Check In Every Minute: Return or Keep Going
Focus & Attention · 22 steps · by @fearfuldogs
Your Dog will learn to **turn their head to check in with you about once a minute, with no cue**. Each check-in gets one of three visual answers: the **Raised hand flash** marker, which means a treat is waiting at your hand and Your Dog decides whether to come for it or carry on; the **Arms wide, hands to chest** signal, which means come back to me; or the **Forward arm sweep** signal, which means you're free, carry on. The finished picture is a sniffy long-line or off-lead walk where Your Dog keeps track of you on their own.
**Built for a deaf dog.** Every cue and every marker here is visual. That makes the check-in the whole game: a deaf dog can only be marked, steered or called back while looking at you, so a dog who checks in every minute is a dog you can reach every minute. A visual marker only lands while the dog is looking, so keep your marker hand free and deliver it the instant the head turns. Train in good light; at dusk your signals stop existing. Deaf dogs read bodies closely, so use a timer that vibrates on your wrist and don't glance at it, or the glance becomes the cue.
**How the schedule works.** This is a fixed interval of 1 minute with a limited hold. After each reinforcer (or after the dog turns down a Raised hand flash offer) you start the timer. Head turns before the interval ends get nothing: no marker, no signal, no change in you. The first head turn after the interval gets answered. If none comes within the window (15 s on short intervals, 20 s at 60 s), that rep is a Fail and the next interval starts. Expect the classic FI scallop: few check-ins right after a payout, more as the minute runs out. Here that's the point: Your Dog explores, then checks.
**Three ways to answer a check-in.** While the interval is being built, give the Thumbs up (your everyday visual marker) and toss the treat to Your Dog; never beckon them in for it. Then the Raised hand flash is charged as a second, different marker. It reinforces the head turn and hands Your Dog the choice: the treat waiting at your knee, or the sniff they were enjoying. Both are fine answers, and the split between them tells you how your treats stack up against the place you're in. Once the return and carry-on signals are trained they answer check-ins too: return pays high value at your leg, carry-on pays with a treat tossed ahead and later with the sniffing itself. Give the Raised hand flash to about half the check-ins and split the rest between the other two, so checking in never predicts the end of the fun.
**Keeping the Raised hand flash worth something.** A conditioned reinforcer only keeps its value while it keeps predicting food. If Your Dog turns the offer down most of the time, rerun the charging steps with better treats. Never beckon, lure or reel in a dog who chose to carry on after the Raised hand flash: that turns the choice into a cue with an opt-out that isn't real.
**Safety:** long line on a harness until the off-lead proof, and only in a secure area there. If the dog eats things outdoors, carry-on time is sniffing time, so manage it (basket muzzle, clean ground).
Training steps
Pay the head turn: 10 seconds
Setup: Quiet room or yard. Your Dog on a 2 m lead, a few treats scattered or something to sniff. Start a 10 s timer.
Stand still and quiet. Ignore head turns before 10 s. The first head turn toward you after 10 s: Thumbs up right away, then toss the treat to Your Dog's feet or just ahead. Restart the timer when the treat lands.
Success: Your Dog turns their head toward you after the 10 s mark.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Head turn at 20 seconds
Setup: Same quiet spot, 2 m lead. Timer at 20 s.
Still and quiet. Head turns before 20 s get nothing. First head turn after 20 s: Thumbs up, then toss the treat to Your Dog. Window: 15 s after the interval ends.
Success: Your Dog turns their head to you within 15 s after the 20 s mark.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Head turn at 30 seconds
Setup: Same quiet spot, 2 m lead. Timer at 30 s.
Still and quiet. Head turns before 30 s get nothing. First head turn after 30 s: Thumbs up, then toss the treat to Your Dog. Window: 15 s.
Success: Your Dog turns their head to you within 15 s after the 30 s mark.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Head turn at 45 seconds
Setup: Same quiet spot, 2 m lead. Timer at 45 s.
Still and quiet. Head turns before 45 s get nothing. First head turn after 45 s: Thumbs up, then toss the treat to Your Dog. Window: 20 s.
