HOMEWORK: Week 2 = The "OUT!" why it works and how it works (instruction + videos)

  

Week 2: Dog becomes responsible for its position

Pre/Post-Training Session protocol

IMPORTANT: Always kennel your dog for at least an hour before working it. The dog should have NO food at least 4 hours prior to the workout and NO water an hour before the workout. When you are done with your LL workout, do a cool-down time of approximately 12-20 minutes. This is done by giving your dog their release word, dropping the LL on the ground (you may hold on end for safety, but not in the Ready Position used for LL, your hand should be beside your body and moving naturally as you stroll home. The cool-down is a casual, non-working, non-playing time, just a casual stroll home.

Offer your dog water when home, then kennel up again for a minimum of 30 minutes and/or do The Quiet Time with the dog for 30 minutes.
FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE EVERY TIME YOU WORK YOUR DOG.

Some things don’t change during this course. 
The Pre/Post-Training Session protocol remains the same for each workout. ______________________________________________________________

Understanding the difference between a ‘correction’ and an ‘applied punisher’ are critical to your training success with your dog.  

Tony Ancheta, head of Koehler Dog Training, states the following:

“A leash and collar can be used as a correction - if the effect is to increase the frequency of a target behavior in the future.

A leash and collar can be used as a punisher - if the effect is to decrease the frequency of some unwanted behavior in the future.”

When to use corrections versus when to use punishers? To answer this question we need to consider the effects of corrections and punishers - they are not the same.

Corrections are used to increase the frequency of a specific behaviour in the future.
Punishers are used to decrease the frequency of a specific behaviour in the future.

So, when asked the question: “When correcting a dog for having broken a stay, are you: a) Punishing the dog for breaking the stay; or b) Helping the dog to better understand his responsibility to the fundamental requirement of the behavior? 

There can only be one correct answer, at least at the level of teaching the fundamental requirement: one is helping the dog to better understand – thereby ensuring correct performance in the future.

So, when might one ever punish a dog for breaking a stay? 

Never; not if the effort is being made to teach the dog to more surely hold the stay.”

Let’s talk then about the “Out!” which is an Applied Punisher which means “STOP IT NOW”.  There are 4 behaviors to watch for in a dog that justifies using the “OUT!”. Remember, the 4 “L-s”

L = Look

L = Lock

L = Load

L = Lunge

When you want to “STOP” the dog’s behavior at the Look, or at the Lock, or at the Load.  If the dog is already at the Lunge, it’s too late.  Each dog has its own telltale signs of its LLLL dynamics so you watch the dog.  For instance, a dog that is biting another dog or a human is already at the Lunge stage so the opportunity to effectively communicate to the said dog “STOP THIS NOW!” has passed. That doesn’t mean you don’t use the “OUT!”, it just means you need to pay more attention to that dog to know what its LLLL dynamics are respond more quickly. 

For instance. Can you use the “OUT!” when the dog has a dirty thought, is eyeing another dog, is growling or hackled and thinking about lunging?  Yes. Where? Look at it from this perspective.

Dog has a dirty thought = Look

Dog is eyeing another dog = Lock

Dog is growling or hackling = Load

At any of these first three “L’s”, use the “OUT!” to stop the dog’s behavior. If you wait….

Dog lunges = Lunge.  The action is done already.  So pay attention to your dog, learn to recognize their specific LLLL dynamics, and respond correctly, timely and effectively. Remember:

A leash and collar can be used as a punisher - if the effect is to decrease the frequency of some unwanted behavior in the future.” This is when the leash and collar is the punisher for using “OUT!”

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Heeling is taught this week which puts more responsibility on the dog to find ‘the Safety Zone’ by your left side. During Week 1, the LL ‘the Safety Zone’ was a 5’ radius on your left side.  This week ‘the Safety Zone’ shrinks to within a 2’ radius on your left side.  The dog’s head is aligned with the seam of your left pant leg, his rear should be in line with this head while his shoulders/hips travel the same parallel line you are walking.

You will need a training area with approximately 200’ long with borders on either side of about 40’. You want to work areas where the surfaces are of the same material, flat and level, i.e. a parking lot or a grassy mowed field. Bring the dog into the training area on a 6’ leather leash.  If you passed the Week 1 Readiness Test on the LL, the dog should no longer by hauling you about as the dog knows as soon as it moves away from ‘the Safety Zone’, you will head in the opposite direction.

Week 1, you learned to hold the LL in the Ready Position.  When handling the leash, you hold the leash the same, loop on right thumb with a safety loop and keep hand by the right thigh, called the Walking Position. What is most important is that the remaining part below the safety loop hits below the handlers left knee (see page 40 of the Koehler book). This allows the knee to do the work load communicating to the dog, as you making your turns, what direction it is to go.

Locate a fixed position where you are heading as you will be walking briskly and with purpose (no lollygagging or strolling about aimlessly). Say “Fido, heel” as you step off on your left foot and move immediately forward.

