Meet Bijou, a two-year-old Yorkie from Hermosa Beach, California! He's here with us for our On Leash Two Week Board and Train Program, where we will be working to improve his obedience and manners. This sweet and playful pup has some knowledge of a few basic commands, but he is easily distracted by his surroundings and struggles to listen when asked to do something. He also has some bad habits such as pulling on the leash, jumping on people, and trying to run through open doors. He also tends to bark excessively at the door or out the window at home, and likes to whine when seeking attention. Over the next fourteen days, we will be working to improve his listening skills, manners, and obedience to set him on the right track to becoming a well-behaved pup! Stay tuned for his transformation!
Pupdate 8/18/2024
Today Bijou and I spent the day bonding and getting to know each other at the park after he was dropped off with me. We walked around and explored the park a bit, and I worked to develop a positive relationship with him to help him feel comfortable and happy training with me going forward. He quickly warmed up to me, but was generally much more interested in exploring rather than focusing on me. He seemed very excited, and seemed to have lots of fun running around as fast as he could go! He also appeared interested in distractions such as other dogs, people, small animals, and soccer balls.
After taking some time to explore the park together and assess his general behavior and personality, I began testing his knowledge of basic commands to help me get an idea of his starting point and what areas of his training may need some extra attention. He would sometimes Come to me when called with enough excitement to motivate him, but it almost always took several asks before he responded, and once he got to me he was quick to wander back off again. When asked to Heel, he didn't seem to recognize the command at all and was almost always at the end of the leash attempting to walk or run wherever he wanted to go. He seemed to understand Sit, however he was pretty inconsistent about following through with it. If he did Sit, he would always stand back up and start walking away after a second or two. He wasn't able to perform Down on command reliably either, but he did seem to enjoy relaxing in the shade on his own accord once he had gotten tired out. He was sometimes able to perform Place on some low, easy to reach objects, but more often than not he seemed too excited to listen to the command and preferred to just run around and sniff instead. After our time at the park, it was time to head home and get him settled into my home. He's too small to jump into the car on his own, but was completely comfortable with being picked up and placed into the car. He also didn't have any issue with going into the kennel within the car, and happily went inside with some gentle guidance and settled in for the ride home, which is a good display of Car Manners. Anytime Bijou is to ride in a car with me, he will be secured in a kennel for his utmost safety. He will also be in a kennel at home during nighttime or any other time he is unsupervised. Once home, he quickly settled in and made himself at home! Later, we went out for a walk around my neighborhood to help him become familiar with the area. We will be taking walks around my neighborhood daily, so getting him used to this environment will be good for him. When exiting the house to start our walk, Bijou kept trying to run out the door as soon as it was opened, so we will also be working to improve his Door Manners to make sure he can respect the boundary a doorway creates as this will help keep him safe. While he didn't eat all of his food at dinnertime tonight, he still seemed pretty excited about it. He often tried to jump on me while preparing it, and once the bowl was set down he couldn't help but try to rush to it as soon as it was in front of him, so we'll be working on improving his food manners as well. After he ate, he enjoyed a short nap while cuddling up on my lap, which was super cute! When it was time to head into his kennel he went in willingly, but he did whine a bit whenever I walked out of his sight. After about an hour he seemed to understand this would not get him any attention, and he quieted back down to continue his nap. Overall Bijou seems to be settling in nicely, and we are so excited to begin this training journey!
Pupdate 8/19/2024
Today Bijou and I visited a park, where we met up with some other OffLeash SoCal trainers and their pups. Bijou was introduced to the concept of leash pressure along with the Heel command. The park was pretty quiet except for the other trainers and their dogs, but there were a few occasional distractions such as bicycles, squirrels, and birds. Despite the low distractions, he was very excitable and quite unfocused at first, but once he began to understand that training could be fun and rewarding for him, he began to pay closer attention to me and became more willing to learn and practice.
