The answer
On film the trainers describe an order to every program, and they say it in nearly the same words to several families. First you evaluate: 'assess the dog in front of you, their context, their behavior, not their labels' - and you keep evaluating throughout. Second you establish cooperation, most reliably through play or a cooperative game like fetch, and through walks and time together. Then socialisation (controlled exposure to the world, not a dog park) and fulfilment. Authority comes last, and one trainer is specific about where it sits: 'you want to develop that authority within the cooperation mode'.
The order is used live as a reason not to correct. In Bo's first filmed session the trainer lets a real nuisance behaviour go, names it, and postpones it, because a dog still learning that cooperating with this person is safe cannot yet be corrected for something merely annoying without learning the wrong thing. With some dogs the first phase is not obedience at all. Zeus snapped at hands, and a leash, a slip lead and an e-collar all need a hand near the neck - so the first weeks are a man doing chores in his run, asking for nothing, while the dog learns that 'I can be in his area and nothing happens to him'. Louie gets a session of watching television together because he needs to get to know the trainer. A frightened March dog spends his first week on trust alone, with commands and the collar held back because a command on a dog who does not trust you is not understood. Irwin gets a kennel where 'nothing bad ever happens in here', Kalypso evenings on the couch, Reaper a walk that is itself the lesson. Two dogs who arrived on the same day in September, Muna and Tesla, get the game only for their first days - 'no big obedience' - because obedience now 'will just make it worse', and the trainer lets the dog show when she is ready 'so we don't accidentally suppress anything'.
It is not a promise that authority never comes. The same trainers say the biggest job at handover is often the authority part - selective hearing is what happens when ignoring the handler never cost anything - and one asks for 'a little bit of authority first' before taking a collar off. The claim is about order: what the correction lands on depends on what the relationship already is. Sofia's trainer, speaking in Spanish after a recall turned stressful, places her exactly: 'tenemos cooperación cuando estamos jugando y también cuando estamos estamos caminando' (we have cooperation when playing and when walking), but she has not yet fully learned that he and her owners have authority - that a command is 'una obligación no es opcional' (an obligation, not optional).
Said on film: the sequence, the reasons, the per-dog first steps.
Two additions sharpen the answer. The order works as a diagnosis as well as a plan: with Lucy the trainer finds cooperation, socialisation and fulfilment already in the family's life - fetch, tug, frisbee, outings - and so the gap is authority, not relationship (watch 07:57). And for the hardest dogs the trainers say the first phase is not optional: with Jack, 'training is impossible before some relationship building happens' and rushing it would be counterproductive (watch 01:29); Bandit's early kennel time was 'literally just playing with him' because he arrived confrontational (watch 22:15); Astro gets commands only once he acts like a normal dog around the trainer (watch 15:53). Stormy's trainer adds that an uncomfortable tool and a cooperative relationship are not opposites (watch 27:18).
Angier K9 is a family-owned, play-based Board & Train serving Angier, Raleigh and the Triangle, with three full owner lessons.
What to do
Don't judge the first days of a program by how many commands you see. Ask what the trainer is building first - trust, play, access to the dog's neck, a walk the dog enjoys - and what change will tell him it is time to add demands. At home, keep doing the undemanding things that built the relationship (play, walks, time together), because the trainers say authority works inside that relationship, not in place of it.
What the trainers say
evaluation we've spent some time together and now i'm in the cooperation phase right i'm
I'm building cooperation, building fulfillment, right?
If I then go boom and nope nope nope right to a thing that is not dangerous
whenever you have a case your first thing to do is evaluate you have to evaluate you have to assess what it is that you're looking at you have to assess the dog in front of you their context their behavior not their labels
one of the most successful ways that i've had is by playing a game together um especially a cooperative game like fetch
you're going to start developing authority and you want to develop that authority within the cooperation mode right so you're going to want to be in a cooperation um like relationship first that you build
there's a kind of paradigm that I think about dog training within so the first thing is you need to evaluate so you need evaluations you need to know what you're dealing with the second thing you need is to establish some kind of cooperation
Socialization does not mean tossing in a dog park as you may know that might not be a great idea yeah um it more so means controlled exposure to the world right um which is what we've been doing during the program
and so like this and as an example 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
we're gonna watch tv together because 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 normally like to try to do it sort of last in the order of operations is just establishing authority of some kind right
here i'm cool right um then uh so evaluation then the second thing we're looking for is cooperation
but we establish cooperation through play through walks doing stuff together hanging out we're bros we're buds but we also need authority
we'll start assigning the down and the heel and things like that we just had to get that base set first otherwise he won't understand and we would have made the nervousness even worse
training why because ideally for a training scenario you need to have a relationship with the dog you need to have trust with the dog they need to like you and they need to know that you like them
would you want instructions from someone you don't like right that's toxic work scenario
has been talking this whole time, when is he actually going to train Reaper, right? I am training Reaper right now, right?
