The answer
The trainers make their standard audible. On a trail with Bo, the handler states it plainly: "All my criteria was that he stopped when I stopped. One pace match where he caught it and he caught it that time so that was good enough". A heel is a chain of small requirements; taking one as the day's criterion is what makes the repetition winnable. When a block goes badly the same instrument runs in reverse: "i'm gonna lower the criteria next time get a little bit of a shorter rep in". Deuce's trainer says it in four words before shortening the leash to test it: "Just defining the criteria" - the standard set first, then enforced.
The habit runs forward into prediction. Bullet's handler says "He should stay fine" before leaving the room, and announces a limit before an attempt: one more shot, and if he fails again he will call it and try something else. Zeus's trainer declares the terms before a staged test, in the dog's terms - he will get a choice; if he does something dumb, consequences; if he is chill, everything is fine - which turns an incident into an experiment. He also narrates progress as falling cost per repetition ("That was so much lighter than before"; all he did was pick up the line and point) and commits to a forecast that the down will be automatic on verbal alone by the next session - a prediction on camera that later footage has to check.
After the repetition, the narration continues. When Bullet breaks a down, the trainer says what the break taught him: in proofing every mistake is an opportunity to learn - stay in the down even if something is interesting. When Bo's heel falls apart off a recall, the read is spoken - "you're a little confused" - and the rep reset with an easier cue rather than escalated. And when a program has focused on one thing, King's trainer sweeps the whole command set and names the weak point in advance - "I think that's probably his weak point" - calls a bad repetition a failed rep, and notes a finding outside the day's plan without chasing it.
The 30 Sep update adds two plain versions. At Chunk's go-home lesson the cot rule is handed to the family as a check anyone can make: "the rule is that the legs can't touch the ground" - two legs floating off the cot is fine, a paw on the ground is the break. And Kali's trainer sets a release criterion exactly where she had been failing: when he stopped and started again, she had to keep pace instead of lagging; when she did, he released her.
A wider reading of the session record adds fourteen more dogs, and across them the stated criterion is almost always a minimum with the rest declared not to count: for Apollo, all four paws on the cot and attention until release - he does not have to do anything in particular; for Lucia, the recall finish (a sit and eye contact), not a straight return; for Lunna, staying in the same area, lying down allowed; for Milo, his squat counts as a sit. Others are stop-when-I-stop heel tests said at the rep (Drago, Hattie), a held number (Cosmo's ten-second sit), a move-on rule handed to an owner (Kalypso), an absolute standard (Dolly's never-any-leash-tension), a pass/fail line for a whole exercise (Josi: no more than about one correction), and a definition of the position itself (Peque's down is not lying on her side for belly rubs).
Said on film: all of the above. Inferred: that saying it out loud is the mechanism. It makes the handler's standard and read checkable; it does not by itself prove the dog understood.
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 ask, decide what one good repetition looks like - one thing, small enough to win - and say it. If it goes badly, make the next one easier and shorter rather than repeating the failure. Say what you expect before you raise the difficulty, and set your limit before the attempt, not after. After a mistake, name what the dog just learned from it. Every so often run through all the commands, not just the one you have been working on, and write down the weak one.
What the trainers say
All right, so again, criteria for success,
All my criteria was that he stopped when I stopped.
One pace match where he caught it and he caught it that time so that was good enough
walk with him i'm gonna lower the criteria next time get a little bit of a shorter rep in
let's go. Good. Bo, come. Bo, heel. Come here. Come on. Heel. Nope. All right, you're a little
Just defining the criteria for a roddy like him.
So what I'm going to do is maybe we can tune up the pulling right now and have it on a little bit of a shorter leash.
do anything dumb i'm going uh he can't be doing that when he goes home make a choice he does
All right, dude. That was so much lighter than before.
was beautiful because I picked the line up, but I didn't actually have to do
um you know like within like the the next session that I do with him, his um
He should stay fine.
come on, bullet, place, place, all right, we're going to give it one more shot, if he
he did really good and then he uh he broke the down but every time they make a mistake like that
in proofing it's an opportunity to learn right so what did he learn he learned that look you have to
We've been doing protection work mostly with him. I just want to make sure his commands are doing okay and sharpen up the heel especially because I think that's probably his weak point.
All over the place here. That was a failed rep. I'm going to try for another one in a second.
Come, okay. I'm not going to work on come today, but good to know that
the rule is that the legs can't touch the ground.
