This article was written by Kaitlin Walsh, a recent Highland Canine Training client. Kaitlin reached out to Highland Canine for help with her dog, Decimus, and worked with our professional trainer, Matt McKeown. This article is Kaitlin’s first-hand account of her experience with Highland Canine, including her initial apprehensions about using training tools, and how life has immeasurably changed for both her and Decimus as a result of their training program.
If you were to Google search “Helicopter Parent,” you would probably find an image of me, hovering over my dog, Decimus, with no shortage of harnesses, leashes, treats, and toys and a word bubble above my head saying some variation of, “are all the doors closed?”.
I adopted Decimus in December 2022. Decimus swooped into my world amid the worst, most unimaginable year of my life. In May, my husband unexpectedly passed away, and just a few, short months later, our dog, Henry, would pass away as well. The moment I met Decimus at the animal shelter, I knew he was the one for me. Not to sound cliché, but I also had an unexplainable understanding that I was not saving his life; he would be the one saving mine. With that understanding, there was also the acceptance and unspoken vow that I would give him the best life possible and protect him at all costs.
Two days into our new life together, I quickly discovered Decimus is a runner. If there was the slightest opening in a door, this guy was going to go for it. One afternoon, three hours, and three and a half miles later, I coaxed him back into my home. I was terrified about what could have happened. This dog hardly knew me, certainly did not yet trust me, so how was I supposed to convince him I was his safe place and his solace? After only two days, I knew how special this dog was, and I knew I couldn’t lose him.
My early adventures with Decimus
As someone who prides herself on her ability to research, I must say I was extremely naïve when it came to my knowledge of dog training tools and tactics. I knew Decimus had a fear of collars when I adopted him due to a not-so-kind incident with his previous owner, and I also knew he was somewhat of a harness Houdini. That, combined with his proclivity to run, led me to an exhausting amount of harness research (more than I would like to admit, truthfully), but not much else. I knew I could not rely on a standard collar for our adventures (I was not yet aware of the beautiful creation that is Martingale collars – thanks, Matt!), and I had to select the most difficult harness to escape from (I’m talking 5+ buckles and buttons for this dude). In addition to all of this, Decimus was not exactly the easiest pup to walk. He quickly became very protective of me and skeptical of other people – especially if you were a man.
I’m going to go ahead and say it: our walks were not enjoyable. Sometimes it felt like too much work to even attempt a walk. I wanted a little cardio workout, not a full body one. If Decimus saw a person approaching, he transformed from this sweet, lovable, playful pup into this unrecognizable, ferocious, fifty-pound beast. With each interaction, my arm would feel as if it were on the verge of dislocation, and I would try to convincingly assure the passersby that he was friendly, just “excitable,” and silently pray they would continue quickly without commenting on what a (despite the relentless barking) sweet and handsome dog he is (and trust me, they wouldn’t be wrong about that).
On one occasion we passed the same man twice on our evening walk. The second time we passed him (same amount of barking from Decimus, initially), this man decided to stop and comment on what a protective dog I had. I lightheartedly apologized, not knowing what else to say, and he quipped back with an awkward “no, it’s a good thing.” During that exchange, I truly thought Decimus (who was not only barking but had also started lunging) was about to break free from my hold and attack this stranger. That would have been the worst case for multiple reasons; obviously, I would not want the man to be hurt, but also, at this stage in our walks, I was utilizing a waist leash because again, helicopter parent, and I couldn’t risk accidentally dropping the leash. My mind flashed to visions of me being dragged around the loop at the local college while Decimus chases this runner, nipping at his heels the entire time. It was not long after we entered the living room that night, post-walk, that I decided it may be time to call in a professional.
The initial consultation
I called Matt with Highland Canine the next morning, and by that afternoon, I had an evaluation scheduled for the following week. When Matt came to our house for the evaluation, I was beyond nervous. I had no idea what to expect and wondered if he would even be able to make it inside. Decimus had one bite on his record when I adopted him, and I did not want his first introduction to the man who was supposed to help him (us?) to begin with a second one. Thankfully, Matt was unfazed by Decimus and let him take his time familiarizing himself with him as I rattled off my questions, concerns and not so humbly bragged on all the ways Decimus was, in fact, the most perfect pup (he went into training already knowing shake and high five. . . take that!).