I want to make sure she's really comfortable and really involved with the game stuff before we layer anything else in. And that's like our protocol with all cases, and every dog's different, so we have to figure that out as they show us new things.
over the next couple days we're going to focus on this we're not going to do anything big no big obedience we're just going to focus on this part of it
porque también es una cosa de aprender autoridad porque tenemos cooperación cuando estamos jugando y también cuando estamos estamos caminando
and then the last thing is authority. Those kind of go all together. Then with this kind
training is impossible before some relationship building happens and in this case rushing it
How it looks, dog by dog
Bo
The sequence stated and used as a reason in the first filmed session: evaluation done, now the cooperation phase, building cooperation and fulfilment. A real nuisance behaviour is logged and postponed, because going 'boom and nope nope nope' at something not dangerous would land on the wrong lesson; the negative-reinforcement cue is introduced later. The note in his arc: a viewer who only sees later clips would think the program was tool-led, and the first session says the tools were held back until the relationship could carry them.
On film
evaluation we've spent some time together and now i'm in the cooperation phase right i'm
right so very often dog trainers dog owners we're tempted to put the brakes on that right there but
If I then go boom and nope nope nope right to a thing that is not dangerous
come over right and then I can introduce that negative reinforcement cue later right once
Zeus
Two versions. At the owner lesson the trainer gives the five-part paradigm - evaluate, cooperation, socialisation, fulfilment, then authority - defines socialisation as controlled exposure, not a dog park, and says the biggest transfer job is the last one, because selective hearing is a consequence history, not a trait. Weeks earlier, with a dog who snapped at hands, obedience was not even available: the first phase was presence, asking for nothing, so a hand could come near his neck at all.
On film
and then you need socialization and fulfillment, right?
so you know how to like keep that so that'll probably be the biggest part of it is the authority part because I think you correctly noted that he has selective hearing
and so like this and as an example 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
But that does present problems for us, right, in a training scenario, how would you get a leash on him? These aren't exactly conducive to putting leashes on. How would you get a slip lead around his neck?
Kodak
The framework delivered with a note to the editors to put it on screen: evaluate and keep evaluating; establish cooperation and fulfilment, most reliably through a cooperative game like fetch; socialise; then develop authority inside the cooperative relationship. With Kodak's nerve starting point, obedience was deliberately not layered into the play yet.
On film
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
one of the most successful ways that i've had is by playing a game together um especially a cooperative game like fetch
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
Louie
A whole session booked for being pleasant company - television, scratches, sniffing - stated as a general rule with this dog as the case that needs it; walks come before deeper engagement.
On film
we're gonna watch tv together because 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
this is early times with Louie so we're still figuring him out I think I'm gonna have to take him on some walks first before I get him to really engage with me on on this level
Louie
A frightened dog's first week of a board-and-train is trust only; commands and above all the e-collar wait, because a command on a dog who does not trust the handler is not understood and would make the nervousness worse.
On film
the first week for sure was just completely trying to build trust
we'll start assigning the down and the heel and things like that we just had to get that base set first otherwise he won't understand and we would have made the nervousness even worse
Ace (Chihuahua-terrier mix)
The order of operations explained to passers-by while working Ace: evaluate, cooperation through play or personal play, fulfil, socialise, and authority last - so that it is mostly unnecessary later.
On film
so you evaluate first then you establish some kind of cooperation through play or through like personal play
i normally like to try to do it sort of last in the order of operations is just establishing authority of some kind right
Marvin (Giant Schnauzer)
The go-home lesson walks the family through the list - evaluation, then cooperation, then socialisation, then authority - as the frame for everything else they are shown.
On film
here i'm cool right um then uh so evaluation then the second thing we're looking for is cooperation
there then I can get to the last one right so the next one socialization and then there's authority
Egg
Cooperation and play built on the walk alongside the first authority, with the stated plan that both transfer later to games.
