Bowie | Cavapoo | Hermosa Beach, CA | In-Training
- Scott Hansen
- Dec 27, 2025
- 17 min read
Updated: Jan 9
Meet Bowie! Bowie is a 20-week-old Cavapoo here for our Two-Week Community Board and Train Program. Bowie is a sweet pup; however, he does display several unwanted behaviors. Bowie is a calm and playful pup. Bowie has poor leash manners, will not recall, and can be quite vocal. Bowie can perform a command or two with proper motivation; however, he lacks structure and performs tasks inconsistently. Over the next fourteen days, Bowie will learn to be an obedient pup through consistent, clear communication and balanced training at home, as well as by exploring new people and places. Bowie will also be taught proper potty training. Bowie will learn to perform all these things on leash through a positive and balanced training environment. Through structure and consistency, Bowie will demonstrate how great a pup he can be! Stay tuned for Bowie’s two-week transformation!
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 12/27/25
Today, Mr. Bowie joined me for his Two-Week Urban Community Board and Train Program. On the way home, we stopped at a local park to see what commands Mr. Bowie could perform. He did not do very well! But I think you know that, and that's why he's here. After I tested his skills, we had a mini photoshoot for his profile picture for his blog. I don't know if you know this, but as soon as dogs see a phone or camera in front of their face, you are now invisible to them, and they must ignore you at all costs. Once we got what we needed, we loaded up and headed to Mr. Bowie's temporary residence for the next two weeks. Mr. Bowie did bark the entire way home and was only quiet when the vehicle stopped.
Once we got home, I let Mr. Bowie smell Ms. Toji and Ms. Bevo through the front gate. Ms. Toji and Ms. Bevo were excited to see Mr. Bowie. Mr. Bowie was willing to sniff them but was a little apprehensive. Mr. Bowie had no issues coming to the house. I let him explore each room and meet everyone. Throughout the introductions, Mr. Bowie showed no adverse reactions. I took Mr. Bowie outside to meet Ms. Toji and Ms. Bevo. They had no issues. Mr. Bowie was slightly overwhelmed due to their sizes, but he did ok.
We then went on a long walk around the block so that he could get used to the sights, sounds, and scents of her temporary new neighborhood. He had no issues with walking around the block. He walked ok on the leash. He went ahead occasionally and lagged at times, but mostly stopped to investigate some dog “hot spots” and was willing to keep walking. He mostly ignored all the other dogs in the houses that barked at us as we went around.
I can see that he is a gentle pup. I expect to see him work well with the structure and positive reinforcement. With clear, persistent communication and expectations, he will learn to be a well-mannered pup!
I gave him dinner and observed how much he eats. I keep track of his weight and will ensure that he maintains her weight while he is with me.
I've attached the e-collar familiarization video. Please review the video a few times before Mr. Bowie's turnover. We'll practice together to make sure you are comfortable with the system before using it with Mr. Bowie. I will introduce the e-collar for tomorrow’s training.
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 12/28/25
Today, we introduced the e-collar to Mr. Bowie. As you can see, I brought out Ms. CeCe to join us so that they could play with each other while I introduced the e-collar. We started by playing with them and getting them to play with the ball. I then loosely put the collar on. After I let them play for a little more, I made sure the e-collar was nice and snug. This ensures that we have optimal contact with the skin and can keep the numbers nice and low. As you can see, we start with 0, then I progressively move up by 5s. Mr. Bowie was good between levels 10 and 15. Great numbers, and we should be able to work in that low range. I can barely feel the e-collar stimulation at 10.
We then went on to introduce and work on "sit", "down", and "place." We worked in conjunction with Ms. CeCe on these commands. They did ok. Mr. Bowie kept wanting to break the "down" and go check in with Ms. Bevo. Mr. Bowie really likes Ms. Bevo.
Potty training is going ok. We had one accident in the house today that was definitely my fault for not taking Mr. Bowie out on time. I took them both outside and gave them breaks. Then I left him and Ms. CeCe to eat their lunch, and they destroyed the silicon cup you sent them with, and someone else urinated again. I was gone for less than two minutes, and I had just taken them both out for a break. I'll use regular metal bowls for them and ensure they go out every four hours.