There are 3 turns to use this week. Deciding which turn to use is based on where your dog is in relationship to you as you are heeling.

Dog is forging ahead of you = Right About Training Turn (throw out the slack, do a 180 degree turn, take a running step as you collect the leash back into the Walking Position as you continue to heel dog)

Dog is lagging behind or wide (more than 2’) away from you = Right Training Turn (take a sharp 90 degree turn to your right then take 1-2 running steps and continue to heel)

Dog is just beginning to forge ahead of you (within 1’ of your left leg) = Left Training Turn (snub leash up with left hand on thigh as you simultaneously make sharp left turn into your dog’s chest and continue to heel)

The Sit
The Sit will become your dog's most important position. It is the first obedience position taught, as it is ALWAYS a reward for your dog as EVERY SIT, EVERY TIME, your dog is praised. Why is this so important? Because it teaches the dog to seek self-actualization, through relaxing into the Sit, to earn the praise offered by the human.

IT IS CRITICAL to PRAISE FOR EVERY SIT, EVERY TIME.

In time, the Sit position becomes a default for a dog that needs to gain control of itself as the dog has learned to relax into the Sit position, the Sit becomes intrinsic to the dog, and is a unique position that allows a dog to learn to regulate itself.  Since EVERY other exercise comes from the Sit, it is critical, this week, the owner be consistent and steady to remember EVERY SIT, EVERY TIME = PRAISE.

Days 1 & 2

After fifteen paces of good responsible heeling, come to a stop while sliding your left hand down the leash to stop at the stitching. This will stop the dog’s forward motion. Be sure to time it so that he stops in the heel position. Replace the left hand with the right hand and pull upward as your left hand finds the dog’s rump to scoop under. As soon as the dog assumes the sitting position, immediately relax the leash. The dog’s reward is your praise and the slack collar.  Review chapter V and videos.

1. Heel and keep hands at chest level/or right hand in Walking Position
2. Footwork sequence doesn't matter on halting at this point in the training
3. Slow steps as you turn your left shoulder towards dog does matter
4. Left hand slides down leash and becomes a fist just above the snap bolt (keep hands on leather)
5. Halt 
6. As right hand replaces left hand, still maintaining slight upward pressure, left hand shapes dog into a Sit.
7. Praise

Days 3 & 4

Proceed exactly as Days 1 and 2, but a fraction of a second before his rear end hits the ground, give the command “Fido, sit!” Your dog will come to know that whenever you say “Sit” and his rear end hits the ground he will receive praise. Repeat this 25 times per night for two nights

1. Heel and keep hands at chest level/or right hand in Walking Position.
2. Footwork sequence doesn't matter on halting at this point in the training
3. Slow steps as you turn your left shoulder towards dog does matter
4. Left hand slides down leash and becomes a fist just above the snap bolt (keep hands on leather)
5. Halt 
6. As right hand, also now in a fist, still maintaining slight upward pressure, left hand shapes dog into a Sit.
7. Command, "Sit"
8. Praise

  Days 5 & 6

Major change in your handling, so pay attention. After your dog has correctly heeled for the required fifteen paces, you will come to a stop, have him sit and praise him. The difference? This time when you come to a stop, I want you to slide your left hand down the leash and move your other hand right next to it. Command “Fido, Sit,” and give him two seconds to respond. If he does not Sit, you are postured to make a correction.

Simply jerk straight up on the leash with enough effort that his head goes up and the rear goes down - keep the pressure upward until the dog's buttocks are on the ground. As soon as your dog is sitting praise him and release any tension on the leash so dog has slack collar. Make sure that you are effective with the first correction. But, if your first correction failed to make him sit, bend at the knee and give him another correction. Do not give a second command. Never give the dog a second command. Just make him Sit in the heel position and praise him when he does. Repeat this 25 times per night for two nights. (see video and chapter 6)

“A leash and collar can be used as a correction - if the effect is to increase the frequency of a target behavior in the future.

1. Heel and keep hands at chest level/or right hand in Walking Position
2. Footwork sequence doesn't matter on halting at this point in the training
3. Slow steps as you turn your left shoulder towards dog does matter
4. Left hand slides down leash and becomes a fist just above the snap bolt (keep hands on leather)
5. Halt 
6. As right hand, also now in a fist, touches left hand, palms down to the ground
7. Command, "Sit"
8. Give dog "1..2" seconds to Sit. If not within 2 seconds, give a Sit Correction. Sit Correction is the hands simply stay on the leash, but instead of being horizontal to the ground (the hand signal for Sit next to dog's right eye), the hands go vertical as steady, upward pressure is applied.
9. Praise

For your education, ask yourself why you are praising the dog? We stopped our forward progress for no other reason than to praise the dog for the action of correct heeling. The fact that he had to Sit in order to receive the praise is, at this time, incidental. Oh, he must Sit, but only to receive praise for correct heeling.