The answer
Mostly a test, not a lesson. Day one, as the trainers describe it across these dogs, is about the trainer learning the dog. 'Day one is about learning for me', says Bullet's trainer. Roxy and Boog start with a test of what is there: 'we're here just to test how much she does and does not know' (Roxy). Two dogs who arrived together in September 2026 got only a play test on day one: 'the first couple days, all we want to do is just build some confidence, and build up some engagement, and find what the dog wants to do' (Muna, watch 04:59), and no obedience until the game is solid, because 'we kind of let the dog show us when they're ready for those things' (Tesla, watch 06:59, 09:17). One handler is told it is house policy to film a 'before video' of every dog; Archie's and Ramsey's are on film, commands given with no hints, 'just pure verbalization and see what the dog does and does not know' (watch 00:22).
An evaluation means letting the dog do what he actually does. Roman's trainer drops the leash and walks around. He will not judge a dog from the front of a kennel, which he compares to judging a person during a migraine. Bane's session maps which part of a visitor's approach sets him off: the doorway, not the person. Lucy's evaluator chooses between two kinds of information, because if he corrects first 'we won't see what she's actually going to do'. He also weighs what the owner describes against what a trainer has seen, because owners 'don't always notice all the same stuff'. At Chaparro's in-home evaluation the family's account (biting, food, territory) is tested rather than adopted: he is let in loose to see whether he really bites, then played with near the other dogs to see whether play agitates him, and the diagnosis is revised to what the evaluator saw - 'I don't think it's like a full resource guard issue', but overexcitement redirected onto the nearest dog (watch 00:30, 12:16).
Deuce's handler finds a fixation on the third session that was on nobody's list. He explains that owners asked what is wrong say 'they're bad, they don't listen'. Half of Dutchess's first owner lesson is the trainer finding out what the case really is, and revising it downward: 'I have overestimated how bad it was.' Nikki's handler, sessions into her evaluation, lists what is still untested - her food, then other dogs and cats (watch 03:17, 03:29).
Assessment is also a reason to wait. Luna's trainer does not start the down, the command that needs the most pressure, until he knows 'the threshold of pressure' for her, because a dog who shuts down and a dog who wants to fight need opposite tactics. The answer inverted her file: skittish, and she takes pressure 'extremely well'. Dolce's handler works in 'white gloves' (kid gloves) on a Rottweiler he has not handled before, because the failure he fears is a dog who answers pressure by deciding to fight. For some dogs the first sessions are not obedience at all: Kodak's play before obedience, Louie getting to know the handler with the food put away, Zeus learning that a person in his space means nothing happens to him.
Inferred, not said in these words: every later decision in a case, including pressure, pace and what to tell the family, rests on what was found here.
Angier K9 is a family-owned, play-based Board & Train serving Angier, Raleigh and the Triangle, with three full owner lessons.
What to do
Expect little obedience on day one, and expect the plan to change. Tell the trainer what happens before, during and after the problem, and expect him to want to see it rather than take your word for it. 'Part of that's talking to people and part of that's seeing it' (Lucy, watch 06:27). If something new turns up two weeks in, that is the assessment still working.
What the trainers say
it's very important that the first time you take a dog out you don't just start going all right sit down place you know you start doing all that stuff yet um you test test how that stuff might go but significantly speaking day one is about learning for me i'm learning what this dog is like i'm learning what this dog is like so that i can train him properly and know how to coach the owners
Well, we're here at the park with Roxy, and we're here just to test how much she does and does not know.
And like same thing as every other one just try and get a feel for where we're at with stuff and what we're gonna have to cover
You try to catch their issues on camera and show they don't know anything.
