Murray Board and Train Day 7

Murray has a big day today! Today I transitioned him to Off-Leash with his remote collar. This is a big deal for Murray because the remote collar is a very different correction. Using a leash correction can sometimes put part of the work on the owner. The dog gets corrected and redirected back to the owner’s side. The dog simply needs to stay in position to avoid another correction. The leash pop directs the dog’s action. However a remote collar asks for a lot more of the dog because the collar correction offers very little “help” and the dog must do all the work of getting and staying in position to avoid another correction and get their praise.
For a dog like Murray this is a game changer because he tends to be what I call “leash lazy” meaning he will let the leash do as much of the work as he can get away with. If his handler will let him pull he will pull. If his handler will hold him back in the Heel position he will let them. The remote collar forces Murray to do all of the restraint himself and thus he is doing a LOT more work and it has already made a big difference in his obedience. I’m excited for what the rest of the week holds in store for him.

Oh and being “off-leash” is a ton of fun because he gets to run in huge circles all over the yard and play fetch without being on a cord. So it was a happy day for Murray all around.