Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Mission Viejo, CA | In-Training
- Scott Hansen
- May 3
- 21 min read
Updated: May 23
Meet Apollo! Apollo is an almost three-year-old Pit Bull Mix here for our Old-School Three-Week Board and Train Program. Apollo is a nice pup; however, he does display several unwanted behaviors. Apollo has poor leash manners, will not recall, and has unreliable obedience. Apollo can perform a command or two with proper motivation; however, he lacks structure and performs tasks inconsistently. Over the next twenty-one days, Apollo is going to learn to be an obedient pup through consistent, clear communication and balanced training at home and by discovering new people and places. Apollo will learn to perform all these things on and off leash through a positive and balanced training environment. Through structure and consistency, Apollo will demonstrate how great a pup he can be! Stay tuned for Apollo’s three-week transformation!
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/03/26
Today, Mr. Apollo joined me for his Three-Week-Old-School Board and Train Program. On the way home, we stopped at a local park to see what commands Mr. Apollo could perform. He did ok but not great! He kept trying to pull me everywhere, but I held on for dear life. He did poop almost immediately out of the car, likely due to stress. I think you know all that, and that's why he's here. After I tested his skills, we had a mini photoshoot for his profile picture for his blog. I don't know if you know this, but as soon as dogs see a phone or camera in front of their face, you are now invisible to them, and they must ignore you at all costs. Once we got what we needed, we loaded up and headed to Mr. Apollo's temporary residence for the next three weeks. Overall, Mr. Apollo had no issues with the car ride. He did whine a little bit, but by the time we were on the freeway home, he was fine.
Once we got home, I let Mr. Apollo smell Ms. Toji and Mr. Wayne through the front gate. Ms. Toji and Mr. Wayne were excited to see Mr. Apollo. Mr. Apollo showed a happy interest in the pups. More skeptical interest if anything. Mr. Apollo had no problems coming to the house. I let him explore each room and meet everyone. Throughout the introductions, Mr. Apollo showed no adverse reactions. He was apprehensive of the new environment if anything. I took Mr. Apollo outside to meet Ms. Toji and Mr. Wayne. Mr. Apollo was apprehensive about the introductions, but he let the pups check him out. I think Mr. Apollo and Ms. Toji will be fine hanging out with each other.
We then went on a long walk around the block so that he could get used to the sights, sounds, and scents of his temporary new neighborhood. He had no issues with walking around the block. He was super interested in all the usual dog spots around the neighborhood. He made sure to smell every bush, tree, and item he could. He pooped again on this walk, but once again, likely due to the stimulation of the new environment. He ignored all the other dogs in the houses that barked at us as we went around.
I expect to see him work well with the structure and positive reinforcement. We will be using the prong collar with him, and this should help make it clear that those behaviors are unacceptable. With clear, persistent communication and expectations, he will learn to be a well-mannered pup!
I gave him dinner and observed how much he ate. He didn’t eat it, but I’ll leave it for him to eat later. I keep track of his weight and will ensure that he maintains his weight while he is with me.
I've attached the e-collar familiarization video. Please review the video a few times before Mr. Apollo's turnover. We'll practice together to make sure you are comfortable with the system before using it with Mr. Apollo. I will introduce the prong collar and e-collar for tomorrow’s training.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/04/26
Today, Mr. Apollo and I spent some time in my backyard. I had the assistance of my mini-trainer. The goal today was to introduce the prong collar and e-collar. I started with just the prong collar to see what he was willing to do with just the prong collar on. He was compliant, which was to be expected. The prong collar helps teach a pup self-control.
After a few minutes with the prong collar, I introduced the e-collar. Mr. Apollo was responsive at levels 10 to 15. I like these numbers. He could handle going up a little beyond those numbers, but if we have to go too much higher, i.e., 35+, we should verify that the equipment is properly paired and functioning or that Mr. Apollo is overstimulated.
I had my mini-trainer walk Mr. Apollo to see how he would handle it. He was perfectly fine. My mini-trainer knows how to guide the pups properly while I control the e-collar remote.
