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Has KJ done escape conditioning on the flexi before? She looks great and is so grown up! She is very pretty!
Just a couple notes: It’s hard to tell if she is responding to the noticeable leash pull or the nick on the flexi. Before cutting dogs off leash I like to see them favorably respond to the nick with out the leash pull.
Has she received corrections for leaving the command? This is usually how I begin phase 3 escape conditioning with any command, as it is helpful for them if first time they feel the nick is for leaving the command as it is easier to adjust and easier for us to help them.
What tips are on the collar? Sometimes with long haired dogs they need different contact points to reach through the fur consistently. When they drop their head to sniff the connection fails and they dont feel the collar, when they pick their head up it may reconnect and the stim may surprise them because they didn’t feel it before. This can make the command structure not match the mechanics and may cause side effects (I don’t know that this is a problem here, just something to think about).
When using food to set up these drills I make sure I can offer a reward of increased value. I want the reward for recall to be better than the food the dog is eating off the ground. I take special treats with me when I am going out to practice. This way if I recall off an animal or the dog performs well I can offer them something special on top of premack or freedom. I don’t do it all the time but there is incredible power in a high value variable reward.
