The answer
Not perfect. The sentence the method turns on is said in passing, mid-heel, on an ordinary walk with Bo: "This is a pet dog. It does not have to be perfect, but it does need to be really good." It is used as a decision, not an excuse - in the same session the handler budgets his corrections to one fault, the sniffing, and leaves the rest alone.
The standard comes from what the dog is for. A pet dog's sit may fold into a down - "he's a pet dog it's functional obedience here if he folds into a down it's fine" (Thor). Kelton's house line (23 Sep 2026): a down offered for a sit should be clarified so the dog understands the distinction; whether to accept it is up to the owner. Piglet rolls over on a down near another dog but does not move or react: "if we were in a competition we failed but we're not in a competition." A service prospect is held to a different bar: Kalypso may not break a command because there is 'some action', and her heel cannot be treat-dependent because that is "not workable at all for service dog stuff"; Max is offered a vest that switches him between a stricter work mode and a pet mode. A protection prospect's mouthing is judged against her future job. And a rescue with no family yet is trained for the home he will have, not the trainer's: "I'm not training him to live with me. I'm training for him to live with a family that wants to adopt him, and that's very different."
For a family dog the job is the family's life. The trainers ask what the household will actually use and put the last weeks there: Dutchess's handler predicts they will use her implied stay, her place and the no-jumping work a ton, and doubts the heel; King's trainer does not press a long sit when the down is more useful; Ace's off-leash heel is 'a nice-to-have'. The heel itself has a pet standard: Boog's trainer says "there's a pet heel and a competition heel" and accepts the looser heel Boog gives the woman of the family because he is still paying attention, Bandit's trainer, Kelton, tells the owner he does not train the prancing heads-up heel of a sports competition for clients - the standard is the owner's use case, and could be stricter or looser than his; Murphy's trainer lets a little crabbing go for the same reason; and Kali and Kane's trainer sets the heel's duration by real use - a couple of minutes, "longer than you're normally going to need". One trainer states the house priorities for every dog: you can tell the dog to stop, the dog always comes back, and a walk is not a terrible time. Another would teach only three things if he could: a 'no', a recall, and a 'let's go'. Beo is not sent home pulling on the leash, however well he does his commands, because a walk is what the family needs, and his last two owner lessons are moved to parks because his problems are outside the house and that is the owner's main priority. When the ideal may be out of reach, Bane's trainer names the minimum instead: out, crate with the door open, settle.
The other half is that the dog is not meant to be a statue. "It doesn't have to be military" (Louie). Nobody is "looking for like a military dog inside anyways" (Dutchess). Stormie's trainer is not an enforcer about which limb goes where - he needs the position. And the trainers do not correct the dog's spirit out of him.
The acceptance test is the owner's experience, not the trainer's. Lola's trainer wants Archie's walk smoother "for the client", because what the trainer sees is the dog's best; Deuce's verdict is that he did not jump on either owner while they handled him - "if he comes home and does it to you then like it doesn't matter that he doesn't do it" to the trainer. The best evidence in these files is the family's own before-and-after: Dutchess's owner describing her as manageable now, and naming the old habits that are gone.
(Inferred, not said: 'not perfect' is not a lower bar so much as a chosen one. Neo's trainer puts a number on it - you can never make anything good all of the time, and a finished down should work about ninety-eight times in a hundred.)
Angier K9 is a family-owned, play-based Board & Train serving Angier, Raleigh and the Triangle, with three full owner lessons.
What to do
Tell the trainer what your days with the dog actually look like, and what you will really use - that is what the last weeks should go to. Expect a dog who stops when told, comes when called and walks without a fight, not a statue: a sit that folds into a down should be clarified so he knows the difference, but whether you accept it is your call (Kelton, 23 Sep 2026). Judge the result by your own walks and your own house, not by the trainer's videos. If your dog has a job (service, protection), the standard is that job's, and it is stricter.
What the trainers say
This is a pet dog. It does not have to be perfect, but it does need to be really good.