Success: Your Dog turns their head to you within 20 s after the 45 s mark.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Head turn at 50 seconds
Setup: Same quiet spot, 2 m lead. Timer at 50 s.
A smaller jump toward the full minute. Still and quiet; the first head turn after 50 s gets the Thumbs up and a toss. Window: 20 s.
Success: Your Dog turns their head to you within 20 s after the 50 s mark.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Head turn at 60 seconds
Setup: Same quiet spot, 2 m lead. Timer at 60 s.
Still and quiet. Head turns before 60 s get nothing. First head turn after 60 s: Thumbs up, then toss the treat to Your Dog. Window: 20 s.
Success: Your Dog turns their head to you within 20 s after the 60 s mark.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Charge the choice marker
Setup: Your Dog on a 2 m lead within 1 m of you, nothing much to sniff. No timer.
Whenever Your Dog glances at you, give the Raised hand flash once, then hold a treat still at your knee. Don't beckon, lean or step: the treat waits for them. Quick reps; this is where the marker gets its value.
Success: Your Dog comes to your hand within 2 s of Raised hand flash.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Choice marker vs. sniffing, 2 m
Setup: Your Dog at the end of a 2 m lead, sniffing a few scattered low-value treats or a good smell. No timer.
When Your Dog looks up, give the Raised hand flash once and hold a high-value treat still at your knee for 3 s. Don't beckon or move. This checks that the marker is worth more than the floor before the dog gets a real choice.
Success: Your Dog heads to your hand within 3 s of Raised hand flash.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Choice at 30 seconds
Setup: Quiet room or yard, 2 m lead, a few things to sniff, timer at 30 s.
Still and quiet. First head turn after 30 s: give the Raised hand flash once and hold a treat still at your knee. Heading your way within 3 s: treat at your leg. Back to sniffing: let them go, no treat, no second offer. Restart the timer at the treat or the turn away. Window: 15 s.
Success: Your Dog checks in within 15 s after the 30 s mark. Coming in and carrying on both pass.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Choice at 60 seconds
Setup: Quiet room or yard, 2 m lead, a few things to sniff, timer at 60 s.
Still and quiet. First head turn after 60 s: give the Raised hand flash once and hold a treat still at your knee. Heading your way within 3 s: treat at your leg. Back to sniffing: let them go, no treat, no second offer, no beckoning. Restart the timer at the treat or the turn away. Window: 20 s.
Success: Your Dog checks in within 20 s after the 60 s mark. Coming in and carrying on both pass.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Carry-on signal: sweep, then toss
Setup: Your Dog beside you or facing you, 1-2 m lead. No timer for the signal steps.
Give the Forward arm sweep (arm sweeps forward, away from you), then a beat later toss a treat 1-2 m in that direction. The sweep must come first and finish before your hand goes to the treats.
Success: Your Dog turns and goes after the toss in the direction of the sweep.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Carry-on: signal before the toss
Setup: Your Dog looking at you, 1-2 m lead.
Give the Forward arm sweep and keep your treat hand still. Wait up to 2 s. If Your Dog turns and moves off in that direction, toss the treat ahead of them.
Success: Your Dog turns away and moves in the sweep's direction within 2 s, before any toss.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Return signal: signal, then back up
Setup: Your Dog 1-2 m away, sniffing a few scattered treats on a lead.
When Your Dog looks up, give the Arms wide, hands to chest, then take two quick steps back and soften your posture. Pay high value at your leg when they arrive.
Success: Your Dog comes to your leg within 3 s of the signal.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Return on the signal alone
Setup: Your Dog 1-2 m away, sniffing scattered treats on a lead.
When Your Dog looks up, give the Arms wide, hands to chest and stand still. Pay high value at your leg.
Success: Your Dog comes to your leg within 3 s without you moving.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Read the signal: mix both
Setup: Your Dog 1-2 m away on a lead, sniffing. Decide each signal before Your Dog looks up: about 1 return to 2 carry-ons, no pattern.
When Your Dog looks up, give the signal you planned. Return: high value at your leg. Carry-on: toss ahead once they move off.