I have already been working on crate manners, such as not scratching or pawing at the door to come out. I have also been working on having them perform a "sit" before meals. Ms. CeCe is the primary offender of pawing at the crate and not holding her "sit". She needs to be manipulated into the "sit", whereas Mr. Bowie is more likely to perform this task more willingly. I'll use their kibble as an incentive to perform the tasks as we continue forward.
I'll try working with them individually tomorrow; however, they get quite vocal if their best friend isn't around. Another idea I might use is to put a crate nearby in my backyard so the other one can watch while I train one.
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 12/29/25
We truck on with Mr. Bowie's training! Today we rolled into a backyard training session. The name of the game with Mr. Bowie is shaping, prompting, and fading. We start by shaping behavior by manipulating Mr. Bowie into the correct behavior while pairing it with our verbal commands. We use the leash pressure to assist us with this. We can even use the e-collar to pair at this stage. I did try the e-collar today, but it seemed to be a bit overwhelming for him. Mr. Bowie is a much calmer and chill pup than Ms. CeCe. I didn't overuse the e-collar, as it was a little overwhelming for him and it was distracting from our training. Simply, the leash pressure was a lot for him.
We just have to be persistent and consistent. But most importantly, we must reward good behavior! Pressure helps us shape our behavior. The treats and verbal commands will help us prompt the pup into the appropriate behavior, and at the end of the training, the goal is to use as little pressure as possible and as few treats as possible as we fade them out. Another big however, is that we want the pressure and treats to be meaningful. We want the pressure up on the leash to signify a "sit", we want downward pressure to mean "down", and we want the appropriate pressure forward or backwards to mean adjust to the proper "heel".
The "heel" is tough right now. I did observe when you dropped him off that he was wearing a harness. Harnesses usually enable a pup to pull through and always want to walk ahead. This is called the opposition reflex. It is why sled dogs are willing to push through snow and run as far as they do because they are pushing through the harness, which is applying constant backwards pressure. Mr. Bowie has poor leash manners in the "heel," and that's why he is resistant to this command. It's a tough balance because when I take them out for potty breaks, I have been allowing them to walk freely.
For potty training, today's goal was no accidents in the house, which meant a little bit more structure. I applied this through less free time in the house and more free time outside. We wound up having a couple more accidents last night, even though I took them out twice within two hours before bedtime.
He does like Ms. Bevo a lot. She's like his older cousin.
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 12/30/25
Mr. Bowie and I headed over to Rynerson Park in Lakewood, CA, to continue to review his commands. I wanted to get the pups out to a park before the rain comes and forces us inside for a few days. Overall, not too bad but not great either. Mr. Bowie is not a fan of being asked to "heel," as you can see, but we are making progress. I didn't use the e-collar today as I want to make sure everything is nice and clear for him before bringing it back. The only command I have left to introduce is the "come-to-sit." That one is pretty complicated as it requires multiple steps. I would like to see him be able to perform the other tasks a little more consistently, not perfectly, but with better recognition and consistency, before moving forward.
Once again, very managed interactions and time inside. Mr. Bowie likes to urinate every hour if you let him. I don't limit their water intake, but this could definitely be a reason why he urinates so frequently. I don't want to take him out every hour either. He needs to learn to hold it for longer periods. With the rain coming, I'll be watching him closely while indoors to do my best to avoid any accidents. Currently, I would say he needs breaks every 2-3 hours. However, he has burned me several times after being given significant breaks, and he will go again after coming inside and drinking more water. I have been letting both of them run around outside during potty breaks to have playtime. As I stated before, Mr. Bowie enjoys hanging out with Ms. Bevo. She's a puppy too and likes to play with them.
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 12/31/25
Today I took Mr. Bowie and Ms. CeCe to Petco in Lakewood, CA. With the rain being persistent for the next few days, I wanted to pick up some things to keep them busy, such as more bully sticks. I was able to pick up a few more toys for them to play with.
We practiced their extended "sit" and "down" while in the store. We also practiced their "heel," but that was not very good. There wasn't anything to "place" on in the store, but getting them to perform the extended "down" on the floor and not needing the dog cot was good progress.
