Dr. Dunbar’s 28-Day Good Dog Challenge
Follow Me If You Can
Day 22 · Week 4! Speed up, slow down, turn, and stop. Can your dog keep up?
Today’s challenge
Off-leash, indoors, with only words, hand signals, and encouragement, keep your dog by your left side as you hustle, slow down, turn, and stop for Sits. What’s your most steps in a row together, with turns? By midnight tonight, text me your record. Bonus: send a video!
Watch Ian
Warm up first
5 Come-Sits, 5 Puppy Push-ups, and one Come-Sit-Down-Sit-Stand-Down-Stand sequence, with lots of praise.
Why Follow Me If You Can?
Welcome to Week 4, our final week! Back on Day 8, your dog learned to follow you. On Day 12, Heel-Sits. Today, we put it all together, and make it a game.
If you walk in a straight line at the same speed, you’re boring, and your dog’s attention wanders. But the more you change speed and direction, and the more often you stop, the more your dog has to pay attention to stay with you. Follow me, if you can!
Step by step
- Off-leash, indoors, no food in your hand. Just words, hand signals, and lots of encouragement to keep your dog walking by your left side.
- Say “Hustle,” and speed up. Praise when your dog speeds up to catch you.
- Say “Steady,” and slow right down. Praise when your dog slows down by your side.
- Turn! Left turns, right turns, 90-degree turns, and about-turns.
- Stop often for a Sit. Now and then, throw in a longer Stay, or a few tricks.
- Count your steps while your dog stays right with you. That’s your score.
Three gears
Walk in three gears: slow, normal, and fast. Change gears often, saying “Steady” before you slow down, and “Hustle” before you speed up.
Dog not slowing down enough? Say “Steady” again, and slow down even more. Or stop, and say “Heel,” so your dog comes and sits by your side. Dog still lagging? Say “Hustle” again, and switch to warp drive!
Turning tips
- Turning right: say “Hustle!” and speed up, so your dog doesn’t cut behind you.
- Turning left: say “Steady!” and slow down, so you don’t bump into your dog.
- About-turn: the quickest way to get the attention of a dog who’s forging ahead.
Ian’s story: Larry the Labrador
At a workshop in Belgium, the audience was full of experienced trainers with their Malinois and Belgian Shepherds, arms folded, waiting to be unimpressed. The only companion dog was an adolescent Labrador who was beyond out of control. Ian called him Larry, since he couldn’t pronounce his Flemish name.
Ian took Larry’s leash and waited for a Sit. Larry ran around him three times, tying him up with the leash, barked, jumped, ripped off Ian’s jacket pocket, chewed his lecture suit, and had him down on the floor twice. Ian just stayed calm, and waited.
After eleven minutes, Larry suddenly plopped into a Sit. Praise, praise, praise, and six treats. Then one giant step, and the next Sit took two minutes. Then thirty seconds. Then ten. Then Larry was sitting instantly. Ian added more steps between Sits: two, three, four, six, eight, ten, fifteen. Then they were off around the room on a loose leash: fast heeling, turns, about-turns, Figure 8s, and changes of pace.
The only words Ian said were “good,” “boy,” and “Larry.” And Larry didn’t even speak English!
Special tips
My dog drifts away when I speed up.
Say “Hustle” before you speed up, so your dog knows what’s coming, and praise like crazy when they catch up. Make it exciting!
My dog forges ahead.
Do an about-turn and walk the other way. Now your dog is behind you, and has to catch up. Then say “Steady” and slow down.
My dog loses interest.
Make it shorter, and change things up more often: a quick Sit, a trick, a sudden about-turn. Unpredictable is interesting!
Can I do this on-leash?
Yes, once it’s easy indoors off-leash. Then take it to the yard, and then out on walks. Every walk becomes a game.
What’s next
- Tomorrow, Day 23, it’s Sit-Stay & Watch Me.
- Use it every day. On every walk, change speed and direction often, and stop for lots of Sits.
Filming tips and prizes: Videos and Prizes.
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