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Hi Taylor! Thank you for sharing!
For the conditioned punisher (foot work) it may help the reader to understand that the movement in the opposite direction of the dog’s error should be completed and separate from the leash pump (just like the no is completed and separate with time allowed for the dog to adjust).
The escape conditioning looked good although my thought about making the leash pump without a command the goal is that it may cause side effects when doing phase 3.My goal is to have off leash, prompt free obedience, and while it is helpful for the dog to be able to directionally follow the leash (and a silent leash pumps can be used as help) I stress the importance of naming our corrections and proper timing mechanically. I am sure this is me nitpicking but command structure is the heart of FSDT handlers being predictable and the dog being the operator.
I agree with @DesertDog that pace changes and direction changes are my got to start escape conditioning in heel. This also helps teach the client and dog the foot work in an intuitive way (helping both learn to multitask and directing attention to the inside leg).
I also suggest that for this portion the client set toys and distractions out BEFORE hand instead of tossing a ball or squeaky. This allows them to focus on leash handling and rewards and makes the breaking more organic. Once escape conditioning is complete then I have clients practice holding toys, tossing them etc. Again, maybe a nit pik, but its a small change that may make a significant difference for the clients and dogs that are immature in their training and don’t have the muscle memory yet.
