public, who did not jump on or nip people, and who could walk the woods past the electric fence only with her (source: intake). He had a sit and a let's go in quiet rooms, a lured come and a lured down, and nothing else; he had worn an e-collar and an invisible-fence collar; he was afraid of the car (source: intake). None of this is on camera.
First week: heel from day one, a store that frightened him, and a dog who would rather sniff
Uploads 2026-02-07 (watch), 2026-02-10 (watch, watch) and 2026-02-12 (watch). Order within the stretch follows the uploads and is otherwise unplaced.
Heel starts at once: a locked flexi, a very slow walk, a collar pop if he leaves her side, short sessions, and the word 'heel' deferred until the behaviour exists. The release 'okay' is described as something he already knows. When another dog appears his responses fall apart into repeated 'nope's and pulling, which the handler reads as wanting to play. A separate short session exists only to re-engage a dog who prefers sniffing: the handler lets him sniff and then brings play back. Recall is 'still being worked on'.
On film
that's gonna happen is I'm going to lock my flexi and we are going to walk really slow
i'm going to pop his collar short sessions just like that little by little and then i will
if you are gonna do okay and if you're not then we can just leave buddy come on
like. Okay, Thumper, that's enough. Let's go. Let's go. Good boy. Look at you. You just
all right buddy all right that's why you want to go play don't you you want to go play dumper let's
We'll let him keep sniffing and then we'll get back to playing. You want to play, buddy? No?
The trainer school uses him as the practice dog - and a collar set too high teaches the wrong lessonTurning point
Uploads 2026-02-17 (watch; watch, where he is brought out next after Phoebe). Probably the same class; not stated.
Learners take turns playing tug with him while an instructor critiques. Then the event that shapes his out: someone had the e-collar too high, he did not like it, and the group concludes he associated the stimulation with the ground rather than the out, because he did not yet know what 'out' meant. The instructor's answer is the dead toy - stop pulling, hold it still, go with him if he pulls, give him nothing, and hand it straight back when he lets go - and to let him win a couple of times to bring his enthusiasm back. A near-silent recording uploaded four days later has a handler using the same phrase.
On film
He had the e-collar too high.
yep and then he associated with the out no he associated with the ground well yeah cause he didn't even know how to out yet
And if he pulls on it, you go with it.
And then you can give it right back to him. Okay.
I would perhaps let him win a couple of times to get him re-enriched.
Okay, so I'll get Thumpy out,
Phases of learning: a release that was really a movement cue, and a down started from nothing
A trainer walks a second person through a named model - leash helping, e-collar helping, clarifying, proofing - using Thumper. The clearest stretch is a diagnosis: 'okay' is in the clarification stage because he took it when she moved but not when she said it and stood still, so he was reading her body, not the word. The fix is to break the pattern so his prediction fails, then drop the movement for verbal encouragement.
On film
Okay is in the clarification stage because I had to move for him to take it.
And when I said okay and moved a little bit, he took off.
But when I said okay and didn't move, he didn't take it.
what the heck is the difference here because he sees multiple things and so then i'm breaking
Loose leash and long line
Uploads 2026-02-23 (watch, watch); watch (uploaded 2026-02-25) mentions him in passing.
A narrated how-to: a 'tune-up' about-turn so he meets leash pressure and learns to check in, a pop for any pull, then one-finger guidance, then - after a five-to-ten-minute warm-up - freedom on a 26-foot flexi with recall to an automatic sit, because all sits are implied stays. The prong is loosened when the handler thinks it is too tight. A second clip in the same series is really play, out and recall with 'follow through' on a long line, and carries the handler's summary of his temperament. Staff on an Apollo recording describe having tired him out until he fell asleep on his cot.
On film
That means that dumper has to check in on me,
And if there's a dog coming, a person, an animal, and I don't want him to interact, I can recall him.
supposed to sit and all our sits are implied stays so i don't have to tell him to stay he
through. Come on. Let's go. Come. Sit. Good follow through.
Late stay: the down lags, the collar level is corrected, and the programme is reviewedTurning point
Last week or so before 2026-03-01. Filmed in the order watch, watch, watch; uploaded 2026-03-06, 03-07 and 03-09.
In the cold (about 30 degrees) a trainer works him alone and grades each skill by stage: 'okay' at proofing with no physical cues, sit at proofing - defined as distance, duration, distraction, context and client proofing - come still clarifying under distraction, and the down the weak one, 'taking a lot longer' than other dogs. Then the park session, the richest teaching in his file: a senior trainer coaches his handler, diagnoses the recall problem as leash handling rather than the collar, demonstrates small taps as negative reinforcement with cheerleading as positive reinforcement for speed, keeps the long line on to obligate, and works the down with fast small tugs, play after rather than a food lure, and a level dropped from 30 to 15 to re-sensitise him - after which he downs without the leash being touched. His handler closes by admitting he had fooled her into thinking he was sensitive at five. The last in-house recording names why he came in (pulling, jumping, bullying the cats and the other dog), says the programme has corrected it, and lists what was covered.
On film
are working on his distance, durations, distractions, context, and the last C is for client proofing,
It's taking a lot longer, Thumpee,
actually not necessarily e-collar or even timing related it's actually the leash so when you're
is it positive reinforcement negative reinforcement right so it's pressure and release
right so now i'm just going to have it on a 15. to be sensitive to it yeah so he's probably
recall I think the most progress that you guys made today was with the recall
And so, you know, through obedience, through the Obedience and Recall program that we have here at Angio Canine, we have been able to correct those things, issues.
