Meet Archie! A sweet and excitable Five month old Cavapoo has joined Offleash So Cal for our Two-Week Board and Train Program. Archie has come to us to work on some unwanted behaviors such as pulling on the leash, demand barking, puppy nipping, and overall consistency with commands. He knows a few commands such as Sit and Down, but only when a treat is present!
Over these next two weeks Archie and I will work on building a solid foundation for his training as we visit new places, implementing structure as we introduce him to new commands. We will build a healthy relationship as we work towards the ultimate goal of being Off Leash! Stay tuned for his Two-Week Transformation!
Archie and I had the opportunity to become more familiar with each other today as we explored our surroundings at the park. We tested what he knew as I cued Sit, Down, Come and Heel. He responded to his name and occasionally sat however struggled to hold position. Once we got to his new temporary home he got settled in and made friends with a member of the pack, Vivaldi! We will introduce him to new commands beginning tomorrow.Â
Archie and I started our day by introducing him to a few communication tools such as the slip lead and e collar. The slip lead is used to guide Archie with directional changes of the leash. I apply leash pressure in the direction I want him to go and the second he follows the path created for him, I turn that pressure off. Any time I apply leash pressure, I apply stimulation from the e collar as well. Archie at first resisted the leash pressure. Once I marked and rewarded the few steps he took in the direction I wanted him to go, he began to understand how to turn the pressure off. Archie is a quick learner, and is very engaged!
I introduced him to Come to Sit which is the action of Archie coming around behind me to Sit on my left hand side ready to Heel. He was a natural at this and learned quickly that all of the good stuff came to him when he Sat on my left side. This is how I begin to build value with Archie in a specific position. I Cued Archie’s name frequently, rewarding him when he offered me his attention. This is called the name game and is a great game to practice around distractions to build engagement during training. A focused dog is a dog that is ready to work!Â
Archie and I ventured out to the park where we added more duration to his Extended Sit. He is now able to hold it for up to a minute which is half way to our goal!Â
He came to Sit, following the guidance of the leash around me to Sit on my left hand side. At times he veers outwards which I correct with some more guidance towards me along with visual cues which helps Archie follow through with his commands.Â
After working on what he has already learned, I then introduced him to a new command, Place. Place is great to use to help create a calm state of mind, builds confidence in a dog, prevents unwanted behaviors, and can essentially be practiced on top of any elevated surface. Dogs are naturally more confident while on elevated surfaces. I recommend purchasing an elevated dog cot to practice with both inside and outside the house. Having something familiar for Archie to Place on while adapting to an unfamiliar environment helps bridge the transition much more quickly. When practicing Place with Archie, I chain the commands Place and Down together to help him voluntarily offer the behavior without much guidance needed from me. Archie enjoyed this and fluently performed this behavior repetitively. We then built duration with this as he held it for a minute long. Now we will begin to build distance between us for his commands as we improve his commands near daily distractions.Â
Archie and I focused our work today on building duration, and distance with his commands. He is improving with his Come to Sit, not veering too far out from behind me as before. I corrected this by guiding him with the leash more to clean up the command. After many repetitions, he stayed close to my left hand side. Archie is more responsive to his name, as I call it frequently, before I give a cue.
We then practiced Place paired with Down on top of new surfaces. Archie has improved with his confidence! He only needed a little guidance at first to jump, then he was completely comfortable with hopping onto new Places until released with the cue Break. At times Archie can give up quite early during our training sessions. He lays down, not wanting to walk once he’s had enough. I motivate him to work more, by encouraging him to follow me with stimulation of the e collar and rewarding more frequently at the end of our session. He powers through it, as we keep raising his endurance to train each day.
