For those that don’t know, Loker has had to be on leash for the last few months because our current fence is short and he can hop over it without effort. We’ve worked hard on coming when called and auto-check ins and I’ve recently taken the plunge into letting Loker off leash more often in the yard. Sometimes just to go potty, other times to play with Clark. He loves running full speed around the large yard, but he’s been restricted by a long line or a tie out. This has also limited his ability to run and play with Clark.
What’s important to understand is that it was not an overnight accomplishment. We’ve worked on coming when called and check ins for several months. He’s been on a long line for 3 months. And we’ve gone through a LOT of string cheese! Currently, he gets paid for coming every time I call and randomly for checking in. It takes a lot of work to get reliable behaviors and I sympathize with clients who don’t have the time or energy it takes to train their dogs. It has taken over a year to create the relationship I have with Loker and I have given him lots of time and built a very strong history of reinforcement with myself. That means, I’ve become his most valuable resource.