2026-03-01: the go-home lesson at the owner's propertyTurning point
He comes off the flexi and goes straight to Mac. The trainer who handled him in-house - she describes coming in and out to take him for his sessions - points the owner at the videos as the curriculum, shows the sit-for-greeting and door manners, and reads back the intake: the crate, the chewing, the goal of the woods. Then equipment. The owner's single strap carries the fence collar and the training collar; it is loose because he lost weight; she has only ever used vibrate. A yard recall fails and the cause turns out to be the owner's collar switched off. The trainer feels level 6 herself, then gives numbers: about 30 around distractions, 35 or 40 if he ignores it, name then command, one press after the second call, and stimulation rather than vibrate because stimulation is what he learned. Part two fits a new, larger prong, places the e-collar behind the ear, answers the owner's list (chewing, jumping, the cats, night soiling on her bed, the car, play-biting that drew blood at Christmas), and gives the boundary rule the intake asked for: he crosses the fence line only with her, and trying it alone gets a 'nope' and the button. Three weekly handler follow-ups with homework are agreed, and a later meeting at a park or store.
On film
I would come in and out and grab him and you know train him and bring bring him back
the purpose of those videos is to show you what he's up to but also to show you how how to train get you into the mindset of how to do things
i might have turned it off that may be what it is probably because i tried calling him yeah he's not coming
The shock is important because that's how he learned it, right?
You know, when you're with me, you can go there, but when you're not with me, you have to stay. So really making that clear to him.
you know how many um handler sessions he he said three yeah okay so yeah three um we could do like one once every week um for the next three weeks
Home, off camera (2026-03-01 to 2026-03-26)
Nothing filmed; reconstructed from what the owner says at the follow-up.
By her account: she has taken him out back three times, the second on an ordinary leash without trouble; she estimates his recall at 90 to 95 percent except around real distractions; he still chews but stops when caught; one correction at 30 holds for a day and then 'resets'; he jumps on her at the gate unless she carries the remote; he put a cat's neck in his mouth once and stopped at a loud low 'nope'; and the car has not worked at all - he stiffened and screeched before the car had even turned, and loading him onto the side-by-side took half an hour. A cough began a couple of days before the visit.
On film
time you brought him out back here this is the third third time okay how so how did the second
and what's the percentage of him actually coming to you would you say like 90 95 90.
but once he gets one of those yeah but that like resets every time that resets
i mean it's just like it's that complete fallout and like then he like stiffens up so he's like
2026-03-26: the follow-up - 'day one all over again' on the four-wheelerTurning point
2026-03-26. watch and, probably continuing it, watch.
The same trainer visits. Much of the first part is about the cough - kennel cough, a feather, or pollen - and she sends it to the vet. On the car the two of them agree on the diagnosis: he wants to go out back, but his fear of anything moving is bigger. The trainer decides a flat collar is enough on the property. Then the four-wheeler: he refuses, she lifts him on herself ('I wouldn't recommend this but because I'm here'), the owner holds his collar, the engine starts with the trainer close, and once moving he settles as if he had done it thousands of times. She names what has happened in general terms - the further a dog gets from the programme without constant practice, the less likely the command - and calls it 'day one all over again'. On the trail he recalls off leash, without the e-collar, which the owner left off because it shares a strap with the fence collar; the trainer tells her to bring it. Loading for the ride back takes coaxing again. They discuss a crate for the car, and the recording ends heading to the owner's car without showing what happened there.
On film
he's more afraid of anything that's moving than than anything like then his
he is heavy no yeah for sure i wouldn't recommend this but because i'm here
look at him he act like he like he's done this thousands of times
the less likely they are to do the command if you don't practice it constantly so me having to like
physically put him up there it was like day one all over again because he absolutely did not want
So that's why it's important to have the e-collar on.
Skills
Recall
How it was taught
A 26-foot flexi with a 'pop pop' if he does not come, and an automatic sit on arrival. Then, in the late coached session, small e-collar taps while he drifts, released as he turns, cheerleading to speed him, a leash tap taught to mean come, the leash-helping phase left as fast as possible, and the long line kept on to obligate. Handed to the owner as: name, command, name again, then one press at 30-35 - stimulation, not vibrate. Drifting was diagnosed as boredom, not avoidance, and his distractions were treated as release rewards.
On film
buddy. Thumper. Still working on recall. Thumper. And he's very distracted with all. There we go.
and the good thing about the flexi is that you can just if he doesn't come you just do a quick
do good boy still working on the clarifying stage for come under
if you don't make it more urgent to come then he's going to do that every time forever he's going to
leash helping phase as quickly as you can and get it pair it with the e-collar right away as soon as
and he doesn't immediately turn, you know, say his name again. And if he doesn't come again,
and he immediately comes back because he knows how to remove that pressure.
Down
How it was taught
Later: fast small tugs on a short tab ('not hard, just fast'), the collar meaning 'give to the pressure', play that lasts longer than the command, and food refused as a lure because following a treat is not downing. When he seemed dull to 30, the level was dropped to 15 and he improved.
On film
good boy dumper place sit dumper sit good boy dumper down we're still working on your down huh
dumper place down do you know down yet come on down do you want treats or pressure down
Jiggle it no no so yeah, there you go not hard just fast.
the e-collar does, it means he needs to give to the pressure
but he did good with his downs and he did good with his place and he did good with his
Down? Not down. Sit?
Out
How it was taught
It had been taught with an e-collar tap; a too-high stim attached to the ground instead of the cue, and the class was taught the dead toy instead. By the late sessions he is 'doing good with his outs', and jumping during tug gets 'out' then a tap.
