Field notes · Dog training in Angier & Raleigh, NC
What happens in a first dog training session?
Mostly watching. What he offers, what he avoids, what he enjoys, before a single command. Changing the plan after watching is the point of it.
In the trainer's words
I changed my mind about the ball.Kelton, Head Trainer, Angier K9 Consultants
Seen with 5 dogs: Bun, Kane, Kodak, Finn, Reaper
19 recorded moments, each one linked to the exact second it happens in a full training session published unedited. Trainers call this assess before you ask.
3:11
Why he isn't picky about which side yet
12:04
Insecurity, not disobedience
16:16
Why he lay down instead of finding heel
38:44
He forgot about it and went back to sniffing
0:12
Which game does Kane want?
2:02
I gave the ball 3/10. Then Kane changed my mind.
5:15
Let him explore. Then ask for something.
7:00
The ball changed today’s plan.
5:03
"Much better on the sit than I thought" — next assignment
28:14
Everything you've said is exactly what I thought it was
9:08
Natural dog movement. Doggy things
15:54
With Finn, it's two seconds of duration, and that's the session
1:55
"Is that a chocolate lab?" — a stranger chats, and Finn stands there
24:54
Two things to do on every walk
44:25
You didn't lock the leash up." "No, I was ready." "You let him make a choice
16:06
Christian, a leather leash, a working yard
11:47
A walk is where you find out what he does about people and dogs
24:00
"He's a very reactive dog still" — and what is anticipated
Related questions
Recognize your own dog in this?
Most people who call us have already been told their dog is a lost cause, or that they should manage it and hope. We train dogs in Angier, Raleigh and across the Triangle, and we take the serious aggression and reactivity cases that other programs turn down.
How it works: tell us what your dog is actually doing. We tell you honestly whether we can help, including when the answer is no. If we can, you leave with a plan and a start date.
What you get back is a dog whose world gets bigger instead of smaller.
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