The answer
Be clear with him. That is the trainers' answer, and they mean it as an ethical claim, not a technique. At Bo's follow-up Kelton says it most strongly: short of torturing a dog, 'the worst thing I can think of that I could do to a dog is not be clear because that's how dogs end up in shelters. That's how they get put down.' At Sage's lesson he explains the reasoning. There are two ways to be mean to a dog: 'One way is by being unclear. And then they're frustrated for longer because they can't figure out the puzzle', and the other is to go 'way too hard'. People often do the first 'but they don't realize that they're prolonging this dog's lack of clarity'.
The harm runs both ways. At a three-dog household the trainer says a lack of clarity can be punishing 'really hard' when the dog has 'no idea why it happened'. The more common form is the owner who was never clear, whose dog is perfectly happy while the owner is thinking 'i kind of hate this dog now'. At Bo's follow-up it is the same story: a family loves a dog, comes to resent him, and he ends up living in a crate.
Clarity is also what calms a nervous dog. Kodak's trainer says negative reinforcement 'makes their world predictable it makes it structured', and predictability lowers stress. Late in that session Kodak walks close, 'not because … he's afraid' but because 'i'm predictable'. Christian tells Apollo the Bully's owners that if the handler is easy to predict, Apollo 'will follow the predictions'. If he is hard to predict, 'that's when he could become nervous again'. Lola's trainer says a nervous dog shows every unclear repetition at once in her tail, while a confident one would hide it: 'you don't give them clarity they'll freak'. Egg, 'when things are very unpredictable, he shuts down or he reacts'. Stormi's trainer states it as cause and cure: what causes nerves is 'uncertainty confusion', and when clarity is added 'the nerves actually end up getting a lot better', so he keeps sit and down strictly distinct so that she can comply with no 'locking up or ... freezing up'.
What clarity looks like is concrete. Say the command and show what you mean. Clarify a drifting position rather than repeat it (Angus). Kali's trainer goes a step further with a drifting heel: step away so the mistake gets bigger, because a dog who can see the mistake can fix it 'without becoming suppressed or feeling like they don't understand'. Correct the same thing the same way every time, or the dog learns who doesn't care (Apollo the Bully). Luna's trainer adds the trap: expecting perfect behaviour 24/7 means 'you expect this behavior, but you have not even really shown what the behavior is that you want'. In Spanish, at Sofia's park session, Kelton says the same of resistance: 'Lo que tú quieres no está claro en su mente todavía' ('What you want isn't clear in her mind yet'). At her family lesson the trainer calls pressure the dog cannot learn to avoid, because it isn't clear, 'muy mal'. When Sofia later circles to avoid a down she understands ('Sofía entiende lo que hacer', 'Sofia understands what to do'), Kelton's answer is still clarity, not more repetitions: 'necesitamos reenforzar con más claridad' ('we need to reinforce with more clarity').
Inferred, not said in these words: across these files clarity is what makes the rest of the method defensible. A correction the dog can predict and avoid is treated as fair, and one he cannot is treated as the actual cruelty.
A wider reading of the session record found the same claim across many more dogs, and it sharpens two points. First, several trainers name unclarity itself as the harm: 'What's traumatizing is a lack of clarity', because a dog who cannot connect a punishment to what he did cannot predict or avoid it (Thor); 'there's nothing worse than endless frustration' (Akira); confusion 'is probably one of the worst things for a dog' (Shadow, the Siberian Husky). The same trainers treat pressure as fair only when it is clear what turns it off, and name that as the first reason an e-collar fails or a dog flees it (Astro, Milo, Apollo the Sharkie, Max the Goldendoodle). Second, the burden sits with the handler: it is 'your job ... to be clear. Not the dog's job' (Drago), and people often punish a dog for something that was never made clear (Levi). For owners the trainers keep it short: 'if you're clear about everything your dog enjoys life a lot more' (Lunna), and a lack of clarity is very often what ruins the relationship, through resentment (Penny, Kelton).
Angier K9 is a family-owned, play-based Board & Train serving Angier, Raleigh and the Triangle, with three full owner lessons.