On film
go. But, um, he's learning, you know, like we're establishing cooperation. Um, we're playing together.
Baxter
The first private lesson starts with ball play, and 'out' is framed as the first bit of authority added into a game that is already cooperative.
On film
and the start of our training that he has to um one we're already doing cooperation because we're
a little bit of authority right where we're like okay we're adding authority into the process
Irwin
In the kennel the idea becomes a procedure: sit in with scattered treats and no demands, pop in now and then and leave, so that a person entering predicts nothing bad.
On film
but we establish cooperation through play through walks doing stuff together hanging out we're bros we're buds but we also need authority
Running together also builds trust.
hey nothing bad ever happens in here
Kalypso
Undemanding time - hanging out, television, evenings on the couch - counted as part of the program, because a dog who does not trust the trainer will not play, and play accelerates everything.
On film
training why because ideally for a training scenario you need to have a relationship with the dog you need to have trust with the dog they need to like you and they need to know that you like them
Max (Goldendoodle)
Kelton says he likes to just hang out with the dog - on the floor, on the couch after the camera stops - because it changes how the dog sees him, so he is not only work and correction; trust changes the emotional state, and the emotional state changes the training.
On film
I like to actually just hang out with the dog because that makes a difference in how
is just like drill them right having trust in a relationship with the dog
Finn
A case that is not moving gets hours on top of its sessions - hanging out, doing things together, nothing asked - because 'he needs a special amount of work'.
On film
So I'm just gonna be spending like hours every day with Finn. We're just gonna hang out, do stuff together. I'll ask him to do random things and then his training sessions in a day. Because Finn is a special boy. He's a special boy and he needs more. He needs a special amount of work.
Peque (PK)
A new handler's first day is a 'happy walk': find out what she likes and let her feel him out, because 'would you want instructions from someone you don't like' - on a long retractable, since freedom is argued to make the return more likely.
On film
would you want instructions from someone you don't like right that's toxic work scenario
giant flexi just great the longer the flexi the more freedom you give them the more leash
Reaper
For a dog whose relationship with handlers began as a fight, a relaxed, low-demand walk is named as the lesson itself: 'I am training Reaper right now'.
On film
has been talking this whole time, when is he actually going to train Reaper, right? I am training Reaper right now, right?
Daisy
A named first-day template for frightened dogs, run the same way on two housemates the same day: a walk together, pressure released for yielding, release to freedom, nothing else asked.
On film
They're very frightened. So we're gonna be doing the same protocol where we're gonna be taking a walk together
Brody
On leaving the building, relieve and burn energy before any commands.
On film
When we first come out instead of going straight into commands once we get out of the building
Dory
The first session with a frightened dog is spent promising friendship and reassurance. The trainer never states the principle; the reading is from the shape of the session.
On film
hey dory we're gonna be besties
Oh, you okay? Hey, I'm not going to hurt you.
Shadow (Siberian Husky)
The relational half stated by one trainer - pet them so they are excited to see you - with the candid rider that the e-collar is also why the dog cares he exists.
On film
i want the dog to be excited to see me so i make sure i like to pet all over them and so we can have a bond
Chapo
A first meeting framed as play, with tug named afterwards as a good call.
On film
yeah yeah he was doing good and especially with like the i think it was a good call on the tug
Rocky
At Rocky's lesson the owner is told that beyond the cooperation work, they are establishing authority.
On film
right and then beyond that we're doing uh we're establishing authority right so he needs to see
Muna
Muna (new in this update). In her day-one introduction the trainer sets the order out loud: get her playing really strongly and confidently first, so play can later guide her through the obedience; no obedience for the next couple of days, because obedience now 'will just make it worse' by adding pressure.
On film
we want her to play really really strong and be really confident with it so that we can use that play to then guide through and do things with the obedience
so we're gonna work on that next couple days before we get into any obedience because if I try to do obedience now it will just make it worse because I don't want to add too much pressure to a situation or anything like that.
I want to make sure she's really comfortable and really involved with the game stuff before we layer anything else in. And that's like our protocol with all cases, and every dog's different, so we have to figure that out as they show us new things.
Tesla
Tesla (new in this update). Same day, same trainer, same plan: the next couple of days are for the game only - 'no big obedience' - and the trainers will let the dog show when she is ready, so they do not accidentally suppress anything. Some dogs, he says, have things they need to do before they get to the obedience. Her first recorded training session follows with place, sit and down.