Mr. Bowie has been issued the prong collar for now. He resists and lags on purpose frequently. He refused to perform a lot of tasks, and as such, I have implemented this tool to help him better understand the pressure.
Mr. Bowie also has a tiny bladder and a rapid bio system. He burned me today. I let him out, and no less than 15 minutes after returning inside, he urinated on the floor again. I had let him go potty and poop before we left for training, and an hour later, he went poop again. He is the one to watch as Ms. CeCe is progressing along nicely. I will have to spend some serious one-on-one time trying to unlock Mr. Bowie's potential.
I'm also going to go to 2 feedings daily. This will also help spread out when they need to go poop.
Have a safe and Happy New Year!
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 1/1/26
Today, Mr. Bowie and I headed over to Liberty Park in Cerritos, CA. Mr. Bowie is lagging behind in his training. He has become extremely stubborn and resistant. Today was a tipping point regarding his stubbornness. I really wanted to make sure that Mr. Bowie understood that pressure=consequence, performing the proper command=release of the pressure. Mr. Bowie became a little vocal in his resistance, although nothing was happening to him. As soon as he performed the proper command, the pressure was released. Resisting the "heel" or properly not performing a "sit" will result in pressure. Pressure can be released simply when he performs the task. The best part of today's training was when we were working on his "place" on the benches at the park. He was plopping himself down in front of the bench and resisting jumping up on the bench. I used pressure to encourage him to get up on the bench, and then released all the pressure and even gave him treats once he was on there. After several attempts at getting him to jump on there on his own, he finally did it on his own! This means that he is getting it.
His potty training is also not going very well at this point. He understands and knows how to go potty when I take him out or tell him "go potty." But he decided to urinate in the house again today. I had let him outside for 30-45 minutes. He went potty several times. Brought him in to play with Ms. Bevo and Ms. CeCe. I purposely gave them no water to see how long they could go or what Mr. Bowie's trigger could be. He was perfectly fine for about an hour and then walked over, nose to the ground, and went to urinate. It seems more of a marking behavior at this point. I want to let him roam around and give him time to play and interact, but he is not giving me a reason to allow that. I do not trust him at this point.
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 1/2/26
Rain, rain, rain, go away, Mr. Scott the Trainer wants to train pups! Whelp, we were able to work on Mr. Bowie's door manners. I even had some extra help today from my mini-trainer!
What I displayed for you today are the two types of door manners. As a reminder, the door manners are highly structured and are on leash. This does not mean that your pup will not run out of an open door. The first one is to stop at the door, put the pup in a "sit", and then go through the door first. The pup should never go through the door first. The second type of door manners is to put the pup in a "place" and "down." You could even put your pup in a "down" at the door and then go in and out. If the pup gets up, we need to reset them and start over again.
I was able to have the pups perform the tasks, then I had my mini-trainer perform the same tasks to display that it isn't just me that they respond to. They are actually responding to the commands and the training.
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 1/3/26
The rain continues to disrupt my training plan. Sounds like I need to come up with a rain contingency training plan for pups! I could build an indoor training facility! I digress, it only rains a few times a year here in So-Cal. We must adapt and overcome on the infrequent times that the rain disrupts my training. I went ahead and just practiced everything indoors, where I had as much space as possible to practice and introduce the "come-to-sit". We only have one week left, and I need to teach this one as it is the most complicated, and we will be practicing all commands non-stop while also balancing the e-collar use.
The rain does make the potty training extremely complicated. We need regular breaks and intervals to make sure they are on a schedule. They need to know that they will be allowed to potty outside. Mr. Bowie, luckily, will urinate in the rain without issue. As stated yesterday, I will continue to monitor and manage their water intake, especially during the rainy times, because I can't let them out as much.
Starting tomorrow, the e-collar will be on for all of our training. I've given each of them plenty of time to learn the commands with only the leash pressure. I've earned their trust (mostly for Mr. Bowie), and that helps build a good relationship with them when it comes to training and ensuring there are positive and negative consequences for wanted and unwanted behavior.