What to do
Before you correct, ask whether your dog could know what you wanted. Say the command once, show it plainly, mark it, release it clearly, and handle the same thing the same way every time, everyone in the house included. If he is confused, make it clearer rather than harder. 'always do like calculating your head how can i make this clearer' (Sage, watch 19:35).
What the trainers say
because in my mind the worst thing that I could do to a dog um other than like torturing them or something, right? Uh which would be evil. Um but the like the worst thing I can think of that I could do to a dog is not be clear because that's how dogs end up in shelters. That's how they get put down.
sick. Cool." You know? Um, and so making that very clear and understandable to the dog makes their long-term life better.
is this frustrating to the dog? Because there's two possible ways that you would be mean. One way is by being unclear. And then they're frustrated for longer because they can't figure out the puzzle.
then the other way is you could go way too hard yeah right and people often do the first one but they don't realize that they're prolonging this dog's lack of clarity
clarity of communication The more the clearer the think about like you want a picture in the dog's head the clearer the picture is to the dog the the easier things get
like the biggest things you can do is give a dog the clarity that it needs. If you don't give the dog clarity, well, what happens?
want to make sure that anything you're trying to communicate to the dog is clear clarity is like the most important thing the second a dog gets confused everything falls apart
whatever they are right clarity is what wins and of course clarity in general is important
the nervous dog right you don't give them clarity they'll freak out
but negative reinforcement is clarifying to dogs um it makes their world predictable it makes it structured right
look at him walking close to me now um not because uh you know he's afraid to go out there because i might do something to him but because look he's not so worried about me anymore i'm predictable
it's easy to predict he'll follow the predictions okay right if it's hard to predict that's when he could become nervous again
mind it's not like the only thing that like people do that messes their dogs up and messes their relationship with up with the dog is a lack of clarity um and it can be in both directions
when things are very unpredictable, he shuts down or he reacts.
Lo que tú quieres no está claro en su mente todavía.
Si queremos estar buenos profesores de nuestros perros, necesitamos tener mucha paciencia con ellos y construir claridad en las mentes de ellos.
Si ella no sabe cómo evitarla porque no está clara, eso está muy mal.
They're going to do things, but the big difference between an untrained and a trained dog is you have a language now.
what causes them right uncertainty confusion right those are big two ones
mix it's clarity right so we add clarity the nerves actually end up getting a lot better because the dog understands what's to be expected
down she goes right into it down i say sit she goes into a sit and she doesn't have to like worry like oh right there's no locking up or or freezing up it really is just she understands what i want
because one of the things that makes training really hard is confusion so the more clarity you have with the dog the easier your time you're going to have
If you've ever like been around somebody for long periods of time where you're like I don't know how to communicate with them and like I'm just confused all the time around them it'll terrify you.
but yeah you can get a lot more clarity if you just go ahead and make the mistake bigger that way they can see the mistake more clearly and that makes it easier for them to fix it without becoming suppressed or feeling like they don't understand
y por eso necesitamos reenforzar con más claridad porque está tratando de evitarlo
because there's nothing worse than endless frustration.
And the less force that you use and the clearer that it is, the clarity part matters more than anything else
want and they want this really bad as long as you make it clear and contingent something under their control
like what turns the e-collar off yeah so like if you have any kind of pressure it needs to be incredibly clear and obvious how to turn the pressure off
thing is that like the short-term stress here it's like oh it feels gross right but i'm thinking in the service of clarity for the dog
could potentially injure them and then as long as they understood why it happened and they're capable of avoiding it
it's your job as a dog trainer as a dog owner as anybody touching a dog to be clear. Not the dog's job. That's your job.
Yeah, you want clarity in communication is basically what you want.
either but unfortunately that is exactly how they communicate yeah that is how they communicate and if you're not clear in your communication then they can't do what you want them to do
we want Levi to know clarity consistency and most importantly just clarity because sometimes what people do is they think a dog knows something but the dog doesn't really know it because it wasn't clear so then people just punish them for the wrong things
communicate with their dog and if you're clear about everything your dog enjoys life a lot more
Once it was clear to him do this and the pressure just goes away and then you're going to get something great afterwards, he figured out how to deal with it.