On film
so the other thing so you i taught the e-collar to be out right so the other thing was to make the boy go dead
Out. Give me. Out. Out. Good boy.
Yeah, he's doing good with his outs
you found the donut buddy yay and we taught him how to out out
The release, 'okay'
How it was taught
Diagnosed as a movement cue in disguise, then clarified by breaking the pattern and replacing the backward step with verbal encouragement.
On film
and then I'm going to give him the release command which is oh okay I said it low because
Okay is in the clarification stage because I had to move for him to take it.
okay with no physical cues so he's almost he's on and he's at the proofing
Sit, with door and greeting manners
How it was taught
Held to the full position - a half-lying sit is refused. Taught as the greeting behaviour for new people and at doors. Owner told to take the collar and make him sit if he does not.
On film
nope that's not a sit sorry buddy come on you're at that stage where you can't be laying down when
Good boy. Yeah, we worked on that a lot. When he met new people he had to sit.
It's kind of hard when they get back home because they're super excited.
Place
How it was taught
Not narrated. Used as the base for downs, and prescribed to the owner for family events, with a 'nope' and the prong to return him.
On film
place yes three hours he actually fell asleep and that's only because i was watching a documentary
do events like that you could place him in the in the in the cot you can place him on the cot
handsome i've missed you thumper place sit place you're such a handsome boy i love you
Loose-leash walking
How it was taught
The tune-up about-turn, a pop for pulling, then light guidance; random turns so he cannot predict the handler.
On film
one finger to get him moving and that is the benefit of continuing to practice your
that's not where we're going right so that's what loose leash walking is i make random turns
Heel
How it was taught
Two methods, by two people. Day one: a locked flexi, a slow walk and a collar pop, with the word added later. Late in the stay: stationary entries on a short tab to get him used to seeing the position.
On film
he already knows what it is let's go thumper and if he doesn't do he doesn't stand right beside me
here come on come here bud come here so you're just getting him used to seeing that's the position
because we worked a couple of heel entries and i think he was too tired to try to learn a new thing
Getting into vehicles
How it was taught
No option given, then fun attached to every trip, cued 'up, up, up' (reported). At the follow-up: lifted on by the trainer, owner holding the collar, engine started with the trainer close. A crate is suggested so he cannot see the motion.
On film
he was going to get back in so um now he gets in like no issue because he knows that every time he
so you said you've been working on the getting him in the car and it hasn't been working
i was trying to bring him back to life good boy up up up dumper up up up let's try to see if we
of your um yeah i mean that's what i did when i put him in and he freaked uh-huh well maybe it's
Crossing the fence boundary only with the owner
How it was taught
Not taught on film. The plan: take him out past it only with her, on leash and e-collar at first; if he ever tries it alone, 'nope' and the button, so crossing becomes conditional on her presence.
On film
But when you start taking him out of it, then he'll know that it's only with you.
Okay. Then if you take him and if you were ever to try to cross that boundary and go out on himself, by himself, you can always say, nope, and then really punish that.
i think now he knows his boundaries and even if he doesn't have the collar i think he's
Mouthing and jumping outside play
How it was taught
Play is allowed on the handler's terms; outside it, 'nope', and a tap if he keeps going.
On film
when he was still jumping on me and he was still going for the toy okay sometimes we're not even
handsome boy. No, no, no, no, no. I don't play like that. I don't want you to jump on
Jumpy.
Sit, with door and greeting manners
On film
because hemat worked with getting Thumper to like respond
then when you pulled up Thumper didn't think sit meant pressure he already knew the command
sit but you're sitting because i showed you the treat bag
Recall
On film
so right now we're still in the conditioning for the low pressure being associated with leash pressure
exactly right yeah because he's responding really well to the pressure
a dog like this I could jump pretty fast but another dog I might not jump this fast
because you went right from luring him with treats to pressuring him
but he had some base idea of some like word
come all the way follow through come on come there we go sit uh-uh sit sit go get it
Down
On film
I know we haven't done down yet, but we can use the same principle.
would just take a step back go back to learning phase fix that then go back to conditioning right
Dumpy Bumpy just hit the proofing stage with his down.
It's taking a lot longer, Thumpee,
Out
On film
all right out you don't know that yet but okay i'll let you play with it
I'm gonna have to teach him the outs outs is when that's it let go
Getting into vehicles
On film
you did a good boy okay yeah good boy that was better
yeah it's just a matter of practice you did a lot better
Loose-leash walking
On film
let's keep it moving let's get out of here such a powerful command when used properly
so we're gonna do like five ten minutes of loose leash walking
Getting into vehicles
On film
i have to pick you up we gotta go we gotta go buddy yeah yeah up up up good boy
thump let's go up up up let's go good boy
come on let's go let's go he's like i'm not falling for that again
good for the first time over praise him give him pets give him treats say yes
Heel
On film
Heel. Yes. Okay.
and keep the leash short on this side of the hand and this one to Help guide it.
Heel. Oh, she's doing so much better on heel.
Good heel.
Loose-leash walking
On film
He has his e-collar, prong collar on
see i can guide him and he's only on his second week of training
dumper kept his composure and look I'm barely even holding his leash it's just it's just on my fingers
Sit, with door and greeting manners
On film
Sit. Oh, that's a down. Come on, let's sit.
We are doing an implied. Nope jumper sit
Thumper? Are you tired? Good sit. Good sit.
Down
On film
good boy place yeah sit down nope sit down i know this one's probably too small for you
Down. Uh-uh. Down.