It's like, if he wants to have like two legs that are kind of floating off the cot, but not touching the ground, that's fine. It's just the second a paw touches the ground, that's when he breaks the rules.
It's kind of like, I think of it like with place, it's like defining the game right you have to like make the rules and if the rules get broke then he gets punished
he's had like a couple like failed attempts so make it a shorter rep where it's like a positive where it's like uh it went well this time that way you don't build like a negative association
and my criteria for release was i stopped again and then i started and what i was looking for was that when i stopped and she stopped with me like she's doing at the time that when i started it again she kept pace with me instead of like losing it and lagging behind again
So like all I was looking there for is three seconds of no resistance, right?
so lowering the criteria for success for the dog can make all the difference in the world
If you can get her to do that, no leash pressure, no e-collar, that is what you would describe
staying on there uh for this he doesn't have to like do anything in particular i just want all
let's keep walking for a second cosmo cosmo sit oh you almost i just need to do like 10 seconds
you can do anywhere and this includes everywhere right very important this must be the standard
tests i like to use is if they stop when i stop nope almost Drago heel okay
stopped that was the criteria for that rep and so we're good to go good boy good job
Just stop when we stop, perfect.
where people are walking by with their dogs and the standard is that you can't do more
that kind of like the way the loose leash walking is the criteria for moving on is that if she
So she doesn't have to come straight back to me, although it's ideal that she does.
The criteria that I'm gonna focus on is that she finishes correctly.
after we put her in the sit as long as she stays in the same area that's fine yeah just the idea of
if he stands fully up but if he squats like down as far as like he can then like that i'll count
for belly rubs and that's not what down means. Um, so I had to really, you know, help her put
as long as he comes to my general area, stops moving,
all right i was looking for him to finish it because i want him to come back and sit
How it looks, dog by dog
Bo
The criterion said at the repetition: one stop matched to the handler's stop, and one pace match was good enough - a deliberate small target inside the heel chain. When a later block goes badly, the criterion is lowered and the next rep shortened rather than repeated. In another near-silent session the read is spoken when a heel collapses off a recall - you're a little confused - and the rep is reset with a sit, not escalated.
On film
All my criteria was that he stopped when I stopped.
One pace match where he caught it and he caught it that time so that was good enough
walk with him i'm gonna lower the criteria next time get a little bit of a shorter rep in
confused. Come on. Heel. Okay. Sit. Yeah, we're going to sit you off. Bo, come. Puppies. Puppies.
Deuce
The order made explicit: define the criteria for this dog, then shorten the leash to test the rule. The goal for the next stage is named too - he sometimes has to think about it for a second; the aim is that you do not see that buffer.
On film
Just defining the criteria for a roddy like him.
He sometimes has to think about it for a second. We're trying to get it to where he, you don't see that buffer.
Zeus
The terms declared before the test, in the dog's terms: he gets a choice; if he does something dumb, consequences; if he is chill, everything is fine. And progress narrated as falling cost per rep - so much lighter than before; all he did was pick up the line and point - followed by a forecast that the down will be verbal-only by the next session. By the Zeus arc's reading, the next report finds the down still sticky; the forecast was made on camera and can be checked.
On film
do anything dumb i'm going uh he can't be doing that when he goes home make a choice he does
All right, dude. That was so much lighter than before.
anything with the line itself. Um, all I did was pick it up and point.
um you know like within like the the next session that I do with him, his um
Bullet
Prediction and limit before the rep: 'He should stay fine' as the handler leaves for his truck during a place test with the house's cat-tester nearby; and before another place attempt, one more shot - if he fails again, call it and try something else. After a broken down in proofing, the trainer says what the dog learned: stay in the down even when something is interesting.
On film
He should stay fine.
come on, bullet, place, place, all right, we're going to give it one more shot, if he
in proofing it's an opportunity to learn right so what did he learn he learned that look you have to
King
The maintenance sweep: after weeks of mostly protection work, a walk to check every command, with heel named in advance as the likely weak point. A bad repetition is called a failed rep and reset; a recall wobble outside the day's plan is noted - good to know - not chased.
On film
We've been doing protection work mostly with him. I just want to make sure his commands are doing okay and sharpen up the heel especially because I think that's probably his weak point.
All over the place here. That was a failed rep. I'm going to try for another one in a second.