Clarity is everything with dogs.
so there's clarity, which obviously eases their nerves
about like how things are going because the things that ruin relationships with people and their dogs is very often a lack of clarity that leads to resentment
as long as you check other things first like what did they understand was it clear to them did I say the command loud enough
harder to be clear with the dog because and then when i'm pulling them between my legs i can i freak them out
with a dog then you have real clarity and dogs thrive with like real clarity real consequences that make sense to them that are predictable and that are under their control
like confusing the dog and i would say confusion is probably one of the worst things for a dog
first way which is the way I don't do it is where you you eat collar every time they try to go up to a person but it is too much room for confusion with that method
Right. What's traumatizing is a lack of clarity. If you punish them and they can't make the connection between why they got punished and the thing they did, like they have no idea, then they can't predict it. So they can't avoid it.
Right. They just don't. There's some kind of communication breakdown, some kind of issue with the clarity.
can learn rapidly it's mostly about clarity being fair making it fun you know make it clear make it fair make it fun and they will learn quickly and they'll love you at the same time
How it looks, dog by dog
Bo
The moral argument, made to an owner who had stopped using the tools. Kelton ranks lack of clarity just below cruelty, because it is how dogs end up in shelters. He describes a family who love a dog, come to resent him, and crate him because he won't listen. He says the discomfort of a clear consequence is short and what the dog values is walks and 'mom being happy with him'. On a separate walk the same file treats the working collar level as a readout of clarity: with clarity, cooperation and an understood command it 'doesn't need to be all that high that that often'.
On film
because in my mind the worst thing that I could do to a dog um other than like torturing them or something, right?
that moment. But, you know what? They do like going on walks and mom being happy
if the clarity's there and you've built a sufficient base of cooperation and they understand the command i found that it doesn't need to be all that high that that often
Sage
Two ways to be mean. In the in-program lesson Kelton frames every handling decision as a calculation: is this frustrating the dog? Unclear handling frustrates for longer than a firm, clear one, and most people don't see it as unkind. The working instruction from another session is to keep searching for a clearer picture whenever she is confused.
On film
One way is by being unclear. And then they're frustrated for longer because they can't figure out the puzzle.
clarity of communication The more the clearer the think about like you want a picture in the dog's head
Luna
The whole job, named twice. The trap is expecting perfect behaviour all the time, which puts the handler in the position of correcting what he never showed. At the go-home lesson: 'the second a dog gets confused everything falls apart'. The same trainer declines to punish sniffing when no clear command was in play.
On film
The problem with that though is when you try to get a dog to engage in behavior
want to make sure that anything you're trying to communicate to the dog is clear
punish that. The reason that I would not punish that is that while she was sniffing there was no like clear command afterwards.
Lola
Clarity as the nervous dog's reinforcer. The trainer reframes nerves as a high-level distraction, not an incapacity. With a nervous dog, clarity 'is what wins': a clean, clearly shown repetition leaves her tail up, and an unclear one would have shown at once. Nervousness clouds a dog's ability to grasp new ideas, 'not just dogs but people in general'.
On film
nerves are distractions, right? They're high-level distractions, right?
the clarity was really high look i very much showed her what i wanted when i said the word
again with nervous dogs because there's so much nervousness clouding their ability to grasp new ideas right
Kodak
Predictability is the therapy. The load-bearing claim of Kodak's fear case is that a structured contingency helps an anxious dog not by suppressing him but by making the world predictable, which lowers stress. The session's closing picture is Kodak walking close to the handler because 'i'm predictable', not out of fear.
On film
it makes their world predictable it makes it structured it makes it organized and predictability in life for dogs and definitely for humans
look at him walking close to me now um not because uh you know he's afraid to go out there
Apollo (the Bully)
Predictability as relapse prevention. Apollo arrived nervous. Christian tells the owners that a dog like him is always predicting, so a consistent handler keeps him calm, and 'they do the same way every time so I guess it's not really worth it' to test. Each uncorrected lapse becomes a new exception. At the go-home: correct paws on the chair every time, 'Then he's going to go, mom doesn't care' if one of you doesn't.
