Increasing survivability over time by creating emergency commands and cultivating a cautious mindset
The first emergency command I taught Ellie was a bird call I mentioned briefly in the Off-Leash Training article. By cupping your hands and blowing air along the gap between your thumbs you can produce a very unique and loud sound. It alone should grab your dogs attention and curiosity. Once they come over, give them a luxurious and uncommon reward. It needs to outweigh whatever they’re engaged with and a normal treat won’t do. What’s especially useful about this command is that you don’t need anything special except your hands and a lungful of air. Making it ideal for an emergency situation where you might fumble trying to pull out a whistle or hit the button on your radio collar.
The second training exercise is what I refer to as “emergency mode.” I suddenly become serious and use a hushed, but urgent voice with Ellie. I attempt to “plead” or “reason” with her in a tone that humans would use in an emergency situation where they’re trying to escape a looming threat. This sudden switch sparks Ellie’s curiosity and she becomes surprisingly complicit as we quickly exit the park. I haven’t fully trained this behavior yet, but what I’d like to accomplish is an “emergency” command which results in a rapid exit from wherever we’re at without getting distracted. No stopping to sniff, no socialization, just a concerted effort to put distance between ourselves and some danger.
The third is a tool that falls more under “safety,” but I still wanted to mention it. I purchased a cowbell for off-leash training and hikes. It’s a lot louder than the jingle from her collar and helps keep me aware of her position. Often times when off-leashing she ends up behind me and the cowbell alerts if she were to chase or disappear from sight. It was also useful indoors during the puppy stages when she would get into trouble more often.
Last up is a safety related style of training. I am intentionally severe about certain indiscretions because I am considering both the present moment and future possibilities. I demand a level of compliance because I can imagine situations in which disobedience could result in serious injury or death. In a particular slice of time it might seem overly controlling, but when you switch your focus to long-term goals it’s fitting to set strict boundaries. This applies primarily around busy streets, exploring outside acceptable areas, not returning to “come” or the emergency call above, etc. It’s about being cautious and thinking ahead. An example is the seriousness with which I take chasing small animals. It’s a serious offense because she could potentially chase them into the street when we’re off-leashing. I don’t actually care if she chases them, but I am forced to train her to avoid future consequences.
UPDATE 2016-11-07: Ellie lost track of me in the park tonight and ran away. It was scary, not only because I lost complete control of her, but because it was so unusual. She’s never done anything like that before and for a few seconds I thought I might not be able to catch her. Fortunately, it occurred to me as I chased her, that I had designed an emergency call for this exact situation. I cupped my hands and blew and saw her come to a halt a distance in front of me. I blew it a second time and knelt down like I used to when she was a puppy. She beelined back to me and I breathed a sigh of relief. I believe this call worked because it’s entirely unique. Ellie has never heard anything like it and it has only ever originated from me. Unlike her name, yells, whistles, and other noises, this call has a specific meaning to her and usually a high food reward. In the dark of night, when visuals are unclear and sound can bounce around, this call stopped her in her tracks and returned her to me.