All right, this is e-collar live lesson number three, teaching the place command with the e-collar. So during the teaching phase of teaching the place command to your dog on the e-collar, we are going to begin non-verbally. We are just going to use the stimulus to send the dog to place.
So when we begin, we are going to start the stimulus, slowly turn it up until the dog makes any effort toward the place command. We're not using a high level of stimulus here, but rather slow and steady to allow the dog to think about what is turning the stim on and off. And again, we're not using that non-verbal phase in order to be unkind to the dog. It is so they can work through and problem solve on their own about what is going to turn that stimulation off.
So once the dog makes any effort toward the place caught, you're going to stop the stimulus and use your bridge. Good. Use that intermediate marker. And once your dog has all four feet on the place caught, yes and reward, and then quickly break. The goal in the teaching phase is high repetition, not duration.
You can use multiple places during the teaching phase. The dog bed, the place caught, any elevated space. And use your body pressure and the leash to help when necessary. Definitely don't be afraid to help your dog, but also don't help. too early.
There is a fine line here. So after we go through that nonverbal teaching phase, we can then begin introducing our verbal marker again. So now we are using the command to send the dog to place stimulus if needed. Everything is going to be the same as the nonverbal communication. You're just adding in the command before the stimulus.
As long as we know that the dog is feeling the stimulus, there is no need to turn it up. We will... help more in this phase.
We always want to give the dog one to two seconds after the command to think about it before we add the stimulus. So the formula there is going to be you give your verbal command, place, add the stimulation. As long as your dog is making an effort to go toward that place caught, you introduce your intermediate marker. Good.
Once all four feet are on, yes and reward, and then break. When we enter the application phase for the place command with e-collar, we are still using escape training. So the stimulus is being held while sending the dog to place on that working number and also if the dog breaks the command. So if your dog gets off place without permission, you are going to be applying the stimulus in order to get your dog to go back on. When we are beginning that escape training, the first two to three reps, you can roll up from zero to find the working number from that session.
That is in order to make sure that your dog hasn't increased in sensitivity. For example, if your dog was working on a seven in the previous lesson, they might be working on a five in the next one. So we wouldn't want to be using a seven if that number is no longer their working number for the following session. Now your dog should be fluent in what turns the stimulus on and off once you've entered the application phase, and they should understand that rolling up and rolling down is in relation to where they are physically from that place got.
We will begin to turn up faster and have some larger consequences for getting off. If we don't do that, it is harder to get the dog to stay for longer periods. So during this application phase, the consequences are larger because we have higher expectations for the dog. We are no longer teaching them the command, we are applying it for real life circumstances.
So we're rewarding incrementally. Not for every single time the dog goes to place. And when the dog gets off place without being released, you will start at whatever level of stimulus it took for you to get the dog there.
Hold that level unless the dog is ignoring you, and then slowly roll that level up until you have the dog's attention. As long as you have the dog's attention, hold that level until the dog gets back to place. You may need to help some with your body with spatial pressure, but try not to use the leash unless absolutely necessary. Once the dog is back on place, you're going to turn the collar up five to ten levels and be ready to correct the dog, starting at a higher level when it gets off of place again.
You will incrementally increase this every time you have to remind the dog to get back. The goal here is not to be in high levels, but rather to be at a level that is motivating the dog without shutting them down, which is why we are only increasing by five to ten. Once we enter the proofing phase of the e-collar place command, We enter avoidance training as opposed to escape training. Avoidance training is where the dog is going to learn that the stimulus does not have to come on.
as long as it follows the command perfectly. The dog can avoid the stimulus if they react with the correct motion in the appropriate amount of time. In the proofing phase, this is where we can introduce setups and distractions because the dog is now fluent in duration.
So they can stay on place with minimal distractions for long periods of time. So we're going to gradually increase the difficulty level by adding in triggers and different environments. We will now turn faster, turn that stimulation on faster. if the dog does not comply after the command, still turning off the stimulus when effort is made. The consequence for getting off without being released is also going to be higher than it was before and we are going to reward only when it's done correctly.
Some examples of some setups and distractions that we can introduce when proofing the place command are doorbells, visitors walking in the door, strangers, dogs, and bikes at a park walking by, skateboards and scooters going by, assuming that the dog has no fear or anxiety around these objects. Once we are in the maintenance phase of the e-caller place command, the dog should be fully functional with the e-stimulus and the place command. It should be able to hold duration and you should be able to send a place with any distraction or environment or distance. We now use the command in lifestyle.