On film
over the next couple days we're going to focus on this we're not going to do anything big no big obedience we're just going to focus on this part of it
but we're gonna feel it out you know we kind of let the dog show us when they're ready for those things again so we don't accidentally suppress anything
if you're not paying attention to what the dog really wants to do or like needs to do right and there are things that certain dogs need to do before they get to the obedience
Tesla training session one. Tesla, place. Sit. And down. That works.
Sofia
Sofia (new in this update; the session is narrated in Spanish, quoted verbatim with the meaning in English).
On film
porque también es una cosa de aprender autoridad porque tenemos cooperación cuando estamos jugando y también cuando estamos estamos caminando
pero todavía ella no ha aprendido como completamente que yo tengo autoridad y también los dueños tienen autoridad y que ella no puede hacer lo que quiere cuando nosotros hemos dicho un mando a ella es necesario es una obligación no es opcional
Sputnik
The fullest statement of the order in one breath, given to the family: five sections or pillars that fit together. Evaluation comes first and lasts throughout; then cooperation, which leads to fulfilment; then socialisation; and authority last - 'those kind of go all together'.
On film
i think of it in terms of like five sections or pillars that fit together right so the first one
is that we try to get the dogs to cooperate with us right so but that only
comes after evaluation so we evaluate first so that's just paying attention
and that that lasts throughout the process you're always evaluating what
they get cooperation. When they cooperate, they get fulfillment. Then we do socialization,
and then the last thing is authority. Those kind of go all together. Then with this kind
Lucy
The order used as a diagnosis of a family. The trainer walks Lucy's owners through it - evaluation, then cooperation - and finds cooperation already there: they take her places, she plays fetch, tug and frisbee with them. Socialisation and fulfilment are largely in place too. What is missing is the last piece: a teenage dog doing wild things with no consequence.
On film
wrongly right you want to do it correctly yeah um no so like the first thing is like okay evaluation
evaluation and then after that um you establish cooperation of some kind but i think cooperation
is already here right you guys do stuff together all the time take her places have fun with her
ball she'll play tug some then it's like okay you guys already established cooperation within the
Wiley
After correcting Wiley for running at a passer-by - not allowed, because he could have nipped someone - the trainer throws the ball to get him happy again and names where they are: evaluation, cooperation, fulfilment and socialisation are there, but there is also authority, and that moment was authority. The next passer-by is a choice point Wiley gets right.
On film
evaluation cooperation fulfillment socialization but we also have authority and that that case is
was another choice point this guy running by right and you can see he looked at it and he looked back
Jack
A dog the trainer calls 'essentially feral', who doesn't like even being looked at too hard. The trainer says outright that training is impossible before some relationship exists and that rushing it would be counterproductive, so the sessions are walks in the woods and hands-off time - 'today is all about just building some trust' - so that training can get off the ground at all.
On film
dog like this who is essentially feral who doesn't even like when I look at him too hard
training is impossible before some relationship building happens and in this case rushing it
would be counterproductive it would do no good but boy this is why we're just going to go for
today is all about just building some trust, building a relationship with him
so that we could even get off the ground and start training.
Now, any kind of training is going to be relatively either unproductive or very likely counterproductive.
Astro
In a behaviour-modification session the trainer waits for Astro to start acting like a normal dog around him - drinking water, doing other things while a person is there - and only then starts using commands: 'now I'm going to start to come in as an authority'.
On film
sit there and go right so that's what we want to see when i see him start to act like a dog
astro over here go over here sit and now i can start using commands now i'm going to start to
come in as an authority in the situation where i can ask him to do things sit sit that's a very
Bandit
Kelton tells the family that the early kennel footage looks like he is just playing with Bandit because he was: Bandit took longer to settle and was confrontational at first, so the job was to build a relationship. Later he attributes Bandit's stability to that groundwork - acclimation to the kennels and staff, much of it unrecorded day-to-day contact - followed by negative reinforcement and penalties.
On film
like this looks like he's just playing with him yeah that's all i was actually doing yeah i was
literally just playing with him yeah um because all i was trying to do is like build a relationship
because we he took a little longer to settle yeah um yeah and like he was like pretty like
like, um, uh, like Bandit, who's now very stable, um, and his mindset after being, um, acclimated
to the kennels, and after, um, being acclimated to the staff, and after, um, being negatively
Callie
At the start of a session the trainer notes Callie is 'really not interested in me' and isn't making much eye contact, so the work is engagement first - redirect her focus to build the relationship, and build the training on that.