Pressure is a fundamental tool used in teaching basic obedience commands. The idea is that whenever pressure is applied, it is paired with a command. The pressure then remains present until Bijou follows the pressure and the command being given. The moment he follows through, the pressure immediately turns off and a reward is given. Yesterday, whenever the leash was used to apply pressure, he would often resist it, try to pull in the opposite direction, and made no attempt to turn the pressure off, so it was clear he didn't quite understand the concept of leash pressure just yet. He also seemed to mostly ignore pressure from a normal collar or a slip lead, so we practiced with his prong collar today which is a very helpful tool to both discourage pulling and help him develop a clear understanding of pressure. We spent a good amount of time focusing on teaching him what leash pressure means, and how to turn off the pressure once it's applied. He learned that trying to resist it was not successful or rewarding, and that simply following the directional pressure and paying attention to what I was asking of him was very simple and rewarding! After a while of practicing with this, he did much better and began showing a good understanding of leash pressure!
The Heel command is an important concept for Bijou to begin developing early on in his training, as his tendency to pull and veer off in different directions can make it challenging to walk with him. The goal for the Heel command is for Bijou to be able to follow directly alongside his handler on their left side at their heels, and maintain that position while walking unless released or given a new command. This precise positioning takes a lot of practice to master, but it will reduce and eventually eliminate pulling on the leash or veering off in different directions, and allow his handler to take the lead on walks instead of him trying to run around wherever he pleases. To introduce this command, I kept the leash short but loose, and ensured he stayed on my left side in roughly the Heel position as we walked. If he began to veer off or pull ahead, leash pressure was applied, and the verbal command Heel was given. He eventually began to grasp the concept, stopped trying to pull as much, and instead learned to follow the guidance of the leash. When walking in the correct Heel position, the leash was loose, no pressure was applied, and lots of praise and rewards were given to communicate that he was in the desired position. As he gets better with this command, he will have an easier time staying in the Heel position without as much guidance or pressure needed, and will need to be reminded less and less to return to position. For his first day with this, he seemed to catch on quickly and is making good progress!
Pupdate 8/20/2024
Bijou and I took a walk to a local park today, where we worked on the Off and Come to Sit commands, as well as continued to practice with his Heel. The park was not overly busy, but did have some distractions around such as other dogs, people, small children playing, as well as sounds from the busy street nearby. Bijou also often found himself distracted by interesting smells in the grass, and small animals in the area such as birds and squirrels. He was very excited when we first arrived and had to get some zoomies out of his system, but after he had his fun and a short break to cool down, he was much calmer after and began having an easier time focusing on his commands.
Bijou will often become distracted by his surroundings, which makes it difficult for him to regain his focus or listen to any instructions being given to him. Moments like these are a great opportunity to implement the Off command. The goal for the Off command is for Bijou to stop whatever he is doing, and focus on his handler. This is a very versatile command, similar to "no" or "leave it", and can be used in various situations, such as to interrupt fixation, jumping on people or counters, or any other behaviors that are undesirable or inappropriate at that time. The Off command when paired with leash pressure allows me to quickly grab his attention and get him to focus on me so that he is in a better mindset to listen for upcoming instructions. Once the Off command is given, it's beneficial to immediately follow it with another command such as Sit, Heel, Come, etc. Once his focus is regained, asking him to then focus on a task will help keep his attention away from what initially distracted him or caused the undesirable behavior. Bijou has shown great progress in understanding the Off command so far, and with each repetition, he seems to be quicker to respond and refocus when prompted!
Come to Sit is another important command to begin practicing early on in Bijou's training journey, as it will be our main form of recall. The goal for Come to Sit is for Bijou to come directly to me when called, and circle around to perform a Sit on my left side. While Bijou has some general understanding of the Come command already, he is largely unreliable and often chooses to ignore what is being asked of him, and is quick to run back off if he does come when called. The Come to Sit command when performed in its entirety, ensures that he not only comes when called, but also requires him to sit beside his handler and not leave that spot unless released or given a new command such as Heel. By having him sit on the left side facing forward, we are setting him up for success to begin walking in Heel as he is already in the desired position for it. We introduced this concept today by combining the verbal command with leash pressure to grab his attention and guide him towards me. Once he followed the guidance and approached me, the leash was used to then guide him around to my left side, where he was then asked to perform a Sit. As we practiced more, he began to rely less on the leash pressure to grab his attention and guide him, which is a good sign of progress! He would sometimes sit slightly out of the desired position once he got to me, and tended to break his Sit before released, though for his first day, he did a great job overall! With each successful repetition, I made sure to reward him with lots of praise and affection, to build up a positive association with the command and coming to me when called.