So this is what we're doing now. We're evaluating the dog. We're saying, okay, what is this dog actually about? You let them do what they're actually going to do and not like an artificial thing, right?
they they they will like walk up to a dog that's in a kennel surrounded by a bunch of other dogs
I kind of want to have happen. The first thing is I want to, um, evaluate the dog. So I need evaluation, right? Part of that's talking to people and part of that's seeing it.
hand up through the glove um but yeah it might be good to know because i like because if i correct her first then we won't see what she's actually going to do
thing is that like when you go and you assess the dog for the client which i don't do but i've been on a couple of them and like christian assesses them all or most of them anyways um we got kelton doing some of them too you don't always know like every single little thing they're gonna have because people just don't know
Yeah, so I have overestimated how bad it was.
it's better and we used to just uh what we used to do before we had a big drop-off day after four weeks people didn't see their dogs for four weeks right and then we get them home and now that we do these sessions at a park and at the store we can gauge like problems
we have the heel. And the two that that I'm gonna start probably I would say actually this Monday is the down. And usually I start the down and the heel at the same time. I don't start the down too early because I really need to know what the threshold of pressure is for a dog
to use some pressure to get it's not like I'm not hurting the dog, but it's just like if it's a dog that shuts down easily, my tactics are going to be very different versus a dog that's like kind of wants to fight me a little bit for it.
so i had the white gloves on because again i hadn't worked with those people i didn't know like how she responded to lots of pressure
and you know like that's a continuous process throughout the whole thing you should always be paying attention to their behavior and evaluating it
right now, so we're still kind of in the evaluation part and just trying to figure out what those thresholds are.
I wanted to come out here and um and test Reba and just see what she remembers what she knows
he needs to get to know me better it's important that you don't just jump straight into it with every dog you have to uh especially with a case like louie's
I'm not doing any obedience with Zeus right now but he is learning that I can be in his area and nothing happens to him he doesn't have to protect himself and he doesn't have to protect his space
the first couple days, all we want to do is just build some confidence, and build up some engagement, and find what the dog wants to do,
know we kind of let the dog show us when they're ready for those things again so we don't accidentally suppress anything right
So I don't think it's like a full resource guard issue. Most likely what's happening is he gets overexcited. And because he gets overexcited, he redirects to something that's nearby, which is going to be one of the other dogs.
Por eso estaba jugando este juego para ver si es que se agita cuando uno está ahí tratando de jugar con él y como que se enoja.
English meaning (our translation): that's why he was playing this game, to see whether he gets agitated when someone is there trying to play with him, and sort of gets angry
she may have some type of aggression with other dogs or cats or something like that so we'll make sure to record and give y'all an update on that
let's see if reba knows sit reba reba sit
thing I always do with any dog that comes in and just do a little test here. He's doing pretty good
have evaluation so with any dog you're always training that dog not some idealized picture of
see how the dog responds we're basically just constantly evaluating our first evaluation is
we evaluate right what are you even like looking at and that that's all along the process you're
Just pure verbalization and see what the dog does and does not know.
How it looks, dog by dog
Bullet
Day one as the trainer's learning. On the first outing the trainer says you do not start running sit, down and place. You test how they might go, because day one is about him learning the dog, so he can train it and coach the owners. When a noise frightens Bullet, he lets the dog decide 'for right now'.
On film
it's very important that the first time you take a dog out you don't just start going all right sit down place
oh that freaked him out more it's okay buddy you don't wanna all right we'll keep going we're gonna let you decide for right now
Roxy
The baseline filmed as a 'before'. Roxy's first day of formal training is a park test of how much she does and does not know, filmed so it can be set against the same skills weeks later.
On film
Well, we're here at the park with Roxy, and we're here just to test how much she does and does not know. So this is her first day with official training, so she's got no formal dog training education, and we're going to demonstrate her status quo. That way, weeks from now, we can use this as a before and after video.
Boog
Knows it versus willing. The first run is the usual check of 'where we're at'. It separates what Boog knows from what he is willing to do: 'He knows it. He's just not a willing participant.'
On film
And like same thing as every other one just try and get a feel for where we're at with stuff and what we're gonna have to cover
He knows it. He's just not a willing participant.
Bourbon
House policy, told to a new handler. A senior staff member explains that every dog gets a short 'before video' in which each command is simply asked, to catch its issues on camera. The handler then tests loose-leash walking before training it.
On film
You try to catch their issues on camera and show they don't know anything.
All right. Hang on. I'm just going to test out his loose leash walking here in a minute.