Sit. Nope. Sit. Why are you laying down,
Place
On film
Thumper, place.
go no let's go good boy good boy good boy come on thumpy place go to place no
down and the place command with duration
Recall
On film
good boy sorry buddy dumper come dumper sit
Well, I don't want to step on his long line.
What, you interested in another dog, huh? Uh-uh.
Out
On film
no not okay i meant to say out out sit down oh well you're already down yes good boy
From the Shorts
Short clips posted from Thumper's training. They are undated, so they sit beside the program rather than inside it.
Teaching his owner to get him loaded
With his owner handling, the trainer coaches loading on the cue 'up, up, up'. If he lies down, don't pull him toward it: say 'let's go', walk the opposite way, turn back, keep the leash short and locked so refusing is not an option, and move him up the moment he stands. Then reward him straight away with a treat, a toy or pets, so loading feels 'not so bad'. The trainer tells her she 'did a lot better' and that it is a matter of practice. The audio never says whether he is getting into a car, a crate or another vehicle.
On film
come on let's go up up up nope nope come on up up up
good boy good boy and then you give him his reward
he loves he loves all types of um praises and pets and toys
so usually when this happens i'll i'll move back like this
so i lock the leash and i don't give him the option to like you know
so here you try it again if he lays down you say let's go and you walk the the other way but you as soon as he gets up you quickly move him up
yeah it's just a matter of practice you did a lot better
if he lays down instead of pulling him this way just walk away like walk the opposite direction tell him um let's go he'll get it up and then you make the u-turn you lock it and you make them go in
Adding the e-collar to a sit he already knew
Thumper was the practice dog in a class for trainers. The handler explains that he already sat when the leash pulled upward, from earlier prong-collar and lead work, so the e-collar (a remote training collar) was set low - pressed up until he reacted just slightly, 'like a 12' on that collar - and each light tap was given at the same moment as the upward pull, with both stopped as soon as he sat. A speaker then gives the order to follow: teach the word first with a toy or movement and rewards, then the pull, then the pull with taps, then taps alone, then fade them. 'If you're adding pressure right away, then you're too early.'
On film
we already added pressure with the prong collar, with the loose leash, and she already understands, or he already understands that the pressure up can then mean, like, oh, put the butt down, right?
I kind of pressed it a little bit until he reacted just slightly, and then we'll adjust it as we go.
so i think he's on like a 12 right now
pulled up i tapped my button at the same time as soon as his butt hit the ground i dropped it
You like add the leash and you add pressure up, mark, add pressure up, mark, and you add pressure up, tap, tap, tap, mark, right?
So that they slowly get to the point where I just tap, tap, tap, right?
But yeah, if you're adding pressure right away, then you're too early.
You need to do more positive engagement first and then add pressure.
Coming when called, on light taps
In the same class, a group of people stand where he is likely to run to them to be petted. The handler says he knows what 'come' means and tries, but 'with the distractions he's not obligated yet' - he does not yet treat it as something he has to do. The collar stays on low taps, paired with light pulls on the lead. When he veers off, the handler says 'no', keeps tapping, guides him in and marks when he arrives; no strong stimulation is used. In the next part of the class the handler taps on 'come' without holding the lead, he still comes, and the taps stop with a 'yes' once he is most of the way in. The second clip never says his name; it is his by its title.
On film
you guys kind of like stand over there and i'll try to have him go that direction because he's gonna avoid and hope that you guys pet him and get him out of it
what i care about right now is that he's responding to the pressure and the command
he knows the idea of the command you know he does it he looks and he tries but with the distractions he's not obligated yet
but I didn't do like a high stem or anything
I kept tapping low stem, said it again, and then he came
just to keep the path i'm guiding with pressure right
So I tapped the collar when I said it.
But I didn't have the leash in my hand, but he did respond.
And then I marked it with a yes and I stopped tapping.
The down: step back rather than push through
In the class the down went less well. The handler says he 'didn't quite understand it' and had to be physically moved too much, so the plan was to stop forcing it and go back to teaching it with treats before returning to the collar. Grinding through reps he did not understand would make him 'hate' the down; stepping back could make him like it. In another, undated clip a handler says he 'just hit the proofing stage with his down' - the stage where a skill he knows is tested with distractions - after a lot of down work the day before, and what sounds like a bid for a belly rub instead of a down gets a 'nope'.
On film
because he didn't quite understand it i had to manipulate him too much i noticed
would just take a step back go back to learning phase fix that then go back to conditioning right
i noticed that with the down but then i kept going with that over and over with the down yeah he's gonna hate that
go back to learning fix it then go back to conditioning i can make him like it
Dumpy Bumpy just hit the proofing stage with his down.
Yes, we worked so much on your down yesterday, didn't we, Bubba?
Nope, that does not meet a belly rub, buddy.
'Let's go' is not 'come'
On a walk a handler explains the difference: 'let's go' means keep moving and follow me - used while walking, especially to get away from a strong distraction - while 'come' means come to the handler and stay there. The handler says he loves people, dogs, toys and treats, which makes him 'like the perfect dog' but also gives him more distractions to work through. In a store toy aisle he picks up and drops toys and is moved on the same way: 'let's put it back buddy', 'let's go'.
On film
thumper loves the environment he loves people he loves dogs he loves toys and treats he is like the perfect dog he's just all in into everything
that just means he has more distractions that we have to work through
let's go keep it moving we're leaving follow me it's different than a come a come command is when you want them to come to you and stay there
let's go is usually used while walking we like to use it when when there's like either some type of high distraction and we're trying to get away from it
That's it, keep practicing that under distractions, yes.
let's put it back buddy
let's go buddy let's go good boy
Another dog: a distraction for later
When he meets another dog in a field and wants to play, the handler moves him on ('We'll play later') and tells the other person that the dogs would be 'a nice distraction, but we're not there yet', at least for the heel work planned that day. Starting that work, the handler notices he sat as soon as the treat bag came out, and hopes that is not the only reason he sat.
