Meet Callie, a beautiful Golden Retriever initially purchased as an assistance dog. Despite her potential, her owner was struggling to get Callie to settle in busy environments. Recognising the importance of calm behaviour in public spaces, Callie’s owner brought her to us for some structured training.
We began by teaching Callie the place command, a foundational skill that helps dogs understand where they need to stay calmly. The key to this training was using the 3 D’s of dog training: Duration, Distance, and Distraction.
The first goal was to ensure Callie could remain on her place mat for extended periods without becoming restless. We gradually increased the time she stayed in place, ensuring she could settle for up to 30 minutes. By doing so, Callie learned patience and how to relax, even when her surroundings were busy.
Once Callie had mastered staying in place for longer durations, we began working on distance. This meant we could move away from her, whether a few steps or across the room, and Callie would remain settled on her mat. Increasing distance helped Callie learn independence and trust that her role was to stay calm, even if we weren’t right beside her.
The real challenge came when we introduced distractions. To make sure Callie could handle various busy environments, we practised the place command in different locations. We took her to libraries, cafés, pubs, parks, high streets, and even positioned her near busy roads. Each new environment provided its own unique distractions, and Callie’s ability to stay calm was tested in every scenario. By gradually increasing the level of distraction, we reinforced her ability to remain composed and focused on her command, regardless of the setting.
Once Callie had demonstrated consistent success across all three stages, we transitioned the handling over to her owner. Through a series of hands-on sessions, we ensured that the owner could confidently reinforce these behaviours at her Leicestershire home and in public. With this, Callie’s training continued to progress, and she is now able to perform her role as an assistance dog with greater ease and confidence.
By focusing on the 3 D’s of training and exposing Callie to various real-world environments, she has made impressive progress, and her owner is now equipped with the skills needed to maintain this success.
I cannot recommend Next Level Dog Training enough. I originally purchased my autism assistance dog through another company, under the impression that she was fully trained. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, and after spending a lot of money and being repeatedly misled, I was understandably hesitant to trust another training company.
For four months, I worked on laying the foundation with my dog, trying to bring her to a level I was comfortable with. While she is brilliant, her youth and excitability limited where I could take her, which in turn affected my independence. That’s when I reached out to Next Level Dog Training.
From start to finish, they exceeded my expectations. They kept me fully informed about every step of my dog’s progress and provided frequent updates, which I really appreciated. Thanks to their real-world training, my dog has been transformed. She’s now able to handle a wide variety of environments—shops, pubs, libraries, and busy places—places where previous trainers didn’t bother to take her.
The team, led by Justin, genuinely cares about the dogs they work with, and it shows in their dedication and the results they achieve. Thanks to their hard work, I’ve regained my independence and can confidently go anywhere with my dog. I am endlessly thankful for the care and attention they gave her.
If you want to transform your relationship with your dog, I can’t recommend Next Level Dog Training highly enough. They will make a real difference.
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