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  • Allie Dellosa

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    March 22, 2024 at 11:40 pm in reply to: The new beginning.
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    Hello! Thank you for sharing your work!!!!!! This is so helpful!!!!!

    My thoughts are that it might help to utilize command structure for a direction change so that the dog has predictable communication that a direction change is coming and when corrections do and don’t come.

    I use leash manners to teach dogs how to be comfortable on a leash and generally hang out on leash, but when it is time to walk, it allows the dog and handler more freedom and control to teach a heel.


    I agree teaching heel is helpful for dogs that are expected to walk on a loose leash as it reduces needed commands and therefore corrections.

    I have found that not giving a dog the option to avoid the correction with command structure can cause side effects (meaning the change and pop comes without the safe word “name…command”). I do have a command for a directional change but it follows the pattern of command structure. If I am teaching a phase 1 lesson there are no leash pumps, as escape conditioning has not yet been done.

    https://dogtraining.world/knowledge-base/command-structure-chart/

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    There is a treatment. DVM’s may not be aware of treatments but they are easily searchable. I also looked into it more and found it is not new, and has been in the United States and found in humans, small animals, and ruminants for decades. Merck and other large animal veterinary manuals/journals discuss it widely. Here’s one journal entry from the 80’s.

  • Allie Dellosa

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    March 7, 2024 at 5:01 pm in reply to: Peers reviews please!!!
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    Here is a 7 week old puppy starting phase 1. I try to do as much with luring and shaping as possible (not just for puppies but any dog) rather than physically putting them in a position and then rewarding.

    I usually get the behavior a couple times before naming it, not always, but usually. This is Alexis and Ahsoka.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqMfGztashY&feature=youtu.be

  • Allie Dellosa

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    March 7, 2024 at 4:28 pm in reply to: Peers reviews please!!!
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    I find that the dogs learn their names naturally through phase 1 command structure. It is really a neutral precursor to the command that we shape. I don’t add a separate step to “teach the name” even for brand new puppies. I just have clients start phase 1. The dogs eventually learn (in phases 2-4) that when they hear their “formal name” followed by a command there is going to be either praise or punishment. We have nick names for our dogs to address them informally or for example I can say “sit” with no name in front and my dogs may or may not sit, but because I didn’t use proper command structure they won’t be held accountable punitively. If I say “come on Petey” (storms nick name) she will probably come. If she doesn’t, I can say “storm come” and she will come to avoid punishment because she is now in formal command structure. I’ll find a puppy video to share. But hopefully this helps.

  • Allie Dellosa

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    February 9, 2024 at 5:35 pm in reply to: Avoidance Conditioning lesson
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    This was very generous of you to post! I noticed that there are corrections on the word “no”, this may cause some confusion, I wasn’t able to watch the whole thing so I m not sure if you coached that out, I do have clients use the “no” in p2 avoidance sessions, but as a conditioned punisher, with no actual aversive. I like that the female handler mentions trading treats for the ball instead of fighting with her for it.

  • Allie Dellosa

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    February 7, 2024 at 9:34 pm in reply to: P2 Written Instruction template Peer review please
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  • Allie Dellosa

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    February 4, 2024 at 4:17 pm in reply to: P2 Written Instruction template Peer review please
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    For me, predictability is the most important thing, especially dealing with strong temperament dogs. So I make sure that the client understands command structure and that I coach them on this as we are teaching the dog. I have my clients begin practicing command structure in phase 1, and while there may be some mistakes advancing into new things, I find that teaching it at the same time minimizes the continuation of the mistakes and takes the nuance out of it. I feel like if the handler thinks that sometimes they don’t have to use the name that we remove predictability from the relationship. I always try to start creating the muscle memory immediately. I find it easiest to make the write ups and instruction with the rules for how to do it properly rather than allowing for nuance based on what the handler wants to do at any given time and leaving the dog to read between the lines and fill in the gaps. I find that putting that responsibility on the handler also creates an attitude of how much false disobedience they’re really is and how it is our job to set the dog up for success and understand what the dog really thinks they are supposed to do and not supposed to do. For me command structure is a nonnegotiable from the jump.

  • Allie Dellosa

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    February 4, 2024 at 2:44 pm in reply to: P2 Written Instruction template Peer review please
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    Hey! I am confused about the command structure. It says that using the name is optional and that step 4 may be skipped.

    You mention that the goal is for the dog to respond without any verbal commands, so what is the dog receiving a correction for?

    If the command structure is not consistent, how will utilization of the conditioned punisher be taught and how will the dog know when they are being addressed and what the expectation is?

    Thank you for posting this writing out instruction takes a lot of thought!!!

  • Allie Dellosa

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    January 13, 2024 at 8:56 pm in reply to: Dominant Shepsky
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    Hunter update!

    I remember his mom was so worried Training would change him and subdue him. I assured her that FSDT would not subdue him, but we would get to know the real Hunter….then I went into the pyramid which I wont make you all read through…..fast forward to today. Turns out the real Hunter is cool like Fonzi….and super laid back! https://youtu.be/imJN7P8djjs

  • Allie Dellosa

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    March 9, 2024 at 8:07 pm in reply to: Peers reviews please!!!
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    Thank you! 💜 That means a lot! FSDT certainly makes things simple💜

  • Allie Dellosa

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    February 9, 2024 at 9:14 pm in reply to: P2 Written Instruction template Peer review please
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  • Allie Dellosa

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    February 7, 2024 at 9:34 pm in reply to: P2 Written Instruction template Peer review please
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    Here is the phase 2 escape conditioning lecture, it discusses p2 command structure use before adding the no.