Come, okay. I'm not going to work on come today, but good to know that
Chunk
At Chunk's go-home lesson the trainer hands the family the cot rule as a line they can check: the legs cannot touch the ground; two legs floating off the cot is fine; the second a paw touches the ground, he has broken the rule. He frames it the way place is framed: defining the game - make the rules, and if the rules get broken, then he gets punished. Later in the same lesson the other half of the habit appears: after a couple of failed downs, the owner is told to make it a shorter rep that goes well and release, because five failures and one success is remembered as five failures.
On film
the rule is that the legs can't touch the ground.
It's like, if he wants to have like two legs that are kind of floating off the cot, but not touching the ground, that's fine. It's just the second a paw touches the ground, that's when he breaks the rules.
It's kind of like, I think of it like with place, it's like defining the game right you have to like make the rules and if the rules get broke then he gets punished
he's had like a couple like failed attempts so make it a shorter rep where it's like a positive where it's like uh it went well this time that way you don't build like a negative association
Kali
New in the 30 Sep update. Kali's trainer names a release criterion at the exact point that was failing. On a trail walk her heel entry and halt were good, but when he started walking again she lagged; after some encouragement and then a few collar taps, his criterion for release was one stop and restart in which she kept pace instead of lagging - and when she did, he released her. In a full session the week before, the same voice lowers the criterion when she resists: all he was looking for was three seconds of no resistance, or four or five steps in the right place, and he says that lowering the criteria for success can make all the difference in the world.
On film
and my criteria for release was i stopped again and then i started and what i was looking for was that when i stopped and she stopped with me like she's doing at the time that when i started it again she kept pace with me instead of like losing it and lagging behind again
So like all I was looking there for is three seconds of no resistance, right?
so lowering the criteria for success for the dog can make all the difference in the world
Anna
In a home-context lesson the trainer defines the target rep for the family in exact terms: Anna goes onto the cot with no leash pressure and no e-collar - that is a full rep, full verbal - and only then does the work turn to duration.
On film
If you can get her to do that, no leash pressure, no e-collar, that is what you would describe
as a full rep, full verbal, and see if you can get that, then that, whatever repetition
Apollo (the Bully)
During distraction work Christian states the place criterion for this stage and what it leaves out: Apollo does not have to do anything in particular - all four paws on the cot and attention until release.
On film
staying on there uh for this he doesn't have to like do anything in particular i just want all
four paws on the cot and him paying attention until i release him so he's doing really great
Cosmo
On a heel-and-focus walk the sit hold is given a number - about ten seconds - and declared out loud as the rule; short sits of a couple of seconds are named as not enough.
On film
let's keep walking for a second cosmo cosmo sit oh you almost i just need to do like 10 seconds
that's like that's the rule buddy that's all we're trying to get to all right let's get in
Dolly
In a private lesson the loose-leash standard is handed to the owner as a rule with no exceptions: never any leash tension, for any reason, anywhere.
On film
you can do anywhere and this includes everywhere right very important this must be the standard
walking standard so it means that there must never ever for any reason be a leash tension
Drago
In two park Shorts the heel test is announced and then scored: one of the tests is whether he stops when the handler stops, and after a rep that met it - he stopped when I stopped - that was the criterion and the rep is done.
On film
tests i like to use is if they stop when i stop nope almost Drago heel okay
stopped that was the criteria for that rep and so we're good to go good boy good job
Hattie
A heel Short in which the handler says the one requirement as the rep happens - stop when we stop - and marks it the moment she meets it.
On film
Just stop when we stop, perfect.
Josi
The trainer sets the bar for the next stage of place work before it is attempted and gives it a pass/fail line: a park cot beside a walking trail with people and dogs passing, and no more than about one correction in the 15 minutes - more than that and the rep does not count.
On film
where people are walking by with their dogs and the standard is that you can't do more
than like one correction during the 15 minutes otherwise it's void if you have to correct
Kalypso
In the first loose-leash lesson the owner is given the move-on rule for phase one: when she catches the u-turn every time for a little while, that phase is done and the next one starts.
On film
that kind of like the way the loose leash walking is the criteria for moving on is that if she
catches the u-turn every time for a little bit then you're done with it and you move on to the
Lucia
A recall Short that is about choosing the criterion: coming straight back would be ideal, but the trainer says he will not make that the criterion - the one he enforces is the finish, a sit and eye contact.
On film
So she doesn't have to come straight back to me, although it's ideal that she does.
The criteria that I'm gonna focus on is that she finishes correctly.
Lunna
While proofing a stay at a door she keeps wanting to follow through, the trainer names what counts and what does not: lying down after the sit is fine as long as she stays in the same area.