On film
Because everything especially with like a dog like him everything is always going
and then it's predictable every single time where he goes well they do the same way every time so I guess it's not really worth it
reinforce, but then you don't, right. Then he's going to go, mom doesn't care. Right.
Sputnik
Both directions. At a three-dog household visit, after one clear, large correction for harassment, the trainer explains that unclear handling damages the relationship from either end. One end is a hard punishment the dog can't connect. The other, more common, is the owner who was never clear and has come to 'kind of hate this dog now' while the dog has no idea.
On film
actually so like one lack of way of doing a lack of clarity is um if you punish really hard
is a problem yeah i kind of hate this dog now and you build like a lot of resentment towards the dog
Egg
The trainer's approach is to show him things are okay and teach 'in such a way that's clear and easy to understand', and he says Egg then learns quickly. In a later session: 'He's learning that there's predictable rules'.
On film
as a positive of an emotional sit as you can you show them that things are okay you you teach them in such a way that's clear and easy to understand
He's learning that there's predictable rules
Angus
Clarifying a position. Angus downs while drifting forward alongside the handler, so the trainer 'clarif[ies]' the down: in place, not next to him. He expects it to click quickly.
On film
so what I'm trying to fix there with the down is that he's trying to move forward because he's downing right next to me instead of staying in place so I'm just kind of clarifying that for him
Sofia
Resistance as a clarity problem, in Spanish. On an evening park walk Kelton says a dog's resistance is usually because what you want 'isn't clear in her mind yet', and that a good teacher needs patience and builds clarity. At the family lesson the head trainer adds the limit: pressure the dog cannot learn to avoid, because it isn't clear, 'eso está muy mal' ('that is very wrong'). A later in-house walk (filmed 25 Sep) applies the same reading to avoidance. Sofia needs several 'bájate' (down) cues and circles to get out of the down; Kelton says she understands what to do ('Sofía entiende lo que hacer'), so the circling is avoidance, and the answer is to reinforce with more clarity ('reenforzar con más claridad porque está tratando de evitarlo', 'because she is trying to avoid it'). How he makes it clearer is not described.
On film
Normalmente cuando están resistiendo, resisto de un perro normalmente es por razón de un...
Si está abusado sin una meta clara.
bájate, bájate, bájate, bájate, ok, muy bien hecho Sofía, Sofía entiende lo que hacer, vámonos
y por eso necesitamos reenforzar con más claridad porque está tratando de evitarlo
Roxy
Training as a language. At Roxy and Ramsey's lesson Kelton says dogs are 'biological organisms' who will make mistakes. What training changes is that the owner now has a language to communicate what he likes and doesn't like, 'whereas before training you're just out there like please like stop doing that'.
On film
And so, dog training isn't about programming like a computer, because they're biological
They're going to do things, but the big difference between an untrained and a trained dog is
Stormi
Clarity as the treatment for nerves, argued step by step. Tightening up her sit and down, the trainer says she has to know the difference between the two commands, partly for convenience for whoever handles her at home, but mainly because it creates clarity for a dog who has 'some nerves'. What causes nerves, he asks, and answers: uncertainty and confusion. Add clarity and 'the nerves actually end up getting a lot better', because the dog knows what to expect from him and from the world, and he knows what to expect from her - 'a two-way street'. The payoff he names is a dog who hears 'down' and goes straight into it, with no locking up or freezing.
On film
she just has to know the difference between the two commands it's really important that we differentiate it
what causes them right uncertainty confusion right those are big two ones
mix it's clarity right so we add clarity the nerves actually end up getting a lot better because the dog understands what's to be expected
down she goes right into it down i say sit she goes into a sit and she doesn't have to like worry like oh right there's no locking up or or freezing up it really is just she understands what i want
Mazi
The plain-words version for an owner, used to introduce the marker words: confusion is one of the things that makes training really hard, so the more clarity you have, the easier your time and the more enjoyable the dog's life. The trainer's illustration is human: spending long periods around someone you cannot communicate with, confused all the time, 'it'll terrify you'.
