Alfie | Miniature Longhaired Dachshund | Santa Monica, Ca | In-Training
Updated: Jul 28
Meet Alfie, an adorable 6-month-old Miniature Longhaired Dachshund from Santa Monica, CA, who has just joined our One-Week Board & Train Program!
Alfie is a sweet and timid little pup who is still learning about and exploring the world. Like many puppies his age, he displays a few unwanted behaviors that we’ll be working through during his stay. He gets very excited around other dogs and tends to pull toward them, making it difficult for him to stay focused or respond to commands when distractions are present.
Over the next 7 days, we’ll be building structure, confidence, and reliable obedience through consistent training, clear communication, and positive experiences.
Throughout his program, Alfie will be working on:
● Loose leash walking
● Impulse control, especially around distractions
● Basic obedience commands
● Improved focus and engagement with his handler
● Better manners in new environments
●Building confidence in new situations
With the right structure, consistency, and guidance, Alfie is going to make incredible progress and continue growing into a confident, well-mannered companion. We can’t wait to share his transformation with you!
Stay tuned as we follow Alfie’s one-week training journey!
7/21/26
Welcome to Alfie’s first Pupdate!
It was such a pleasure meeting you and getting to know both you and Alfie today!
After your departure, I took some time to simply bond with Mr. Alfie. Since we only have a short week together, I wanted to make sure he felt safe, secure, and comfortable with me. You mentioned that he can be very timid around new people, so I wanted to let him set the pace and build trust before asking anything of him.
We spent some quiet time together at the park, allowing him to relax and get familiar with me. Once he seemed more comfortable, it was time to head home. Alfie did an excellent job riding in his crate, and I’m happy to report there were no signs of motion sickness!
After arriving home, I gradually introduced him to Dottie, my 2-year-old Golden Retriever. We then headed out for a pack walk around the neighborhood so Alfie could continue building confidence while becoming familiar with Dottie and the new environment he’ll be spending the week in.
Just as you mentioned, Alfie was a little shy at first and needed a bit of encouragement to get moving, but once he gained some confidence, he did a wonderful job. Overall, he had a very successful first day, and I’m looking forward to watching his confidence continue to grow throughout the week.
7/22/26
7/22/26
Today we took Alfie on another little adventure to continue building his confidence and exposing him to the world around him. We visited our local PetSmart so he could experience all the different sights, sounds, smells, and people. We took our time walking through the store, allowing him to sniff and explore anything that sparked his curiosity.
One of today’s biggest wins was that Alfie voluntarily approached a stranger! He calmly walked over, sniffed her leg, and showed no signs of fear or growling. This was a wonderful step forward and a great indication that he’s beginning to feel more comfortable around new people. Since Alfie has such a calm temperament, I’m continuing to learn what motivates and excites him so I can make training as rewarding as possible.
Last night was another success! Alfie slept well for most of the night and only became vocal when he needed a potty break. We went outside, and he peed right away—yay! Afterward, he settled back into his crate and slept peacefully through the rest of the night. This is a great sign that he’s starting to feel comfortable in his new environment. Another exciting milestone was that he rolled over and showed me his belly, which is a wonderful sign of trust. We’re definitely moving in the right direction!
Today we also introduced Alfie to his new training collar. Right now, he’s simply wearing it so he can get accustomed to the feeling. It is not activated at this stage—we’re just focusing on making it a normal part of his daily routine.
Overall, Alfie had a great first full day. He’s still adjusting to his new surroundings, but he’s making steady progress, and I’m very happy with how he’s settling in. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!
7/23/26
For today’s training we focused on “Place”. The “place” command is one of the most valuable commands you can teach a dog because it builds self-control, teaches them how to relax, and gives them a clear job. Instead of constantly telling your dog “no,” you’re giving them something appropriate to do.
Some of the biggest benefits include:
• Builds impulse control: Your dog learns to remain calm and resist the urge to chase, jump, bark, or investigate every distraction.
• Creates a calm state of mind: Holding place helps dogs learn to settle themselves rather than staying in a constant state of excitement.
• Improves household manners: It’s perfect for keeping your dog on a bed or cot while you answer the door, eat dinner, cook, or have guests over.
•Reduces unwanted behaviors: Many issues like jumping on visitors, begging at the table, counter surfing, and door rushing become much easier to manage when a dog understands place.
• Increases confidence: For shy or anxious dogs, having a designated safe spot can help them feel more secure in unfamiliar situations.
• Strengthens communication: Your dog learns to look to you for direction instead of making their own decisions.
• Prepares dogs for real-world situations: Whether you’re at a park, café, sporting event, or a friend’s house, the place command gives your dog a familiar task that helps them stay focused despite distractions.