On film
Yeah, but I was going to do him over here somewhere because he loves the dogs. It's a nice distraction, but we're not there yet.
Thumper, let's go. At least not for what I wanted to train him for.
I know you want to play. It's okay, buddy. We'll play later.
sit but you're sitting because i showed you the treat bag
so hopefully that's not why you sat down
Toys, and an 'out' not yet taught
In play clips, handlers ask for 'out' (let go of the toy), then say he doesn't know it yet and let him keep the toy; one says 'I'm gonna have to teach him the outs'. His reward in these clips is the 'donut' toy. One handler notices he doesn't much like tug and would rather take a toy off and 'beat it up' by himself, and plans to try a ball because he seems to like chasing things.
On film
all right out you don't know that yet but okay i'll let you play with it
so his reward is a donut
I'm gonna have to teach him the outs outs is when that's it let go
you really don't like the tug toy do you you just
you just like the toy and you just like to go chew on it by yourself I've noticed that
he just likes to beat it up
He looks like he likes to chase things.
His first day
On what the handler calls 'day one', Thumper is shaking; the handler thinks he is 'scared of the unknown' and says the plan for the day is only to walk around so that he and the staff get to know each other. In another early clip the handler says he knows nothing yet - no recall, no sit, no stay - and that he had been shaking with fear earlier but will probably be okay.
On film
all righty today is day numero uno day one with mr thumper he's a little anxious he's shaking
right now i think he's scared of the unknown
This is Thumper. Thumper is new. This is his first day with us. We're just going to walk around. Get to know him. He gets to know us.
he knows nothing no recall no sit no stay
he was shaking of fear earlier i think he'll be okay
well today's his first day so um he doesn't know a lot
The plan for his stay, in order
On a park walk a handler lays out the order of his training to camera: first, walking on a long retractable lead without pulling, coming when called, 'let's go' and some sitting; next, the e-collar is introduced, with sit, down and place held for longer; then the behaviour is practised in public, and finally there are sessions at home with his family.
On film
last week he learned how to walk on a flexi no pulling how to recall and the let's go command and some sitting
this week we are going to introduce the e-collar and we are going to work on the sit the down
the place command with duration and then we're just going to continue to prove his behavior out in public
and then he has three handler sessions at at home with his people.
Getting into the car
Vehicles were hard for him. In one clip he is coaxed and finally lifted into a car ('that was not hard, I thought it was gonna be worse'). In another, at the owner's car, he hangs back; the trainer says that with the staff he needed Kelton's help the first time and after two or three times the problem stopped, and the owner decides to order a crate, saying an earlier trip frightened him when he rode clipped to a seatbelt lead instead of in a crate.
On film
no you don't want to leave buddy
i have to pick you up we gotta go we gotta go buddy yeah yeah up up up good boy
that was not hard i thought it was gonna be be worse.
come on let's go let's go he's like i'm not falling for that again
yeah with us he got on he did this the first time i had kelton help me get him on
after the first two or three times it didn't happen again
and I'll go ahead and order that crate.
cause he wasn't in a crate when I put him in there. I had him attached to that leash that clips in to the seatbelt.
The ATV at home
At the owner's home, after he gets onto the ATV, the trainer tells the owner that was good for a first time and to 'over praise him': pets, treats and the word 'yes'. One of them says they held him at first and that 'it's a matter of getting used to it'; he then goes up into a crate on the vehicle.
On film
good for the first time over praise him give him pets give him treats say yes
i held him right at first just to hold him yeah it's a matter of getting used to it yeah but he did good after that watch him go up in the crate
When corrections worried him, play instead
At a dog park the handler tells the camera that Thumper had been showing nervousness, 'almost even scared', when corrected, so the plan was to win him back through play. He was very distracted there and sniffed a lot before any game began.
On film
He was showing signs of nervousness, almost even scared when I correct him.
So what we're going to do is we're going to re-engage through play.
He's very distracted. We're in the dog park.
Meeting a dog on a walk for the first time
After his first meeting with another dog on a walk, the handler says he 'did okay, better than I expected', and explains that with any dog they have not seen around other dogs they expect the worst - a lunge or a bite - until they know otherwise.
On film
First interaction with a dog on a walk. Didn't know what to expect, but he did. He did okay.
Better than I expected. Of course, any dog that I'm meeting for the first time I don't know what to expect I'm thinking the worst
A greeting, then 'let's go'
On a walk he sits and is praised, then is allowed to say hello to a stranger's male dog, wagging his tail, and is moved on with 'let's go' and praise. The clip was uploaded four times; the titles call it a before-and-after on greeting manners, but the audio itself does not say when it was filmed or how he greeted dogs before.
On film
Thumper? Are you tired? Good sit. Good sit.
he just wants to play yeah he does too he wants to grab you
Say hey. Good tail wagging.
you want to say hi thumpy yeah okay thumper let's go good boy
Walking past dogs he wants to play with
Other dogs are what pulls him most. Handlers keep him close and walk on with 'let's go' ('I know you always want to play with doggies'), tell him training and a game of tug come first, and note that he only wants to play with them when no other dog is in sight. When a small dog on a retractable lead barked and tried to chase him, the handler says he 'kept his composure' with the lead resting on the handler's fingers.