Success: Your Dog does the one you signalled: comes in for return, moves off for carry-on.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Full loop at 60 seconds, home or yard
Setup: Quiet room or yard, 2 m lead, timer at 60 s. Plan your answers before each look: about 2 Raised hand flash to 1 return to 1 carry-on.
Silent. First head turn after 60 s gets your planned answer: Raised hand flash (treat waits at your knee 3 s, dog decides), return (high value at your leg) or carry-on (toss ahead). Restart the timer at the reinforcer or the turn away. Window: 20 s.
Success: Your Dog checks in within 20 s after the 60 s mark and follows the return or carry-on signal you gave. After the Raised hand flash, either choice passes.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Long line, quiet walk, 30 seconds
Setup: Quiet route, 5 m long line on a harness, timer at 30 s. Answers planned: about 2 Raised hand flash to 1 return to 1 carry-on.
A shorter interval for the new place. Silent; first head turn after 30 s gets your planned answer: Raised hand flash (treat waits at your knee, dog decides), return (high value at your leg) or carry-on (toss ahead). Window: 15 s.
Success: Your Dog checks in within 15 s after the 30 s mark and follows the return or carry-on signal you gave. After the Raised hand flash, either choice passes.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Long line, quiet walk, 60 seconds
Setup: Quiet route, 5 m long line on a harness, timer at 60 s. Answers planned: about 2 Raised hand flash to 1 return to 1 carry-on.
Same loop as at home: Raised hand flash (treat waits at your knee, dog decides), return (high value at your leg) or carry-on (toss ahead). The line stays slack: never use it to get the look, or to bring the dog in after Raised hand flash. Window: 20 s.
Success: Your Dog checks in within 20 s after the 60 s mark and follows the return or carry-on signal you gave. After the Raised hand flash, either choice passes.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Sniffing pays the carry-on
Setup: Same quiet route, 5 m long line, timer at 60 s.
Carry-on no longer gets a toss: the sweep releases Your Dog back to the sniff, and that is the pay. Return still gets high value at your leg every time, and Raised hand flash still means a treat waits at your knee. Keep about 2 Raised hand flash to 1 return to 1 carry-on.
Success: Your Dog checks in within 20 s after the 60 s mark and follows the return or carry-on signal you gave. After the Raised hand flash, either choice passes.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Farther out: 8-10 m
Setup: Quiet route, 10 m long line, timer at 60 s.
Your Dog ranges to the end of the line. Make all three answers big enough to read at that distance. Raised hand flash: treat waits at your knee (expect more carry-ons out here). Return: high value at your leg. Carry-on: back to sniffing.
Success: Your Dog checks in within 20 s after the 60 s mark at 8-10 m and follows the return or carry-on signal you gave. After the Raised hand flash, either choice passes.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
New place, more going on
Setup: A new route or park with moderate activity, 5 m long line, timer at 60 s.
Same loop somewhere new. Stay well outside anything Your Dog can't cope with. Raised hand flash: treat waits at your knee. Return: high value at your leg. Carry-on: back to sniffing.
Success: Your Dog checks in within 20 s after the 60 s mark and follows the return or carry-on signal you gave. After the Raised hand flash, either choice passes.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Off lead in a secure field
Setup: A fully fenced, empty field. Line dropped or off. Timer at 60 s.
Walk the field and let Your Dog ramble. Same loop, same mix: Raised hand flash (treat waits at your knee), return (high value at your leg), carry-on (back to exploring).
Success: Your Dog checks in within 20 s after the 60 s mark off lead and follows the return or carry-on signal you gave. After the Raised hand flash, either choice passes.
Advance on: 4 of 5 successes
Your Dog now keeps track of you on their own, reads three visual answers, and makes real choices when you hand them one. Keep the return paid well forever, keep carry-on meaning real freedom, and keep the Raised hand flash predicting food. Watch the choice split as a readout of each place: if check-ins thin out or the offers get turned down on a new route, replay the proof steps there with better treats before you blame the dog. The environment just got richer.