I also introduced door manners. This is where Mr. Apollo has to perform a "sit" and patiently wait at the door for me to enter. Once I enter, I can say "ok" or "heel" and let him follow me into the house. We never let Mr. Apollo enter before us.
One major item that we will be working on is his ability to calm down. He gets whiny when he can't see a human. He will calm down after a few minutes, but I will be working with him on better emotional regulation.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/05/26
Today, Mr. Apollo and I headed over to Rynerson Park in Lakewood, CA, to continue to solidify his basic commands. Mr. Apollo is a really smart guy! He does well with his commands and is responding well to the e-collar. He was doing so well with all his commands, so I started letting the leash drag and was barely holding it. Our goal is to be off-leash as soon as Mr. Apollo is ready, and he might be ready sooner than most! We reviewed the extended "sit", extended "place", extended "down", "heel", and his "come-to-sit". I was really pleased with how he did! He did roll around in the grass when I gave him the "Break!" command. We started around level 25 and then worked down to 15 when we left.
As the picture shows, he is getting a little red on the chest. I went ahead and put some of the medication you sent with him to start to clear it up.
We need to continue working on his emotional regulation; he frequently whines for simple things. It's like a crying infant. We can't run over and appease him every time he whines. We can't tell him to "be quiet" or "off" every time. Let's let him self-regulate and calm down. He has plenty of water, food, and has had time to go potty, so I know all his needs are met. He is crying out of habit and due to uncontrolled emotions.
I did try to mix in peanut butter with his food for breakfast, but that wasn't enough to get him to eat all of the food. He did wind up eating all of his dinner last night, though.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/05/06
Today, Mr. Apollo and I headed over to our local Home Depot in Lakewood, CA. We reviewed the "heel", "place", "down", "sit", and "come-to-sit". I also introduced "under" and "come-to-heel". The only command left to introduce is his send-away to "place". We still have a lot of time left to reinforce these commands on and off leash and in various levels of stimulus. Mr. Apollo is a smart guy and is picking up on the tasks quickly.
The only issue we are running into at this moment is that Mr. Apollo is sensitive to the e-collar. I might switch from the 3/4" contact points to the 5/8" contact points. Also, I am not sure that is a great idea, since Mr. Apollo has a thick neck, and I don't want to put the e-collar on too tightly to ensure proper contact. The good thing is that he has short fur, so it doesn't have to be much snugger. I'll swap them out for tomorrow's training as I work on the "under" more tomorrow.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | 05/07/26
Today, Mr. Apollo and I headed over to El Dorado Park in Long Beach, CA. We reviewed all of his commands with low to medium distractions. There was a lot of baseball and softball practices, kids on e-bikes, e-skateboards, etc, soccer practice, other pups walking around, and kids hanging out at the skatepark. It was relatively low because we were not in the middle of all those distractions and stimuli, but it was close enough for Mr. Apollo to see, hear, and smell all the stimuli. There are usually squirrels running around, but none today.
We reviewed all of his commands except for "under" today while the leash was dragging behind him. He is doing so great with all of his commands! I did switch the contact points over to the 5/8" ones. This seemed to work out fine for what we need from him. I will leave these on.
As you can see, we practiced "come-to-heel", "sit", "place", "down", and "heel", and I even started working on his send-away to "place". I think the last one is something he knows from what I saw at your house, but he needs it reinforced and super clear about his expectations.
I even threw in a little clip of Mr. Apollo loading into the car on his own. He's quite heavy to lift, and I'm glad he's got this one figured out.
Great job today, Mr. Apollo!
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/08/26
Today, Mr. Apollo and I headed to my backyard! I wanted to focus on his "under" and building his "send-away-to-place". As you can see, I used my bench seat from my dining room to help introduce the "under". Mr. Apollo was not excited about the "under" at first and would rather have been on top of the bench licking me. I was able to use that to my advantage and poke my head over to the other side of the bench to get his attention. We reviewed this quite a few times. My other "under" tool was one of my daughter's little tables, but she's outgrown it, and it disappeared before I could save it! This bench will work well. Be very clear on what item you want Mr. Apollo to perform an "under" versus a "place". We are pretty far ahead of schedule with Mr. Apollo, so I think I will have time to work with him on making good choices with "under" or "place". When the dog assumes what we want from them, you will see that they will perform an "under" when we want "place" or vice versa.
