Measurement Guide

not necessary. However, it would be good for you to
know how to condition for this command if your dog
struggles with remaining sitting. To reinforce sitting,
apply a light amount of upward leash pressure to its
collar and command “Stay” as you start to move away
and toward the end of the leash. Your dog will likely
get up and try to move with you. If this occurs, stop it
with “No,” reseat the dog with “Sit” and repeat “Stay”
with another upward tug on the leash. It should not
take too many corrections before your dog figures this
puzzle out. Should it continually refuse to stay, add
increasing amounts of leash pressure and stronger
“No” commands until it obeys. You may need to be
more patient here than any other place. You have
already conditioned your dog to move with you at heel
as you move away and many dogs think this is what you
want now instead of remaining seated. Correction for
mistakes, rewards for positive responses, and repetition
will quickly condition your dog to this command.
A DIRECTIONAL COMMAND: KENNEL
You will often require your dog to enter different areas
and objects: airline crates, vehicles, buildings, boats,
duck blinds and fenced areas are just a few examples.
You will use the command “Kennel” to tell your dog to
enter what is in front of it. Always use the command
“Sit” before you ask a dog to enter. If you give your dog
a chance to sit and look into the area it is being asked
to enter, it will be far more likely to perform this skill
without a fight. By looking into this area, your dog can
see that the boogie man is not waiting inside.
What should you do if your dog decides it does not
want to enter? You know it will give to the pressure of
a leash, so lead it into the proper area and command
“Kennel.” Once in the correct place, stroke pup on
the shoulder until you see acceptance via the swallow
response. Repeat this routine until you start to develop
a conditioned response to your command. Some dogs
fight this entry with a great deal of vigor. If your dog
chooses this option, be sure to maintain leash pressure
until you get the desired response. Once it understands
that there is no danger in these areas, it will be glad to
enter upon command.
Think about your individual training situation and see
if you can create opportunities to work on the “Kennel”
command. This can be accomplished by having an
airline crate with you while doing your dog’s obedience
routine or working in an area close to the entrance of
your home where the doorway becomes the area in
which your dog is commanded to enter. Or, you could
use your vehicle, and this will be very handy when you
take your dog to other training areas.
TRAINING
YOUR DOG
13-14
Have you ever seen a
dog that won’t listen
when it is not wearing its
e-collar? That dog is what
we call “collar-wise.” The
problem starts when a
dog misbehaves and the
owner responds by only
then strapping on the
e-collar. The dog quickly
associates the
e-collar with punishment
and knows that
consequences to
misbehavior can only
happen when that collar is
around its neck.
Luckily, the collar-wise
problem is easy to
avoid through “pre-
conditioning.”
This simply means
that you place the
e-collar on your dog
every time you go to do
something that the dog
associates with fun or
freedom. This happens
even before serious
obedience training begins
and long before you
actually turn the e-collar
on.
Because your dog will
eventually associate the
e-collar with being free
and loose, it will never
know the e-collar is the
source of discipline.
A TRAINING TIP FROM TOM DOKKEN / DON’T CREATE A “COLLAR-WISE” DOG
400-1131.indd 16-17 9/14/09 11:09:26 AM