Roman
Let him do what he actually does. Roman's reputation was built through a kennel fence. The trainer drops the leash, walks around, and has an owner hold him back while he approaches. He says a dog must never be judged from the kennel front, where a new, confined dog growls at a stranger staring down at him. The first step of his rubric is evaluation. His verdict: 'there's nothing wrong with him that i can see'.
On film
So this is what we're doing now. We're evaluating the dog.
But if you take him out in an open field and you don't flinch,
this uh you have a great dog seriously roman's a great dog there's nothing wrong with him that i can see
Bane
Mapping the trigger. With a decoy at the owner's home, the session finds which part of a visitor sets Bane off. It is not the person turning his back or standing inside, but stepping over the door threshold, in either direction. The decoy later sets the door frame as his own limit.
On film
Yeah, because this seems like the biggest trigger, just stepping over the other.
maybe up to the frame of the door I'm not gonna enter the house
Lucy
Designing the evaluation. At Lucy's home the evaluator takes the history. He says an owner's account is weaker evidence than a trainer's eye, because owners do not know what to look for. Christian having seen the problem makes his job easier. For the staged doorbell test he asks the owner which information he needs, because one trial can show what she would do or correct it, not both.
On film
that Christian's seen it makes it easier for me because like, and no offense, I talked to an owner,
be fine would you rather know what she's going to do and just let her come and see if she like
Nikki
Reported aggression, reassessed. A ten-month-old rescue arrives after a call reporting aggression. Across two evaluation sessions the trainer applies different kinds of light pressure and watches. He states a working hypothesis as such: not full-on aggression, but a learned pattern with two previous people, in which barking and planting made the pressure go away. He is 'still kind of in the evaluation part'. On a later evaluation session she has not tried to bite during handling, and the handler lists what is still to test - her food next, and other dogs and cats - promising to record the results.
On film
and just trying to figure out what those thresholds are.
I'm not seeing anything that's like full-on aggression.
the dog knows that there's a certain pattern and it's learned dealing with two different people
she hasn't wanted to bite me so probably got to put her around food and like try to touch the food and see what she does but other than that like we haven't seen anything so far
she may have some type of aggression with other dogs or cats or something like that so we'll make sure to record and give y'all an update on that
Reba
A returning dog is tested, not assumed. Nearly ten months after her last training, Reba's refresher starts with a day-one check of what she remembers, with the e-collar used to remind her. The trainer's summary is that she 'doesn't really know much' yet. On a later evening walk a handler checks her again before asking anything more ('let's see if reba knows sit') and reads the slow sit as a dog out of practice rather than one who never learned it.
On film
I wanted to come out here and um and test Reba and just see what she remembers what she knows
So, it's been a while since she had training, so we're just going to use the e-collar to remind her.
let's see if reba knows sit reba reba sit
she knows it but she's probably like nah she doesn't get asked to sit that often so she's just out of practice
Simba
The returning dog whose history is known and wrong. Simba was trained at the company years earlier. The day-one trainer runs each command as a check. He asks whether a let's-go lapse is testing or a command Simba was never taught, since commands have been added to the program since. A later trainer on the refresher takes the opposite line: 'he knows everything so we just gotta be real strict'. In the same session he teaches as new a down that earlier recordings had already worked.
On film
if you will or if he genuinely just maybe didn't get taught to command because it was a couple years ago and we've since added commands to our contract
but if he was in his training like you know i give him a second chance okay good job but he knows everything so we just gotta be real strict
Deuce
Training finds what the assessment missed. On the third session the handler names Deuce's fixation as the day's real finding and makes it a standing rule. He explains that he does not do assessments himself, that Christian does most of them with Kelton doing some, and that owners do not have the words for what they are seeing.
On film
let's go there we go so deuce is definitely i'd see just something that i learned today just just because of that is do this let's go i'm gonna make sure you're not allowed to fixate
thing is that like when you go and you assess the dog for the client which i don't do but i've been on a couple of them
Dutchess
The lesson as intake. Two weeks in, half the first owner lesson is the trainer finding out, in front of the dog and the family, what the case actually is. What he hears is smaller than what he had been told, and he says so on camera. He explains the format: sessions at a park and a store replaced four unseen weeks and a drop-off day, so that problems come out before go-home.