    This is a video of Jacob and I working in Phase 2 showing full use of phase 2 command structure.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEzzAqPql0Q

    Command structure is cyclical. Here is a copy of the name article as well

    Name – The name is probably the most overlooked part of a proper command structure.

    The name ideally should only be used when there will be a change in what the dog should be doing.

    The name will help get the dogs attention during the mild distractions of everyday life and the chaos of high charged real-world working situations such as in apprehension work.

    Proper use of the name is essential when handling more than one dog at a time so a dog knows which is being addressed. It also allows training where you will address more than one dog at a time to both follow the same command. This can be done by training each dog to their own name and also a “common name” which will refer to both dogs at the same time.

    Proper use of the name greatly reduces the frequency a dog will break their command. In “real life” situations where a dog may be asked to hold command while the handler is holding a conversation or even training other dogs, a dog may break their command if they hear any word that sounds like a command that they know. It is easier for a dog to be successful if they can relax in command and only listen for one word, their name, instead of worrying about missing one of the numerous commands that it knows. Once the dog hears its name, it can then more easily focus on the command to follow.

    If compulsion is used in the training plan in the form of avoidance conditioning the proper use of the dog’s name will prevent errors and help maintain a more confident dog overall. Imagine if someone barked commands at you randomly throughout the day during the regular distractions of the environment and while you were busy at a task WITHOUT addressing you first. Not only would it be easier for you to miss that command, overall you would be less confident and tentative at your task because of the fear of missing a command. Saying a dog’s name first will grab the dog’s attention in the same way it does ours and allows the dog to focus on the various commands that will come after more easily.

    The name used before a command also signals to the dog that the command is “neutral”. When it is “neutral” there is never an automatic consequence good or bad. The dog gets a chance to decide whether to obey or disobey the command or try/”not try” if the dog does still doesn’t understand the command. This prevents the command from becoming classically conditioned to automatically mean good or bad things and prevents the side effect of “poisoned commands” where the dog reacts in a way as if it is experiencing punishment (or reward) simply by hearing the command.

    This paves the way for handlers to pair the command with an aversive during disobedience, without side effect, later in the command structure (without the name preceding the command) to help the dog understand why it was just punished and what to do to escape further punishment (what escape conditioning plan to use). This is extremely important when using non-directional punishment such as an ecollar.

    Proper use of the name eliminates the need for rigid commands that are unnecessarily shouted or said in a stern voice as is common on a benign competition field.

    Things to keep in mind:

    • Be sure to use proper spacing between the “name” and the “command” to follow. a time lapse of about one half of a second will make a HUGE difference in preventing errors from the dog. Think of the child’s game “Simon says”. It is easy to make an error when you don’t have enough time to think. It leads to anticipation of the command that the dog MOST likely thinks will follow instead of paying attention to what the next command actually is. So do not say ” RexSit.” Be sure to say “Rex…sit.” A clue that your name and command are too close together will be that your dog starts anticipating the command while you are still saying the dog’s name instead of waiting for the actual command to shift tasks.
    • Do not ever use the name before a marker. Markers are your conditioned reinforces and conditioned punishers which include the words you communicate to your dog that they just did right or wrong. If you do this, the name becomes devalued as to what it exactly means to the dog. That meaning is that “A NEW command is to follow.” Therefore, if you say their name immediately after they obeyed correctly, the dog can lose commitment to the command in anticipation of a new command instead of hearing the immediate marker which specifically tells the dog it has just done correct or incorrect. The same goes for using the name AFTER a marker (unless a new command is to follow immediately). This can cause a dog to unnecessarily weaken its commitment to a task in anticipation of the next command and otherwise dilute the meaning of what the “name” means.

    For example:

    Incorrect: “Rex” “sit” “Rex good boy!”

    Incorrect: “Rex” “sit” “good boy Rex!”

    Correct: “Rex” “sit” “good boy!”

    Also correct: “Rex” “sit” “good boy!” “Rex” “down” “good boy!”

    In conclusion:

    The name is the great divider of all the tasks you will ask of your dog and essential for building confidence and commitment to each of those tasks. Command structure should always be extremely technical. If it is not predictable and make sense to us, we cannot have it make sense to a dog. To not be technical will riddle us with side effects and cause much “false disobedience”. A confused dog is never to be considered a disobedient dog.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEzzAqPql0Q

  • Allie Dellosa

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    January 4, 2024 at 10:30 pm in reply to: Resource Guarding
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    I didn’t use the retrieval to address the issue, she only recently learned it, though I can definitely see the value in doing so. I just love how comfortable she is. We focused on relieving the cause of resource guarding rather than training away the symptoms. The difference in the way dogs respond to that is never lost on me. I just love these little reminders of what it used to be like and what its like now.

  • Allie Dellosa

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    January 4, 2024 at 6:50 pm in reply to: Resource Guarding
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    She is such a good girl! Its the little things…

  • Allie Dellosa

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    December 2, 2023 at 11:19 pm in reply to: Premack’s Principle for Puppy “Give”
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    It depends on the dog, handler, and desired application. I am most concerned with how they are achieved.

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