Archie and I spent our day emphasizing our work on his Extended Place command and Heel. He is walking by my left hand side more frequently, checking in with me as I call his name. Whenever there is a change of direction or pace in our walk, I cue Heel as I tap the e collar remote, so Archie is aware. Extra communication, especially when in public, distracting environments with Archie is always recommended. I apply stimulation from the e collar as I simultaneously give commands so Archie can pair the behavior with the stimulation he feels. If he responds to it, I reward him! This builds a positive association with the e collar and training. Archie’s confidence is building, as he is much less hesitant  to jump onto new surfaces.Â
Archie and I took a trip to The Citadel Outlets as we proofed his commands in a very busy, crowded environment. He was training alongside his friend, Nordie. Initially Archie was very excited to be there, trying to initiate play with Nordie. After I redirected him by giving him alternate behaviors to perform such as Heel, and Sit, he was fluent with his commands. He received a lot of attention while out and about, practicing his Greeting Manners as I reminded him to Sit. It is important to communicate to whoever is petting him, to only pet him if all four paws are on the floor that way his jumping is not being rewarded.Â
Archie and I ventured out to The Outlets where it was quite busy. He worked alongside the other pup in training, Nordie. They Came to Sit by my left hand side, and Heeled by my side. He held his Extended Sit for up to two minutes which is our goal! We then emphasized our work on his Down command, building fluency. It takes him some time to become comfortable enough to lay Down in new environments. We will keep working towards building fluency with all of his commands as we go out to new places, proofing his commands.Â
Archie and I had an eventful day at the beach where we proofed all of his commands, while dragging the leash as we practiced his Heel, Come to Sit, Extended Sit, Down & Place. Archie did well with staying by my left hand side as we Heeled around the bottom of the pier, passing by other dogs, bicycles, skateboards, and kids. Archie’s biggest interest was in the kids running around the jungle gym. We tested him by working mainly by his biggest triggers, such as the jungle gym. If he tried to approach any of the kids, I cued Come as I tapped my left hand side while tapping the stimulation button on the e collar remote. The tapping stops once Archie follows through with what is requested of him. He worked through this, eventually completely ignoring the kids while staying by my side. After we proofed his commands near his biggest distractions, he enjoyed some fun in the sand as he ran around, digging as fast as he could! Great job Archie!Â
Archie and I spent the day proofing his commands off leash at the beach! There were plenty of distractions to work near, as we emphasized our work on cleaning up his Come to Sit, as well as exposing him to loud noises, which he is not a fan of. Archie Came to Sit by my left hand side consistently, needing a few redo’s to help him Sit directly on my left hand side. After we built consistency, he Sat right next to the potholes under the pier as bicycles rode over it. The loud noise startled him at first. I reminded him to Sit as I called his name shortly after, rewarding him after the first few loud noises to build a positive association with it. Archie became more desensitized to it, as he held his Extended Sit the entire time. Great job Archie!Â
Archie and I had the opportunity to proof his commands both on and off leash while at the mall today. We are exposing him to highly distracting environments so he is prepared to navigate through the busy world whenever he is engaged in training. We are working on building his endurance for training as before, he would tire out very quickly. Now he is able to train for an hour long minimum before appearing less engaged.Â
Potty training with Archie has been quite successful. We have had no accidents since he has arrived for his program, which is great! Having a consistent schedule for his meal times, and removing the bowl when he is done eating is essential in being able to predict when he will need to go on a potty break. He eats at 8 a.m and 5 p.m. after each meal he goes into the kennel, until I bring him out to walk him to the grass as I tell him to go potty. If he has gone, then he gets free roam. If Archie has not gone potty, he should not have free roam of the house. Accidents often happen when a dog has too much freedom. The kennel helps greatly with creating a consistent potty schedule, as dogs typically do not soil in their own bedding.Â
Archie enjoyed an eventful morning of fun with his furry friends as he engaged in playtime, running all around the backyard playing chase. Archie is a very confident pup when interacting as a pack, often times engaging in play that can be rough. He responds to the Off command quickly, immediately stopping play when he is being overbearing. By interacting with other dogs, he is learning bite inhibition, which is important  for a pup his age to learn to control the power of his bite.Â
After playtime, we worked on Archie’s door manners. He has learned that when he offers a Sit or Down at a threshold, he is expected to hold position until released to cross. The door opens if he waits, the door closes if he releases himself preemptively. It is important to remain consistent with this, so Archie continues to understand that the door is a boundary.Â
Archie and I proofed his commands at the mall, further desensitizing him to new sounds, smells, and sights. He receives a lot of attention while out and about, which he has significantly improved with working through as I remind him to stay by my side, cuing Heel. Archie’s handler should be the most valuable thing to him. If he is constantly being pet by everyone that wants to say hi, he will always be overstimulated when encountering new people, expecting to say hi each time. Having a healthy balance of only saying hi occasionally, while staying busy working, creates a well rounded pup, who is ready for the next task at hand!
Archie and I had the opportunity to film content for his Final video today! He absolutely killed it as we practiced his Extended Sit, Down and Place for a minimum of two minutes. He checked in with me frequently as he Heeled by my left hand side. At times Archie’s Heel can be very close to my left leg, as he leans in, contact heeling. This can be tricky with a small dog, as we do not want to accidentally kick him. I stimulate him with the e collar remote a few times when he does this to help him keep a safe distance. He can touch my left leg, we just don’t want too much leaning in as we can trip over him as well.Â
He then practiced Greeting manners as well, where he held his Extended Sit while receiving all the love. Excellent work Archie!Â
Archie and I spent our day together working on all of his commands as we strolled around the park. We emphasize our work on distance away from each other, which I recommend keeping up with to prevent any separation anxiety from escalating. It is best to never make it a big deal when you come and go so Archie doesn’t see it is a big deal either. Crate training also greatly helps with separation anxiety, especially when at home with Archie. Periods of time alone throughout the day helps prepare him for time apart. Â
Archie has overall become more confident, can hold his Place and Extended Sit for a minimum of two minutes, and can Come to Sit from about 10 ft away. I recommend constantly taking Archie to new environments. Since he can be a nervous boy at times, desensitization to new places will only further improve his training. He is a loving boy who needs a lot of guidance, structure and leadership to thrive and follow instructions. He has come a long way and we can not wait to show you what he has learned. I have included different photos we took over the course of these past two weeks we have enjoyed together. Thank you for trusting me with Archie!Â
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