On film
Yeah, so I have overestimated how bad it was.
it's better and we used to just uh what we used to do before we had a big drop-off day after four weeks
Luna
Assessment as a reason to wait. The down is deliberately held back until the trainer knows how much pressure Luna can take, because a dog who shuts down and a dog who wants to fight need opposite tactics. The wait cost about half the program. The answer inverted what her nerves predicted: skittish, and she handles pressure 'extremely well'. Those are two separate axes.
On film
I don't start the down too early because I really need to know what the threshold of pressure is for a dog
type of brake she is, she handles pressure really well. Even though she's a little skittish, she does handle the pressure extremely well.
Dolce
Kid gloves on a dog he had not worked. After the first owner lesson the handler explains why he went easy. He had not worked with these people or this dog, did not know how she took a lot of pressure, and says Rottweilers can occasionally get 'sketchy' with it. The failure he is avoiding is not a dog who folds but one who decides to fight. Her first public outing starts the same way: let her sniff and relax, then watch whether she fixates or gets defensive around people.
On film
so i had the white gloves on because again i hadn't worked with those people i didn't know like how she responded to lots of pressure
First day out in public and so we're just kind of testing things out seeing how she responds
but she's not she's checking things out properly and she's not fixating or trying to be overly defensive or reactive just because there's people around so all that looks really good
Kodak
Play before obedience, and assessment that never stops. Because of Kodak's 'super crazy nerve starting point', the trainer builds play and cooperation before folding obedience into it. He says evaluating the dog's behaviour is 'a continuous process throughout the whole thing'.
On film
what I don't want to do is start right now at this moment I don't want to start immediately integrating like too much obedience into the play because of his like super crazy nerve starting point
and you know like that's a continuous process throughout the whole thing you should always be paying attention to their behavior and evaluating it
Rocko
The plan is to let the new dog settle in company before kennelling him. The family should not leave while he is in the kennel, because that would add stress. Kennel noise is explained as everyone having just arrived.
On film
I'll say I figure we'll just let them chill for a little while like after they leave here so he doesn't stress too quick and then we'll put him in the kennel and keep him in the kennel.
That is why I don't want to see them leave while he's in the kennel because it might add stress.
Louie
Get acquainted first. At the first meeting the trainer says Louie needs to get to know him and that you do not jump straight in 'especially with a case like louie's'. He notes Louie fixates a little and does not like hand movement, and puts the food away to avoid conflict over it.
On film
he needs to get to know me better it's important that you don't just jump straight into it with every dog
so see he kind of fixates a little bit he doesn't like hand movement very much
Food away. I don't want conflict over the food.
Zeus
A 'secondary step' before real training. The trainer says Zeus's case has more going on, so it may be a while before obedience starts. For now he is learning that a person can be in his area and nothing happens to him.
On film
however in a case like Zeus there's more going on there's a secondary step so it might be a little while before you get real like real training happening
I'm not doing any obedience with Zeus right now but he is learning that I can be in his area and nothing happens to him
Chaparro
Chaparro's family, Spanish-speaking, describe a dog who bites and fights the other household dogs over food and territory. The in-home evaluation tests the account instead of adopting it. He is let in loose first to see whether he really bites; he does not, and the family are told, in Spanish, that he is not aggressive but reactive toward other dogs. A pulling game is then played with him near the other dogs to see whether play agitates him or makes him angry. What the evaluator sees changes the diagnosis: not a full resource-guarding problem, but overexcitement redirected onto the nearest dog, and a confident young dog clashing with nervous ones.
On film
i'm gonna let him go in first we wanna see if he's he's gonna bite him hey buddy hey
que queremos ver la diferencia de que si él va a morder en verdad o sólo es que está viendo o cosas así por eso como vemos que él no muere significa que él no es agresivo simplemente tiene reactividad hacia otros perros
English meaning (our translation): what we want to see is the difference between whether he will really bite or is only watching and that sort of thing; since we see he doesn't bite ('no muere' is the transcript's hearing of 'no muerde'), he is not aggressive, he simply has reactivity toward other dogs
So I don't think it's like a full resource guard issue. Most likely what's happening is he gets overexcited. And because he gets overexcited, he redirects to something that's nearby, which is going to be one of the other dogs.
