Field notes · Dog training in Angier & Raleigh, NC
What toy should I use to train my dog?
The one he actually wants. Offer a ball, a tug and a flirt pole and watch which he picks, instead of deciding for him.
In the trainer's words
We're going to see if he wants to play. We're going to try ball. We're going to try tug. We're going to try the flirt pole.Kelton, Head Trainer, Angier K9 Consultants
Seen with 6 dogs: Bun, Kane, Kodak, Beo, Finn, Reaper
23 recorded moments, each one linked to the exact second it happens in a full training session published unedited. Trainers call this find the game he wants.
22:47
The actual rule list
24:10
You have to make the puzzle harder again
24:38
What he actually learned: lure, pressure, point
15:58
Coping skills, and a jog after stress
0:12
Which game does Kane want?
2:02
I gave the ball 3/10. Then Kane changed my mind.
7:33
Can play become the reward?
7:00
The ball changed today’s plan.
4:03
"Not anything huge on the ball" — so change the plan
4:51
Personal play, when no toy lands
5:35
Toys out, tools out — nobody asks Finn for anything
15:35
Play drive, or fright? Reading which one is happening
7:37
Zuri desperately wants to play with him
9:16
"Please sniff me. Just sniff me." No
34:26
She's supposed to play with you, man
42:41
Look at that tail wag
12:56
He wants to play tug
7:56
Did he ever end up playing with that tug toy?" — "No. I tried
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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