Archie | Kelpie Mix | Los Angeles, CA. | In Training.
- heatheroffleashsoc
- Jul 16
- 11 min read
Updated: Jul 24
Meet Archie!š¾
This spunky six-year-old Kelpie mix from Los Angeles, California, has joined us for our One Week Board and Train Program!
Archie is a fun-loving girl with a big personality. While she knows some commands, she can be a bit of a selective listener when she decides something else is more exciting. She also prefers her personal space around other dogs and isnāt shy about letting everyone know when someone approaches her home. And when it comes to her favorite gameāfetchāArchie takes it very seriously. Some might even say she considers it an extreme sport!
Over the next week, weāll be focusing on building a solid foundation in basic obedience while also improving her house manners. Our goal is to help Archie become a more attentive listener, develop calmer and more polite greetings, and give her owners the tools to continue her success at home.
Weāre excited to get to know Archie and canāt wait to show you all the progress she makes. Stay tuned to follow her transformation!
7/16/2026
For Archieās first day, we started with an introductory walk through the park. This gave us a chance to get acquainted with one another while also allowing me to assess what she may already know. As it turns out,
Archie knows quite a bitā¦when she feels like listening! Our goal over the next week will definitely be to turn those āwhen I feel like itā commands into reliable, āwhen Iām askedā commands.
One of the first things we began working on was her heel command. Archie was fairly convinced that she knew where we were going a little better than I did and was pulling on the leash in an effort to lead the way. With gentle leash guidance, consistent redirection, and plenty of encouragement, we got to work. It wasnāt long before she was walking very nicely at my side!
We also practiced her sit and come to sit commands. Her sit was a piece of cake, but her come to sit will need a little more polishing. Right now, she prefers to sit behindĀ me rather than finishing in a nice sit at my left side. She handled the leash guidance very well throughout our session, though I can already tell that Archie enjoys being an independent young ladyāwhich certainly isnāt the worst quality to have! Our job will simply be to show her that working as a team can be just as rewarding.
After our walk, we loaded up to head to her home away from home for the next week. Archie did a fantastic job hopping right into her travel crate in the car, which was wonderful to see, and she handled the drive like a pro.
Once we arrived at my house, I gave her plenty of time to explore both inside and outside at her own pace. So far, she doesnāt seem to have any complaints, which I certainly appreciate! She especially seemed to enjoy escaping the heat and relaxing in the air conditioning.
All in all, Archie is handling her first day very well. Sheās taking a little time to warm up to me, which is completely understandable, but I have no doubt sheāll come around as we continue building our relationship over the next several days. She hasnāt met my cats just yet, as they typically spend the first day hiding out in my room whenever a new dog arrives. Iām sure it wonāt be long before their curiosity gets the better of them and they come out to introduce themselves.
Iām looking forward to watching Archieās personality shine as she settles in. Hereās to a great week together!
7/17/2026
Today Archie and I headed out to Lake Balboa Park to continue working on her commands around distractions. Since Archie already knows the majority of her commands, todayās session was less about teaching something new and more about reinforcing that those commands need to happen when theyāre given, rather than only when she feels like it. Overall, she did pretty well, especially considering sheās still taking her time warming up to having me around.
Of course, Archie made sure to give me plenty of her signature sassy looks each time I asked for a command, but despite her opinions on the matter, she ultimately chose to follow through. We did have a few moments where she decided to test some boundaries, particularly during her extended sit and down commands. She would occasionally try to get up early or offer a different behavior than what I had asked for. Each time this happened, I calmly held her accountable by resetting her back into position and asking her to try again. After a few repetitions, she began to realize I meant what I was asking, and she settled in much better, showing more patience and consistency with staying put.
We also continued working on her come-to-sit command, which is steadily improving. Archie has a habit of trying to sit behind me instead of lining up neatly at my left side. With a little extra guidance and consistent follow-through, we were able to make some nice progress, and she started understanding exactly where I wanted her to finish.
Overall, Archie had a successful day. While she certainly tested a few boundaries, she also showed that sheās capable of making great choices once she understands that the expectations remain consistent. Every session continues to strengthen both her reliability and our working relationship. Way to go, Archie!