I expressed my fears and briefly explained to Matt why Decimus was so important to me and the reasons I really needed to make sure he was as disciplined and obedient as possible. Matt understood and we decided the six-week off leash private lessons would be the best option for us (my separation anxiety was also a bit of an issue, so that ruled out the board and train program). He began educating me on what the next six weeks would entail; I nearly backed out the moment prong and e-collars were mentioned. I had zero experience or understanding with either of those tools and there was no way I was going to put not one, but TWO torture devices around my sweet boy’s neck. Matt sensed my skepticism and quickly dove in, explaining to me that these were not torture devices and, when used correctly and as they are intended, would not hurt Decimus at all. I was not fully convinced, but I remembered the promise I made Decimus six months prior. He was my priority, and this seemed like the route to giving him the best life possible.
We began the training by building his confidence. The Decimus I knew needed no confidence building. Sure, he had some fears and anxieties, but who doesn’t? Did he require a rocket ship tent strategically placed in the living room as a Bluetooth speaker played classical music when we had a thunderstorm? Yes . . . but it worked for him, and it wasn’t hurting anyone. Reluctantly, I see now that his overwhelming fears were being enabled and validated by me and my responses to them (I am proud (and a little sad – that thing was adorable) to say that the rocket ship tent has not been used since our training began). It was around that time that I began questioning whether my responses and beliefs were hindering Decimus and, ultimately, his growth. I also conceded that if I had been wrong about that, perhaps I should go into this upcoming prong and e-collar training with more of an open mind.
What I learned about training tools
Day one of the prong collar training began, and I found that Matt was correct; this was no torture device. He educated me on the correct placement so as little pressure as possible was required for corrections. He also ensured that it was securely fastened (no more harnesses for Decimus) and would be comfortable. We began that lesson with heeling and prong collar conditioning. Prong collar conditioning entails acquainting your dog (and owner) with how the prong collar works as well as when/where/how to apply low levels of pressure. Familiarizing your dog with the prong collar is crucial as they will begin to associate this collar with adventure, and more importantly, the freedom that comes along with their newfound obedience. Consistency – on my end – that first week was key. Decimus and I engaged in distraction-free walks daily (I was new to this prong collar life as well, and I did not want to correct him mistakenly/unnecessarily due to distractions that were out of our hands).
By the time our second prong collar lesson rolled around the following week, I was pro-prong collar; Decimus was heeling like a champ, but more than that, he would excitedly jump from chair to couch when he would hear the jingle of the prongs, signaling it was time for our walk. The second lesson proved to be a bit more challenging for me as we began corrections. For this lesson, we were seeking out (controlled) distractions instead of avoiding them. I was skeptical, but Matt had swayed my opinion before, so I was confident in both him and his methods. For this lesson Matt brought along his beloved bloodhound, Elli. Now that I have met her, I can say that this was absolutely the right move. Queen E is the ultimate distraction diva (and she knows it). When Decimus would react to Elli (as he would other dogs in the past), I would gently correct him, which would apply the slightest amount of pressure, notifying him that his behavior was unacceptable and inappropriate (no, sir!).
Due to the collar’s design, it was surprising how little pressure was needed to curb his unwanted behavior into more desirable and rewardable behaviors. Because of the one correction, he was able to begin experiencing more consistent rewards and praise than before in similar settings. This lesson was both mentally stimulating and exhausting for Decimus as he was introduced to more freedom while simultaneously being held to a higher obedience standard than ever before. As the corrections began, you could see he was becoming frustrated, but as Matt reminded me “one good correction is far better than several small, ineffective corrections.” Again, this was sound advice, and proved to be 100% true. After his initial correction to his reactivity upon seeing Elli, it was smooth sailing, and his confidence began growing higher and higher as the walk continued. By the end of this lesson, Decimus and Elli were walking in tandem in the perfect heel position. In fact, a couple walking their very reactive dog, stopped us to tell us what perfectly mannered pups we had. They asked if we trained them ourselves, and begrudgingly, I had to inform them that this had nothing to do with me and everything to do with his training/trainer who was walking beside me.
Seeing the change in Decimus
After those first two lessons (and consistent walks), Decimus was a changed dog. Runners could fly past us and Decimus was wholly unbothered by their presence. I could jog with confidence as Decimus maintained a heel position without the fear of him lunging in another direction and/or abruptly stopping to bark at unsuspecting dogs and people. I no longer felt as if I was getting a more intense workout than what I bargained for. Walks did not feel daunting; instead, I found myself looking forward to the jingle of the prongs as much as Decimus (oh, and we both decided to ditch some of our previous walking attire. For Decimus, it was his 5-point harnesses, and I no longer needed the faux security that the waist leashes previously provided me). The prong collar was not a symbol of torture, pain, or fear for him (or me). With the help of his prong collar, I was able to take Decimus more places than ever before. I could sit at the coffee shop, confident that Decimus would lay beside me as I enjoyed coffee and conversation with friends. When I needed to pop into the hardware store, Decimus and I were both greeted (he had become a regular at this point). The fear of his reactions was a thing of the past, and exploration was both the present and future for the two of us. This collar signified excitement and adventure and seeing him happy and confident encouraged me that we were ready to take the next step in our training.
