What if my dog doesn’t seem to get it?

Continue the training protocol for the training stage you are on. Spend more time in Safe Zone to make training fun. Take your time and relax. Don’t become discouraged. Here are some more specifics depending on what training stage you're on:

Stage One: First Alert Training. If you are training First Alert and your dog doesn't appear to "get it." There is usually one of three causes:

1) If it seems like your dog doesn't know what to do with First Alert feedback, do more training, but emphasize immediately guiding your dog back to Safe Zone the moment First Alert feedback starts. This will help to connect feedback and desired response.

2) If it seems like your dog generally knows what to do, but doesn't always do it in a particular area of your boundary, it may be your dog doesn't realize which way is back to Safe Zone. This might happen if you have a complex-shape boundary with extreme convex or concave undulations. If you think this may be the case, select the most straight-forward parts of your boundary to train on.

3) If it seems like your dog completely understands everything, but just doesn't want to listen, it may be time to move on to Second Alert training.

Stage Two: Second Alert Training. If, after six sessions trying to train Second Alert to your dog, your dog is still unwilling to move into Second Alert zone, then you can move on to long-leash testing. Do several long-leash tests, including some with distractions, on different occasions with Second Alert feedback turned on to verify that your dog is contained by first alert (i.e., it doesn’t want to go into second alert). If it seems to be contained by first alert, then you can move on to off-leash training.

If your dog later shows a tendency to challenge the boundary, then you can go back and do more training on Second Alert feedback.

Stage Three: Out Zone Training. If your dog won’t move beyond Second Alert into Out, that’s fine, don’t drag your dog into it. Try to coax your dog with the lead to walk along with you. Give your dog up to six sessions of opportunity on a short leash to venture into Out zone. If your dog still won’t venture past Second Alert, then move on to long-leash testing. If, after several long-leash tests, including some with distractions, your dog still doesn’t venture beyond Second Alert, move onto off-leash training. During off-leash training, do distraction tests by having someone walk by just outside the boundary area, or something similarly distracting. Continue with off-leash training until you are comfortable that your dog is contained by the settings as they are. If your dog later shows a tendency to challenge the boundary, then you can go back and do more training on Out zone feedback to make sure your dog knows to come back when it experiences it.