Mr. Apollo continues to have reddening on his underbelly. I'll put more of the ointment you sent for the next few days. I am going to try to avoid going to parks with grass to avoid irritating his skin even more. If I do go to a park with lots of grass, we will do our best to avoid Mr. Apollo's interaction with it, such as lying down and rolling in it.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/09/26
Today, we focused on Mr. Apollo's manners around the house. I displayed for you the two types of door manners. The first, and most frequently used method, is where we have Mr. Apollo sit and wait at each door. Mr. Apollo does not go through the door unless we allow him to with an "ok" or "heel". Mr. Apollo should never go through the door before us. He can go through with us or after us, but never before us. Keep in mind that this is a highly structured process and does not guarantee that he won't go through an open door. This is a foundational step in teaching him to wait patiently at a closed door. The good news is that I'll be bringing him directly to you, and we can practice at your house.
The second method is where we put him in a "place" and "down". He must wait patiently while we bring in the groceries, friends and family come over, while we bring in our little ones, or check the mail, or pick up another Amazon package, etc.
Next, I displayed for you the car manners. I showed you this at the park the other day, but the formal structure is to have him "sit" and tell him to "load up!" into the vehicle. Once again, it is not when he wants, but rather when we tell him to. Make sure to have him "sit" far enough back that he can take a step or two and get into the vehicle.
We had Mr. Grizzly join us today, and the two pups have no issues with each other. They will be partnered up for the next two weeks, so this is good news that they get along.
Tomorrow, I plan to introduce off-leash work for Mr. Apollo. He is really responding well to the training, and I think we can test the off-leash waters. It may not be perfect, and we'll have to use the leash in slightly busier areas for now, but I'll have a really good measurement as to where he is on his training regimen.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/10/26
Happy Mother's Day! Hope you guys had a great Mother's Day!
Mr. Apollo and I worked on his off-leash skills! What a great day! We are technically on Day 6 of training since I gave him a free day on the day I picked him up. What a great pup he is!
We reviewed almost all of his commands except the "under". I have a local park and some benches that I want to reinforce his "under" command at, so that will come later on this week. He performed everything off-leash: "send-away-to-place", "come-to-heel", "come-to-sit", "heel", "sit", and "down". What a smart guy!
I am super proud of the progress we have made to this point. He is so lovable and friendly. He is even gentle. It's been the German Shepherd show here for the last few weeks, and they have asserted their pack-leader status around Mr. Apollo, but he doesn't mind. I still give him plenty of attention. Just because the Shepherds are demanding and divas, that doesn't mean they get to interrupt when I'm hanging out with Mr. Apollo.
A lot of his redness has gone down, and it's looked the best today in quite a few days. I'll go ahead and put another smattering of conditioner on him, as we are going to a grassy park tomorrow morning, and I'd like it soaked into his skin and coat before we go.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/11/26
Today, Mr. Apollo and I headed over to Klingermann Park in Rosemead, CA, to meet up with our fellow Off Leash trainers and their pups. Mr. Apollo did absolutely amazing! I switched over to my smallest and lightest leash to simulate off-leash work. I let it drag behind him just in case I needed to step on it for some reason, and to help me with his "under". I never needed to step on it!
We reviewed all of his commands. We call it "chaining". I had him perform all of his commands in quick succession. He had zero issues. His "come-to-heel" is not as clean since he stopped to smell the grass several times. He did great with his send-away to "place". He performed the "down" from a distance. He did well with the "heel" with all the other pups around. Luckily, at this park, there is concrete under the benches, so we were able to avoid having him lie down on the grass. He wanted to go up and "place" on the first attempt, but I used the leash to guide him under the bench, and then we had no issues.