On film
because one of the things that makes training really hard is confusion so the more clarity you have with the dog the easier your time you're going to have
If you've ever like been around somebody for long periods of time where you're like I don't know how to communicate with them and like I'm just confused all the time around them it'll terrify you.
Kali
Clarity as a handling technique for a drifting heel. Instead of correcting harder or more often, the trainer makes the error bigger: when she drifts left, he side-steps right, so the distance from his side becomes obvious. His stated reason is the dog's experience of the fix: she can see the mistake more clearly and fix it 'without becoming suppressed or feeling like they don't understand'.
On film
you just make the mistake more clear to them by increasing the distance between you
but yeah you can get a lot more clarity if you just go ahead and make the mistake bigger that way they can see the mistake more clearly and that makes it easier for them to fix it without becoming suppressed or feeling like they don't understand
Akira
The welfare argument in its plainest form, in Akira's second day of training: teaching quickly and clearly is called 'very humane' because the alternative is a dog frustrated without end. Dogs who are never clearly shown what is wanted learn other ways out - jumping, biting, whining, flopping over - and simply outlast the handler.
On film
because there's nothing worse than endless frustration.
They're just irritated because they don't understand what you want from them because you never clearly show them what you want.
Anna
Said mid-recall with Anna: the less force and the clearer the picture, the faster training goes, and of the two the trainer ranks clarity first.
On film
And the less force that you use and the clearer that it is, the clarity part matters more than anything else
Apollo (the Sharkie)
Answering the worry that pressure kills play drive, the trainer says that with a dog like Apollo you can teach through the release of pressure 'all that you want', on one condition: that it is clear and contingent on something under the dog's control.
On film
want and they want this really bad as long as you make it clear and contingent something under their control
Astro
Across Astro's sessions the trainer names the first reason an e-collar 'doesn't work' for a dog: it is not clear what turns it off. He once put e-collars on his own trainers to show them how a lack of clarity stops learning.
On film
for him and like there's normally two issues one is it's not clear to the dog what is like what turns the e-collar off
trick them and and show them like how a lack of clarity with the e-collar can cause problems and then like make it where they don't learn
Baxter
At a down that took Baxter some puzzling, the trainer owns that the moment 'feels gross' and justifies it 'in the service of clarity for the dog': over a lifetime, showing the answer gets him past the frustration quickly, with good things on the other side.
On film
thing is that like the short-term stress here it's like oh it feels gross right but i'm thinking in the service of clarity for the dog
Bun
Using an analogy from his own childhood, Bun's trainer sets out when a consequence is fair rather than abusive: it is clear, contingent, easily avoidable and proportionate to what happened, and the dog understood why it happened.
On film
it's clear it's contingent it's something that's easily avoidable and it was commensurate with the thing that actually happened
Drago
Drago's sessions put the burden on the handler outright: being clear is your job, not the dog's, so check your own clarity before calling a dog stubborn or dumb. When Drago hesitated on a down, the trainer read it as uncertainty, not defiance, and gave a little directional help instead of a correction.
On film
it's your job as a dog trainer as a dog owner as anybody touching a dog to be clear. Not the dog's job. That's your job.
a big mistake uh no right instead is to be more clear so all i did was go it looks like he's not
Josephine
Explaining why an inexperienced hand 'will just mess it up horribly' with an e-collar - pressing it for everything the dog does wrong, until the dog is walking on eggshells - the trainers name what the tool is for instead: clarity in communication.
On film
It's like walking on eggshells, basically.
Yeah, you want clarity in communication is basically what you want.
Kalypso
At an owner lesson the trainer admits she did not like pressure when she started training, then gives the reason she uses it: pressure and its removal is how dogs communicate, and if you are not clear the dog cannot do what you want.
On film
either but unfortunately that is exactly how they communicate yeah that is how they communicate and if you're not clear in your communication then they can't do what you want them to do
Levi
On an early walk with Levi, who 'doesn't know much' yet, the handler keeps to three things and says why: people assume a dog knows something that was never made clear, and then punish him for the wrong things.