Today we began reinforcing the Place command using an assigned cot. The goal is to teach him that this is his designated spot where I want him to go, remain calm, and stay until he is released.
As you can see in the video, he was a little apprehensive at first, which is completely normal when introducing a new concept. With a little encouragement and some treat motivation, he quickly gained confidence and was able to complete the exercise successfully.
We repeated the command throughout this training session and will continue practicing it throughout the day so he begins to associate the cot with relaxing and settling down. I was even able to capture a sweet photo of him relaxing alongside Dottie!
Alfie is still showing some timid behaviors from time to time, but he’s slowly beginning to come out of his shell. Yay, Alfie! Every small step forward is a win, and it’s been wonderful to see his confidence continue to grow as he becomes more comfortable in his new environment.
7/24/26
Today we took Alfie to the local park, where we introduced him to the e-collar. Since Alfie is such a timid pup, it was important to make this a slow and positive experience. We started at level 0 and gradually increased the stimulation until Alfie let me know he could feel it. His working level is a 7.
Once we established his working level, we got right to work! To keep Alfie happy and engaged, we moved at a fun, upbeat pace, and he responded by walking with much more confidence.
During our park session, we worked on Place with an extended duration, Come to Sit, and Heel. Alfie continues to impress me with how quickly he learns. While treats aren’t a huge motivator for him, he absolutely thrives on praise, so lots of encouragement has been the key to keeping him engaged and successful.
Back at home, Alfie continues to sleep well through the night and is eating great. He’s getting lots of love, and we’re all enjoying his sweet personality and irresistible cuteness. He’s making wonderful progress each day, and I can’t wait to show you what he learns next!
7/25/26
For today’s Pupdate, we decided to stay indoors and keep out of the heat. Our focus was on door manners and extending Alfie’s duration with his commands, as he tends to show a little separation anxiety.
I’ve noticed that Alfie likes to stay very close to me and has a harder time maintaining his Place or Sit if I move more than a few feet away. Because of this, we’re working on building his confidence and helping him understand that he is safe and secure even when I’m not right beside him.
Today we practiced door manners by having Alfie hold a stationary sit while I opened the door, making sure he understood not to rush outside. He only breaks his sit when released with my command. Since we’ve been practicing this daily, he handled that exercise very well. The bigger challenge came when I added distance between us while asking him to remain in his sit. The good news is that all of the work we’ve been doing with the Place command is beginning to transfer over, which is great to see. Every once in a while he would break his sit before the 30-second mark, but we simply reset him and gave him another opportunity to succeed. Consistency is key, and Alfie is making steady progress.
Today Alfie also let more of his personality shine now that he’s becoming comfortable with me. His verbal command alone wasn’t quite enough today, so we paired it with the e-collar at a higher working level of 35. He was feeling a little stubborn, but we stayed consistent, followed through with the command, and he eventually made the right choice.
Oh, Alfie…you definitely keep me on my toes! Every day he becomes a little more confident, and it’s been rewarding to watch him continue to come out of his shell.
Attached is the e-collar tutorial so you can familiarize yourself with the device Alfie will be returning with.
7/26/26
For today’s Pupdate, we focused on heel walks, extended sits with added distance between us, and come-to-sit. Alfie did an amazing job during his heel work, walking nicely by my side and stopping to sit on command. Yay, Alfie!
We also spent time practicing his come-to-sit recall. This has been one of the commands he has struggled with, but today something finally clicked! With consistency and repetition, he began understanding exactly what was being asked of him and completed the exercise successfully.
One area we’ve been putting a lot of effort into is building Alfie’s confidence when there’s distance between us during place and sit. Today he really surprised me by holding his position even as I moved farther away. This is a huge step forward and shows he’s becoming more confident and secure. I couldn’t be more proud of him—what a big improvement! 🎉🐾
7/27/26
For Alfie’s final Pupdate, we took him to our weekly off-leash group meet-up where he had the opportunity to socialize with other off-leash dogs and work alongside several trainers. This was a great environment to reinforce everything we’ve been practicing throughout the week while also addressing one of his biggest challenges—his habit of lunging toward other dogs.
When we first arrived at the park, Alfie noticed the other dogs from a distance and, without warning, lunged in an attempt to run over to them. I immediately gave him the verbal command, “Off,” redirected him, and reset the exercise.
As the session continued, Alfie made wonderful progress. He was able to remain in close proximity to the other dogs without lunging and stayed focused on me despite the excitement around him. He listened well to his commands and showed great self-control throughout the training.
I am incredibly proud of Alfie and how much confidence and understanding he has gained this week. He has come a long way from the timid little pup I first met. While he will continue to benefit from consistency and practice at home, he now has a solid foundation to build on. Keep up the great work, Alfie—you’ve earned it!
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