And the only thing that I'm correcting for here is the sniffing because sometimes he has a little bit of a problem with the sniffing where he wants to sniff a bunch in the heel and we don't want that.
work the duration here sit i'm okay he's a pet dog it's functional obedience here if he folds into a down it's fine
if we were in a competition we failed but we're not in a competition we're thinking about live functionality for the owners
She's fine. Considering where her job is going to be.
action but clip so it's gonna be a service dog so just cuz she sees some some action, eh eh, doesn't mean she can break command.
entirely reliant on you just like holding a treat here is to heal um and like that's not like workable at all for service dog stuff you can't have it be treat dependent
if we do the vest training for service work and teach him, like, when the vest is on, it's more strict, and when the vest is off it's more like this right so he has a pet and a work mode
to be very frank with you, I don't even like punishing wildlife reactivity, but this isn't about me. This isn't my dog. This is about his owners, what they're capable of doing with him,
they'll be using it a ton I really think what they're gonna be using a lot is her her implied stay, her place command. And then of course, just the behavior modification for not jumping on people.
the stick you like to hold it down so hold it down for a long time but he doesn't like to hold the stick that much it's not something i would press on that much because i tell people normally i'm like hey why put them in a stick when you put a minute down i try to focus on whatever is the most gonna be like the most useful
not exactly like the most important point um for ace so more anything else it's just a nice to have
And I tell all my trainers that. I'm like, look, you need to prioritize those things. You need to prioritize that you can tell the dog to stop doing stuff, knock it off. You need to prioritize that the dog always recalls.
like introduce the reinforcement. I think I told you over the phone, like if I only had like three things I could teach a dog, I would teach them like a, a punishment marker, like a condition punishment, like a note. And then I would teach them, uh, like, like a recall. And then I would teach them a redirection cue, like, let's go.
something that we you know we can't send him home if he's pulling a leash like that.
what's a good enough yeah right where's the minimum we need to get into
It doesn't have to be military.
seen dogs like that but that to me it's heartbreaking because i'm like you took away their spirit basically
You're not looking for like a military dog inside anyways.
so I'm not gonna enforce it like that it's more of just like I just need that kind of that position position
Um, but it so that like whether she maintains a distinction between the two is going to depend on whether or not you care about it basically.
And he's a, he's naturally got a bit of pull on him though. I'm noticing, it's not really bad, and like I wouldn't have a problem walking him around, but I do want it to just be a little more smoother for the client.
but if he comes home and does it to you then like it doesn't matter that he doesn't do it
so i kind of want to know like um so i i think about this kind of stuff in terms of like frequency
know good we'll say you really can't ever make anything good 100 of the time right it's not really possible
essentially like i mean ideally every heel i teach is a competition looking heel but the thing is you know what i mean like there's a pet heel and a competition heel
i'd like for it normally like if they can confidently do it relatively reliably for at least a couple minutes okay right that's really nice to have the heel right because that's longer than you're normally going to need to use it for in a typical situation
because his problems he doesn't really have any at the house they all revolve around being out and that's his main goal his main priority the owner
example for for our clients like I don't train this heads up heel where they prance like you'd see in like a sports competition
much work and for what right so ultimately your standard could be stricter than what i'm doing or it could be less strict right that's up to you
They probably won't want to have to worry about that, so it's fine if I did penalize it.
sometimes he crabs a little bit what that means is they walk sideways like a crab um but that's not a huge issue when it comes to like a like a pet dog like murphy
Because I know that your your owners aren't gonna like that. Gotta get rid of it
How it looks, dog by dog
Bo
The line that names the concept, said mid-heel: a pet dog does not have to be perfect, but it needs to be really good. Applied at once - the only thing corrected is the sniffing; position faults in the heel are let go unless he goes far ahead or breaks.
On film
This is a pet dog. It does not have to be perfect, but it does need to be really good.
So, the only time I'm not going to punish him at all for position related things in the heel, unless he goes really far ahead or obviously breaks
Thor
At a store, the standard for a pet puppy: a sit that folds into a down is fine; he is not expected to be calm and uninterested in a new world; what is proofed is that he still listens and yields to the leash. At a later refresher the same case says 'the down always has to be a down' - the two are not reconciled on film.
On film
work the duration here sit i'm okay he's a pet dog it's functional obedience here if he folds into a down it's fine
I don't expect him to be calm and subdued and not interested in anything.
I, the down always has to be a down.
Piglet
A down near another dog that turns into a goofy roll-over but stays in place and does not react is counted as a big win: a failure in competition, a pass for the owners' real life. The same trainer is careful about the claim - better choices while he is around are not yet a result.
On film
if we were in a competition we failed but we're not in a competition we're thinking about live functionality for the owners
Kalypso
A service dog in training, and every criterion is justified by that future: she may not break a command because there is 'action'; long downs in public; heel that is not treat-dependent because that is unworkable for service work. The goal is the owner's; the standard is the job's.
On film
action but clip so it's gonna be a service dog so just cuz she sees some some action, eh eh, doesn't mean she can break command.
entirely reliant on you just like holding a treat here is to heal um and like that's not like workable at all for service dog stuff
Max
Once the owner names service work as the goal, positions are proofed for its conditions - a down in a grocery store, heel through tight aisles - and a vest is proposed as the switch between a stricter work mode and a looser pet mode.
