Molly's owners have indicated that she is now eliminating outdoors with just one accident this week. The accident she did have was because her owners allowed her out of their eye view without using the crate. Sometimes when I work with a family they believe that a few days of success on a specific behavior issue and their dog is "cured." Behaviors we don't want in our dogs generally are not learned in one day, nor are they unlearned in one day. Some owners are so happy with their dog's progress that they let their guard down prematurely and experience a minor set back. This is a common error people make and happens more often when the initial improvements are so drastic.
Molly started her next level of learning to come when she is called. She understands what is expected of her now and did a superb job for me while I was there. He owners still need some work on their timing and voices but are making progress. I gave them specific amounts of time each day to practice, and instructed them to practice in a different location for each session. They are using a twenty- five foot long light line to be certain if she doesn't respond promptly that they have some control. Molly really loves chicken so we use it as a reward each time she is successful.
Molly's owners did an excellent job socializing her as a young puppy. This makes her much easier to train since she loves and trusts people and other dogs. Dogs that are properly socialized learn more easily and handle change with ease. Molly enjoys learning and it is such a pleasure to see an older couple including their dog in everything they do.