Atlas | Cavapoo | Los Angeles, CA. | In Training.
Meet Atlas! š¾
Atlas is an energetic eleven-month-old Cavapoo from Los Angeles, CA, who has just joined us for our Two Week Community Board and Train Program!
Atlas has been described as a sweet young pup who is still figuring out how to navigate the world without letting every little thing steal his attention! From having a hard time sitting still and getting easily distracted to foraging, jumping up to greet people, and needing a little extra help in the potty training department, our boy has a few puppy habits weāll be working on together. After all, being cute can only get you so far! š
Over the next two weeks, weāll be working closely with Atlas on his basic obedience as we begin building the foundation for reliable off-leash work. Weāll also be focusing on his house manners, helping him develop better impulse control, and teaching him how to make calmer, more thoughtful choices, even when the world around him gets exciting!
Our goal is to give Atlas the skills, structure, and confidence he needs to navigate everyday life successfully so he can enjoy many wonderful adventures with his family. Weāre excited to get started on this journey with our sweet boy and see just how much progress he can make!
Stay tuned for updates as Atlas takes on new challenges, explores the community, and works toward becoming the best-behaved version of himself. Itās bound to be a fun one! š¶
10/25/2026
We kicked off our first day together with an introductory walk at the park! This gave Atlas and me a chance to get better acquainted while also allowing me to assess what he already knows. So far, Iāve confirmed that this clever little guy knows his sit command, which is a great starting point! Of course, with all the sights, sounds, and exciting things happening around us, keeping his attention was a bit of a challenge at first. There was just so much to see! With time and consistent practice, weāll work on helping Atlas learn that he can still pay attention to his handler, even when the world around him is full of distractions.
After getting some walking in, we found a nice spot to introduce a few more commands: heel, extended sit, and come-to-sit.
We started with heel, which will take some consistent practice as Atlas learns to walk more attentively alongside his handler rather than forging ahead whenever something catches his eye. We used light leash corrections and changes in direction to help guide him back into position whenever he tried to pull ahead. By changing direction as he moved out in front, we encouraged him to pay closer attention to where I was going rather than simply following his own momentum. The goal is to build better handler engagement and make walks a much smoother, more enjoyable experience for everyone. We made some nice initial progress, and weāll continue building on that foundation!
Next, we worked on his extended sit. Atlas did pretty well with this one, although there were moments when the surrounding distractions made sitting still seem like a rather unreasonable request! š Whenever he needed a little extra help, I used gentle upward leash guidance to encourage him into position, releasing the pressure as soon as he followed through and immediately marking the desired behavior with praise.
By the end of our session, he was getting better about offering the command when asked and was able to hold his position for short periods. Thatās a nice start for our first day!
We also introduced come-to-sit, a command that helps build the foundation for a reliable recall. The goal is for Atlas to come when called, travel around my right side, and finish by sitting neatly on my left. He did a pretty nice job following my leash guidance with this exercise! Occasionally, he became distracted by things behind me and needed a little help finding the correct position. When that happened, I simply stepped forward to encourage him to follow through and complete the movement. This command will take some repetition before it becomes second nature, but Atlas is off to a promising start!
Once we wrapped up our training session at the park, we loaded up and headed to Atlasās home away from home for the next couple of weeks! He handled the car ride well and remained nice and quiet throughout, which was lovely to see. Once we arrived, I gave him plenty of time to explore his new surroundings, both inside and outside, at his own pace.
He seemed to settle into exploring without too many complaints, although he did seem a little disappointed to learn that hopping onto the couch wasnāt going to be an option just yet! Weāll continue working on his house manners and potty training before revisiting those privileges. š
Atlas also had the opportunity to meet one of my cats, Loki. He was certainly curious about his new feline acquaintance, but he wasnāt quite sure what to make of him, so he wisely chose to keep a little distance. Weāll continue allowing him to adjust to the household environment while reinforcing calm, appropriate behavior around the resident pets.
All in all, Atlas is doing well after our first day together! Heās still getting comfortable with his new surroundings and learning what this program is all about, but thatās perfectly normal. We have some great foundations to build on, and over the next two weeks, weāll be working on improving his focus, strengthening his obedience, and helping him develop the manners he needs to navigate the world with a little more calm and a lot more confidence.
Iām excited to see this sweet boyās progress as he settles into his routine and begins putting his new skills to work. Weāre just getting started, Atlas!
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