Pupdate 8/21/2024
Today Bijou and I began our training session at home, where we began working on two commands, Place and Down. Once he made some progress with these commands, we took a walk outside and eventually over to a local park to continue his training for each command he has learned thus far. While at home Bijou was able to show an increased level of focus, due to the environment's familiarity and low distraction levels. However, when outside he was a bit excited and energetic, which caused him to have some trouble focusing. We continued practicing with the Off command, to help improve his impulse control and ability to regain focus and ignore distractions when asked. He has shown some good progress with the Off command, and is beginning to have an easier time refocusing when prompted.
Since Bijou is often easily distracted and excited while in public, we first introduced the Place and Down commands while at home, where there are virtually no distractions to take his focus away from learning. While he already had some understanding of these commands, until today he was largely unreliable and inconsistent with his performance. The goal for the Place command is for Bijou to be able to jump or climb onto an object, such as a bench, bed, or other platform, and hold a stationary position such as Sit or Down. We introduced Place using a comfortable dog cot that Bijou is already familiar with climbing onto and relaxing on in his own time, which helped to promote confidence and learning. By using leash pressure paired with the verbal command and a hand signal, he was able to follow my guidance and Place onto the cot when asked. When asked to Sit on the cot, he had no issue doing so. After practicing with this for a few minutes, he began to perform the command more readily. Using the comfortable place object again, we then practiced the Down command. Down can be a tricky position for some dogs to perform on command, especially for dogs who tend to become anxious or over-excited and struggle to relax. While on the cot, I used leash pressure and physical guidance to help guide Bijou into the Down position, and the moment he followed the guidance and laid all the way down, lots of praise and reward was given! He seemed to catch on to this pretty quickly, and soon was able to perform Down while on the cot with minimal physical guidance needed. We then practiced Down on the floor and other surfaces, to get him comfortable with performing the command on surfaces apart from the cot, which he did well with.
Once he got the hang of both Place and Down while at home, we began working around the neighborhood and at a park to continue his training out in public where more distractions would be present. We also brought the dog cot with us, as this helped to serve as a familiar object to work with. There were lots of other suitable Place objects around, such as a variety of benches and other low platforms. Bijou did well using the Place cot while outside, but was a bit more hesitant about other types of objects that we had not practiced with before. He needed some extra reassurance to help introduce him to the new objects, but he quickly got the hang of it. He became quite confident with performing a Sit while on Place, however he protested a bit against performing Down and needed consistent guidance to lower him into the position. We also practiced Down around some other areas outside, such as on the grass, pathways, and other surfaces. He seemed most willing to perform Down while on the grass, but was stubborn about performing the command on harder surfaces like concrete. Wearing out some of his energy by playing and working on Heel and Come to Sit seemed to help him become a bit less hesitant about performing Down.
Pupdate 8/22/2024
Today Bijou and I visited an outdoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The mall was decently busy, with a good amount of people walking around as well as a few other dogs. There were also restaurants around with tempting smells of food, and a busy street nearby for some added noise distractions. Overall Bijou was pretty excitable, though as we practiced he quickly settled into a focused mindset which was good to see! Once he was familiar with the environment, he was easily able to keep his attention centered on his training and was able to ignore most distractions with very little trouble. He also made a new friend today, another Yorkie who was at the mall! The pup and her owner were watching us train, and Bijou sat politely beside me when they eventually approached to chat with us. He even sat calmly beside her while they posed for a cute photo together! After observing them both have polite and friendly behavior towards each other, I gave Bijou a break and permission to go say hello and play with the other pup, and they had a blast! It's always important to be selective and cautious when allowing on-leash greetings with a dog who you don't know, though in this case we had the opportunity to observe them carefully before the greeting took place, and it was clear that they would get along great so they were able to be introduced without any issues.
