08/26/2026
In this video, we’re working on stability in the Place position.
Place is an elevated surface. The dog can move around, sit, lay down, whatever—but they can’t get off, and in this case, Onyx can’t bark either.
The floor is hot lava. Stay on Place until I release you.
We’re also working on recall.
Sometimes people think saying the dog’s name means the dog should automatically come to you. I don’t necessarily want that. When I say your name, I want your attention. Then I tell you what I need you to do.
Because I might call your name and need you to do something other than come.
And pay attention to the body movements you see me doing too.
Patting your leg, clapping your hands, bending down like you’re about to do a little play bow—all that stuff is almost a universal way people call dogs. People do it to dogs all the time.
So if every time you say “Here,” you’re also clapping, patting your leg, and bending over, the dog may actually be following your body, not listening to your voice.
I want the dog to hear “Here” and understand what that word means.
That matters because recall is one of the most important things you can teach. If you can’t get your dog back to you, you got a whole different problem.
And that goes into management.
You’re dealing with an opportunistic predator. Your dog is going to figure out where the boundaries are and where they can get an edge.
So you have to know what your standard is, and you have to know how you’re going to respond when the dog tests it.
As far as Onyx, he’s capable. He just tends to freeze when he’s learning instead of immediately trying to figure it out. The weird part is, he actually learns pretty fast. He just wants to engage with it slow.
That’s what we’re working through.