On film
i know you always want to play with doggies
We got to get some training done first and play some tug.
now you want to play when you don't see another dog around huh
that little dog was on a retractable and started barking at dumper
dumper kept his composure and look I'm barely even holding his leash it's just it's just on my fingers
The 'tune-up' for pulling
A handler explains what the staff call a tune-up: let him reach the end of the lead, then turn as if going somewhere else, so that pulling gets him nowhere. In another clip a turn is done again because the first one 'wasn't the best' - he shook his head as the handler turned - and the handler points to the slack lead: 'you should be able to walk your dog like this'. A third handler adds that the aim is for the dog not to predict your next move, so that he learns to move off the pressure.
On film
has no tension in it and If it were to have tension and I have to do it to what we call a tune-up
so essentially what it is is i let him get to the end of it and then i turn my body like i'm going somewhere else and he's starting to pull so i gotta remind him that pulling is no bueno
that one wasn't the best because he literally shook his head as soon as I moved the other way so we're gonna try that one again
no tension on the leash see there we go you should be able to walk your dog like this
kind of want to um get them to not expect your next move
so when they feel that pressure they get off of it
Why the long retractable lead
Answering viewers who criticised the long retractable lead, a handler says it is no problem if the dog is trained and the lead used properly: Thumper walks without pulling, and if he did pull, the lead would be locked and he would get a quick tug or two on his prong collar. Pulling is stopped early 'so that they can have freedom'. Another handler says the 26-foot lead is how they teach recall and how dogs get some freedom on walks: 'when they get what they need, they'll give you what you want.'
On film
everyone's hating on our flexi in our last video and uh if you train the dog the right way and how to use a flexi there's no issue
he walks well with me on here he doesn't pull me
i have a prong collar on him so i would lock it and pop give him a pop or two to let him know that it's not okay to pull me ever
we make sure that we nip that in the bud so that they can have freedom
we do use it for recall that's how we teach our recall
And when they get what they need, they'll give you what you want.
Sniffing is part of the walk
Walks start with five minutes of loose-lead walking on an ordinary lead 'to reinforce the no pulling'; after that he is allowed to sniff, 'because he's a dog' - the handler says the walk is for him, not for the handler. Handlers also let him toilet and sniff before asking for real work, and move him on from a sniff with 'let's go' before giving it back: 'all right you can sniff'.
On film
We do five minutes of loose leash walking with a regular leash. That way we continue to reinforce the no pulling.
we're going to let him sniff because he's a dog and that's what dogs do this walk is not for me it is for him it is for his enjoyment
it's probably a good idea to let him get his pee out and his sniffs before we start
I know you want to keep sniffing but we got to keep it pushing good boy all right you can sniff
How a training day was meant to run
A handler states the intended order of a session: loose-lead walking for five to ten minutes, then about 30 minutes of play, then a walk. On another day the handler says it ran 'all backwards' - walk and training first, then play, then loose lead - because the place they were in did not allow the usual order.
On film
Supposed to do loose leash first and then loose leash for five to ten minutes and then play for 30 minutes and then do like a walk and
i did it all backwards today i walked and trained and then i played and then i loose leashed only because the circumstances didn't allow me to play
Heel, taught before the word
In the early heel clips the handler walks slowly with turns and tells him he does not know the word yet - once even spelling it out, 'h-e-e-l'. One rep goes wrong and is stopped: 'that's what happens sometimes as you're training a dog.' In other clips the word is in use and praised: 'Good heel.' The clips are undated, so how far apart these are is not known.
On film
the word yet okay ready let's walk slow i know i know it's confusing bear with me
let's do one more rep of the h-e-e-l
nope come on no okay okay all right that's enough okay didn't go well
But that's what happens sometimes as you're training a dog.
Thumpy, let's practice some heel. Come on. Heel. Good boy. Good heel.
Toys are what he works for, and a store he was not afraid of
At Home Depot the handler says they have found what motivates him - toys - so the handler carries a ball, a tug toy and a donut, and adds that every dog is different: praise, toys or food. He walks through the store door without fear ('some dogs are, but this one isn't') and wants to greet everybody. Another handler says simply, 'he loves the tug toy', and he turns down a belly rub to keep playing.
On film
We have found his motivation. He loves toys.
Not every dog. Every dog has different motivations. Praise, toys, food. Thumper loves toys.
Oh, he's not afraid of the door. Some dogs are, but this one isn't.
He's so friendly. He wants to go up to everybody.
he loves the tug toy
Sit means sit
In several clips he lies down or stretches when asked to sit. The handler says 'nope' (not that, try again) and asks again, and belly rubs wait until he sits. A recall has to end in a sit ('You got to finish it'), and the sit is meant to hold until he is released - what the handler calls an 'implied stay'.
On film
You know you're supposed to sit. You don't get no belly rugs.
Sit. Nope. Sit. Why are you laying down,
Sit. Oh, that's a down. Come on, let's sit.
oh stretches that's not what i asked for i want you to sit buddy
Come. You got to finish it. Sit. Good boy.
Implied stay with our sits.
Handlers checking their own words
The handlers catch their own slips on camera: 'I meant to say let's go instead of come'; 'not okay, I meant to say out' (so the release word and the drop-it word stay separate); 'stay close' is noticed as a phrase he was never taught, so it means nothing to him; and one handler stops to reset the e-collar after realising it was not on the intended level.
On film
Thumper come. I meant to say let's go instead of come. Thumper this way.
no not okay i meant to say out out sit down oh well you're already down yes good boy
Obviously, he doesn't know what I said. He doesn't understand that because that's not a command.
i realized i hadn't set my e-collar on the level i wanted to
Ducks as a test
By a pond the handler sets out to see how he reacts to ducks: the lead is locked and they walk slowly past. When he gets muddled the handler tells him 'it's confusing' and keeps the session short, and asks him to stay close rather than go after the birds. On another walk by the water he is allowed to approach the birds, and the handler notes he did not look as if he wanted to eat them.