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 1/4/26
There is light at the end of the tunnel! And when I say light, I mean that I finally saw a break in the clouds with the long-lost sun! I missed it so much. With that being said, it did make for another rainy day today, and apparently, everyone decided to go to the Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos, CA. It was about as busy as the holiday rush.
Mr. Bowie had a pretty decent day at the mall. It was overwhelmingly busy at the mall, and Mr. Bowie was a little timid at times, but at other times, he was cruising along. We didn't go too far into the mall due to his hesitation and insecurity. He also kept putting his nose to the ground. It looked like he wanted to poop. This was not ideal. I took him outside, in the rain, to see if he would go poop, but he wasn't showing any signs of wanting to go when we went outside. Other than that, he was able to perform a nice sit, and down, and even perform his come-to-sit. His heel can be iffy as he sometimes lags or, as in today's case, was intimidated in the new environment. Quite a few people came up to us to say hi to Mr. Bowie, and he did a great job meeting everyone and being calm.
No issues with going potty inside the house today as I continue to monitor their breaks.
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 1/5/26
Well, well, well... Mr. Bowie and I are finally breaking down barriers and crossing into the clearing. Similar to the storms passing, Mr. Bowie's resistance to the training is waning. He gave me pretty good resistance at the beginning of today's training. We brought back the e-collar now that I know he has been practicing all the commands. He shows the signs of the e-collar being effective between 7 and 10. However, he was being stubborn and didn't want to perform the "heel" at the beginning of our session. I simply used pressure on the collar, slowly went up on the e-collar until he decided to perform the "heel". Once he moved even an inch, I let go of the leash pressure and e-collar stimulation. A few times, I even reset the number on him, moving even the tiniest amount to let him know that he is controlling the stimulation. He became vocal and let me know that he was not a fan of being told what to do. However, by remaining consistent and persistent, basically being more "stubboner" (that's an official dog training term), he eventually gave in and went along. Take, for example, how he performed the "place" and "down" with zero resistance today. This is something that initially I had to beg him to perform. The pressure is making progress. We are now working on pairing it with the e-collar.
I don't mind starting on the vibration feature with Mr. Bowie to allow him to successfully perform a task; however, I have been extremely flexible in allowing him to progress at his own pace, and unfortunately, we are out of time. I need him to perform the tasks more consistently and with less resistance. As a result of his resistance to the "heel" and likely due to the rainy days, he has been a little behind on this. My mini-trainer, aka supervisor, and I took Mr. Bowie for a nice walk around the entire block, practicing his "heel." It was so much better! I was even able to use the e-collar at about 7 throughout our walk to reinforce the "Off!" command.
Mr. Bowie seems to be doing ok with his potty training. I keep trying to let them out in the office for indoor playtime. Usually, one of them will mess it up and urinate inside. I give them tons of breaks and time outside to hang out with Ms. Toji, and it keeps happening. They both know to "go potty" on command when they need to go (can't force anything out of an empty bladder). I am managing their water intake and observing for the earliest signs of needing to go potty, such as actively sniffing the floor or circling an area. We shall continue to reinforce "go potty" and help them understand this task.
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 1/6/26
As of today, we are finally all caught up from where the rain put us behind! I finally had the opportunity to introduce the pups to their car manners. Their car manners are that they "sit" and wait until we tell them "load up," and they board the vehicle.
I start these manners by introducing my ramp to the pup. We walk over the ramp so they can get used to the grippy surface. It's flat on the ground, so there are no other variables. Then we practice going up the ramp and jumping onto my front porch. Then I put the ramp half on the porch and slightly raise it into the vehicle. Next, I pull the vehicle forward and have them "load up" from the ground.
Mr. Bowie was not in the mood to train when we started; however, we didn't give up on Mr. Bowie! He is vastly different from Ms. CeCe. Ms. CeCe is active, roaming around and constantly exploring. Mr. Bowie is relaxing and minding his business. Mr. Bowie can still be stubborn and resist the leash pressure. It is essential to apply pressure until Mr. Bowie capitulates and accompanies us. He resisted for a little while, but after applying constant pressure and not letting Mr. Bowie quit on himself or the training, we completed almost all of it with little leash pressure. We want to release all pressure immediately and reward Mr. Bowie for participating, but we don't want to be pushovers either. A simple "good boy" after resisting us is all he needs.