This is a great milestone. We are really far ahead of where I usually am with a pup on this program. Now we practice, practice, practice until it's built into Mr. Apollo. We add the levels of distractions and head to more and more public places. I'm really proud of his progress and where he is.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/12/26
Today, Mr. Apollo and I headed over to the Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos, CA. I want to start taking him to busier and more public places. Of course, he was amazing! We practiced all of his commands around low to medium distractions. I am still using my lightest leash, but this mall isn't a big fan of off-leash pups, so I could only really drop the leash during the extended "down", "place", and "sit". He performed all of his commands so well! His "under" is coming along nicely! The only thing I need to address is for him to perform it without leash pressure from me, but other than that, I couldn't ask for anything else from him!
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/13/25
Today, Mr. Apollo and I headed to our local Home Depot in Lakewood, CA. We reviewed all of his commands around the sights and sounds of the store. There was a person who was enamored with Mr. Apollo. Mr. Apollo let him say "hi" and relaxed the whole time we were chatting about his former pups. Mr. Apollo is not afraid to go anywhere or do anything while I am with him.
He has regressed a little in his "load up" skill. He is really attached to me, and I think he doesn't want to go in there after hanging out with me for his training. I encouraged him to jump back in with a little leash pressure. We'll have to stay consistent with his commands so that when we start practicing full off-leash sessions, he is locked in.
Apollo | Pitbull Mix | Pupdate 05/14/26
Today was our first full off-leash session in a public place!! Woohoo! Go, Mr. Apollo!
We went to Rynerson Park in Lakewood, CA. This is a super dog-friendly park, and often other off-leash pups are running around and playing with their owners. We went in the middle of the day when it wasn't too busy. This was a perfect setting to introduce the off-leash work. Mr. Apollo pretty much nailed it. His "come-to-heel" from really far away is beautiful. His regular "heel" is so nice. He does get a little distracted by things on the ground, but a quick "off" + low-level stimulation gets him right back in the mix. His "sit" and "extended sit" are locked in. He does want to lie down when the surface is slippery or if he's there for too long. The balance of off-leash and on-leash is to ensure he doesn't get a chance to lie down. With the leash, you can stop him and pull him back up. When off-leash and away from him, if he does it, we don't have much recourse other than to walk to him and reset him.
His send away to "place" is ok. You said you do that with him, and he understands it, but I can see that sometimes he is reluctant to perform the task fully. This happens when we also ask him to "come-to-sit' from too far away. He will come to us, but doesn't always go all the way around. A little bit of encouragement towards the end of the command, and he will complete the task.
The one drawback that I was trying to avoid was taking him to a grassy park was the future redness and irritation on his skin. It was worth it to be able to practice with him in a calm environment. Because when I did give him the "Break!" command, he went ahead and dragged himself all over the grass! Mr. Apollo! That makes you red all over! There's plenty of the conditioner you sent over, so I'll be applying that as needed to mitigate the redness and dryness.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/15/26
Today, we headed over to El Dorado Park in Long Beach, CA. There was baseball, softball, and soccer practice. Dogs were walking around, people on walks, plenty of cars going by, and skaters at the skatepark. The only thing missing was the squirrels, but I think they were sleeping or eating dinner.
We continued to work on all of his commands fully off-leash! Mr. Apollo is on fire! He is such a sweet pup and is such a pleasure to work with. I can't wait to show you how much he has progressed and what he can do. You guys have quite an amazing pup!
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/16/26
Today, we headed over to the Citadel Outlets in Commerce, CA, to review his commands around a busy, high-level distraction environment. It was a lot of fun to head over there and see what he can do.
Mr. Apollo did a great job of ignoring the other pups and distractions throughout. He's becoming a little reluctant with having to perform a "place" in something head-level or higher, but with some encouragement, he will perform the task. Mr. Apollo was doing so well with his commands that several people commented about how well-behaved he was. I asked them if they wanted to say hi to Mr. Apollo, and they all were happy to greet him.