From our first meeting, I knew that getting Decimus off leash was the goal. I am going to let you in on a little secret that I never divulged to Matt over the course of our six-weeks of lessons. Despite knowing what our goal was (and signing up for those specific lessons), I did not actually intend on seeing that part through. “Dropping the leash” meant giving away any semblance of control I had over our walks and subsequently any chance I had of protecting Decimus. It also meant trusting that he felt our relationship had grown as strong and solid as I believed it to be. Every time we would mention scheduling the off-leash training, I would hesitate and tell Matt that I just didn’t think we were ready yet. He understood my reasoning and implored me to trust him and his process. He also assured me that we would go as slow as I needed to until I felt absolutely comfortable “dropping the leash.”
Our off-leash lessons began with a long line (I think we used a 30-foot leash). We began by introducing the e-collar (perceived torture device #2) to Decimus. Matt, again, explained in detail exactly how to correctly put the collar on Decimus as well as showing me how the remote-control works. Our first e-collar experience went very well. He taught me how to determine Decimus’ “working level” (the level that Decimus responds to the collar in a distraction-free environment) and then we walked around Highland Canine’s beautifully spacious facility and practiced recalls. Matt explained to me the importance of easing into the recalls. It is imperative to allow your dog to experience more freedom so they can begin understanding that more discipline and structure equates to greater reward and an abundance of freedom and exploration. Separation anxiety is real, and Decimus never wanted to walk too far in front of me the first few lessons (but kudos to such a beautiful heel).
Eventually (and without my consent) I was forced into accepting that off-leash training was necessary and would be beneficial. While hanging out with friends, the front door was not fully closed and, as he had been known to do in the past, Decimus darted outside. Immediately, panic consumed me (there was no 30-foot leash this time), and I began frantically calling for Decimus. Decimus was thriving and excitedly running around (this was a game to him), uninhibited by the constraints of a leash. Despite my overwhelming amount of fear, I remembered our e-collar lessons, took a deep breath, and began reciting our recall command (“Decimus, come!”). To my surprise, Decimus walked right to me. It was in that moment, seeing my wonderful dog happier and more carefree than I had ever seen him before, I realized that, once again, what Matt said rang true. With a little structure and obedience (and a few e-collar lessons) Decimus had already accepted what I was just beginning to: obedience = freedom and freedom = living his best life.
What life is like for us now
When I say that I never envisioned a life that would consist of Decimus not on a leash, know that is very true and somehow also a colossal understatement. In my mind, Decimus would not ever have a reason to be off-leash, and if that should happen, the worst-case scenario would not be far behind. I am happy to say I have never been more wrong, and I am thankful to see things in a new light. Decimus is now seldom on a leash, and the boy who darted out barely open doors now freely frolics in the field behind my house, and adding to his already impressive list of skills, he is now a sub-par fetch player (we’re still working on retrieving the ball and not just running past it).
I went into training afraid that Decimus would be altered into a different, unrecognizably obedient (think, militant) dog, but at what cost? Would his obedience mean that I was sacrificing and/or stifling his silly, playful, quirky personality? I am pleased to report that Decimus is a changed pup. The dog who used to retreat to a rocket ship tent during thunderstorms and was also too fearful to tinkle in a sprinkle now eagerly runs – off-leash – into the rain, energized and excited. I no longer live riddled with off-leash anxiety during our walks, fearing what could potentially happen without a leash being present. His prong and e-collar training expanded our trust in one another, and somehow strengthened our relationship more than I thought possible. Decimus trusts me to give him the best life, and thanks to his training, we are both achieving that. What I once believed to be torture devices are instead valuable training tools that I now recommend to any and everyone who comments on my beautifully well-behaved boy! Decimus has a zest for life and a confidence and enthusiasm I never knew he possessed! Deciding to go with the off-leash training was the best decision I could have made for us, and we would not be where we are today without the help and patience of his wonderful trainer and Highland Canine!
You must be logged in to post a comment.