Week 7: Dog learns Acceptance The tab, and light line are unique in their simplicity. The “tab” is nothing more than a six inch loop, fabricated from a piece of soft yet strong cord, hanging from the running ring of the collar. The “light line” is a piece of strong yet light line. A good example of light line material is BRAIDED NYLON MASONS LINE. You will find it at most major hardware stores. Be sure the packaging defines “braided”, not twisted. You can also use 550 parachute cord which is what I prefer for a dog just learning off-leash. You will need about 100’ of light line. Reserve the rest, we’ll use it later. I recommend a color that will show up easily on ground (dirt) or grass, I do NOT recommend the neon colors as they never soften and become flexible like the regular colors. Before you start your training, lay the line in an area of low level distraction (days 1&2). Start each training session by working lesson 6, reserving the last 20 minutes of your training session for lesson seven. Special Glossary On-leash: The leash is connected to the collar as usual. Bridging link: The leash is attached to a one inch diameter loop tied in the light line about 18 from one end. Off-leash: With light line attached to the “Tab”, throw-chain in hand, and leash removed from dog. Back-up line: A 4-6’ light line that is also looped on knot at end of tab and simply tucked into your pant pocket if you are in an area that is not safe or is not fenced. We will use days 1&2 to familiarize you and your dog with the light line, and the concept of pattern training. These two effects will be used to produce reliability beyond contention in your dog. Note that I referred to the light line as an “effect”. The light line is never used as a tool. It is simply a means for preventing the dog from avoiding a correction. Some people are absolutely baffled by the simplicity of this effect and how it is produced; and I mean baffled to the point of useless confusion. Perhaps this is a good time to read chapter XV. Now that you understand, at least intellectually, the effect of the line; let’s start pattern training the dog. Bring the dog into the area where the line is laid out and tie it to the tab. You will need to tie a “bridging link” (a knotted loop about an inch in diameter), 18 inches down the line. You should now be standing with the dog in the heel position, your leash attached to the running ring of the collar, and a tab hanging from the same ring. Attached to the tab is your light line with a bridging link tied in it 18 inches down. *REMEMBER - this week verbally encourage your dog every time you move forward, "Heel" and for EVERY turn. BE AWARE THE LINE IS NOT A LEASH AND IF YOU ATTEMPT TO USE IT LIKE A LEASH, WHEN THERE IS ENOUGH PRESSURE, THE LINE WILL CUT OR BURN OR MELT YOUR SKIN. Use all the other tools in your dog training tool kit you have learned to keep your dog in heel position. NEVER LET A DOG LEARN THEY AREN'T IN YOUR CONTROL NOW WITH A LEASH. THE DOG MUST BELIEVE YOU STILL HAVE CONTROL AS YOU TRANSITION TO OFF-LEASH. It is your responsibility to keep your dog within a 6" to 15" heel position AT ALL TIMES. If your dog is struggling, do Auto Halts so your dog can Sit and be praised. If your dog is lagging or going wide, do an immediate Left About Turn (TC in right hand) and as you pass your dog's buttocks, drop the TC and command "Heel". If your dog is forging slightly, simply drop the TC (TC in left hand) and do a quick Auto Sit. If your dog is not paying attention, do pace changes. If your dog is sniffing, do a Heads-up, while moving, and continue to move. IF you are nervous about working off-leash, work in an enclosed or semi-enclosed area such as a tennis court or anywhere with a fence or wall or boundary. If your dog bolts ahead of you (shouldn't after just doing Recalls with TC in Week 6), step on the line and do an immediate "Fido, Come". You should have TC in hand in case you need it. THINK. Be prepared with your TC in hand, pick an area of low distractions, and an environment where your dog has the greatest opportunity to succeed. IF the off-leash ISN'T working, switch immediately to leash and do some very brisk leash handling, pace changes, turns, Auto Sits, and etc. The point of this week is to transition to off-leash. That doesn't mean you won't have challenges (you will), unexpected distractions (they always show up), and that you won't be confused (you will) as you learn to handle the leash, the dragging line, keep the TC's in hand, remember to verbally encourage AND compensate for whatever your dog does. You are looking for your dog to succeed by remaining within proper heel position while heeling. THIS IS A HARD WEEK as there are a lot of things happening all at once and it is initially confusing. So make sure where/when you do the light line work (after a good 20 obedience training on leash) and make every effort to have your dog succeed. You need to focus 100% on your dog and your handling. Less done well is FAR, FAR better than more done poorly. Let’s get started. This is where pattern training greatly benefits your dog. AGAIN remember - this week verbally encourage your dog every time you move forward, "Heel" and for EVERY turn. On Number of paces: Number of paces on: Number of paces: Day: On-leash Bridging link Off-leash 1 20 10 0 2 20 20 0 3 20 30 10 4 20 20 20 5 20 10 30 6 20 5 40 7 20 0 40 Red dog demo's light