Bijou did great with his Heel today! He understood exactly where he needed to be when the command was given, and was able to maintain his position fairly easily. He would sometimes lose focus slightly and began to fall out of position, though this was easily corrected with a reminder and mild leash pressure. His Come to Sit was good overall, and his recall was solid! He always came when called which was fantastic, though sometimes he would still need a bit of help finding the correct position beside me.
He did well with Place today overall, and showed a good amount of confidence when practicing with different objects. He did need a bit of an introduction when working with new objects, though with that bit of extra help he understood what was being asked of him and was willing to make small jumps onto a variety of surfaces. Bijou did well with his Sit and Down today also, and had no trouble performing these commands anywhere asked of him. We spent some extra time focusing on improving his duration for his stationary commands, as this seems to be the aspect he struggles with the most currently. He tends to lose focus and patience quickly and will pop up out of position whenever he feels like it, so we have been emphasizing an implied stay by ensuring he remains in position until released or given a new command. If he breaks the command, he is immediately returned to it, which teaches him that doing so will not be successful. While in position, providing lots of verbal reinforcement and praise seems to be helpful in keeping him focused and motivated to stay in the position. On average, he was able to hold his positions for around forty five seconds today, which is drastic improvement to just a few days ago when he was averaging about five seconds!
Pupdate 8/23/2024
Bijou and I visited a local shopping strip today, where we continued practicing each of his commands around distractions. This location provided a variety of distractions to work around, such as people and dogs along the sidewalks and noises from the nearby street. Despite the busy environment, Bijou was very focused today! Every now and then something would catch his attention, though he understood not to fixate on it and was able to calmly observe his surroundings rather than feel the need to approach or stare at everything around him. When needed, the Off command was effective in helping him to quickly refocus back on his training. Bijou did fantastic with his Heel today, and was able to Heel alongside me as we walked along the sidewalks with great consistency. Whenever small adjustments needed to be made, he was often able to correct himself with just the verbal cue. If leash pressure was needed, even very minimal guidance was enough to help him return to position. His Come to Sit was good overall, though he needs some more work on his positioning for the Sit. He has been great about coming to me when called, but still tends to get a bit overexcited or confused about where to go and what to do once he gets to me. Sometimes he will turn towards me instead of facing forwards for his Sit, or he will sit out of position such as too far behind or in front of me, and sometimes he will try to jump up on my leg seeking attention. Providing leash guidance and ensuring he follows through with the command correctly each time before praising him seems to be helping him understand the expectations for this command. He was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place today all with good reliability, even around distractions. He showed a lot of confidence and understood what to do when each command was given. However his duration still needs some work, as he tends to get wiggly, excited, or bored quickly and tends to break position before asked to, especially if lots of distractions are around us. As always we remain consistent with holding him accountable for his implied stay. The goal is for him to be able to remain in positions for at least two minutes, and currently he is averaging around forty five seconds to a minute depending on the level of distractions around. We also spent some extra time focusing on improving his reliability with holding positions with some added distance between him and I. Bijou tends to be a bit clingy at times, and if I move too far away he tends to break position to move closer to me. To work on this, we have very gradually been increasing the distance between us as he holds his positions, and currently he's been doing well with a distance of around five feet which isn't bad but definitely has room for improvement!
Pupdate 8/24/2024
Today Bijou and I visited an outdoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. This is by far the busiest location we have visited so far, and there were tons of distractions around including groups of people, other dogs, food, new smells, music, occasional bicycles, rolling trash cans, and skateboarders. Bijou was understandably quite excited by the busy surroundings, especially when we first arrived. However as we spent more time walking around and training, he seemed to adjust to the environment fairly quickly and began having an easier time staying focused.
