Meet Blink! He is a 10 month old Dalmatian from Los Angeles, CA who has joined us for our Two Week Board and Train Program. Blink has joined Off Leash So Cal to work on a few behaviors such as pulling on the leash, excessively barking, digging and overall obedience. Over these next two weeks Blink and I will work on building a strong foundation for his training, stay tuned for his transformation!
Pupdate 10/23/2022
Blink and I spent our day working on building our bond and getting him all settled in at his new temporary home. He was able to see my other pups through the fence and had a playful reaction! They will interact together more later tonight, and have a play date.
He will be introduced to new commands starting tomorrow.
Pupdate 10/24/2022
Blink was a superstar during his training today! He was introduced to “heel” (maintaining focus and stride while walking on the left), “off” (leaving distractions alone), “sit”, “come-to-sit”, & “break” (releasing from a cue after a job-well-done).
He is a quick learner, and performed well after adjusting to the many distractions within Anaheim’s Brookhurst Park and being conditioned to the ecollar. Today’s distractions included palm fronds being blown off trees, leaves darting in the wind, bicyclists, maintenance vehicles, multiple dogs, and strangers. I was impressed by how well Blink held his “sit” cues for long durations.
Pupdate 10/25/2022
Blink’s training took place at Long Beach’s El Dorado Park. It took him a bit of time to get into the rhythm of training, as he found the frisbee-golfers, squirrels, and strangers quite distracting. Time, exposure, and patience paid off, as Blink was performing new cues “down” and “place” (maintaining a position on an elevated location until released) soon after.
Chin and neck scratches are his preferred reward, and loves to make eye contact while receiving them. He also enjoyed interacting with a fellow board-and-train pup during his breaks.
Despite the distractions, Blink continues to be a quick learner who is eager to please.
Pupdate 10/26/2022
Blink’s training today took place at The Block Outlet Mall in Orange, definitely the most challenging location thus far, due to all the new smells, people, and constant bustle. It took him a while to get into the swing of things, but he settled in well afterwards. Initially, we worked on solidifying previous cues while he acclimated to the surroundings. Blink maintains his heel well, and is great with his extended place & down.
Blink was introduced to the 15ft long leash, where he learned to maintain his positions & “come-to-sit” from a distance. During this session and future sessions, we will be transitioning Blink from leash pressure to ecollar stimulation, keeping him on track for performing OffLeash during the latter half of his board & train.
Pupdate 10/27/2022
We returned to The Block Outlet Mall in Orange for Blink’s training today. Since he was so distracted yesterday, we found it would be beneficial to expose him more to this type of environment. We worked on fine-tuning his previous cues, and wean off of leash pressure even further, particularly with “sit”, “down”, & “come to sit”. We also worked on heel, and keeping closer to the handler, making tighter turns.
During “come-to-sit” Blink had a tendency to sit farther away than desired, so we utilized the wall to help him get on point.
There were a few slip-ups along the way, so it was important to set him up for success by reducing the duration of cues he was having a harder time with. Once he understood what was expected, he performed much better.
Pupdate 10/28/2022
Blink and I had the opportunity to work on his obedience today while at The Citadel Outlets. We Heeled together in a pack walk as we explored the outlets. Blink’s Heel has improved as he turns with me whenever I cue Heel before turning. If he doesn’t turn with me I’ll add stimulation of the e collar along with a leash pop in the direction we are turning. When he checks in with me I always mark it with a Yes to build engagement.
Blink has reached the two minute duration goal of holding his Extended Down and Sit. He does great with this when I am about 6 ft away from him. When I increase distance between us he displays signs of discomfort and tries to follow me. This is due to a lack of confidence. We will keep building his confidence while being apart from me by adding in some rewards as we slowly build distance apart using a 15 ft leash.
Blink does great with Greeting Manners when around most people but at times has shown skepticism when around men. He avoids them and has vocalized before when around them, especially when in the kennel. We will build a positive association with more men by rewarding Blink whenever he has an interaction that he is comfortable with. I have noticed he loves kids and women, which is great! When we got home after training, Blink met my other board and train pups and had fun running around in the sun together.
Pupdate 10/29/2022
Blink and I worked on using minimal leash pressure while training today to prepare him to be Off Leash. Since we are utilizing less leash pressure I am offering more visual cues and using my body language to help him when needed. He is doing great with the fluency of his commands, no longer taking his time to Sit. He does struggle with creating distance between us as you can see in the video he gets up once I walk to the end of the leash. We are working on building his confidence more while he is away from me.