We will continue to push Mr. Apollo in various levels of distractions while ensuring that his commands are solid. We don't want to just go to those places, and Mr. Apollo is not successful. It's ok if he makes a mistake or two; we will guide him and show him what our expectations are.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/17/26
Today, Mr. Apollo and I headed to the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA. This didn't go as well as I thought it would. Mr. Apollo is such a sensitive guy, and the pier was full of people and action. He was quite overwhelmed. We were able to practice almost all of his commands despite the fact that he was overwhelmed. We have some things to work on this week. The main thing that we have to work on is his send-away to "place". We have to work on his "place" in general. He has been quite reluctant to "load up" and "place" things above nose level, as I stated before. He has been so good at everything, but of course, he has become comfortable, so now he's being a little resistant and lazy at times.
He did let a few people say hi to him, and many people complimented how handsome he is. They also complimented how well-behaved he was while we were there.
We do have a second unfortunate thing to deal with. Mr. Apollo did get a rash where the e-collar was on his neck. I left it on for too long, and it has caused a rash. I'll be treating it with antiseptic and Neosporin. This does happen with short-haired pups. It happens even more with pups with allergies and sensitive skin, such as Mr. Apollo. He has been wearing it as much as possible for desensitization purposes so that he can comfortably use it while eating dinner, sleeping, and playing with the other pups. It appears we have reached the limit and will have to mitigate how much he wears it each day while this heals. I have been increasing the amount each day to make sure he was good with it. I cleaned and sanitized all of his e-collar module, the collar, and the contact points.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/18/26
Today, Mr. Apollo and I headed over to Klingerman Park in Rosemead, CA, to meet up with our fellow Off Leash trainers and their pups. Mr. Apollo did great overall today. He does really well with low-level distractions.
He even worked well with another trainer. I let them practice with Mr. Apollo, and he did well. I also let the other trainers practice greeting manners with him. But he liked it a little too much and didn't want to listen to me anymore because he was hamming it up. We were able to practice all his training around the other pups without any issues. He really enjoyed hanging out in the "down" and "under" while we hung out after the video.
We left the e-collar on for a short time today. His neck issues are clearing up already. I will continue to apply the first aid and ointment to keep it clean. I caught it very early, and we are addressing it properly.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/19/26
Today, we had a remedial session for Mr. Apollo. We worked on his send-away to "place". In the low-stress environment of my backyard, he was doing amazing. I was at least 10' away from the cot when I told him to "place," and he went right up there. Then we reinforced the "come-to-sit" from at least 10' away. He did a great job with this! Of course he did!
I invited my mini-trainer to assist me today. She did a great job walking with Mr. Apollo. Hopefully, your niece will see this and be excited to get to walk with Mr. Apollo. Mr. Apollo was looking at me for a while, but eventually my mini-trainer got him to focus on her. He is so nice and gentle, and he listened to her while I managed the e-collar remote.
We even got him to play with and chase the tennis ball. I used low-level stimulation or even a vibration with the "off!" command, and Mr. Apollo gave up the tennis ball without issue.
Now that we have reinforced the send-away to "place" in the low-level stimuli environment, we will venture out to increasingly higher stimuli. It might take some coaching and coaxing, but we'll get him to do it because I know he can! He's a smart pup.
His neck is healing up quickly now that I've been keeping it taken care of and significantly reduced his collar wearing to only when we go out or conduct training. It should all be cleared up by the time he goes home.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/20/26
Today, we conducted a final comprehensive review of all of Mr. Apollo's manners around the house. We reviewed his door manners, car manners, and food manners - all off-leash!
For door manners, remember, it is a highly structured event. It is ok for Mr. Apollo to be at the door when guests come over. We just want to have him in a "sit" or "down" as people enter. It's ok if they say hi real quick or even ignore him if he's too amped up. Be consistent with whatever strategy you choose. He shouldn't jump up, like he did today. You can reset him. It's ok to tell your guests, please wait a moment, I'm working on my dog's door manners. Most people are highly receptive, as everyone loves a well-behaved dog. You can then advise them to ignore him or give him a quick hello and carry on. Mr. Apollo can then be given the "break" command, or you can have him go back to "place". Let him know what your expectations are, and he will happily meet those for you.