Bijou's Heel was decent today, considering the heavy amount of distractions around. He would tend to lose focus occasionally and begin falling out of position, though was able to correct himself easily when reminded with the verbal cue and leash pressure. His Come to Sit was a bit of a struggle today however, as he would often make mistakes with his positioning and would need to be asked to correct himself a few times before he got it right. As always, we ensured he followed the command correctly each time by encouraging him to focus and providing some guidance until he positioned himself correctly. He did always come right to me when called though, even with distractions around, which is always good to see! His stationary commands were pretty good for the most part and he was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place anywhere asked of him. We continued working on increasing the duration and distance for these commands. He was able to remain in positions asked of him for around a minute today which was impressive, however he did occasionally break position when something very distracting or exciting passed by. After a reminder however he was usually pretty good about going right back to his position and waiting until released or given a new command. He was able to stay in his positions while I was around six to seven feet away today, which is good progress!
While at the mall, there were lots of nice people who wanted to come say hello to Bijou, which provided great opportunities to practice with his Greeting Manners. The goal for Greeting Manners is for Bijou to remain calm, collected, and polite while saying hello to people. Greeting Manners are something we have been practicing organically throughout his program, both with people out in public and with myself or guests while at home. Before allowing someone to approach him, we first ask Bijou to focus on holding a stationary command, such as Sit or Down, which helps to prevent over-excitement, jumping, or other impolite behaviors from occurring, as his focus is instead directed to holding the position. If he breaks position or begins behaving impolitely, he is immediately asked to refocus and return to the position asked of him. Before the greeting takes place, it's important to inform the person or people that Bijou is in training, and that they can help him learn by only petting him when he is listening and calm. Giving him attention or praise when he is over-excited, jumping up, or otherwise behaving impolitely will result in those behaviors becoming encouraged, which would be detrimental to his progress! By ensuring all praise and affection are reserved strictly for when he is holding the position asked of him and behaving calmly, we can work to encourage this good behavior. Over time, Bijou will come to understand that impolite behavior will not be rewarding for him, and that the only way to get what he wants and say hello to people is to listen and remain calm. He was able to greet many people calmly today, though he was a bit wiggly sometimes and would struggle to hold his position effectively, so reminders were often needed to help him stay still. With consistent practice, he will continue improving!
Pupdate 8/25/2024
Today Bijou and I visited another shopping strip, where we continued working on each of his commands around distractions. The area was not overly busy, but still had a decent amount of distractions around such as people, other dogs, bicycles, and cars. Bijou was a bit excitable, especially when we first arrived, though the longer we spent here he began to calm down and adjust to the environment. He still needed occasional reminders to stay focused when distractions were increased, though once the reminder was given he was quick to refocus and return to the task at hand.
Bijou did great with his Heel today, and was able to remain in position consistently with only occasional reminders needed. He was able to Heel past groups of people, interesting scents, food on the floor, and other types of distractions with little issue. He was most prone to slightly leaving the position when walking past other dogs, as Bijou would sometimes be tempted to approach them to say hello. However a quick reminder of Off and Heel ensured he shifted his focus away from the dog and back to his training. His Come to Sit was better than it was yesterday, and he was more reliable with positioning himself correctly as we practiced. He still sometimes made small mistakes, but these were easily corrected and became less frequent as the session carried on. Bijou's stationary commands were solid overall today, and he once again was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place anywhere asked of him. He was able to hold his positions for an average of around a minute and fifteen seconds, though when asked to hold it for longer than this he would tend to lose patience and break position. He was able to hold his positions around most distractions we encountered, with other dogs being the most likely cause of a lapse in focus or breaking of commands. He was able to remain in positions while I was over seven feet away today, which was great to see as well! He is beginning to feel more confident with the idea of independence, and is understanding that his handler does not need to be right beside him as he holds his positions.