Por eso estaba jugando este juego para ver si es que se agita cuando uno está ahí tratando de jugar con él y como que se enoja.
English meaning (our translation): that's why he was playing this game, to see whether he gets agitated when someone is there trying to play with him, and sort of gets angry
they're up there they get nervous when he approaches he gets excited he doesn't know why they're nervous and they clash right
Muna
On Muna's arrival day the trainer says what the first couple of days are for: building confidence and engagement and finding what the dog wants to do - nothing else. The play test is also a reading: she wants to engage, but lets go of the tug as soon as he pulls, which tells him her confidence is a little low.
On film
the first couple days, all we want to do is just build some confidence, and build up some engagement, and find what the dog wants to do,
But mainly what that tells me is her confidence is just a little low.
Tesla
Tesla arrived with Muna and got the same first day. The trainer will put no obedience on her game until it is solid and engagement is high, because adding the pressure of obedience too early can shut a dog down; she is more confident, so it may come sooner, but 'we kind of let the dog show us when they're ready for those things'.
On film
i don't want to do any obedience or put anything like on it until i know the game is really solid and she really likes it and the engagement's nice and high because you don't want to add pressure of any type of obedience too early because then you can accidentally shut the dog down
know we kind of let the dog show us when they're ready for those things again so we don't accidentally suppress anything right
Archie
Archie's 'before video' is a test, not a lesson: the trainer checks which commands he answers with no help, then adds a little help to see what he half knows.
On film
All right, so we're here with Archie, Archie is by all accounts a very good dog, we're just shooting a little before video here
help and we'll just kind of see uh where he's at with each of the commands that we teach um and
Bo
Bo's trainer names the phases out loud: evaluation is done, and this session is the cooperation phase that follows it. For his crate aggression the plan has three phases, and the first is simply to see whether he does anything at all when the crate is opened.
On film
evaluation we've spent some time together and now i'm in the cooperation phase right i'm
to, we're going to start out by just, um, seeing if he does anything.
Bun
At Bun's second owner lesson his trainer puts evaluation at the top of his whole framework: you always train the dog in front of you, not some idealised picture of a dog, so first work out how that dog is feeling and why he is not cooperating.
On film
have evaluation so with any dog you're always training that dog not some idealized picture of
is how you train it instead it's like okay there's a particular dog in front of you evaluate that dog
Callie
Callie's first-day Shorts are a run of tests: what motivates her, what she already knows ('First day. Just trying to see where she's at'), and, when another shepherd appears, whether she is reactive at all.
On film
and we're just gonna find out what she likes what motivates her I don't even
Callie, do you want to show me what you know? Sit. No. Callie, sit. No. Okay. Yeah. You're
almost sitting. No. Okay. First day. Just trying to see where she's at.
good girl oh there's another german shepherd there maybe she has let's check let's check
Chunk
Chunk's baseline is stated up front, high energy and nothing known at 100%; for his door behaviour the trainer has a staff member go out and knock, because 'I want to see what he does' before working on it.
On film
He doesn't really know anything on 100%, so.
Yeah, I want to see what he does.
Dory
Dory has a lot of nervous issues, so an early session in a new spot is partly a check of how she copes there.
On film
She's got a lot of nervous issues,
so I'm seeing how she's doing over here.
Drago
In a public session the trainer walks Drago loosely until he is comfortable before practising anything, and reads a small problem as coming from his emotional state.
On film
sensitive to the leash pressure good boy let's go come on good job so I just wanna
make sure he feels comfortable in here first before I practice anything good so
Finn
Finn's first park trip is 'just going to see how he does', with the aim of building trust. On the next trip the trainer says he is learning about the dog: Finn responds to the e-collar but is resilient to it, and the next question is whether a little pressure makes him take off.
On film
So, today I'm just going to see how he does, let's go bud, come on Fin, and we're just
and he does respond to the e-collar, but he's pretty resilient to it
Fiona
Fiona's first day is a walk to see what she knows and does not know, and to 'get a feel' for each other before training starts.