On film
Yes, she's really not interested in me we got to build that engagement we got to redirect that
Build that relationship and
Build on her training
Lucia
With an over-excited rescue on a walk, the trainer explains what they are not doing - a short leash and pops - and what they are: teaching her to communicate and be in sync with the handler, a walk without much confrontation, while starting to have boundaries (leash pressure, a let's go to redirect her focus).
On film
what we're not doing is you know putting her on a short leash and popping her lucia let's go
is how she can communicate and be in sync with me
and have a nice walk without a lot of confrontation,
but start to have boundaries.
Stormy
The trainer separates the tool from the relationship: an aversive is uncomfortable or it wouldn't work, but that doesn't mean he wants conflict between him and the puppy - he is trying to foster as much cooperation as possible. In the same breath he shows the authority half: once he has said come, he has to follow it through.
On film
But that doesn't mean that I want things to be confrontational or I'll be like being like conflict between me and her in the training
Instead it's I'm trying to foster as much cooperation as possible. So like right there stormy come
okay, I said come now, now I have to do it, right?
Why it works
As the trainers explain it: a correction teaches something about whatever the dog already associates with the person giving it. A dog who has not yet learned that cooperating with this person is safe will attach a correction to the person, or to the wrong thing, rather than to the behaviour - 'if I then go boom and nope nope nope right to a thing that is not dangerous'. Trust changes the dog's emotional state, and the emotional state decides whether training lands; a dog who does not trust you will not play, and play speeds everything up. For a dog who guards his space, presence without events is itself the lesson - a person can be in his area and nothing happens. Authority built afterwards sits on that relationship: 'develop that authority within the cooperation mode'. And authority is still needed: selective hearing is what happens when ignoring the handler has had no consequence. Two reasons are added on film in September: obedience pressure laid on before the game is solid 'will just make it worse' (Muna), and pushing obedience before the dog shows she is ready risks suppressing what she needs to do first (Tesla).
On film
If I then go boom and nope nope nope right to a thing that is not dangerous
training why because ideally for a training scenario you need to have a relationship with the dog you need to have trust with the dog they need to like you and they need to know that you like them
you're going to start developing authority and you want to develop that authority within the cooperation mode right so you're going to want to be in a cooperation um like relationship first that you build
selective hearing and that's just because there was not sufficient consequences for the selective hearing frankly that's just how it works
so we're gonna work on that next couple days before we get into any obedience because if I try to do obedience now it will just make it worse because I don't want to add too much pressure to a situation or anything like that.
but we're gonna feel it out you know we kind of let the dog show us when they're ready for those things again so we don't accidentally suppress anything
Inferred
The trainers do not measure trust or show that the order works better than another; the rationale is stated, not tested.
Where the trainers differ
How many stages, and in what order?
One view
Five parts: evaluate, cooperation, socialisation, fulfilment, authority (Zeus); evaluate, cooperate, fulfil, socialise, authority last (Ace).
On film
there's a kind of paradigm that I think about dog training within so the first thing is you need to evaluate so you need evaluations you need to know what you're dealing with the second thing you need is to establish some kind of cooperation
i normally like to try to do it sort of last in the order of operations is just establishing authority of some kind right
Another view
Four stages, with fulfilment named alongside cooperation (Kodak); evaluation, cooperation, socialisation, authority (Marvin).
On film
well then you need to establish um uh fulfillment and cooperation right so cooperation can happen in a variety of ways
there then I can get to the last one right so the next one socialization and then there's authority
How to read it
The dependencies agree (evaluate first, authority last, authority inside cooperation); the list does not. A canonical version needs Kelton.
Authority last - or a little first?
One view
Authority is last in the order of operations, established so it is mostly unnecessary later.
On film
i normally like to try to do it sort of last in the order of operations is just establishing authority of some kind right
porque también es una cosa de aprender autoridad porque tenemos cooperación cuando estamos jugando y también cuando estamos estamos caminando
pero todavía ella no ha aprendido como completamente que yo tengo autoridad y también los dueños tienen autoridad y que ella no puede hacer lo que quiere cuando nosotros hemos dicho un mando a ella es necesario es una obligación no es opcional
Another view
Irwin's trainer asks for 'a little bit of authority first' before taking the collar off; Baxter's first lesson adds authority into the very first game; Bo's arc notes his first conditioned-punisher rep in the first session's last seconds.