Pupdate 8/26/2024
Today Bijou and I visited an indoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The mall was pretty busy, and had many groups of people, a few other dogs, and other distractions such as music and smells of food. Overall Bijou was slightly unfocused when we first arrived, but after only a minute or two of walking around he quickly adjusted to the new environment and soon had little issue paying attention to his training.
Bijou did great with his Heel overall, and as we walked around the mall he was almost always glued right to my side, even as we passed by various distractions. We practiced going at different speeds by slowing down and speeding up, which helped him to always stay focused on his positioning in relation to me as we moved. We also focused on improving his ability to make turns while in a Heel, by making lots of directional changes and walking in unpredictable patterns, as this helps to improve his focus and engagement with me to avoid falling out of position. He generally has been doing best with his left hand turns, as my leg coming out in front of him is something he easily identifies and understands to turn with me to avoid bumping into my leg. His right hand turns will need some more work though, as unless he is very focused, he tends to continue walking straight ahead for a moment as I turn away from him to the right, leading to me needing to gently guide him back towards me with the leash. He made some good progress today however, and by the end of the session he was paying enough attention to follow along in a Heel as we made right turns more often than not.
Bijou's Come to Sit was good overall today, and he was always excited to come running over to me when called. He did have a few occurrences when he would get a bit too excited and try to jump on me, but he understood to immediately stop and perform the command properly when reminded. His positioning was generally good for Come to Sit, with his most common mistake being stopping and sitting just slightly too far behind me. Ideally, we want to be able to see Bijou sitting beside us without having to turn around and look to see where he is, so when he made this mistake he was encouraged to reposition slightly to enter the desired position. Bijou's stationary commands were very good overall today! The floor inside the mall was a bit slippery for him, so he would sometimes struggle to hold his Sit neatly for extended periods as his back legs would begin to slide backwards, leaving him in a sort of half sit - half down situation, but it was clear he was trying his best to hold his Sit! He was sometimes slightly hesitant about performing Down when lots of distractions were around, but he was always able to follow through with it and usually did not need any extra guidance. There weren't many suitable Place objects for Bijou around the mall as many of them were too high up for him to jump onto, but we did practice with some low objects such as curbs outside which he did well with. He was pretty good about holding his positions, and almost never broke a position unless released or given a new command. He was able to hold his positions for over a minute and a half consistently, even with distractions passing and while I moved around at a distance away from him.
Pupdate 8/27/2024
Today Bijou and I visited a park, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. There were lots of people, children, bicycles, other dogs, and other kinds of distractions around. Bijou quickly adjusted to the new environment and was able to maintain good focus throughout our visit here! Other dogs were sometimes a bit distracting for him, though he did much better today than he has during previous days, and was more consistent with maintaining his focus even around these tempting distractions! His Heel was very reliable, and he did great about sticking beside me as we walked around with only minimal reminders and guidance needed. His Come to Sit was also good, and he always came right to me when called. His positioning was also quite consistent and he didn't seem to have much trouble remembering how to complete the maneuver. He still tried to jump on me now and then when he got a bit too excited, though he quickly stopped and performed the command correctly when reminded. His stationary commands were also good today, and he was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place whenever asked of him without hesitation. There weren't a ton of Place objects that Bijou could physically jump onto, though he always was happy to try his best even with objects a bit out of his reach, and didn't let any failures discourage him from trying again which is a great sign of the confidence he has been building! Sometimes he needed a bit of a helping hand to boost him onto these higher up objects, but he would always seem so happy and proud when he finally made it up! He was able to maintain any stationary positions for over a minute and a half with ease, and was comfortable with me stepping away and walking around about ten feet away from him.
Pupdate 8/28/2024
Today Bijou and I visited a park, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The park was pretty busy, with lots of people, children, other dogs, bicycles, ball games, music, and other kinds of distractions around. Bijou was a bit excited as usual but quickly settled into a focused mindset once we began training.