On film
just going for a walk i'm gonna see what she knows and what she doesn't know first time on a prong
we are today is her first day and we're just going to walk around i'm gonna get a feel
Hattie
On an outing in the sand with a small dog nearby, the trainer lets Hattie explore freely to see her reaction before asking anything; she shows no interest.
On film
and then we'll get to see how her reaction is and it's a little dog so she won't be intimidated so
i'll let her explore freely and she has zero interest you don't care about that dog all
Irwin
Working with Irwin, the trainer states the rule that assessment never stops: test, test, test, put the dog in new situations with new objects, because the first evaluation 'is just getting things started'.
On film
important especially in these cases is to test test test and just throw new ideas out there see
see how the dog responds we're basically just constantly evaluating our first evaluation is
Jack
On Jack's first day the trainer is explicit that he is experimenting to see Jack's reactions and what effect different things have on him.
On film
bit um i'm just experimenting to see like what his reaction is to things and like what effect
Kali
Taking over Kali after her early kennel work, the trainer opens by figuring out where she is and what she likes, toy, food or release to freedom, before tuning the obedience.
On film
and now i'm going to be um figuring out where she's at um starting on uh you know like
what she likes, what does she like to do? Um, is there a certain thing that floats her boat more
Kalypso
At the mall the trainer gives Kalypso no commands at first and lets her choose, to see her natural baseline behaviour.
On film
I'm not putting her in any kind of commands yet,
because I want to see what her natural baseline behavior is.
King
King was trained by other trainers first, so a new handler's opening sessions are assessments: a few quick reps 'to see how well he does', and a live run through the breed's usual problems (impulsiveness, social anxiety) before deciding what will and will not need work.
On film
I'm here with King. This is my first time working with him. He's been trained with other trainers
And see how well he does. I have not personally worked with King before
what I'm looking at my assessment so far he's a pretty standard like he'll be
Lola
Lola's first session has no commands at all, only markers; when a ball seems to scare her, the trainer reads that as temperament (a little nervous) rather than pushing it.
On film
But all I want is we're not doing any command or anything
I think the ball actually kind of scared her.
Just overall, in her temperament, she's a little nervous.
Major
Major's early outings ask him to show what needs work: around people ('show me what we need to work on') and around ducks, kids and people at the park.
On film
show me what you're here for major i need you to show me what we need to work on
Let's see how Major reacts to ducks and kids and people. Look at that big chick
Marvin (Giant Schnauzer)
At Marvin's go-home lesson Kelton gives the family the order of steps: the first is to evaluate what you are looking at, and that goes on all through the process.
On film
separate from any kind of command right so the steps that we take the first one we do is we
we evaluate right what are you even like looking at and that that's all along the process you're
Max (Goldendoodle)
On Max's first day Kelton runs through come, sit and the rest 'just to see if he knows anything': the recall does not work at all and the sit is partial.
On film
just to see if he knows anything.
but he got up right away max come come so his recall is not working at all no recall
Neo
On Neo's first day, with Alec as a distraction, the trainer runs a few obedience tests in the new area and reports on temperament: very friendly, no big problems.
On film
a few obedience tests and see how he does in the new area and everything but overall temperament
Ozzy
Ozzy's temperament test is a deliberate walk past another dog: he speeds up, clearly does not like it, but does not panic or try to slip the leash.
On film
We're walking past the dog right here. We're gonna see how he reacts.
But he didn't freak out or anything. He didn't try to like do his like
Penny
Kelton opens Penny's first park session by letting her engage with the environment, because she has shown reactivity before and he wants to see how she does.
On film
starting the session by just kind of letting her engage with her environment we want her to just
kind of get comfortable out here we'll see how she does she's shown some reactivity before
Ramsey
Ramsey's 'before video' is a walk on which he may pull, and commands with no hints: 'just pure verbalization and see what the dog does and does not know'.
On film
I'm going to say some commands. I'm not going to try and give any hints to the dog what I want them to do.
Just pure verbalization and see what the dog does and does not know.
Reaper
At Reaper's evaluation and pick-up day Kelton explains that he spent a good hour inside on the first visit, because he wanted to see how extreme it was in the house.
On film
inside yeah because I wanted I wanted to see how extreme it was inside
Savage
Christian's first session with Savage is a park test of how he handles leash pressure and how much he already understands, 'the first thing I always do with any dog that comes in'.