7/18/2026
Todayās progress with Archie started before we even left for the park, and it made my whole morning! The last couple of days, Archie has been a bit standoffish with me, occasionally giving a little growl when I offered affection. Whenever that happened, I simply respected her space and let her come to me on her own terms. This morning was a wonderful change, though. Archie came right up to me looking for affection, gave my fingers a few gentle little kisses, and even rolled over to offer her belly for scratches. I happily accepted the invitation! Itās not uncommon for dogs in a board and train program to need a little time to adjust to a new person and environment, so seeing Archie begin to trust me like this was incredibly rewarding.
That positive attitude carried over into our training session at the park as well. Archie was much more willing to check in with me while we practiced her heelcommand, and she walked nicely by my side throughout our outing. Her extended sit and placecommands showed excellent patience, and her come to sit was noticeably more focused today. She completed the entire command from start to finish without letting distractions pull her attention away.
We even had some fun working on a couple of the extra tricks I was told she already knew, including Bang Bang! and her Circle command. They are absolutely adorable to watch, and she seemed to enjoy showing them off!
Overall, Archie had a fantastic day filled with lots of love, growing trust, and wonderful progress. Itās such a blessing to see her becoming more comfortable with me, and Iām so excited to continue building on that relationship while helping her grow in her training. Way to go, Archie!
7/19/2026
Today Archie and I kept things close to home and trained in my neighborhood to help beat the rising temperatures. We started with a nice walk, giving her a chance to check out her surroundings while practicing her heel command. She did a great job staying engaged with me as we made our way through the neighborhood before settling in for the rest of our training session.
After our walk, we focused on her extended commands, and honestly, Archie had no problems with them today! She did a wonderful job maintaining her positions until released, showing just how much her patience and understanding have improved. Her come to sit is getting better as well. More often than not, sheās following through instead of getting distracted by whatever happens to be behind me, which has been really nice to see.
One of my favorite moments today was getting Archie to perform her adorable ābang bang!ā trick on camera. It was so cute to watch! Weāve also been practicing her circle command, which has become another fun favorite. Around mealtimes, Iāll ask her if sheās hungry, sheāll give me that familiar look, and then Iāll say, āGive me a circle!ā Before she gets her meal, she happily spins around. Itās absolutely adorable and always makes me smile.
Itās been so much fun watching Archieās personality shine through a little more with each passing day.
Sheās becoming more comfortable, more engaged, and our bond continues to grow. Overall, Archie is doing incredibly well, and Iām so proud of the effort she puts into her training every single day. Sheās making wonderful progress, and I canāt wait to see what she accomplishes next!
7/20/2026
Todayās adventure took Archie and me to Rosemead, where we met up with some fellow trainers and their pups to continue working on her commands around real-world distractions. Archie did a wonderful job!
When we first arrived, Archie was much more interested in exploring the park and sniffing everything in sight, so we spent some time practicing her heel command while walking around. She was absolutely allowed to investigate all the exciting smellsāas long as she stayed walking nicely with me. This helped her settle in while reinforcing that she can enjoy her environment without forgetting about her job.
Once she had a chance to take everything in, we got to work practicing her commands around the other dogs. Archie handled herself very well, even when a couple of curious pups came over to say hello, as dogs often do. She remained calm and composed, showing great manners throughout our session.
Her extended commands were especially impressive today. She patiently held each position, simply sitting back and observing everything happening around her without feeling the need to get involved. Her come to sit also looked very nice, and her follow-through has definitely improved as sheās becoming more committed to completing the command the first time.
Overall, Archie seemed to really enjoy our outing today and showed wonderful focus throughout her training session. Iām so proud of the effort she put in and how polite and respectful she was around the other pups. She continues to make great progress, and itās been so rewarding to watch her confidence and reliability grow each day!
7/21/2026
Today Archie and I headed back to the park where we met up with another trainer and his pups to continue building on her commands around distractions. We used the other dogs as great real-world training opportunities, especially while practicing her extended commands. At first, Archie did break her command to check out one of the pups as he walked by, but after that she settled in nicely and showed wonderful self-control. Even as the other dogs trotted by in close proximity, she chose to remain in position, which was great to see!
