Blu | Pitt Mix | Marina Del Rey, CA.| In Training.
- heatheroffleashsoc
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 4 hours ago
Meet Blu!š¾
Ā Blu is a one-year-old Pitt mix from Marina del Rey, California, who has just joined us for our Two Week Community Board and Train Program!
Blu is an energetic young man with plenty of enthusiasm for life, and while his excitement certainly comes from a good place, it has a tendency to get the best of him. His enthusiasm can mean jumping up on people when saying hello, barking and lunging at other dogs while out on walks, and making it quite the challenge to get his attention once he gets worked up. Though Blu means well and is simply excited, his big reactions can easily be misconstrued as something else.
And Bluās list of hobbies doesnāt stop thereāthis handsome guy also has a particular appreciation for helping himself to any food he can get his paws on! Needless to say, Blu is ready for a little guidance and some new rules to help him make better choices.
Over the next two weeks, weāll be working with Blu toward off-leash obedience while also building his house manners. Our goal is to give this enthusiastic young man the structure, boundaries, and listening skills he needs to better manage his excitement and make more thoughtful choices. With the right tools and guidance, weāre looking forward to helping Blu turn all that enthusiasm into a wonderful foundation for happier, more enjoyable adventures with his owners!
Stay tuned for Bluās transformation! Itās sure to be a fun ride! š¾
8/23/2026
Today was Bluās very first day of training, and we kicked things off with a trip to the park! This gave us a chance to get better acquainted with one another while also allowing me to see what Blu may already know and where we have some room for improvement.
So far, Iāve discovered that Blu knows his sitā¦ but itās definitely more of a āwhen I feel like itā sort of thing. š And thatās okay! Weāll be working on building some consistency with that over the next couple of weeks.
We also introduced a few new commands, including heel and come to sit. For heel, whenever Blu tried to pull ahead of me, I would give a small pop on his collar and change direction, continuing this until he made the choice to walk alongside me. It took him a little bit to understand the new expectation, and there were definitely a couple of dramatic sploots in protestalong the way. But we werenāt going to let a little protest stop us! With some encouragement, Blu got back up and moving, and eventually he was walking with me with a little more ease.
We also worked on his sit using gentle leash guidance. I applied light upward pressure toward the back of his ears and held it steady until he sat, immediately releasing the pressure once he did. Blu is slowly starting to catch on to this, and Iām sure it wonāt be long before he has it figured out. Though at one point, I think Blu mistook that pressure as an invitation to jump up and say hello! He was quite persistent about it, too. š I simply disengaged from him as much as possible, and once he realized jumping wasnāt going to get him the attention he wanted, he eventually lost interest. A great little lesson in itself!
Lastly, we introduced his come to sit command. This asks Blu to walk around my right side and come to a nice sit at my left side. He handled the leash guidance for this pretty well, although a passing dog briefly caught his attention and made it take a little longer to get that sit. But considering this was his first day, he did a nice job, and Iām confident this is another skill heāll pick up quicklyāeven when distractions are added.
After our time at the park, it was time to load up and head to Bluās home away from home for the next two weeks! With a little assistance, he hopped right into his travel crate and remained quiet for the entire drive.
Once we arrived, I gave him plenty of time to explore his new surroundings and check everything out to his heartās content. And from what I could tell, Blu didnāt seem to have any complaints! š
One of my cats was even brave enough to come out and investigate our new houseguest. Blu wasnāt quite sure what to make of his feline visitor, but he handled the interaction well, and Iām sure with a little more time heāll figure out that these strange little creatures are just part of the furniture around here.
Other than that, Blu is handling his first day very well! Thereās certainly plenty for us to work on, but thatās exactly what these next two weeks are for. Iām excited to watch him learn, grow, and gain some confidence as we work through his training. Itās only day one, and I already canāt wait to see where this journey takes us! š¾
8/24/2026
Today, Blu and I kept things close to home and worked right in my neighborhood as we introduced his e-collar and continued building the foundation for the commands heāll be learning during his time with me. I chose a familiar, lower-distraction environment intentionally. I know how easily Blu can become distracted by everything happening around him, so I didnāt want to overwhelm him while he was learning these new concepts. Sometimes, starting small is the best way to set a pup up for success!
As we introduced the e-collar, I paired its use with the leash corrections I was already giving him. Anytime I popped the leash to provide a correction, I coupled it with a correction from the e-collar. This helps Blu begin making the connection between the two and understand that the e-collar is simply another form of communication rather than something completely unfamiliar. Heās not exactly a huge fan of it just yet, but once he figures out how it works and what Iām asking of him, Iām confident heāll come around.
Today we also introduced down and place. I quickly discovered that Blu actually does know his down commandāitās just much like his sit, and apparently he prefers to offer it when he feels like it! š Weāll be working on changing that little habit so that when I ask for a command, he understands that I mean right then and there.
His place command, which consists of asking him to hop onto a designated surface and then either sit or lay down, was actually no problem for him! The catch was convincing him that he was also supposed to hop off when asked. Once we worked through that little technicality, things became much simpler, and he started catching on nicely.
Blu is also beginning to understand his heel. Heās starting to get the idea of staying with me and following my direction, though whenever something particularly exciting catches his attention, he still occasionally needs a reminder that he canāt simply take off toward whatever has captured his interest. With a little more time and consistency, Iām sure this will become much more natural for him.
His sit was also a little more prompt today, which was great to see! We did have a moment when someone ran by my driveway and Blu suddenly became very interested in what was happening. It took a little convincing to get him back into his sit, but thatās okayābaby steps! The more exposure he gets to distractions while learning how to remain focused, the easier these situations will become.
I was also able to begin adding both distance and duration to his sit and down commands, turning them into his extended sit and extended down. Blu did a great job with these and only needed one or two reminders to stay put, which was very encouraging for such an early stage of training.
We also continued working on his come to sit, and Blu is starting to put the pieces together! Anytime he became a little confused about where he was supposed to go, I used some gentle leash guidance and took a few steps either backward or forward to help him work through the positioning. By the end of our session, he was able to offer me a very nice come to sit all on his own!
All in all, Blu is proving to be a very smart boy, and he did a fantastic job today. Thereās certainly plenty for us to work through, especially when distractions enter the picture, but heās already beginning to understand what Iām asking of him. With some consistency, patience, and a little more practice, Iām sure this big guy will have these commands down in no time! š¾š
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