Bear | Whoodle | Santa Monica, CA | In Training
- Alex Kruse
- Nov 23, 2025
- 9 min read
Updated: Dec 6, 2025
Meet Bear! He's a 6-year-old Whoodle (Wheaton Terrier/Poodle X) from Santa Monica, California, and he's here for our Two Week Urban Board and Train Program. Bear is a sweet boy who is acclimating to a new home and mostly just needs some work on his basic commands. While he has some of his foundational work already, he just needs to know to hold everything until released and also to help boost some of his confidence. Over the next two weeks we'll make sure that Bear is capable of following through on all his commands quickly, and that he doesn't break them until released. We'll also get him exposed to some other dogs to help work on his anxiety on that front so he can be more comfortable when out in public with them around. Stay tuned for Bear's two-week transformation!
11/23/25
We hung around the park for a little bit after Bear got dropped off so I could test out everything he already knew how to do. He's really good at sitting on command, just not so much at the holding it, and he wouldn't give me a down so we'll work on that. His recall was actually pretty good even with the distractions, and he stayed pretty close when walking too. Mostly with the base commands it looks like we need to focus on refining and he'll be good there. He was really good in the crate on the drive home, just laid down and was quiet for me. He explored a little bit by himself in our back run so he could get acclimated to the smells and not get overwhelmed by other dogs. He settled in pretty nicely and ate all his dinner without issues. I decided not to fully introduce him to the other dogs just yet for his first day so he could get comfortable, but I'll do that tomorrow and see how it goes! Otherwise he's doing great!
11/24/25
We had group practice today at the park, so Bear was exposed right away to other dogs. As you can see in the video above, he had zero issues with any of them. He's still just a little anxious so I didn't push him too much with the commands, but we did work a lot on our Heel, Sit and Recall. He knows how to sit just fine, but I noticed it's very much only if he wants to and not always when you tell him, and getting him to hold it for longer than a few seconds took a few tries. His Heel naturally is pretty good on its own. He only needed a couple light corrections here and there to keep him in position, so that's great. His Recall is similar to the Sit--he comes when he wants to lol. So we'll continue working on that so he knows he needs to come when you call him every time. I did introduce him to my dogs this morning and he honestly did just fine. If the rowdier ones tried to get too much in his face he did give some appropriate corrections, which is totally okay for him to do. He's allowed to tell other dogs 'no' if they're being too pushy. The other dogs took his cues and backed off, and everything was peaceful. I'm guessing what may have happened in the past was the other dog didn't appreciate him correcting them, and escalated things. If Bear learns that most dogs will listen to his cues without issues, then he should be fine being around them regularly again.
11/25/25
Today we went to a little park in my neighborhood that's all fenced off and usually quiet so Bear could focus on me with few distractions. This video is more of a tutorial for you so that you know what we're doing and how to continue to work with him at home. I go over how to use a Marker Word, a Release Word, and how to keep him in a nice Heel while you walk. Forgive when my voice drops out, there was so much traffic noise today that the editing tool had a hard time isolating my voice!
After the video we did work on his Down command. It took a few tries for him to get it, but once he understood the task, he was going right down with a wagging tail. I noticed he has a much more enthusiastic response with simple praise than he does with treat rewards, so I'll make sure to keep giving him lots of encouragement as we go along!
11/26/25
We went over to do a little photo shoot and practice at the Monrovia Library Park today. Bear can be a bit stubborn with holding his Sit still, but after a few corrections he figured it out and let me pose him for pictures. Afterwards we did some normal practice in the field where there were plenty of distractions with people and other dogs around. He was a little smoother at his Down today, but very much still learning since I just taught it to him yesterday, and his Place is definitely going to need some more work. He's great with sitting, laying down and hanging out on his own time, but getting him to do it on command can be a challenge. The stubbornness that I'm seeing (and this might surprise you!) is probably coming from the fact that he's got definite pack leader qualities. He is very calm and patient with the other dogs, but will absolutely put them in their place if they start pestering him too much, and the fact that our male corgi submits to him is a surprise for me. He's typically the one trying to be in charge of things, so him bowing down when Bear corrects him says a lot. It's working great for him in my particular pack, but some dogs may see that as a challenge, which can cause those fights. It's also most likely where his pushback in the training is coming from, so while I'm working on making sure he understands he has to do what I tell him, you're going to have to establish the same role once he gets home. He's stubborn, but smart, so he'll learn!
11/27/25
Happy Thanksgiving! I like to include the dogs in the holidays, so I got a special Thanksgiving treat box from the dog bakery that had cookies all shaped like your typical holiday foods. Everyone got a little bit of each cookie so they were all very loved and happy! We did of course still have to go out and work, so we wandered out to another local park that had plenty of room and continued solidifying all Bear's commands. He finally gave me his Down without a struggle today! I was so happy! And his Place, which he's usually very stubborn about, was much cleaner today. Maybe I should bribe him with good themed cookies more often! He did good today!
