Meet Beatrice! She is a seven month old Husky Mix who has joined us for our Two Week Board and Train Program. Beatrice is here for basic obedience, leash pulling, kennel training, and not listening to commands when she is distracted. She does very well with other people and other dogs, but she still needs fundamentals on how to behave correctly. Over the next fourteen days, this smart girl will work on her behavior and be set up for success, with the hopes of becoming a well behaved pup. Check in to see her progress!
Bea and I spent the day getting to know each other. She did very well on the car ride home and did not fuss or whine in her crate. We drove out to a local park to begin establishing a bond by taking a walk. She was heavily pulling on her leash and was introduced to Heel. This technique consists of having Bea walk with me on my left side. Anytime she pulled away, I turned around and walked in the opposite direction. If she began to fall behind, I picked up my pace and called her to have her catch up to me. It is a work in progress, but Heel will now be implied on every walk we go on.
Bea and I continued to work on her Heel today and she was still pulling during our morning walk. She has tons of energy and needs a lot of exercise to have her in a much more calm and relaxed state. During our walk at the park today, whenever we passed by my vehicle, Bea would want to jump in her crate. I corrected her behavior by passing the car a few times, in order to let her know that it is not ok. I redirected her with leash tension, and she is now understanding that every time we are near the car, does not mean that she can hop on.
Bea and I worked on Place today. It is a technique that consists of having Bea hop onto an elevated object, and remaining there in a Sit or a Down. It can also be of great use whenever gusts are over, or if there is a knock on your door. To teach Bea, I walked her towards the object, and guided her with leash tension to help her into getting on. With repetition during our session, Bea is beginning to build her confidence more, as she continues to follow through with every object that she places on.
Bea worked on her recall which is also known as Come to Sit. It consists of having Bea come towards my right side, going around behind me, and sitting on my left. To teach Bea, I used treats to lure her towards me. She is used to sitting in front of me when I ask her to Come, but I made the transition of having her come to my right, luring her around me, and rewarding her when she sat on my left. There were a few times where Bea stopped on my right side, but I would then use leash tension to guide her around. When Bea began to catch on, I slowly faded out the treats, and she is now learning how to follow through without them.
Bea and I worked on Down today. It can be a difficult technique for a dog to learn considering it being a submissive position, and it can also make a dog feel vulnerable being down on all fours. Bea was taught with treats to lure her towards the ground, and I also used leash tension as guidance to assist her. It took quite a few attempts with breaks in between to avoid frustration, but Bea was able to accomplish her task, and we are now working on it without any treats.
Bea and I have been working on Door Manners since the day I brought her home. Anytime I opened a door, Bea would always want to be the first one to go through. To help her into not doing so, I would ask her to Down when we approached a door. Once in a Down position, I proceeded to open the door, and made sure Bea remained in her position. When I opened the door, every time she sat up meant the door would close, and the process would repeat itself. Once Bea understood what I was asking, I began to increase time and distance to keep her in a Down longer, which is leading to Bea following through and coming close to her two minute goal.
Bea and I have been working with a long line to increase distance and duration. She is doing great maintaining her stationary positions as I become her biggest distraction. Our walks in the morning and in the evening are helping her as she is much more relaxed when we are training throughout the day. She is also doing really well with loose leash walking, and in the coming days, she will begin working with her leash dragging, in preparation for her off leash experience.
Bea and I worked on some leash dragging exercises at a local park today. What she was having the most trouble with was her Heel. During our walk, she would try to cut me off and try to get in front of me, but I corrected her behavior by moving her in the opposite direction to make a left turn. She did very well with her Extended Sit as another trainer served as a distraction with another dog. She will continue working with her leash dragging as I expose her to more distractions as we move along in training.
Bea has been practicing Food Manners ever since I picked her up. She would head straight towards the bowl as soon as I placed it on the ground. To keep Bea from doing so, I picked the bowl up and asked her to Down. Once in a Down, I placed the bowl on the ground again, waited a few seconds, and then released Bea with a Break. Every meal consisted of the same approach with the only difference being the time increase Bea would have holding her Down. She has made great improvement and can now wait for her food patiently for two minutes.
Bea and I have been working on her Greeting Manners in which she has shown a big improvement in. She has learned that she is to remain in a Sit whenever she is approached by someone that wants to say hello. It was difficult for her to do so in the beginning of her training, since she would come out of her Sit whenever I stepped away. With repetition and consistency, Bea has managed to successfully be greeted without coming out of her Sit.
Bea and I worked on some off leash conditioning around my neighborhood today. We began in my backyard with a few Sit and Down exercises before going out for a walk. Bea is still having a little trouble with her Heel, but we are working on it to have it cleaned up. She is just about ready to start working completely off leash, and after a few more sessions, it will be the main focus from here on out.
Bea and I continued to work on her off leash conditioning today around different distractions such as people, strollers, children, and a few dogs. She did really well and I was also able to clean up her Heel. She can stay alongside me during our walk despite the distractions all around her. She does great with her stationary positions and can remain in a Sit, Place, or Down until I release her with a “Break.” She is very bright and is ready to begin filming her Final.
Bea and I began working on her Final today and she put on a very good performance. Everything that she has learned was pieced together and the results turned out very well. She has learned a lot in the amount of time that she has been in training and I am very proud of her. She has also begun her heat cycle, so for the next couple of days I will be taking it easy with her and let her rest and keep her comfortable. In the meantime, here is a clip of what Bea is capable of doing off leash in a public setting. Enjoy!
Bea has completed her Two Week Board and Train Program and is ready to come home. She did great throughout her training and I am looking forward to showing you what she can do. I want to thank you for trusting me with Bea throughout the time she was under my care, and also for the opportunity in being her trainer. She was a great co pilot and I will miss her companionship. Thank you Bea!
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