If done after mastering the previous two phases, Phase 3 obedience adds the motivation to achieve the most reliable obedience scientifically possible. Ultimately, this greatly improves the dog's quality of life through less discipline in higher distraction environments.
Training the dog to be reliably obedient off-leash in all feasible situations is also possible during this phase.
This is done by using the concept of "escalating corrections". Which means that although minimal amount of discomfort is always used to achieve results when applying discipline, the amount of discomfort used may escalate if it is not motivational enough to encourage the behavior change needed.
Because there can be serious side effects to misusing Phase 3, these 2 rules must always be followed:
- Do not attempt any command in phase 3 unless the dog absolutely understands the definition of the command and ALL steps from Phase 1 and Phase 2 are complete.
- The handler must be honest with oneself and ask, "Do I understand and execute the command structure perfectly to the dog?" If the handler is sloppy, DO NOT work on this phase.
When choosing a Phase 3 training tool, be sure to choose one that has low potential to cause physical injury, unnecessary pain, and fearful responses if used correctly. Currently there are only a few modern devices we recommend. If one is not available do DO NOT use alternatives or you will risk encountering those unnecessary side effects.