His Heel was consistent overall, and he had very little issue sticking right beside me as we walked, even with plenty of distractions present around us. He was able to calmly observe his surroundings while walking without becoming too distracted by anything, and when needed he was able to quickly shift his focus further onto the Heel when prompted. His Come to Sit was also good, and he always came right to me when called. He also did much better about not jumping up on me when getting to me, and was able to find his position beside me with very little guidance needed. We also practiced using a fifteen long leash today, which allowed us to practice his recall from further distances. He did well with this, and even when at the end of the leash he always came right over when called without hesitation which was fantastic to see.
Bijou's stationary commands were also good today, and he was able to hold each position for around two minutes which was fantastic! He sometimes needed a bit of guidance to perform these commands when lots of distractions were around, but only minimal leash pressure was needed to help him focus and follow through with his commands. Once again our Place options were a bit limited due to Bijou's small size, but we did manage to find a few small rocks, curbs, and other objects that he was able to jump onto without any trouble.
Pupdate 8/29/2024
Today Bijou and I visited the Santa Monica Pier! This was a great location to put his skills to the test around a large amount of distractions. The pier offered a large variety of distracting surroundings, including large crowds of people, music, other dogs, food, and birds. Bijou's ability to adapt to new environments and maintain his focus in busy places was very apparent today as he did a great job! We were able to capture some fantastic footage of him performing each of his commands here that will be used in putting together his final video, so be sure to check out today's video for a sneak peek! His Heel was great overall, and even when in highly distracting areas such as walking through crowds, he was able to stick right beside me as we walked, only needing occasional reminders or guidance from the leash. His Come to Sit was solid as well, and always came right to me when called even with lots of distractions around him. He only needed minimal guidance for the maneuver, and seems to understand where he needs to position himself when the command is given. His stationary commands also shined, and he was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place anywhere asked of him as well as hold them for around two minutes at a time consistently. As he began to tire out, his extended Sit duration did slightly decrease as he would sometimes want to rest and move into the Down position, though overall he did great! He was able to Place onto low objects with ease, and was also happy to attempt jumps onto higher-up objects like benches too. Sometimes it took a try or two before he got it, but he was able to jump onto some decently high objects which is a great display of the skills and confidence he has acquired. As always, he would always be so proud of himself when he succeeded and we loved to celebrate with him by giving him lots of praise!
Bijou also got lots of compliments about both his adorable looks and great obedience skills, and lots of people wanted to stop and say hello to him! As such, we had lots of opportunities to practice his Greeting Manners. Bijou did get a bit excited sometimes and would be tempted to stand up or jump on people at first, though by remaining consistent with the expectations we have set for these manners, he understood that to receive attention he needed to keep all four paws on the ground and remain in the position asked of him. He ended up doing a great job, and his polite behavior earned him lots of pets which he loved!
Pupdate 8/30/2024
Today Bijou and I visited the Santa Monica Promenade, where we practiced all of his commands around lots of distractions. This location was quite busy, and there were numerous distractions around including groups of people, other dogs, food, music, birds, and noisy street traffic. Despite the busy surroundings, Bijou did an excellent job staying focused and quickly adapting to the new environment. He also got lots of compliments on his impressive obedience skills, and we had many more great opportunities for Greeting Manners, with which Bijou was very polite and calm.
Bijou was able to Heel with great reliability, and he always stuck by my side in the proper positioning even as we walked by various distractions. He would sometimes ever so slightly fall out of position, though this was easily corrected by repeating the verbal cue and providing gentle leash guidance. Giving him regular praise and verbal reminders with the cue "Good Heel", seemed to help motivate his focus to remain on his positioning. His Come to Sit was also consistent overall, and he always came straight to me whenever he was called. Regardless of what he was doing, what distractions were present, or how far away I was when he was recalled, he understood to immediately find me and come running! With minimal guidance from the leash, he was able to position himself properly beside me with each repetition we practiced.