Next up were the car manners. Mr. Apollo did fantastic with this task. He was worrying me a little bit with not jumping up into the car without some leash pressure and guidance. Today, he decided he was going to get back with the program. This is why it's important to stay consistent with the expectations. He knows how to do it. He can do it. He has no medical issues to prevent him from carrying out the task; he needs to carry it out.
Lastly, were the food manners. Mr. Apollo has been good about eating his food. He is not exactly a food hound, but he rarely leaves any food in the bowl. He didn't eat all of his breakfast today, but he was still hungry enough to eat his food when presented.
It was a really warm day today, so Mr. Apollo hung out inside the house for the hottest parts of the day.
Great job today, Mr. Apollo!
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/21/26
Today, Mr. Apollo and I headed to Liberty Park in Cerritos, CA, to review his send-away to "place". I mentioned that this task was not going as well as I wanted. When we first started practicing on the bench, he did not want to go up. He barely put his front two paws up. That is not acceptable. We reset. I started close to him and guided him up on the bench with the leash. Then I started moving further and further back. Eventually, we worked back to being off-leash, and he did it without any issues! I knew he could do it, but we just have to hold him accountable by being consistent. Mr. Apollo will gladly take advantage of our kindness if we allow him to get away with being lazy or not following through with his tasks. You must be consistent with Mr. Apollo, or it will confuse him, and he will start doing what he wants instead of what we are asking him to do/perform.
Tomorrow, we are off to the Santa Monica Pier for Round 2! We will be going a little earlier than last time, and hopefully it won't be as crowded, but this will be his final review of all of his tasks.
Apollo | Pit Bull Mix | Pupdate 05/22/26
Today, Mr. Apollo and I headed back to Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA, for one last comprehensive review of all of his commands! We practiced his send-away to "place" before starting. He picked up on it quickly, as we have been focusing on it for the past few days. I have been associating the task with a lot of praise from me, and he is responding well to the positive reinforcement.
As a reminder, just because he can perform off-leash with me doesn't mean he is 100% ready to be off-leash everywhere with you. I have built a good foundation for him. I have shown you that he can perform off-leash. I will be teaching you how to work with him on and off-leash during his turnover tomorrow. You will need to practice in low-stimulus environments and work your way up to higher levels of stimuli, off-leash. He can be a little overwhelmed in new areas with lots of noise and vibrations. If you see that, it is best to stay on-leash and be a strong leader. Lastly, please follow all leash laws, ordinances, and rules when you go out. Not everyone has such a well-behaved pup as yours! It is for Mr. Apollo and your safety to be mindful of your environment when off-leash.
As a reminder, here are the obedience commands that he has learned while with me:
Sit/Extended Sit: Press the black "S" button + say "Sit".
Down/Extended Down: Press the black "S" button + say "Down".
Place/Extended Place: Press the black "S" button + say "Place".
Send-Away-To-Place: Press the black "S" button + say "Place" + point at the object that you want him to "place".
Come-To-Sit: Press the black "S" button + say "Come" + use your hands to guide him into place and say "sit" when they are on your left side.
Come-To-Heel: Press the black "S" button + say "Heel" + tap your left side to guide him into the appropriate position.
Heel: Press the black "S" button + say "Heel".
Under: Press the black "S" button + say "Under" + point under where you want him to go. Give him adequate space to fit or crawl under.
Food Manners/Refusal: The pup must patiently wait in either a "sit" or "down" while you prepare the food and then say "break," allowing the pup to access the food.
Car Manners: Press the black "S" button + say "Load up!"
Greeting Manners: Have the pup "sit" then allow for the new person to say hi
Door Manners: Place the pup in a "sit", open the door, and then allow the pup to go through with you, or say "ok" and let the pup inside
"Off" + black button "S" to stop the pup from performing unwanted behavior. Always press the black "S" when using this command.
"Break!" - no stimulation, and the pup can freely sniff or go potty.
We will be reviewing how to perform all this tomorrow during the turnover! We can't wait to show you how much he has learned and how great a pup he will be in the future!
Below are pictures of Mr. Apollo's e-collar that you will receive tomorrow.
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