On film
Let's see how he's going to react with these ducks.
Going to lock the leash, and we're going to walk slowly. Come on. We're going to walk slow past the ducks.
I know, I know. It's confusing.
okay we're gonna keep it short
stay close i don't want you trying to eat a duck let's go good boy
You didn't look like you wanted to eat them, so that's a good thing.
A loose dog at the ball field
At a baseball field a dog running loose worries the handlers because Phoebe, another dog in training who is with them, 'is not going to like that'; Thumper is 'more interested in that other dog'. On the same kind of outing a handler reads a dog as not wanting to play and turns Thumper to a game with the handler instead, and on a long line he is called back and asked to sit when a loose dog appears.
On film
Yeah, but this is really dangerous because we have Phoebe. And Phoebe over there, she's not going to like that.
Thumper's more interested in that other dog.
that dog don't look like he wants to play with you
is it yours or mine it's yours it's yours
Oh there's a dog loose. Come. Good boy.
Knowing when he has had enough
After about an hour he stops answering to his name. The two handlers decide he is tired or needs the bathroom, and stop: 'we'll try again later.' In another clip a handler guesses he is tired after a lot of tug.
On film
I think he got tired.
He's been here for like an hour or something.
we'll try again later
We played so much tug. He's probably tired by now.
The woodland path at home
On a path through the woods at the owner's home he strays and is called back with 'uh-uh, let's go'; later the two people with him remark that he is keeping to the path - 'it's like he knows'. The title calls it an off-leash hike; the audio does not mention a leash either way.
On film
uh-uh let's go see he wanted to stray from the path
It's so funny he's just on the path. Yeah. It's like he knows.
Store trips
At Tractor Supply and a pet store he noses the food aisles, a bag of chicken and the handler's treat pocket, and is moved on each time with 'let's go' and praise; at the pet store he is too short to see the ducklings on display.
On film
We are at Tractor Supply.
You smelling all the food, it smells good, huh?
Let's go! Good boy!
Thumbie you like the chicken in the bag.
He says it's not quite tall enough.
Yes, you smell treats in my pocket.
How the method adapted
Thumper is not a fear case and not an aggression case. He is a friendly, motivated, distractible dog with one fear and a rough streak with his own household animals. The adaptations below are the moves that were made for him specifically; the most instructive is the collar level, which was corrected in both directions within one session.
The collar level was corrected upward after his first handler misread him as sensitive - and then, in the same session, lowered again to re-sensitise him.
He had been run at 5; the coach worked at 15 to 30 and he coped. When 30 stopped meaning much, 15 restored the response. The go-home trainer passes the upward correction to the owner as history.
On film
yeah because he had me fooled I thought he was sensitive he was on five
think that e-collar was on 30 20 20 now let's try this so sometimes you can sensitize them to it
to be um a little uh not sensitive because with higher distractions we needed to turn it up
When a correction attached to the wrong thing, the out was rebuilt without the collar.
A too-high stim during the out became associated with the ground because he did not know the word yet; the dead toy makes letting go the only way to restart the game.
On film
yep and then he associated with the out no he associated with the ground well yeah cause he didn't even know how to out yet
Right? You don't tap the e-collar then when you out.
His distractions were used rather than fought.
For a dog who wants everything, every distraction is a reward to release him to. One handler lets him sniff and then returns to play; the coach calls him easy to recall-train for the same reason.
On film
lots of stuff he wants to look at which is good because it gives you lots of opportunities and it
Or, you know what he would like more than the game? What? Me? No, I'll show you.
We're going to let him watch.
We'll let him keep sniffing and then we'll get back to playing. You want to play, buddy? No?
Food was kept out of the down as a lure, although food would move him.
The intake says he downs for a lure; the coach's point is that face-following is not a down. Treats or the donut come after the tug, not before.
On film
following the treat with his face you could get him to do anything with it
and it's more useful for this because if you're doing it as part of a game instead of just being
For the car, a day to decompress and then no option; later, the car made to predict fun.
The go-home trainer's account. The decision to remove the option is attributed to Kelton. At the follow-up the same trainer lifts him onto the four-wheeler and tells the owner not to do that alone.
On film
He was like, no, he has to go through here.
gets in there we're going somewhere right we're going to have fun we're going to play we're going
on, let's go. I know, buddy. You got to face your fears though. Come on. I know. Come on, let's go.
The owner's own fence became part of the method: crossing it is made conditional on her.
It answers the exact goal on her intake form, and it uses a boundary he already respects instead of teaching a new one.
On film
Yeah, so when you, because you already made that boundary for him,
But when you start taking him out of it, then he'll know that it's only with you.
Equipment was set for the owner's house rather than the facility: an outdoor place instead of long crating, prong off at home, flat collar on the property.
He did well outdoors most of the day in-house, long crating was linked to the chewing and jumping, and at the follow-up the trainer judged the prong unnecessary on the property.
On film
so that's why I was suggesting maybe having like a place for him outside because he did really good for most of the day out there
Yeah, so when he sleeps, you can just take it off.
don't like the i know you don't like it well technically i don't really think he needs the
What the family was told
The videos are the curriculum
the purpose of those videos is to show you what he's up to but also to show you how how to train get you into the mindset of how to do things
Yes, yes, yes, that's why we make the videos
The e-collar: fit, placement, level, and stimulation rather than vibrate
If you were to use it, it probably wouldn't make contact.
the e collar on make sure it's behind the ear because that is where that muscle that muscle
and not sticking to a specific number but sticking to to the to the situation
Like, so if he's out here with all these distractions, he would he would I suggest you put him at like a 30.