On film
if we do the vest training for service work and teach him, like, when the vest is on, it's more strict
Neo
A service prospect with a numerical target stated honestly: nothing works all of the time, and a finished down should work about ninety-eight times in a hundred - which, the trainer admits, it does not yet. The heel side is fitted to the handler's needs.
On film
know good we'll say you really can't ever make anything good 100 of the time right it's not really possible
Dolce
A protection prospect whose problem was a suppressed bite: teeth on a handler's arm are judged against the work she is headed for, read as the suppression lifting, and still stopped.
On film
She's fine. Considering where her job is going to be.
That's my real arm. Don't bite that. Not yet.
Peque (PK)
A rescue in training has no job description, so PK's duration work is kept short because nobody knows what her future life will be; after adoption the same videos become the family's curriculum.
On film
that's for sure right mama also the duration can go as long as you want obviously we're not gonna
Reaper
The trainer removes the Wolf family dog's wildlife chasing against his own taste - he doesn't even like punishing it - because the standard is what the owners need and can manage: 'this isn't about me. This isn't my dog.'
On film
to be very frank with you, I don't even like punishing wildlife reactivity, but this isn't about me. This isn't my dog.
Dutchess
Three things in one case. The handler predicts which trained behaviours this household will use - implied stay, place, not jumping - and doubts the heel. He says his goal is a dog who goes home with the same personality and just knows how to listen. And the evidence in the go-home edit is the owner's own: she is 'manageable now', and the jumping she used to do is gone.
On film
they'll be using it a ton I really think what they're gonna be using a lot is her her implied stay, her place command.
You're not looking for like a military dog inside anyways.
And my hand that she wants. She used to just jump up and jump on me and try to get it.
King
Kelton puts the last sessions into what the household will use most often: place with people in the house, the down he can hold rather than the sit he dislikes, and the command the kids can use. The owner sets the tone - keep the fun in the dog, just more discipline.
On film
the stick you like to hold it down so hold it down for a long time but he doesn't like to hold the stick that much
They want him to work on staying.
Yeah, I'm not trying to do that. I just want him more disciplined.
Doja
The house priorities, stated by a trainer who says he gives them to all his trainers: stop on command, a dog who always comes back, and a walk that is not a terrible time. At the first lesson he gives the three-things version: a 'no', a recall, and 'let's go'.
On film
And I tell all my trainers that. I'm like, look, you need to prioritize those things.
like introduce the reinforcement. I think I told you over the phone, like if I only had like three things I could teach a dog
Ace (Chihuahua-terrier mix)
The trainer is happy with sit, down, stay, recall and on-leash heel; the off-leash heel still needs work and is ranked out loud as a nice-to-have, because recall and not running away are the point for Ace.
On film
not exactly like the most important point um for ace so more anything else it's just a nice to have
Beo
Verbal obedience alone is not the go-home standard: a dog who does every command but pulls is not what the owners wanted, and he will not be sent home pulling. In the September update the same standard moves the lessons: Beo's problems are outside the house, which is the owner's main priority, so the second in-program lesson and the go-home lesson are both held at parks.
On film
something that we you know we can't send him home if he's pulling a leash like that.
so the second program lesson and the go home lesson i'd like to do both of them at the park
because his problems he doesn't really have any at the house they all revolve around being out and that's his main goal his main priority the owner
Bane
When the ideal may be out of reach, name the least outcome that makes the household work: call him off, and crate with the door open so he can come out if he is needed.
On film
what's a good enough yeah right where's the minimum we need to get into
him crate and he goes in there and chills out that's a minimum standard right
Levi
The heel was defined by one owner's practical need - stop and sit on a set side - and the equipment advice followed from it. Recorded without the owner's personal details.
On film
we go yeah he's kind of like okay what are we doing yeah he'll sit when i stop so it's it's nice because i know that was like a big thing for you
Louie
The standard of control is that the dog stops when told, not that he never shows excitement. Small jumps after a release are tolerated; correcting every one would take away his spirit; it doesn't have to be military.
On film
It doesn't have to be military.
seen dogs like that but that to me it's heartbreaking because i'm like you took away their spirit basically
Stormie
A quality bar deliberately below perfect: the trainer is not a hardcore enforcer about which limb goes where; he needs the position.
On film
so it's kind of like I'm not like a hard core like enforcer if you will
so I'm not gonna enforce it like that it's more of just like I just need that kind of that position position
Roxy
Whether a distinction survives - a specific sit rather than any stationary position - depends on whether the owners care about it. The trainer adds that he uses down far more than sit in everyday life, because it is easier on the dog for anything longer than a short wait.
