Your dog has just completed several weeks of structured training and is ready to return home. You’ve both invested time, energy, and patience into building new habits — now it’s time to make sure those skills last a lifetime.

When your dog returns home, the key to success is consistency. By maintaining the same structure and expectations your dog experienced during training, you’ll help them smoothly transition back into your home without slipping into old habits.

Before You Begin: Review Your Training Equipment

Your dog will go home with a few essential tools. Each piece of equipment plays a specific role in maintaining control, reinforcing obedience, and keeping your dog safe.

Leashes

Slip LeashThe slip leash is the first tool introduced during training. It’s simple, effective, and ensures your dog cannot back out or slip free. We use it to teach foundational obedience, leash communication, and handler control.

Snap LeashThe snap leash attaches to your dog’s training collar. Depending on your dog’s needs, this may include a martingale, Starmark, or prong collar. These collars help refine leash communication and give clear feedback without excessive pressure.

Long LineA long line gives your dog room to move while maintaining control. It’s the bridge between on-leash and off-leash freedom — perfect for practicing recalls and distance obedience.

Training Collars

Your dog may go home with a Starmark, martingale, or prong collar, depending on what worked best during training. Each collar is used the same way — as a communication tool, not punishment. The goal is to amplify your leash cues clearly and consistently.

Remote Collar (if included in your program)

If your program included e-collar training, you’ll receive:

• Receiver: The collar your dog wears

• Transmitter: The handheld remote

• Charging Cable: Charge nightly to maintain performance

• Contact Points: Different lengths for various coat types

• Optional Finger Kick: A wearable remote button that pairs with the transmitter

Your e-collar should be charged nightly and worn during all training and supervised activity.

Finger Clicker

The clicker communicates to your dog that they’ve made the right choice. It can be used interchangeably with your positive verbal markers.

Treat Pouch

Training is easier when your rewards are accessible. Your treat pouch helps you carry reward food, the clicker, your remote, and poop bags — everything you need for efficient sessions.

Place Cot

Your dog will go home with a place cot, one of the most valuable training tools we use. The place command teaches calmness, impulse control, and respect for boundaries — skills that solve a wide range of unwanted behaviors.

The Home Transition Phases

To protect your dog’s progress, we break the transition process into three phases. Each phase builds structure, clarity, and confidence as your dog adjusts to home life.

🩵 Phase 1: Reestablish Structure (2–5 Days Minimum)

Phase 1 Rules:

• Your dog is on-leash or in the crate — no free roaming.

• All food comes directly from you.

• All behaviors are guided by you and occur on leash.

• Everything is earned; nothing is free.

During this phase, your dog’s day should closely mimic their schedule at Airborne K9 — short, structured sessions with crate rest between them.

This repetition reinforces kennel manners, door manners, leash skills, and impulse control.

Know Your Routine

Establish a predictable daily pattern before starting. Here’s a sample outline to help you maintain structure:

1. Kennel Manners

• Wait for calm before opening the crate door.

• Use your “Kennel” command to reinforce staying inside until released.

• If your dog tries to rush out, calmly close the door and reset.

• Put on all training equipment before releasing your dog.

• Use a release cue (“Free”) or a working cue (like “Heel” or “Come”) to exit the crate.

2. Water Access

“Nothing in life is free” applies to water too. Offer water at predictable times — before or after training — and always ask for a behavior (sit, down, etc.) before release.

3. Door Manners

Every doorway is a training opportunity.

• Approach the door with your dog in heel position.

• Stop, ask for sit, and ensure they hold position.

• You pass through first — always.

• If they rush, reset and repeat a different variation of your door routine.

4. Potty Manners

Designate a potty area and use consistent commands like “Go Potty.”Keep your dog on leash, avoid marking on objects, and wait long enough for them to fully relieve themselves. Once potty time is done, obedience begins.

Training Sessions

The routine leading up to your session is just as important as the session itself.

Choose Your Space

Start in a low-distraction environment (yard, driveway, or training area). Remove toys unless they’re part of your plan.

Choose Your Priority

Each session should have a clear focus and measurable goal — building one of the Three D’s:

• Duration (time in behavior)

• Distance (handler movement away)

• Distraction (environmental challenge)

Example:

Be flexible — sometimes another skill may need attention.

End on a Win

Always finish on success. Reward generously, and use a “jackpot” reward — a big treat or favorite toy — to create positive momentum.

Heel back to the crate, maintain door manners, offer water, and reset for the next session.

Phase 1 Training Goals

Once your dog reliably meets these goals and your home routine feels predictable, move into Phase 2.

💛 Phase 2: Structured Freedom (Minimum 7 Days)

Continue starting the day as in Phase 1 — kennel, leash, potty — but now begin integrating training into your daily life.

Examples of structured activities:

• Cooking or eating meals

• Working at your computer

• Watching TV or reading

• Doing chores or cleaning

Use your place cot or down-stay to keep your dog calm and under control while you move through normal routines.

Example: Mealtime Manners

Have your dog practice place during your breakfast or dinner prep.

• Keep them close enough to reward frequently.

• Reward calmness every few minutes.

• Correct mistakes with your normal marker (“No”) and leash or e-collar guidance.

• As reliability increases, move the bed farther away.

Consistency teaches your dog to settle, even while you’re busy.

Similar Structured Sessions

• Working at your desk

• Watching a movie

• Vacuuming or cleaning

Each provides a chance to reinforce obedience calmly while increasing duration and distractions.

Earning Privileges

As reliability grows, your dog can begin earning privileges — not all at once, and not permanently.

Off-Leash Training

Start within fenced or enclosed areas. Use your remote collar and always begin with a leash or drag line. Focus on recalls, sends to place, and structured play (retrieve, out, return).If your dog becomes distracted or non-responsive, revert to leash work immediately.

Furniture Access

If you allow your dog on furniture, introduce it just like a place cot with clear rules:

1. Teach “Place” on the couch.

2. Teach “Off” by guiding them down and marking success.

3. Repeat until fluent.

Privileges are earned through good behavior — and they can always be revoked if manners slip.

💚 Phase 3: Lifelong Learning

Training never truly ends. Every day your dog is learning — either good habits or bad ones — based on the structure and consistency you maintain.

Think of your dog like a child: capable of making choices, but always needing guidance.

Management and Maintenance

Training teaches skills; management prevents failure.Leashes, crates, gates, and fences aren’t restrictions — they’re safety tools that protect your dog and reinforce boundaries.

Example:

Structure creates predictability, which creates reliability.

Would You Bet Your Dog’s Life On It?

Even the best-trained dogs can make impulsive choices. Obedience doesn’t replace management — it complements it. Continue reinforcing recalls, door manners, down-stays, and place commands throughout your dog’s life.

Training isn’t a finish line. It’s a lifelong commitment to communication, consistency, and calm leadership.

Final Thoughts

Your dog’s return home is an exciting milestone — and a fresh start. The structure, tools, and techniques you learned during training are the blueprint for lasting success.

At Airborne K9, we’re here to help you every step of the way. If you have questions, need a refresher, or want to continue advancing your dog’s skills, schedule a follow-up lesson or join one of our club training programs today.

📍 Airborne K9 – Sanford, North Carolina📞 (910) 803-1990 | 🌐 AirborneK9.com💬 Call or text anytime to book your next session.