On film
again just kind of testing. We have a little distraction. We're at the park today just testing
to see how much he understands already and kind of where I can start with him. This is the first
thing I always do with any dog that comes in and just do a little test here. He's doing pretty good
Shadow (German Shepherd puppy)
Before teaching place, Connor gives one test cue to see if Shadow already knows it; she does not, so the session starts from there.
On film
Let's see if she already knows it.
Okay, well, I guess she doesn't know it, so I'm just gonna work with her a bit,
Thor
Thor's day one is a walk on which the trainer is 'just going to be learning about him': what he likes, whether he will tug or just wants to sniff.
On film
We're just going to be going out for walkies, and I'm just going to be learning about him.
See what he's into, what he's not into.
Thumper
Thumper's first day is a walk to get to know him. After his first walk past a dog the handler explains the default with any new dog: not knowing what to expect, assume the worst until the dog shows you.
On film
day with us. We're just going to walk around. Get to know him. He gets to know us. Thumper
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 you know thinking
Titan
Having gathered 'the diagnostic stuff' on Titan's play, the trainer uses it to decide where to train it (somewhere less distracting) and to predict what he will struggle with later around other dogs.
On film
All right, so since I got the diagnostic stuff, I learned some stuff about him.
um it also kind of makes it easier for me to know like you know what's he gonna have
Why it works
Stated: the trainer cannot train the dog properly, or coach the owners, until he knows the dog (Bullet watch 29:35). Owners' descriptions are weaker evidence than observation, because owners do not know what to look for and describe the problem in general terms (Lucy watch 06:31; Deuce watch 12:01). Some things can only be seen in the open: a confined or cornered dog shows defence, not character (Roman watch 16:20). A single trial yields one kind of information, either what the dog would do or whether a correction stops it (Lucy 17:26). Pressure tactics depend on how the dog answers pressure, which cannot be known in advance: shut down, or fight (Luna watch 20:53; Dolce watch 05:25). Nervousness and pressure tolerance are separate axes (Luna watch 24:20). For a returning dog, a lapse means different things depending on whether the command was ever taught (Simba watch 10:35). Obedience pressure added before a dog's engagement is solid can shut the dog down, so the first days are play only (Tesla watch 06:59); the play itself reads confidence (Muna watch 05:52) and arousal (Chaparro watch 13:15). Inferred, not stated: in-program lessons and before-videos are the program's way of making assessment continuous, because problems found at go-home are the most expensive.
Where the trainers differ
Is pressure withheld until the dog is known, or is pressure part of how he is known?
One view
Wait: do not start the pressure-heavy command, or use much pressure, until you know how this dog takes it.
On film
I don't start the down too early because I really need to know what the threshold of pressure is for a dog
so i had the white gloves on because again i hadn't worked with those people
i don't want to do any obedience or put anything like on it until i know the game is really solid and she really likes it and the engagement's nice and high because you don't want to add pressure of any type of obedience too early because then you can accidentally shut the dog down
Another view
Apply light pressure in the evaluation itself to see the response; the e-collar goes on from the first run.
On film
adding a little bit of pressure a little bit of like social pressure with that and stepping in
This is our first run he does have the e-collar on already
How to read it
Not resolved. The difference may be one of degree (light pressure to read the dog against heavy pressure to teach), but no trainer says so on film.
A returning dog: benefit of the doubt, or no second chances?
One view
Ask first whether the lapse is testing or a command he was never taught.
On film
testing me a little bit i've worked with them before and obviously dogs do that especially
Another view
He knows everything, so be strict: a missed cue gets the collar, not a repeat.
On film
but if he was in his training like you know i give him a second chance okay good job but he knows everything so we just gotta be real strict
How to read it
Two trainers, same dog, different sessions. In the strict session the same trainer teaches down as new, which the earlier recording had worked.
Common owner mistakes
- Judging a dog by how he behaves in a kennel or behind a barrier.
On film
they they they will like walk up to a dog that's in a kennel surrounded by a bunch of other dogs
Roman · Watch at 16:20 ↗ - Describing the problem in general words ('he's bad, he doesn't listen') rather than what happens.