One thing that really stood out today was how Archie handled interactions with the other dogs. As dogs naturally tried to come over and greet her, if she felt uncomfortable she simply chose to sit down rather than react. This is actually a fantastic way for her to disengage from unwanted greetings, and I was very happy to see her making such thoughtful choices on her own.
Overall, Archie did an excellent job with her work today and genuinely seemed to be enjoying herself throughout our training session. She was engaged, cooperative, and continued to make great progress with her commands despite the added distractions around her. Iām so proud of this lovely lady and the effort she put in today. Keep up the wonderful work, Archie!
7/22/2026
Today Archie and I practiced her commands in my neighborhood, and she showed up to her session in a bit of a rare form. How so, you may ask? Boundary testing! At the start of our session, whenever I asked Archie to perform a command, she would simply give me a blank stare as if pretending she had never heard it before. And when she received a correction, she definitely had something to say about it! Archie wasnāt shy about voicing her opinion, but after a little back and forth, she came around and realized that I meant what I was asking of her. Once she understood that the expectations werenāt changing, she began performing each command just as I know sheās capable of.
Days like this arenāt uncommon. Just like us, dogs have days where they simply donāt feel like working or would rather test the boundaries to see if the rules are still the same. Itās important during those moments to stay patient, be consistent, and hold them accountable so they can work through that mindset instead of giving in to it.
Thatās exactly what Archie and I did today. Once we completed a nice, successful run through all of her commands, we ended the session on a positive note with a game of fetchāsomething we all know she absolutely loves! We didnāt play for too long, but she had an absolute blast chasing after her ball. Once I noticed she was starting to slow down, I put the ball away and we headed back inside to relax in the air conditioning.
Overall, while we had a few challenges at the beginning of todayās session, Archie worked through them and finished on a very positive note. Iām proud of her for pushing past her stubborn moment and ending the day with the kind of focus and teamwork I know sheās capable of.
7/23/2026
Today Archie and I headed out to Lake Balboa Park to continue working on her commands around distractions, and she definitely had plenty to say about it! Archie was much more vocal during todayās session than usual, which honestly made me laugh. It seems sheās really starting to get comfortable with me because anytime I asked her to go into a down, sheād let out a little grumble or make a funny noise in protest before eventually following through.
She also had a bit of trouble sitting still today and was more tempted than usual to pop out of her positions. Thatās perfectly okay though! Rather than letting her get away with it, we stayed consistent by calmly resetting and starting the exercise over each time she broke position. By the end of our session, all that repetition paid off, and Archie was holding her extended commands like the little pro I know she can be.
Itās been so much fun watching Archieās personality slowly blossom while sheās been in my care. Every day she seems to surprise me with a new quirk or a little more confidence, and itās been rewarding to see her personality shine through while she continues making steady progress in her training. Overall, today was another great day of learning, lots of laughs, and solid progress. After all that hard work, we were both more than happy to head home and spend the rest of the day relaxing in the air conditioning!
7/24/2026
Today Archie and I took a trip out to Lake Balboa to continue working on her commands around distractions. We kept things a bit lighter today since she did such a fantastic job with her training. Archie showed a wonderful understanding of all of her commands, working with confidence and staying engaged even with the activity around the park.
Once we wrapped up our training, we decided to enjoy a long walk together and let Archie have some well-earned time to explore. I let her wander a little farther ahead as long as she kept the leash loose and didnāt pull, giving her plenty of opportunities to sniff to her heartās content. She absolutely loved every minute of it! Miss Archie was nothing but smiles today, happily taking in all the sights and smells while still checking in with me along the way.
All in all, Archie had a wonderful day. We continued building on her training while also making sure she had time to simply enjoy being a dog. Progress was made, adventures were had, and Archie made the most of every moment!
As Archieās time with me comes to an end, I just want to say how incredibly proud I am of all the progress she has made during her stay. She has worked so hard each day, and it has been such a joy watching her confidence and understanding continue to grow. Iād also like to take a moment to thank you for trusting me with her care and allowing me to be a part of her obedience journey. It has truly been a pleasure getting to know this sweet lady, and I sincerely hope the work weāve accomplished together helps you both go forward and enjoy many wonderful adventures together. Thank you again for the opportunity to work with such a special girl!
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