Case Study: Indy, Doberman

At A Glance

Indy
Doberman
Began training with Click-2-Heel at 18 months old

Recall
Straying further away
Not checking in
Loose lead walking
General engagement with owner
Overzealous greeting with strangers on walks

Training Objective

Owner Amy completed puppy, beginner, intermediate and advanced obedience classes with another training provider. Although Indy passed all of them with flying colours, Amy felt that the important foundation behaviours needed more work.
The main training objectives were to improve recall, strengthen overall engagement in different environments and to perfect loose lead walking.

Solutions

During the first 1:1 session, Click-2-Heel trainer Nicky observed Indy ‘shaking off’ quite frequently, and explained that this could be an indication of stress in new environments.

During the 1-2-1s, Nicky covered:

Bowl hand technique to ensure Indy stayed with Amy when recalled instead of taking a treat and immediately running off
Progression through the three stages of recall
Alternative recall cues including collar, middle and touch
Recall games including food circuits and emergency run games
Introducing toy play as a reinforcer as an alternative to food (also acts as a positive association in different environments and as a tool for distracting dogs from scary stimuli)

Results

Indy’s recall is now excellent. She is engaged and stays closer to Amy on walks, regularly checking in. Her loose lead walking is also steadily improving.

They are enjoying walks and Amy is more confident in her handling abilities. Prior to the training with Click-2-Heel, Amy would avoid walking Indy anywhere remotely busy and often hired enclosed fields, just for peace of mind. However, they are now happily exploring new places together.

“Click-2-Heel’s feedback was helpful and friendly from the start. As we had not trained with them before, they gave me lots of information about 1:1 training and why it would be more beneficial in this instance.
Our first session was nothing short of phenomenal. Nicky spent a lot of time ensuring she knew exactly what issues I was experiencing with Indy and what my expectations were. It absolutely exceeded my expectations as in that 90 minutes both me and Indy learnt more than all of the previous classes elsewhere put together. It was such a relaxed and fun lesson whilst also showing results.

Nicky was excellent at interpreting my requirements. She tailored the training perfectly. Even though Indy is almost two, Nicky knew that Dobermans mature much later than a lot of other breeds and therefore made it super fun for her. Indy was so engaged from the start.
C2H exceeded my requirements. Every single lesson was fun for both of us. If I could give 10 stars I would. I don’t feel I could rate them highly enough!”

Amy Smith

Case Study

Indy, Doberman

Case Study: Indy, Doberman

At A Glance

Training Objective

Solutions

Results

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