10/18/2022
Very well said! Baby steps guys!
A very common question I get from owners when a dog is here for Board & Train: “well what happens when…”
Nothing. Nothing happens when… because I don’t set the dog up to fail like that.
I train and prepare a dog. Baby steps. LEASH ON. We trainers, we use a leash a lot, and for a very long time, for a reason.
A leash is a communication tool, not simply a restraint tool.
I am not going to see what your dog does without a leash until they know what to do WITH a leash.
I am not going to see what your dog does when someone knocks until I see that they know how to act when someone doesn’t and just walks in.
I am not going to see your dog’s reaction to situation B, until I know they can respond appropriately to situation A.
When trainers do things in small steps and with leashes on, it’s because we are TEACHING. We aren’t running around, throwing dogs into situations that could be scary or stressful, hoping for the best and crossing our fingers which are subsequently sitting on an ecollar button.
How would you feel if you went to school, were told to do a geometry problem when all you know is basic math, then socked in the face when you get it wrong?
The LEASH is the ultimate teaching tool. It’s how we teach the geometry to the student who only knows basic math. It’s how we communicate.
If your dog can’t do it ON a leash, your dog can’t do it OFF a leash.
Put the leash on the dog.