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 1/7/26
Today, Mr. Bowie andI headed over to Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos, CA to practice all of his commands around medium distractions. Mr. Bowie overall did great! I did have to use some pressure to get him to go up onto the benches for his "place" command. I stayed patient, persistent, and consistent with the pressure, and after about three tries, he was jumping up there on his own! I really can't be mad that it only took a few tries. He wasn't overly vocal about it either, and capitulated much quicker than in previous days. He was able to perform his "down", "sit", "come-to-heel", "place", and "heel" in a nice medium distraction environment! He even did perfectly fine when my mini-trainer took over with the leash and asked him to "heel" and "sit." She did a good job working on his counter-conditioning as well by moving around (a lot of moving around) while he was in his extended "sit."
I let both pups roam around for at least two hours yesterday after ensuring they had adequate time outside and after really cleaning the few spots that they had urinated in the house previously, and we had no accidents!
Good job today, Mr. Bowie!
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 1/8/26
Mr. Bowie and I headed over to Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos, CA, for another trip to a medium distraction environment. Mr. Bowie did so well! We have come so far and made up for those rainy days! I am super happy with Mr. Bowie. We were able to practice his greeting manners, and those went well!
Good job, Mr. Bowie!
Bowie | Cavapoo | Pupdate 1/9/26
Today, I reviewed the manners around the house one more time. We reviewed car manners and practiced the "load up" command. We practiced our door manners where the pup patiently waits in the "place" and "down" while we go in and out. Lastly, we practiced our food manners (on camera) as we practice them every day, twice a day when I feed them.
Mr. Bowie is not a fan of obedience tasks. He reminds me of a stubborn old man, even though he is a puppy. He is reluctant to perform tasks when I ask him to. He is reluctant to come out of the crate or come back into the house. When inside, he doesn't do too much compared to Ms. CeCe. He can perform all the tasks, and we must ensure to be consistent and persistent with Mr. Bowie; he will learn that he does not have to do the tasks and that there are no consequences for a lack of performing those tasks if we are not holding him accountable.
As far as the potty training has gone, we have had no incidents in the house recently. Mr. Bowie knows and understands the "go potty" command. Mr. Bowie acts as if he has never seen water before at times. I would be cognizant of how much water he is consuming while inside. I have been able to give them extended periods of time outside before bringing them in for extended periods inside. At least thirty minutes outside to get everything out. I won't give them water when they come back in unless it's time to eat. If we keep their bladder mostly empty when inside and give good, consistent breaks throughout the day, especially after offering water, we shouldn't have any more accidents. They need to trust and know that they will be given adequate time to go poop, potty, and to play with each other. I would plan on giving them a break within an hour or so of offering water inside, and then you should be good for four hours or so, depending on their activity level during that time.
Attached to this pupdate are the pictures of the e-collar that I have been using with Mr. Bowie and that you will be receiving at the turnover tomorrow.
As a reminder, here are the obedience commands that he has learned while with me:
Sit/Extended Sit: Press the black "S" button + say "Sit".
Down/Extended Down: Press the black "S" button + say "Down".
Place/Extended Place: Press the black "S" button + say "Place".
Come-To-Sit: Press the black "S" button + say "Come" + use your hands to guide into place.
Heel: Press the black "S" button + say "Heel".
Food Manners/Refusal: The pup must patiently wait in either a "sit" or "down" while you prepare the food and then say "break," allowing the pup to access the food.
Car Manners: Press the black "S" button + say "Load up!"
Greeting Manners: Have the pup "sit" then allow for the new person to say hi
Door Manners: Place the pup in a "sit", open the door, and then allow the pup to go through with you, or say "ok" and let the pup inside
"Off" + black button "S" to stop the pup from performing unwanted behavior. Always press the black "S" when using this command.
"Break!" - no stimulation, and the pup can freely sniff or go potty.
We will be reviewing how to perform all these tomorrow during the turnover! We can't wait to show you how much he has learned and how great a pup he will be in the future!
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