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Vanessa Ward

When training a cue or skill you need to think about the 3 Ds! 

The 3 Ds are:

  • Distance

  • Duration

  • Distraction


I’ll use recall as an example! You want to be able to call your dog to you from far away - this is distance, after being off lead for any amount of time - this is duration and in a crowded exciting place - this is distraction.


Build up each of your Ds individually and when you increase 1 D, decrease the other 2. 


Sticking with our recall example - rehearse inside first - very low distractions, then do some practice in your garden, slightly more distractions, then you might move to a quiet field or park. As you make the distraction levels harder and harder you would stay very close to your dog - lowering the distance level and for duration you’d keep how long they’ve been off lead the same. Then you’d go back to low distraction, keep the duration the same and start getting gradually further and further from your dog, here you’re working on distance. Now in a low distraction area and close to your dog (low distance) you’d practice recall varying the duration they’ve been off lead. 


Distraction ✅

Distance ✅

Duration ✅


Then it’s time to start mixing them together! Work on 2 Ds together whilst keeping 1 D easy, for example, practice hard distances in increasingly distracting areas whilst keeping the duration the same. 

This needs to be done for all combinations of D’s. 


Distraction & distance ✅

Distance & duration ✅

Duration & distraction ✅


Finally - build up all 3 Ds at once until you can recall your dog from far away, in a super exciting place, just after you’ve let them off lead!


Distance, duration & distraction ✅


This is how you train really solid reliable cues 😁


Send me a message or email vanessa@thepetbehaviourist.com with any questions or if you need help with your dog.



Happy training!

Vanessa 

🐶🐱🐰🆘



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