His stationary commands were excellent today as well, and he was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place anywhere he was asked to. Once asked to hold a position, he was very reliable about not breaking the position, even with plenty of distractions around within close proximity to him. He was able to hold positions for a minimum of two minutes without issue. We also found a nice shady place to rest for a while partway through our visit, and he happily remained in a Down beside me for well over ten minutes. He calmly observed our surrounding environment, but did not seem tempted to get up at any point. Bijou was also comfortable with holding his positions for our goal duration of two minutes while I was at a distance away from him, including up to fifteen feet away at the end of a long leash. While it's clear he's happiest while right next to his handler as this is when he feels most safe and secure, he did a great job of being brave and confident even when separated by distance. As usual, whenever released from a stationary command with the break cue, he would instantly light up with joy and come bounding over for some love and praise!
Pupdate 8/31/2024
Bijou and I visited a park today, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. As usual, he did a fantastic job, performed all of his commands very well, and had lots of fun! Bijou is not only excelling with his skills and manners while out in public, but he has also made huge transformations in his behavior inside the home as well! House manners are something we have been working on little by little each day since day one. Even seemingly mundane day-to-day tasks can provide excellent opportunities for training. These manners include areas such as Food Manners, Door Manners, and Car Manners.
The goal for Food Manners is for Bijou to be able to hold a stationary command while his food is prepared and set in front of him. He is then asked to remain in that position until he is released before he can get up and eat his food. Bijou tends to get a bit excited about his food, and in the early stages of his training, he was prone to jumping on me when anticipating food, and rushing to the food bowl the moment it was set down. As he progressed in his overall obedience and impulse control, he quickly replaced his bad habits and learned to be polite and patient even when faced with very tempting distractions such as food directly in front of him!
Another area of manners we have been working on is Bijou's Door Manners. The goal of Door Manners is for Bijou to hold a stationary position while near a door and remain there until released or given a new command, such as Come or Heel. He is asked to hold the position at the location asked of him, and not break the command even if the door is left open, if someone is knocking on it, or if people walk in or out of it. This practice teaches important boundaries, and prevents impolite and possibly dangerous behaviors such as trying to escape through open doors, shoving past people when walking through doors, or rushing over to jump on people who enter through the door. With daily practice, Bijou has made great progress with his manners related to doors, and understands to follow instructions no matter what distractions the door may create. I can even leave his sight completely and walk outside without him feeling the need to get up and follow me. We have also spent some extra time focusing on teaching Bijou not to bark at the door or out the window when he hears or sees something, and we have been successfully conditioning the Off and Place commands as the alternative behaviors to replace these old habits.
Having good Car Manners makes transporting Bijou easy, safe, and as hassle-free as possible. Since Bijou is too small to jump into my car without assistance, the goal for his Car Manners is for him to be comfortable with being picked up and placed into my car, which he does great with! Once in the car, the goal is for him to willingly enter a kennel when asked, without needing to be physically guided or lured inside. In the early stages of training, Bijou tended to be a bit hesitant about entering the kennel, and often needed to be physically placed inside, however with practice he has learned to enter it on cue without the extra help!
Pupdate 9/1/2024
Bijou and I visited a park today, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions, which he did fantastic with! We had visited this park once before, and he seemed to immediately recognize it and feel at ease. He was quickly able to enter a focused mindset, and had no trouble performing any of his commands. We spent the rest of our visit here playing, exploring, and having a great last day together!
Bijou has made such an amazing transformation in these past two weeks, and the differences in him are truly night and day! Before the program, he had a tendency to immediately become overexcited, overwhelmed, and overstimulated by everything around him, causing him to struggle to pay attention or follow commands. He has since learned to stay calm, focused, and neutral to his surroundings even in the most busy of places. He has replaced any bad habits he had when coming to us with polite behaviors, and has learned the joys that come with these good behaviors! His levels of confidence, patience, and independence have all skyrocketed as well. While he may seem like a whole new pup, he is still the same goofy, loving, and playful pup he always has been, and with his new obedience skills he is even more of a joy to be around and take with on all sorts of adventures! Bijou has been an absolute pleasure to train and share my home with, and I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to help this good boy become the best version of himself! The sky is the limit for this pup, and I know he has a very bright future ahead in his continued training journey with his family!
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