On film
Um, but it so that like whether she maintains a distinction between the two is going to depend on whether or not you care about it basically.
to be honest, I use down in everyday life with my dog way more than I use sit.
Lola
On Archie's session the handler would happily walk him as he is, but wants the walk smoother for the client, because what the trainer sees is the dog's best. The positive form is a test an owner can apply on a hike: the dogs stay with the group and check in, and it is 'a workable hike'. The family's own before: they planned walks around avoiding people.
On film
And he's a, he's naturally got a bit of pull on him though.
Yeah. And like I feel like this is like a workable like a workable hike.
It was like we have to plan our walks around when there aren't people around.
Deuce
The result is measured on the family: Deuce did not jump on either owner while they handled him, and it would not matter that he does not do it to the trainers if he does it to them at home.
On film
noticing like when you guys were handling and stuff he wasn't doing any kind of jumping on
but if he comes home and does it to you then like it doesn't matter that he doesn't do it
Boog
Boog (new in this update). At the go-home lesson the trainer says he would ideally teach every heel to a competition look, but there is a pet heel and a competition heel; when the woman of the family runs the heel and Boog is looser with her, he accepts it because Boog is still paying attention, and says the result was better than he expected.
On film
essentially like i mean ideally every heel i teach is a competition looking heel but the thing is you know what i mean like there's a pet heel and a competition heel
he's a little loose like a little more loose with her but it's not like yeah he's still paying attention
Kali
Kali (new in this update). At the in-program owner lesson for Kali and Kane the trainer sets the heel's bar by real use: a dog who can heel confidently and fairly reliably for a couple of minutes is enough, because that is longer than a typical situation needs, and a couple of minutes can be stretched with reinforcement when it has to be. Said of both household dogs.
On film
i'd like for it normally like if they can confidently do it relatively reliably for at least a couple minutes okay right that's really nice to have the heel right because that's longer than you're normally going to need to use it for in a typical situation
and it makes it easier to extend because if they can do it for a couple of minutes then if you absolutely have to you can reinforce it and have them do it for longer
Bandit
At Bandit's second in-program owner lesson Kelton tells the owner that whatever is allowed in the heel is what the dog will do - and then that the training is for the owner's use case. He does not train the prancing heads-up heel of a sports competition for clients; the owner's standard could be stricter or looser than his, and he wants them to have the tools to hold whichever they choose.
On film
then that also makes it where it's like hey look ultimately who's the training for you it's for your use case your functionality
example for for our clients like I don't train this heads up heel where they prance like you'd see in like a sports competition
much work and for what right so ultimately your standard could be stricter than what i'm doing or it could be less strict right that's up to you
Hattie
On a walk past ducks, Hattie's trainer thinks he may have penalised her chasing rather than just reinforcing her recall - and decides that is fine, because whoever ends up fostering or adopting her probably won't want her doing it. The bar is set by the home she will go to.
On film
because I may have penalized her chasing the ducks.
They probably won't want to have to worry about that, so it's fine if I did penalize it.
Murphy
Murphy lags and sometimes crabs - walks a little sideways - in the heel. His trainer lets it go: that would matter in a competition heel, not for a pet dog like Murphy who is looking at the handler, in the right place, and wanting to be there.
On film
sometimes he crabs a little bit what that means is they walk sideways like a crab um but that's not a huge issue when it comes to like a like a pet dog like murphy
Wiley
Working Wiley's heel, the trainer stops a jump on himself and gives the reason in the owners' terms: he knows Wiley's owners are not going to like it, so it has to go. The standard for that habit is the family's, not the trainer's.
On film
You went to jump on me and I don't want that
Because I know that your your owners aren't gonna like that. Gotta get rid of it
Why it works
Said on film: the criterion is chosen from the dog's purpose and stated out loud - a pet dog (watch 19:46; watch 01:44), a service dog (watch 02:18; watch 07:23; watch 13:52), a protection prospect (watch 07:35), a rescue's unknown future home (watch 03:25; watch 01:05). For a family dog the purpose is the household's life, so training time goes to what will be used most (watch 03:43; watch 02:33) and to three priorities - stop, recall, a decent walk (watch 07:47; watch 17:09). The same reasoning sets where the owner lessons happen (watch 19:08) and how long a heel has to last (watch 16:38).
The measurement follows: the owner's experience, not the trainer's (watch 18:29; watch 07:01), because the trainer sees the dog's best. The family's own before-and-after is the evidence (watch 00:30).
A limit on correction is stated as part of the standard: the aim is the same dog with manners, not a suppressed one (watch 18:41; watch 07:34), so untidiness is accepted where it does not teach anything wrong (watch 13:32).