On film
after we put her in the sit as long as she stays in the same area that's fine yeah just the idea of
Milo
In a lesson shared with Josi the trainer sets the sit criterion to this dog's body: Milo squats as far down as he can rather than sitting fully, and that counts; only standing fully up is corrected.
On film
if he stands fully up but if he squats like down as far as like he can then like that i'll count
Peque (PK)
The down is redefined on camera: lying on her side rolling for belly rubs is not what down means, so the position was rebuilt with her paws up front.
On film
for belly rubs and that's not what down means. Um, so I had to really, you know, help her put
Rocky
On day two the recall finish is defined exactly: not coming back and going past, but coming to the handler's general area, stopping, and waiting for the release word.
On film
as long as he comes to my general area, stops moving,
waits until I give him the okay, literally,
Wiley
After a recall the trainer says what he was waiting for: the finish - come back, sit every time and wait for the next command.
On film
all right i was looking for him to finish it because i want him to come back and sit
Why it works
Stated or shown: a narrow, declared criterion makes a repetition winnable and makes 'good enough' a decision rather than a compromise (watch 04:03); lowering it after a failure prevents repeating the failure (14:19). Defining the rule before enforcing it means the dog has been shown the standard before it is tested (watch 11:35). Declaring terms before a staged test makes the consequence a rule applied, not a reaction (watch 18:34). Narrating falling help per rep is the measure of learning (watch 21:57). The 30 Sep cases add the rule-then-consequence order in an owner's words - defining the game: make the rules, and if the rules get broken, then he gets punished (watch 02:10) - and the reason for shortening a rep after failures: five failures and one success are remembered as five failures (watch 12:19).
Inferred
That saying it aloud keeps the handler consistent and exposes his read to checking. Predictions made on camera can be wrong on camera, and one here was. Narration does not prove the dog understood.
Common owner mistakes
- Asking for everything at once, so no repetition can be won.
On film
All my criteria was that he stopped when I stopped.
Bo · Watch at 4:03 ↗ - Repeating the failed repetition instead of making the next one easier.
On film
walk with him i'm gonna lower the criteria next time get a little bit of a shorter rep in
Bo · Watch at 14:19 ↗ - Deciding the limit after the dog fails.
On film
come on, bullet, place, place, all right, we're going to give it one more shot, if he
Bullet · Watch at 8:42 ↗ - Chasing every problem you notice instead of noting it.
On film
Come, okay. I'm not going to work on come today, but good to know that
King · Watch at 0:33 ↗
Questions owners ask
What should one good repetition look like?
Smaller than you think. Bo's trainer set it as one stop matched to his own stop, and one pace match was good enough for that block. Kali's trainer set hers at the spot that was failing: one stop and restart in which she kept pace.
On film
One pace match where he caught it and he caught it that time so that was good enough
and my criteria for release was i stopped again and then i started and what i was looking for was that when i stopped and she stopped with me like she's doing at the time that when i started it again she kept pace with me instead of like losing it and lagging behind again
What do I do when it goes wrong?
Make the next one easier and shorter, say what the dog just learned, and reset rather than escalate if he is confused. Chunk's trainer gives owners the same rule at handover: after a couple of failed attempts, make it a shorter rep that goes well, and release.
On film
walk with him i'm gonna lower the criteria next time get a little bit of a shorter rep in
in proofing it's an opportunity to learn right so what did he learn he learned that look you have to
he's had like a couple like failed attempts so make it a shorter rep where it's like a positive where it's like uh it went well this time that way you don't build like a negative association
How do I know if my dog is actually improving?
Track how much help each repetition needs. Zeus's trainer narrates it: so much lighter than before; all he did was pick up the line and point. A forecast is not a result - the same trainer's next-session prediction had to be checked.
On film
All right, dude. That was so much lighter than before.
Should I keep checking commands I think are finished?
Yes. After focused work King's trainer ran the whole set and named heel as the weak point before starting.
On film
We've been doing protection work mostly with him. I just want to make sure his commands are doing okay and sharpen up the heel especially because I think that's probably his weak point.
Does the criterion have to be the perfect version of the command?
No - on film it is usually a deliberate minimum, with everything else declared not to count yet. Apollo's place criterion is all four paws on and attention until release; Lucia's trainer says she does not have to come straight back, the finish is what he enforces; Milo's squat is counted as his sit. Naming what does not count is part of naming the criterion.
On film
staying on there uh for this he doesn't have to like do anything in particular i just want all
So she doesn't have to come straight back to me, although it's ideal that she does.