On film
thing is that like when you go and you assess the dog for the client which i don't do
Deuce · Watch at 12:01 ↗ So I don't think it's like a full resource guard issue. Most likely what's happening is he gets overexcited. And because he gets overexcited, he redirects to something that's nearby, which is going to be one of the other dogs.
Chaparro · Watch at 12:16 ↗ - Managing the situation away so the dog has never had to cope with it, which leaves nothing to assess (the owner's own account).
On film
crate and let people come in that way so i haven't he hasn't really had to do this where he's holding
Bane · Watch at 2:11 ↗
Questions owners ask
Why didn't the trainer do much obedience on the first day?
Because day one is for the trainer to learn the dog. Bullet's trainer says you don't start running sit, down and place: you test how they might go. Zeus's trainer does no obedience at all at first, because the dog is still learning that a person in his space is safe. On the arrival days of Muna and Tesla the trainer did play only, to build confidence and engagement and find what each dog wants, and said he would add no obedience until the game was solid, so as not to shut the dog down.
On film
it's very important that the first time you take a dog out you don't just start going all right sit down place
I'm not doing any obedience with Zeus right now but he is learning that I can be in his area
the first couple days, all we want to do is just build some confidence, and build up some engagement, and find what the dog wants to do,
i don't want to do any obedience or put anything like on it until i know the game is really solid and she really likes it and the engagement's nice and high because you don't want to add pressure of any type of obedience too early because then you can accidentally shut the dog down
Why does the trainer want to see the problem when I've already described it?
Part of an evaluation is talking and part is seeing it, and owners, like anyone outside a profession, don't always know what to look for. Lucy's evaluator says having another trainer's own observation makes his job easier.
On film
I kind of want to have happen. The first thing is I want to, um, evaluate the dog.
I don't know for sure like if cuz like they don't always notice all the same stuff
A new problem turned up two weeks in. Did the trainer miss it?
The trainers say this is expected. Deuce's fixation surfaced on the third session because owners don't have the words for what they are seeing. At Dutchess's first owner lesson the trainer found the case was smaller than he had thought. The in-program lessons exist so that these things come out before go-home.
On film
let's go there we go so deuce is definitely i'd see just something that i learned today
Yeah, so I have overestimated how bad it was.
My dog was trained before. Will they start from scratch?
They start by testing what he remembers. Reba's refresher opens with a check of what she knows. Simba's first trainer asks whether a lapse is the dog testing him or a command the program added after Simba's first stay.
On film
I wanted to come out here and um and test Reba and just see what she remembers what she knows
if you will or if he genuinely just maybe didn't get taught to command
My dog is nervous. Does that mean the trainer will go soft?
Not automatically. Luna's trainer waited to find out how she took pressure before starting the down. She was skittish and still handled pressure 'extremely well', which he treats as a separate question from her nerves.
On film
to use some pressure to get it's not like I'm not hurting the dog
type of brake she is, she handles pressure really well.
The lesson
The goal
Find out what the dog knows, what triggers him and how he answers pressure before choosing methods, and keep assessing through the program.
See it done
- Roxy: A park baseline of what she does and does not know, filmed as a before. Watch at 0:00 ↗
- Roman: Leash dropped so the trainer sees what the dog actually does. Watch at 1:02 ↗
- Bane: A decoy isolates the exact trigger at the door. Watch at 16:28 ↗
The drill
As run with Roxy and Bourbon: film a short before-video, asking each command once without help and noting what happens. As run with Roman: let the dog off tension in the open and watch what he does; do not read him from a kennel or fence. As run with Bane: vary one element of the trigger at a time until you find the part that sets him off. As run with Luna: hold back the pressure-heavy command until you know whether this dog shuts down or pushes back. For a returning dog (Reba, Simba), test what he remembers before deciding a lapse is defiance.
Watch out for
- Starting obedience drills on day one.
- Taking the owner's description as the diagnosis.
- Judging a dog through a barrier.
- Treating a new finding mid-program as a failure rather than information.
- Assuming a returning dog was taught what the program teaches now.
Check yourself
What does your dog do, off leash in an open space, with no command given, when a stranger stands still near him?