We don't really do the vibrate because they need to understand.
So when you give him a command, give him his name first and then the command.
The prong collar
okay and you see this swivel right here this is where you're you're going to put
your leash popping but it's not being effective so it has to be effective
so this is this is according to his neck size now i'm assuming now that he's home he'll probably
Recall on the land
those exercises where you let him um go sniff something go explore something and then you
Once you do it, once you do it once, like one time, he'll understand.
the leash i suggest you just keep the leash on oh yeah um and and then recall him a couple of times
Yeah, but especially if you're coming out here, it is possible for him to run left or right
The fence boundary
You know, when you're with me, you can go there, but when you're not with me, you have to stay. So really making that clear to him.
Strictness at home
just sitting I mean if he doesn't grab his collar and force him to sit because
them do it once they'll continue to do it it's the same thing with a dog so if
to do something that you don't want him to do say nope in a really strong and and and and you know just the same way that you hear me say nope on on um videos
like it's just it's just maintaining the consistency and the um and the punishment
Guests, excitement and play-biting
and um and keep him there and it's the same thing if he wants to get off you say nope
You know, we taught him a lot through play.
The car
Yeah, let him hang in at home a little and get back to his routine and then you can do that.
because he's not in a crate and he can't see you know uh-uh he can see it where we're going yeah
Crating, exercise and house-training
the the the desire to want to jump and chew things it's just because he might be just in the crate for a long time and as soon as he comes out he just wants to destroy everything
Yeah, for the bathroom thing, the only thing I would suggest is just taking him out more frequently.
Health (flag for review)
it's not like all the time it's just like once in a while yeah yeah if it gets progressively
huh I think so to be honest I'm around dogs all the time and any time I hear a dog do that
In the family's own words
The goal, stated before any instruction: the fifteen acres and the path.
On film
what i do want to be able to do is because he knows where his boundaries are back in the yard
um so he can't go past pretty much yeah yeah but i want like that 15 acres oh yeah walk him
Her list of problems at home, including one the intake does not have: night soiling on her bed a couple of nights a week, which she reads as 'something mental'.
On film
i guess the biggest issues i've had was chewing on stuff jumping on you know dragging the cats
which is fine i'm fine with that but like he was getting up every not not every night but like a
It's just like something mental he was doing, I think.
Public outings, in one sentence.
On film
Yeah, because, like, I want to be able to take him to Lowe's like all these other people do.
Her fear that he thinks the car means being given away.
On film
I'm not going to want to go in because he thinks I'll get rid of him.
Three weeks on: the remote as a visible deterrent, and a correction that does not last.
On film
I'll take the zapper out with me.
and he straightens right out yeah no wonder I had a problem trying to put
Yeah, so, I mean, I guess the biggest issues I'm having is, you know, I just have to keep zapping just to kind of keep them in line.
Outcomes
What the trainers reported
The programme corrected the problems he came in for - pulling, jumping, and bullying the cats and the other dog.
The trainer, to camera, in the last in-house recording
On film
And so, you know, through obedience, through the Obedience and Recall program that we have here at Angio Canine, we have been able to correct those things, issues.
About three hours on the place cot, with two or three corrections.
The go-home trainer, to the owner
On film
place yes three hours he actually fell asleep and that's only because i was watching a documentary
He now gets into the car with no issue.
The go-home trainer, to the owner, about the in-programme car
On film
he was going to get back in so um now he gets in like no issue because he knows that every time he
He did great in public with the staff.
The go-home trainer
Recall about 90 to 95 percent at home, except around real distractions.
The owner, at the follow-up
On film
and what's the percentage of him actually coming to you would you say like 90 95 90.
Chewing is better than it was, and he stops when caught.
The owner, at the follow-up
On film
It's better than it was.
What the footage shows
At a store in his first week he left a toy he wanted on 'let's go'.
On film
dropped it and left. Good boy.
Downs in a distracting park with the leash untouched, late in the stay.
On film
come thumper come good boy i didn't touch it good boy thumper down down
On go-home day he outs the donut on cue, and comes indoors on one call 'a little better than expected'. The yard recall fails, and the audio establishes why: the owner's collar was off.
On film
you found the donut buddy yay and we taught him how to out out
to ignore them dumper come good boy good boy yeah well that was a little better than a little better
At the follow-up he recalls repeatedly off leash on the trail with no e-collar, sometimes after an 'uh-uh' and a second call.
On film
Thumper, come!
Yeah, he's definitely doing really good with his recall.
Lifted onto the four-wheeler, he rode calmly once it moved; the second loading needed coaxing and collar guidance.
On film
and he didn't look like he wanted to hop out like after you had him actually did
nope come up up up good job come on let's go come on you can come up come on come here come on
The ideas Thumper's case runs on
- A border taught to the ground
- Collar awareness: the collar is a paperweight
- Fit before level: check the tool before you judge the dog
- Hidden help
- Maintenance is use, not practice
- Management, not training
- Meaningful release
- One layer at a time: the order is part of the method
- Play becomes the reward - and play is a contest
- Pressure, release, reward
- Proof it against his own currency
- The board, the scenes and the grades - and every trainer works every dog
- The four behavioural levers
- The gear list, and the reasons for each piece
- The handler wears the collar
- The leash is a prop
- The level is not a number
- There is no stay, only the release