The answer
On film, two households get two versions of it. At Milo and Josi's home the trainer walks the owner's property line, picks markers she will recognise (a bush to an orange marker), and tempts each dog across it with a thrown treat. Then, deliberately, he uses the e-collar so the area itself becomes unpleasant - a 'near suspicious association' with that ground - 'because if it's just like they're listening to me they're like all right but if it's associated with the ground they'll do it when i'm not there'. He says plainly that this is normally the wrong way to train a dog, and justifies it only because leaving the property is 'life or death' for these dogs: 'an easy trade-off'. At the front, where the dogs must cross the driveway to go for walks, he does the opposite: no road-like surface without 'okay', with care that Milo does not learn the wrong lesson - that he may never fetch a thrown treat.
Thumper already respected an electric fence on a large property. Gemma makes it conditional on the owner: go out past it only with her, on leash and e-collar; if he ever tries to cross alone, 'nope', backed by the collar - 'when you're with me, you can go there, but when you're not with me, you have to stay'.
Stated on film: the method, the reasoning and the admission that it breaks the usual rule. Not on film: whether the borders held months later with nobody there.
What to do
Pick visible landmarks for the line and enforce the same spot every time, at every entry point; the trainer does the teaching so the ground, not your voice, carries the rule (watch 24:18). Where the dog must cross (a driveway), use a permission word instead - 'okay' - and never call him from the road surface.
What the trainers say
this case the difference is that instead of just doing like an ant where it's like a thing where
right because if it's just like they're listening to me they're like all right but if it's associated
actively right she doesn't want anything to do with that area um and normally it's like hey we
one of the few cases where it's like no like because like for you it's like hey leaving the
kind of worth it that's a it's an easy trade-off for me
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
But when you start taking him out of it, then he'll know that it's only with you.
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.
How it looks, dog by dog
Josi
The demonstration dog for the yard border. After a correction at the line she is shown actively moving away from that spot; the trainer turns the collar down a little from where it was, saying that rep was more than needed.
On film
but let's see how it goes i'll turn it down a little bit from it was on like a 12.
let's go there we go come on that's not bad yeah whereas now she's like going away from that spot
Milo
The demonstration dog for the road rule at the front: no road surface without 'okay'. When a thrown treat on the road stops him and he then hesitates to fetch one elsewhere, the trainer sends him for it at once so he does not learn the broader, wrong lesson.
On film
them to go let's go come on so we'll add a little extra step where we um where we allow them to go
throws that's not the right lesson that's the wrong lesson right it's the same thing where
Thumper
An electric-fence boundary on a large property, already respected. The owner wants to walk him beyond it without teaching him he may leave alone. Gemma's plan at go-home: cross only together, on leash and e-collar, and correct any solo attempt.
On film
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.
Why it works
Stated: a rule tied to the handler holds only when the handler is there; a rule tied to the ground holds when nobody is (watch 24:13). The exception is justified by stakes: leaving the property can be life or death (25:30-25:43). Roads the dog must cross get a permission rule instead, because avoidance would be the wrong lesson there (28:03-28:16).
Common owner mistakes
- Teaching a boundary in a way the dog over-generalises - e.g. stopping him fetching treats anywhere.
On film
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 ↗
Questions owners ask
Why not just use recall at the property line?
Because a recall depends on you being there. The trainer wants the dogs to avoid the line when nobody is watching, so the consequence is tied to the place.
On film
with the ground they'll do it when i'm not there and that's what we want we want them to run around
Won't that make my dog scared of the yard?
The goal on film is the opposite: run around and have fun in the yard, and avoid only the line. He admits this is normally a bad way to train and makes the trade-off only for safety.
On film
and have lots of fun and play out here and then they get to that point they're like oh god
My dog respects our electric fence. How do I take him past it on walks?
Gemma's plan for Thumper: only ever cross with him, on leash and e-collar; if he tries to cross alone, 'nope' and a correction.
On film
You know, when you're with me, you can go there, but when you're not with me, you have to stay.
The lesson
The goal
Set a property boundary that holds without the handler, and a permission rule for surfaces the dog must cross.
Learn first
The drill
As run: choose landmarks; tempt across with a thrown treat; stop, walk back, praise; criterion is the dog stopping at the line on its own and walking off without a release; repeat at three or four entry points; then pair the line with a collar correction so the ground carries it (watch, per the note's summary; 24:00-25:11 on film). At the driveway, 'okay' before any road surface (28:09-28:16).
Watch out for
- Teaching the rule as obedience to the handler
- A sit at the line (a sit is not a border)
- Over-generalising the lesson
Check yourself
Why does the trainer want the boundary associated with the ground rather than with himself?