Pupdate 10/30/2022
Blink and I began our training session today working towards our Off Leash goal. We practiced his Come to Sit utilizing stimulation of the e collar and rewarding him when he came over to my left hand side. After many repetitions Blink became more consistent with his recall. We then worked on his Place command which he is able to hold for two minutes. At times when he is in the Sit position he goes into the Down. I correct this with stimulation of the e collar and slight leash pressure upwards. Towards the end of the session he was able to hold his Extended Sit for much longer. Moving forward most of our work will consist of more visual cues and the leash dragging.
After training Blink met my other board and train pup Trigger. He seemed a bit unsure of Trigger which may be due to him being the same sex and not neutered. I will continue to expose and socialize Blink to the pack.
Pupdate 10/31/2022
Blink and I took a trip to the Outlets to keep exposing him to distracting environments and proof his commands with added distance between us. Blink is quite anxious when training in distracting environments. He begins to pant and is hyper vigilant. After some time of Heeling around together, he acclimates to his surroundings.
Blink improved significantly today with holding his Place and Extended Sit. When I add distance between us, I start close to him then slowly walk away which he is becoming more comfortable with. We will keep emphasizing our work on building his confidence in new environments!
Pupdate 11/1/2022
Blink and I worked on proofing all of his commands at The Block of Orange! He usually takes some time to acclimate to his surroundings. Today, he began to work at a fluent pace quite early! He Heeled consistently by my left hand side as we had a pack walk around the outlets. We then worked on his Extended Sit and Down with a duration of two minutes. After some warming up he remained consistent while the other pups passed right by him. We did most of our work today with the leash dragging which demonstrates he is ready for some Off Leash work!
Pupdate 11/2/2022
Blink and I started our day with working on his Food Manners. He is expected to hold his Sit or Down while being fed. After the food bowl is placed on the floor, that is not his cue to get up. His cue to eat is when I release him with the Cue Break. Although tempted, Blink was able to hold his sit while I eventually went out of sight.
We then went on a trip to the beach today shortly after where we proofed his commands some more. It was very windy which was great exposure for Blink to work through the changes of the weather. Initially he was unsure of it but after about 5 mins of Heeling he was fluently performing everything he has learned! Now we will begin to film for his final video tomorrow!
Pupdate 11/3/2022
Blink and I took a trip to The Outlets where we filmed for his Final video. When Blink initially arrives somewhere it takes him some time to build confidence and fluency with his commands. He displays signs of anxiety by panting and whining. We practiced calming circles by Heeling together with frequent turns to help him walk off any pent up energy as well. After about 15 minutes he began to build momentum and performed quite well. He held his Extended Down and Place at a distance away from me of about 8 ft. We will keep building distance and confidence in new environments !
Pupdate 11/4/2022
Blink has learned boundaries with the kennel, waiting patiently at the kennel until I cue Break. He has learned that when he sits and wait patiently, the door will open. If he gets up, the door closes on him. The door is an important threshold to remain consistent with so Blink won’t have a habit of being the first one out.
After Heeling together around the neighborhood and working on his Manners, we played tug of war and fetch together in the backyard. Playtime is a great outlet for Blink to release energy. Since he is a very energetic pup, this is highly recommended.
Pupdate 11/5/2022
Blink and I spent our day together working on all of his commands as we strolled around the neighborhood. After about 10 minutes his anxiety gradually mellows down which is a very big improvement as before it took him up to an hour before he seemed somewhat relaxed in new environments. We emphasize our work on distance away from each other, which I recommend keeping up with to prevent his separation anxiety from escalating. It is best to never make it a big deal when you come and go so Blink doesn’t see it is a big deal either. Crate training also greatly helps with separation anxiety, especially when at home with Blink. Periods of time alone throughout the day helps prepare him for time apart.
Blink has overall become more confident, can hold his Place and Extended Sit for a minimum of two minutes, and can Come to Sit from about 15 ft away. I recommended constantly taking Blink to new environments. Since he can be a nervous boy at times, desensitization to new places will only further improve his training. He is a loving boy who needs a lot of guidance, structure and leadership to thrive and follow instructions. He has come a long way and we can not wait to show you what he has learned. Thank you for trusting me with Blink!
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