The Light-line

The Light-line bridges the gap between control on the leash and when the dog is physically free. It should be very strong, long and very light: so strong and long that it can stop the largest dog in his tracks regardless of his great speed and the slowness of the handler to grab at the trailing end.

It is so light in weight that it is impossible for a person or a dog to estimate the length from the feel of the drag. It gives the dog the impression the opportunity to make a fast escape.

I remember a university professor in one of my class was so im-pressed with his dog's response to his command that he decided to continue his training without the Light-line. He was advised against training the dog without the Light-line. Only and until he has given the dog lots of opportunities to bolt and be distracted should he follow the instructions in the assignment notes. Suddenly without any indication the dog bolted. He learnt to his chagrin that his dog had outsmarted him.

Stretch your Light-line out in the training area. Make sure it is free of knots and snarls that offers resistance when drag. The length (a minimum of 50 feet) of your Light-line must be determined by how fast you think you can run in comparison to your dog. Have both the Tab and leash fastened to his training collar. Spend ten to fifteen minutes reviewing with your dog on leash. Finish the practice with an Automatic Sit at one end of the Light-line.

Quietly tie the end of the Light-line to the loop with a good firm knot.

Give the dog more time dragging the light line before removing the leash and doing momentum-right and about turns while on the leash to get his mind off the light line.

With the leash in your left hand, give the command to heel. After a couple of starts and stops, remove the leash. Hold the Throw-chain in your right hand. Throw the leash about three feet on the left away from the dog. Give a heel command and start walking. The discarded leash and weightlessness of the line will give him such an unrestrained feeling that he might make a break and expose his rear. Tag him with Throw chain and put your foot on

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Lesson 15: The Light-line the Light-line to slow him down before you grab it. To grab the light line while the dog is bolting will slice a groove in your hand. Turn right about as you reel in the line and keeps on walking. It is almost certain that your dog would head to your side the moment the tightening line reminded him that he wasn't as free as he felt. Praise him lavishly as he made the cor-rect decision to remain close to you. Keep this part of heeling in a straight direction short, stopping every ten feet to praise. Do not cover too much distance the first time. You can slowly increase each day the distance as your dog continues to heel correctly by your side. When you stop and re-gardless how your dog sits, shower him with sincere praise that he is doing exactly the right thing in obeying as though you held the leash. If the dog stays with you and was praised numerous times, then it is best to end the work on the Light-line

Recover your Throw-Chain and re-attach the leash and repeat the exer-cises of using the leash and the Light-line together as you do your starts and stops for fifteen minutes. Use the remainder of the training period to increase accuracy and reliability by practicing the routine exercises without the Light-line. Keep the tab on as you work the dog on the leash.

When your training period is over, replace the leash with your Longe-line and release the dog with an "okay" for a well-earned quiet relaxation. He will learn eventually that the Longe-line not only signifies authority, but can provide fun as well.

Bill Koehler in the introduction 'Fables and Foibles' of his opening state-ment, "In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth. Man, a bit later, created the fable that "the dog, when he understands, always wants to please." The dog, the world's first opportunist, in some ways knowing

more of man than man knew of him, sensed and endorsed this delightful state and was so constant and clever in his professions as to give man scant time to review the theory. Through generations the dog worked his wiles, sincere in his faith and devotion, but seeing no harm in throwing man an occasional herring, and in withholding respect from those loved ones whom he easily bested in every battle of wits. But what if the dog acted differently and remains still when the leash comes of and told to heel? Put him back on the leash with the Light line dragging and provide him with

Lesson 15: The Light-line

lots momentum-packed turns of heeling work. It will accustom him to keep moving even though the Light-line brushes on his legs or slides between his toes.

Recall on the Light-line.

First have the dog practice Sit stays for one minute and Down stays for three minutes on the light line after 4-5 days of the heeling work. Then do the recall from about 20 feet away. Gradually extend the distance. As the dog is now heeling on the Light-line, simply add the Recall to the heeling work. After four to five days of heeling on the Light-line add to the dog having to hold a one minute the Sit-stay from twenty feet out. Then work the same with the Down-stay. Give your dog a week of heeling with the

Light-line before you do the Recall. Tell the dog stay and move towards the end of the line. After facing him for a few seconds, give a recall command.

If he responds promptly, praise him enthusiastically as he start towards you.

If he doesn't respond promptly, grab hold of the Light-line and reel him in.

praise him nevertheless even though you have to drag him to sit in front of you.

But what if he anticipates and come before he is called. The Light-line

comes in useful to stop him as you charge back to grab hold of the tab and make your stay correction. Regardless of the absence of the weight on his training collar or the distance from you, he had better stay until called and then come immediately.

Within a week after you begin the Light-line, you dog will no longer dis-obey the heel and recall commands. The more tempting the distractions you set up for him, the more he seems to turn his attention back to you.

Reliability without the Light-line.

Work with the full length of the Light-line and the Throw-chain on the heeling exercise until his attitude confirms that distractions are only mak-ing him more attentive. Gradually reduce the length of the light line every few days providing the dog reach new levels of reliability.

Give the command heel and start off with your usual confidence. The dog will respond to your command in the usual way. Physically the trained dog