On film
a little bit of authority right where we're like okay we're adding authority into the process
How to read it
Probably a difference of grain - the order describes the program, while small doses of authority appear early inside cooperative games - but no trainer says so.
Common owner mistakes
- Judging the first days of a program by how many commands are shown.
On film
most of the time people think of like oh training okay obedience sit down place but dogs are always learning things they're always learning things
Watch at 3:13 ↗ over the next couple days we're going to focus on this we're not going to do anything big no big obedience we're just going to focus on this part of it
Watch at 8:37 ↗ - Treating socialisation as a trip to the dog park.
On film
Socialization does not mean tossing in a dog park as you may know that might not be a great idea yeah um it more so means controlled exposure to the world right um which is what we've been doing during the program
Watch at 26:44 ↗ - Letting ignored commands go unanswered and calling it selective hearing.
On film
selective hearing and that's just because there was not sufficient consequences for the selective hearing frankly that's just how it works
Watch at 31:01 ↗ - Jumping straight into demands with a dog who does not know you yet.
On film
we're gonna watch tv together because 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
Watch at 0:34 ↗ so we're gonna work on that next couple days before we get into any obedience because if I try to do obedience now it will just make it worse because I don't want to add too much pressure to a situation or anything like that.
Watch at 7:51 ↗
Questions owners ask
Is a session without obedience doing nothing?
The trainers say no. With a dog who guarded his space, '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'. Louie's trainer booked a session of watching television together because the dog needed to know him first; Kelton (Reaper's trainer), mid-walk, says 'I am training Reaper right now'. Muna's and Tesla's first days are planned that way on purpose: the game only, 'no big obedience', until the dog shows she is ready.
On film
and so like this and as an example 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
has been talking this whole time, when is he actually going to train Reaper, right? I am training Reaper right now, right?
over the next couple days we're going to focus on this we're not going to do anything big no big obedience we're just going to focus on this part of it
Does this mean the dog is never corrected?
No. The claim is about order. Authority comes last and is developed inside the cooperative relationship; at handover the authority part is often the biggest job, because selective hearing is what happens when ignoring the handler never cost anything. Sofia's trainer names the moment it shows: cooperation in play and on walks is there, but she has not yet fully learned that a command is an obligation, not optional.
On film
you're going to start developing authority and you want to develop that authority within the cooperation mode right so you're going to want to be in a cooperation um like relationship first that you build
so you know how to like keep that so that'll probably be the biggest part of it is the authority part because I think you correctly noted that he has selective hearing
pero todavía ella no ha aprendido como completamente que yo tengo autoridad y también los dueños tienen autoridad y que ella no puede hacer lo que quiere cuando nosotros hemos dicho un mando a ella es necesario es una obligación no es opcional
How do the trainers build cooperation?
Mostly through play - a cooperative game like fetch is named as the most successful way - and through walks, running together and hanging out. For frightened dogs, time with nothing asked: a kennel where nothing bad happens, a couch, a first-day walk.
On film
one of the most successful ways that i've had is by playing a game together um especially a cooperative game like fetch
but we establish cooperation through play through walks doing stuff together hanging out we're bros we're buds but we also need authority
we want her to play really really strong and be really confident with it so that we can use that play to then guide through and do things with the obedience
Is evaluation finished once training starts?
No - Kodak's trainer says it is a continuous process throughout.
On film
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
The lesson
The goal
The handler can name which stage a dog is in - evaluation, cooperation, socialisation, fulfilment, authority - and what observable change will tell them the next demand is appropriate.
Learn first
The drill
As run with Irwin in the kennel: enter, sit five to ten minutes with scattered treats and ask for nothing; pop in now and then with a treat and leave, so that a person entering predicts nothing bad. With a confident dog, as with Baxter and Kodak: start with a cooperative game (fetch, tug), then add one small piece of authority inside it - an 'out'.
Watch out for
- Counting commands as the only progress.
- Correcting a nuisance before the dog trusts you.
- Skipping evaluation or treating it as finished.
- Treating a dog park as socialisation.
Check yourself
A new dog jumps up on you in the first session. It is annoying, not dangerous. What do the trainers do, and why? (Log it and postpone it; a correction now would land on the relationship, not the jump.)