Field notes · Dog training in Angier & Raleigh, NC

How do you get a dog to listen without a leash?

The leash teaches the behavior first. Once he understands it, the responsibility moves to something that still works at a distance, so the leash can come off without the behavior going with it.

Bun, episode 9. That's the only rule

Bun, episode 18. Show the motion, then mark it with the word

In the trainer's words

That kind of takes the obligation away from it being leash pressure. And now instead, the obligation comes from the e-collar.Kelton, Head Trainer, Angier K9 Consultants

Seen with 5 dogs: Bun, Kane, Beo, Finn, Reaper

71 recorded moments, each one linked to the exact second it happens in a full training session published unedited. Trainers call this transferring the obligation.

That's the only rule 0:52
Bun · episode 9

That's the only rule

Show the motion, then mark it with the word 14:16
Bun · episode 18

Show the motion, then mark it with the word

The obligation moves from leash to collar 14:41
Bun · episode 19

The obligation moves from leash to collar

The goal is to stop needing it 15:04
Bun · episode 20

The goal is to stop needing it

The actual rule list 22:47
Bun · episode 27

The actual rule list

The collar twice — a smaller reaction than before 42:38
Bun · episode 48

The collar twice — a smaller reaction than before

You did it. I'm glad I went for it. 43:05
Bun · episode 49

You did it. I'm glad I went for it.

Meeting Zuri Chan 2:11
Bun · episode 50

Meeting Zuri Chan

Negative reinforcement, defined by its user 21:34
Bun · episode 59

Negative reinforcement, defined by its user

A down between the stairs 34:21
Bun · episode 65

A down between the stairs

That was off nothing. No leash. No body language. No e-collar. 13:30
Bun · episode 81

That was off nothing. No leash. No body language. No e-collar.

Go back and watch those early sessions 7:28
Bun · episode 90

Go back and watch those early sessions

No more lunging or panicking or freaking out 11:20
Bun · episode 93

No more lunging or panicking or freaking out

"That was perfect" — one last heel 57:39
Bun · episode 107

"That was perfect" — one last heel

What makes a good helper dog 9:41
Bun · episode 109

What makes a good helper dog

Social pressure, continued 26:52
Bun · episode 113

Social pressure, continued

Combining social pressure and the collar 29:24
Bun · episode 114

Combining social pressure and the collar

Pressure until the behavior, then relief, then reward 29:50
Bun · episode 115

Pressure until the behavior, then relief, then reward

Related questions

Why does my dog only listen when I'm pulling the leash?Your dog learns from the moment the pressure stops, not from the...How do I stop my dog reacting to other dogs?Stopping the lunging is not the same as changing how he feels. S...Does my dog actually know the command?Often he knows your hand, your body or the leash instead of the ...How can I tell what my dog is feeling?Watch what he does when nobody is asking anything. Ears, tail, p...When is it safe to let my dog off the leash?Later than most people think. A dog who is starting off-leash wo...How do I build my dog's confidence?A nervous dog doesn't get braver by being kept away from what wo...

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.

Book a free consultation