Inferred, not stated: the standard is a decision about where to stop correcting, and stating it out loud protects both the dog (no over-correction) and the program (no over-promising).
Where the trainers differ
Who sets the standard - the household or the trainer?
One view
The household: the syllabus is what they asked for, the last weeks go to what they will use, and whether a distinction survives is their call.
On film
They want him to work on staying.
Um, but it so that like whether she maintains a distinction between the two is going to depend on whether or not you care about it basically.
because his problems he doesn't really have any at the house they all revolve around being out and that's his main goal his main priority the owner
Another view
The trainer: he judges himself too lenient and tightens up; he refuses a walk he would accept because it could be smoother for the client; he holds a bar - no shutting the dog down - that no owner asked for.
On film
I'm not being as strict on her as I could be.
And he's a, he's naturally got a bit of pull on him though.
How to read it
Probably layered rather than opposed - the family chooses what, the trainer chooses how well - but no file says so.
Common owner mistakes
- Judging the training by the trainer's videos instead of your own walks.
On film
but if he comes home and does it to you then like it doesn't matter that he doesn't do it
Deuce · Watch at 18:29 ↗ - Wanting a dog who is never excited - a statue.
On film
a dog to just be like this perfect zombie yeah they're not gonna be a statue or a robot
Louie · Watch at 7:25 ↗ - Not saying what you will actually use, so time goes to tricks instead.
On film
the stick you like to hold it down so hold it down for a long time but he doesn't like to hold the stick that much it's not something i would press on that much
King · Watch at 2:33 ↗
Questions owners ask
Will my dog be perfect after training?
No, and the trainers say so. A pet dog does not have to be perfect but has to be really good. One trainer puts a number on a finished down - about ninety-eight times in a hundred - and says nothing works all of the time.
On film
This is a pet dog. It does not have to be perfect, but it does need to be really good.
know good we'll say you really can't ever make anything good 100 of the time right it's not really possible
What will my dog actually be able to do?
The priorities one trainer gives all his trainers: you can tell the dog to stop, the dog always comes back, and a walk isn't a terrible time. Beyond that, the last weeks go to whatever your household will use most. A heel, for a family dog, means a couple of minutes done confidently - longer than most real situations need.
On film
And I tell all my trainers that. I'm like, look, you need to prioritize those things. You need to prioritize that you can tell the dog to stop doing stuff, knock it off. You need to prioritize that the dog always recalls.
i'd like for it normally like if they can confidently do it relatively reliably for at least a couple minutes okay right that's really nice to have the heel right because that's longer than you're normally going to need to use it for in a typical situation
Will training take his personality away?
The stated goal is the opposite: the dog goes home with the same personality and just knows how to listen. Trainers here say correcting every bit of excitement takes a dog's spirit away, and that the dog doesn't have to be military.
On film
two precessions just on one thing because i want to encourage it and show there's a punishment without actually shutting her down because my ideal scenario is that every single dog goes home and they have their personalities are the exact same
It doesn't have to be military.
Is a service or protection dog held to a different standard?
Yes. For a service dog, not breaking a command because of 'action', long public downs, and a heel that does not depend on treats; one trainer suggests a vest to switch between work and pet modes. A protection prospect's behaviour is judged against the work she is headed for.
On film
entirely reliant on you just like holding a treat here is to heal um and like that's not like workable at all for service dog stuff
if we do the vest training for service work and teach him, like, when the vest is on, it's more strict
The lesson
The goal
Trainer and owner agree, out loud, what 'finished' means for this dog, from what the dog is for and what the household will use - and the trainer spends correction only on that.
Learn first
See it done
- Bo: The pet-dog standard stated and applied: correct the sniffing, leave the rest. Watch ↗
- Dutchess: A trainer predicting which behaviours this household will actually use. Watch ↗
- Piglet: A failed competition down counted as a win for real life. Watch ↗
- Doja: The three house priorities. Watch ↗
The drill
From the record: at intake and again before the last weeks, list what the household will use most (King watch 18:06; Dutchess watch 03:43) and put the remaining sessions there. Decide in advance which faults will be corrected on a given walk and let the rest go (Bo watch 14:22, 20:31). Check the result with the owner handling, not the trainer (Deuce watch 16:48).
Watch out for
- Training what impresses instead of what gets used.
- Correcting untidiness that teaches nothing wrong.
- Measuring the dog on the trainer rather than the family.
- Applying a service or competition bar to a pet, or a pet bar to a service dog.
Check yourself
A family's dog sits and then folds into a down at a café. Correct it or not - and what would change your answer?