line work Pree's demo's light line intro Boaz's intro to light lines Setup for initial light line work in public place with low distractions Week 7: Light line set up for use in public place Week 7: How to hook light lines to the tab + backup line Week 7: Boaz's 1st intro to light lines + TC for lagging Day 2 Grab some coffee/hot tea, hook up a dog for QT and watch these SloMo video of Boaz's Day 2: Light Lines. There is a great deal to learn...if you watch and watch and then watch again. I am exceedingly delighted with the trainability of Boaz. Never, in ALL the dogs I've worked with myself and with ALL my students' dogs, have I worked with such a willing temperament, eager to understand and do right, with very little corrections needed, at all. One or two corrections, and Boaz - like Pree - seem to grasp what to do and remember it. I LOVE the temperament I see in Boaz and am grateful for the effort I made, and Ellen too, to make the long trek to MD to test the Maya/Ruger litter and choose Boaz. Sure requires my training hands to be light, precise, and for my praise to be immediate and done ever so quickly. Many thanks to Faber Labs for being willing to provide a place to do the Volhard Puppy Temperament Test (a 1st for them). Many thanks to Cashman Kennels for their commitment to breeding excellence. Cashman's stud dog, Trooper, is responsible for producing the Boaz temperament I wanted (trainability) which was passed down through Maya (the dam). Of course, Boaz gets his coloring, his staunch (showing up now) point, and his wrinkly & expressive face from his sire, Ruger of Cashman Kennels. From both Maya (Faber Labs) & Ruger (Cashman Kennels) Boaz has an intense retrieve drive that is impressive to train BUT Boaz also has the much desired trainability with an 'off-switch' to switch him from retrieve (prey drive) to obedience (social drive). Can't say enough great things about training Boaz. Was it worth 3+ years of my life to obtain Boaz, as a prospective sire for my beloved Pree (from Kerrybrook Kennels)? From what I am seeing/experiencing in Boaz's Week 7: Off-leash response, I am exceedingly delighted with this now 7-month old Boaz. Slo Motion: Day 2 Day 4 Day 5 Walk away Stays Bring the dog to a place offering some distractions; a high school, or junior college football field/track are good examples of places to work this exercise. Equipment needed: a choke collar, a fifteen-foot Longe line and a helper. And yes, I mean to suggest that for the purpose of this exercise your helper has been de-humanized to represent no more than a fixture of the routine. Some signaling device suitable to allow the helper to communicate with you (with your back turned) would be helpful … perhaps a walkie-talkie? But a raised tracking flag – with you wearing a pair of the glasses that cyclists wear with a little outboard mirror can work just as well. Bring the dog onto the football field and place him into a Sit/Stay about five feet in front of the goal post. Leave him on a Stay, and then back-tie him to the post. You can use a Front Place Board. Do a Return to Your Dog and an Exercise Finish. Keep your movement short, as you only have about 12 feet of slack in the line. Get yourself and the dog back into the heel position about five feet from the goal post with the two of you looking down field 100 yard at the other goal post. I will refer to this position as the “Starting Position.” Your helper shall never be more than thirty feet from the dog and shall always be able to see the dog’s front feet, as well as the dog’s head position. For starters, let’s have the helper about 20 feet to the left of the dog and standing at about the ten o’clock position. For simplicity sake, let’s consider that as part of the ‘starting position’ as well. Okay, so everyone is in the starting position … the helper says: “Sit your dog,” (and pause 2,3,4,5,6,7,8) “Leave your dog.” You give your dog the ‘Stay’ command and/or signal and leave him, right foot first, and march directly toward the other goal post. STOP THAT! Don’t look back … don’t you dare look back, that defeats the whole purpose of this exercise. The dog must not become concerned that you and he are separating. He must become confident in that, lest he become anxious about the potential. All things good, you are (on Day One) going to march out to the ten-yard line, turn and face your dog, give him about a minute or so, and then return back to him. Upon your successful return around your dog (and pause 2,3,4,5,6,7,8) the helper will say: “Exercise finish.” All of the rules and strategy for the Sit/Stay with you out of sight apply, so make sure to get the lesson taught well in the first three days, while the distances are somewhat manageable. You don’t want to find yourself working at the proofing distances to find out that you left some goofing-gaps in the training. The distances? Day one: 10 yards Day two: 20 yards Day three: 40 yards Day four: 80 yards Day five thru twenty-one: 100 yards. Notes: The helper has three jobs. One is to monitor the dog and to signal you if you need to come back to make a correction (as per ‘Polishing’). His second job is to ‘run interference’ for you in the event that a loose dog should challenge yours. His third job is to become a reference ‘fixture’ which will serve a motivational cause and a legal effect. (Think that over.)
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