On film
we want Levi to know clarity consistency and most importantly just clarity because sometimes what people do is they think a dog knows something but the dog doesn't really know it because it wasn't clear so then people just punish them for the wrong things
Lunna
Explaining why owners are taught to be competent handlers, Lunna's trainer puts it in the dog's terms: if you are clear about everything your dog enjoys life a lot more, and being told what to do all day without knowing what is wanted would leave anyone 'freaking out'.
On film
communicate with their dog and if you're clear about everything your dog enjoys life a lot more
Max (Goldendoodle)
Max (the Goldendoodle) first met an obligated down by circling and panicking a little. The trainer's report is that once it was clear to him what turns the pressure off, he coped with pressure 'really well' and went on to a down in motion.
On film
But what I learned is that once I showed him hey do this instead, he actually coped with pressure really well.
Once it was clear to him do this and the pressure just goes away and then you're going to get something great afterwards, he figured out how to deal with it.
Milo
Milo's sessions carry the shortest statement in the record - 'Clarity is everything with dogs' - tied to the recall: the leash pressure has to switch off the moment he starts coming, or he never learns the command. The same sessions explain a housemate who fled from the collar: that happens when it is not made clear what turns it off.
On film
So you have to make it clear with the leash pressure and with the timing that when they start coming towards you it turns off
Clarity is everything with dogs.
right and that can happen when to be very frank with you it's not made clear to the dog what turns it off
Ozzy
With nervous Ozzy, trust is built by giving him things to do and clarity, 'which obviously eases their nerves'. This cue reads as partly garbled, so treat the wording around it with care.
On film
so there's clarity, which obviously eases their nerves
Penny
Kelton tells Penny's family that a clear correction may make a dog look like a scolded child, but it improves the relationship rather than destroying it. What ruins relationships between people and their dogs is very often a lack of clarity, which leads to resentment and sometimes neglect.
On film
however i promise it's all good they're not right they won't you're not going to destroy your relationship you'll actually improve it because you'll make things more clear
about like how things are going because the things that ruin relationships with people and their dogs is very often a lack of clarity that leads to resentment
Piglet
Before deciding a tool's level is too low, the trainer goes through 'that basic clarity stuff' first: did the dog understand, was it clear, did he hear the command. Only then is the level questioned.
On film
as long as you check other things first like what did they understand was it clear to them did I say the command loud enough
Rocky
Teaching Rocky the 'middle', the trainer explains why he now brings dogs in from the front and turns them: pulling them through from behind was harder to make clear and could frighten them.
On film
harder to be clear with the dog because and then when i'm pulling them between my legs i can i freak them out
Roman
With Roman the trainer uses a trash can to show what clarity means in rules: allow the whole spectrum of harmless behaviour and forbid only the one sliver that matters. Dogs 'thrive with like real clarity' - consequences that make sense to them, are predictable and are under their control.
On film
with a dog then you have real clarity and dogs thrive with like real clarity real consequences that make sense to them that are predictable and that are under their control
Shadow (Siberian Husky)
Choosing 'let's go' over punishing Shadow (the Siberian Husky) every time he sees a dog, the trainer gives clarity as the reason: punishment there risks confusing the dog, and 'confusion is probably one of the worst things for a dog'.
On film
like confusing the dog and i would say confusion is probably one of the worst things for a dog
Simba
The same choice with Simba and people he wants to rush: the trainer rejects correcting every approach because it leaves 'too much room for confusion', and uses 'let's go' so the dog is never left confused.
On film
first way which is the way I don't do it is where you you eat collar every time they try to go up to a person but it is too much room for confusion with that method
Thor
The sharpest version of the ethical claim: a correction followed by fun and reconciliation does not traumatise a dog; 'What's traumatizing is a lack of clarity', because a punishment he cannot connect to his act cannot be predicted or avoided. The trainer compares it to living with a parent whose mood you can never predict, and at handover tells the family to be as clear as possible when the dog comes home.
