Leaderboard

Sounds like a great plan and you have awesome goodies to reinforce all desired behaviors. This trainer seems to be on the same page as me when it come to methods (like desensitizing to triggers, look at that, about turns, impulse control training and using kibble for indoor, easier exercises). I am glad to hear that Esther is improving in her training. I am sure your dogs love all the extra attention and training you are providing, even though it means to get up so early. I am not a morning person, so I know how it must feel.😁 On the positive side, it will all pay back nicely as you start reaping the rewards that come with all the training.

I'm going to add, always praise him for coming. Even if it took 10 minutes, refrain from negativity. Say you're late to a friend's house and they greet you enthusiastically and was happy to see you vs arriving at a friend's house and they yell and gripe at you for being late. Which friend are you going to want to visit again? Cannot agree more on this one, even if it's difficult, and specially for us during the teenage phase : last experience : we were walking, and he was with a doggie friend, we let them loose to play fully in a field, which is next to the forest... the 2 rascals started to play next to us normally and at some point, they decided having an adventure in the forest was much more fun... they fled like bullets deep in the forest... and took almost half an hour to come back... Emotional roller coaster. Just pissed at first, then annoyed, then angry, then afraid something happened, then sad because we thought of the end... And then they came back to us, just happy... I would have killed him on the spot for the emotional ride, and the total absence of obedience... but we praised and rewarded the coming back, otherwise he would quickly think "when I come back I get grounded / scholded".... punishment was ending the walk on short leash while he's usually on long leash