11/28/25
Today we spent some time working in and near a playground for some extra distractions. Bear didn't mind the kids at all, just stayed his usual calm self and worked through his commands per usual. He's getting a little less stubborn with them and a little faster at following through each day. The only thing he's still really struggling with is the Place command. As you know from his car rides, when he doesn't want to sit or lay down, he will go statue mode and lock those legs. He'll go to the spot where I tell him now, but getting him to lay down typically takes a few tries. He's getting better at it though, so we'll keep working on it!
11/29/25
I gave Bear a little bit more of a challenge today and went out to work him in the field across the parking lot from a big dog park. There were other dogs in the field and of course several passing through to go play in the park. Bear didn't really pay any mind to any of them, which is great. He can be aloof all he wants as long as there's no negative reactions. His Heel was good today as well as his Sit, and he was much better at giving me his Down and his Place. He's a little slower about it than I'd like, but he'll at least he'll do it now without fighting me! His Recall was pretty good, but I wouldn't trust it off leash just yet. He's not a runner, he just does that stubborn thing once again where he will sit there and stare at you if he doesn't want to do it. One quick correction does the trick, but I'd like to get him to where he'll just come automatically instead of weighing whether it's worth it or not lol. Little by little we're coming along!
11/30/25
I took Bear to go walk around and be nosy with me at Upper Hastings Ranch today where they're setting up for their big neighborhood Christmas lights event. It doesn't launch for another few days so people were mostly still setting up, but we managed to stop at a few houses for some picture opportunities. Bear did well with his Heel while we strolled down the sidewalks, but I found he was actually not a huge fan of the big blow-up decorations. He did sit and lay down for me for the pictures, but I could tell he was a little unsure about all that, which of course says to me that I have to work on it more! Positive exposure is good, so I'll be sure to get him out and around more decorated houses so he knows it's no big deal. Lots of praise for being brave around the big, bad balloons!
12/1/25
Bear and I headed to the mall today to see how he'd do in that environment. He was a little bit nervous at first, but he fell into step pretty quickly. He needed very few leash corrections with the Heel today, mostly only verbals, and his Sit when I stop walking is becoming more automatic on his end now. His Place both on top of things and under tables is finally getting more solid, and once he's there he's fine with just hanging out until he's told otherwise. We sat at a small table in the middle of a high foot-traffic spot, so lots of people went by and complimented him. He'd wag his tail, but otherwise stay put at my feet. We were there for maybe twenty minutes and he didn't move the whole time! We also tested him out on the elevator, and while once again he was a little anxious, he sat for the ride and didn't move until I told him to. He did really well with everything today!
12/2/25
Today was shopping center practice Part 2! This time we focused up on Bear's greeting manners, having him sit while people pet him, and also more confidence with holding his Sit and Down in areas where he's a little more anxious if I step away from him. He does absolutely great with hanging out under the tables for a tea break though! He's very happy just laying down at your feet, which I also replicated in my housemate's home office for a little bit. He was content snoozing there while I did some work on my laptop, so I think he'll do fine anywhere where he's expected to just be calm and out of the way. He's happy as long as he's near a person!
12/3/25
Since we're halfway through the last week, I thought I'd show off some of Bear's house manners. He has learned he has to wait before going through any door or gate, before getting his food, and before getting in the car. He still tries to test it every so often (that stubborn streak of his), but a quick verbal will set him straight again. He's gotten really good at just hanging out in his Place wherever I put him if we're just watching tv or if I'm on my computer. We've practiced that one so much he usually jumps onto his cot with a full tail wag now lol. He's a great houseguest all around, everybody here likes him a lot!
12/4/25
Today Bear and I went for a long stroll through Old Town Monrovia during the lunch hour when plenty of people were out and about. We had to pass through outdoor dining areas, cross streets, and of course pose for pictures! Bear was a perfect gentleman for all of it, including when we were passing other dogs in close range that were barking at him. We of course worked on all his commands as we went, and he did great with all of them. He even remembered to stay in his Heel when a squirrel ran across his path, and he definitely wanted to chase it! He made this afternoon really pleasant, and I'm sad I only have a few more walks with him!
12/5/25
We went across town to your side today so we could wander around the Promenade. I ran him through everything he knows in the middle of all the people and distractions, and he responded well to everything. He wasn't bothered by any barking dogs, or when the drums started playing, or the scooters--nothing phased him! He got some love from strangers too, and got to hang out with a new dog friend. We had a great day all around!
12/6/25
It's our last Pupdate in your two week program! I took it easy on him today for his last session and we went for a small recap at the park down the street from my house. I walked him there on a Heel, which he did great on, let him sniff around the grass for a little bit, then ran him through everything he's learned one more time. Nothing new that you haven't already seen, so I'm giving you one last cute video of photos we took at the Promenade yesterday, and also one in front of our own tree!
Bear has been a super sweet boy and an excellent house guest. He's very happy just laying at people's feet for extended periods of time, so I think he'll do great for those coffee outings and office hours. He's had zero reactivity issues with other dogs, and only seems to be a little anxious when we try new environments for the first time, but otherwise he's a happy, wiggly boy! We're really going to miss having him around the house, and thank you so much for letting me be a part of his learning journey!
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