On film
Right. What's traumatizing is a lack of clarity. If you punish them and they can't make the connection between why they got punished and the thing they did, like they have no idea, then they can't predict it. So they can't avoid it.
just a clarity just you know I just tell everybody when the dogs come home make sure that you're as clear as possible
Titan
Explaining why the command comes before the marker and the e-collar after it, Titan's trainer says most dogs do not wake up wanting mischief: misbehaviour is 'some kind of communication breakdown, some kind of issue with the clarity'.
On film
Right. They just don't. There's some kind of communication breakdown, some kind of issue with the clarity.
Whiskey
After a clean recall with no leash pressure, Whiskey's trainer gives the short form: nearly every dog they work with is plenty smart to learn if you are clear, so make it clear, make it fair, make it fun, and the dog will learn quickly and love you at the same time.
On film
um pretty much all of them if you're clear with them they're they're plenty smart to learn and can learn rapidly it's mostly about clarity being fair making it fun
Why it works
Stated: an unclear dog is frustrated for longer because he lacks the information to solve the puzzle (Sage watch 27:37). Negative reinforcement clarifies because the dog can learn how to turn it off. That makes the world predictable, and predictability lowers stress (Kodak watch 16:34). A dog 'will follow the predictions' of an easy-to-predict handler, and an unpredictable handler makes him nervous (Apollo the Bully watch 16:06). Consistency makes testing 'not really worth it' (18:07). Nervousness clouds the ability to grasp new ideas, so a nervous dog needs cleaner teaching (Lola watch 11:53; watch 10:21). Pressure is fair only when the dog can tell how to avoid it (Sofia watch 21:40). With clarity in place the working level of a tool can stay low (Bo watch 02:52). Inferred, not stated: 'clarity' is used both for the handler's signals (which cue, when) and for the consequence structure (same answer every time); the files do not separate the two. Confusion is named as what makes training hard (Mazi, watch 08:27). Making an error bigger is offered as a way to add clarity without suppressing the dog (Kali, watch 18:01). The first named failure of pressure is that it is not clear what turns it off; the dog then tries other options - fleeing, freezing - and keeps whichever worked (Astro watch 16:24; Milo watch 43:28). Endless unclear frustration teaches alternative strategies such as jumping, biting and whining (Akira watch 53:11).
Where the trainers differ
Which is worse: unclear, or too hard?
One view
Not being clear is the worst thing short of cruelty; most people err on this side.
On film
worst thing I can think of that I could do to a dog is not be clear
then the other way is you could go way too hard yeah right and people often do the first one
Another view
Punishing hard without the dog knowing why is itself a failure of clarity; a correction should be only as big as it needs to be.
On film
actually so like one lack of way of doing a lack of clarity is um if you punish really hard
How to read it
The trainers agree that both are errors. They differ in emphasis, and no session gives an owner a way to tell which side of the line a given correction is on.
Does clarity keep the tool level low, or must the correction be big enough to land?
One view
With clarity, cooperation and an understood command, the level rarely needs to be high.
On film
if the clarity's there and you've built a sufficient base of cooperation and they understand the command i found that it doesn't need to be all that high that that often
Another view
A correction must be big enough, with visible body language, for the dog to 'get the point'; a tap alone may not connect. There is no set level; it has to be effective.
On film
them really get the point um which is like hey dude do not do that again
And use them consistently and be like however like use whatever like there's no set level on the e-collar
How to read it
Bo's own arc flags the tension with start-high-not-low. Start-high is about where to begin; this is about where a clear program ends up. The session never reconciles them.
Common owner mistakes
- Expecting perfect behaviour 24/7 without ever showing the behaviour.
On film
some people um they'll walk their dogs around and they just kind of expect the dog to engage in like perfect behavior 24/7.
Luna · Watch at 49:27 ↗ - Correcting sometimes, or one person correcting and another not.
On film
reinforce, but then you don't, right. Then he's going to go, mom doesn't care. Right.
Apollo (the Bully) · Watch at 14:25 ↗ - Never making the rule clear, then quietly resenting the dog.
On film
them but then on the other end and they don't even know on the other end you're like this dog
Sputnik · Watch at 42:48 ↗ - Going soft and vague because it feels kinder, and prolonging the dog's frustration.
On film
then the other way is you could go way too hard yeah right and people often do the first one but they don't realize that they're prolonging this dog's lack of clarity
Sage · Watch at 27:46 ↗ - Expecting the dog to know a behaviour he was never shown, and correcting for it.
On film
Well, what happens is that you expect this behavior, but you have not even
Luna · Watch at 50:11 ↗
Questions owners ask
Isn't being gentle the kindest thing?
The trainers say being unclear is the unkind option most people choose without noticing. Kelton at Sage's lesson: there are two ways to be mean, unclear or too hard, and the unclear dog is 'frustrated for longer because they can't figure out the puzzle'.
On film
is this frustrating to the dog? Because there's two possible ways that you would be mean.
How can a correction help an anxious dog?
By making the world predictable. Kodak's trainer says negative reinforcement 'makes their world predictable it makes it structured', and that predictability lowers stress. Christian says a nervous dog who can predict his handler stays calm, and one who can't 'could become nervous again'. Max (the Goldendoodle) is the filmed example: he panicked a little at first, and coped with pressure 'really well' once it was clear what turned it off. Thor's trainer states the other side: what traumatises is not the correction but a correction the dog cannot predict or avoid.
On film
but negative reinforcement is clarifying to dogs um it makes their world predictable
it's easy to predict he'll follow the predictions okay right if it's hard to predict that's when he could become nervous again
Once it was clear to him do this and the pressure just goes away and then you're going to get something great afterwards, he figured out how to deal with it.
Right. What's traumatizing is a lack of clarity.
My dog resists. Is he being stubborn?
Kelton's first guess, in Sofia's session, is that the command isn't clear to her yet. The answer is patience and building clarity, not more pressure. Egg's trainer and Is-my-dog-confused-or-refusing cover the other case: a dog who clearly knows and is engaged, and refuses anyway. A wider reading of the session record adds the plain-words version from other dogs: being clear is the handler's job, not the dog's (Drago), and most misbehaviour is 'some kind of issue with the clarity' rather than a dog who woke up wanting mischief (Titan).
On film
Lo que tú quieres no está claro en su mente todavía.
what they're doing and why and there to me it was very clearly he just was refusing
it's your job as a dog trainer as a dog owner as anybody touching a dog to be clear. Not the dog's job. That's your job.
Right. They just don't. There's some kind of communication breakdown, some kind of issue with the clarity.
My dog is nervous. Will being stricter about commands make it worse?
Stormi's trainer argues the opposite: nerves come from uncertainty and confusion, so making each command mean one thing (sit is sit, down is down) adds clarity and the nerves get better. The goal he names is a dog who goes straight into the position with no locking up or freezing, because she knows what is wanted. Kali's trainer adds a way to correct a drifting heel without suppressing the dog: make the mistake bigger so she can see it.
On film
what causes them right uncertainty confusion right those are big two ones
mix it's clarity right so we add clarity the nerves actually end up getting a lot better because the dog understands what's to be expected
down she goes right into it down i say sit she goes into a sit and she doesn't have to like worry like oh right there's no locking up or or freezing up it really is just she understands what i want
but yeah you can get a lot more clarity if you just go ahead and make the mistake bigger that way they can see the mistake more clearly and that makes it easier for them to fix it without becoming suppressed or feeling like they don't understand
The lesson
The goal
Make every request, mark and consequence something the dog can predict, and treat confusion as the handler's problem.
Learn first
See it done
- Angus: Clarifying a drifting down. Watch at 25:52 ↗
- Lola: A clearly shown rep on a nervous dog, tail up. Watch at 9:54 ↗
The drill
As shown with Angus and Apollo the Bully. Pick one command. Say it once and show the position plainly, with body and voice working together. Mark it, then release with a word and a movement. If the dog is confused, change the set-up to make it clearer; don't add force. Check the household: does everyone use the same word and answer the same behaviour the same way every time (Apollo the Bully)?
Watch out for
- Repeating the command louder instead of clearer.
- A release with no movement.
- Correcting what was never asked for.
- Inconsistency between family members.
- Pushing a confused dog instead of resetting.
Check yourself
Could someone watching your last repetition name the request, what the dog had to do, the mark and the release?