Bruno | Golden Retriever | Los Angeles, CA | In Training
- Alex Kruse
- Jul 18
- 20 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Meet Bruno! He's a 5-year-old Golden Retriever from Los Angeles, California, and he's here for our Three Week Reactive Board and Train Program. Bruno is a very sweet boy and generally enjoys the company of people, but he can be unpredictable around other dogs and has issues resourcing guarding when it comes to his toys. He knows a lot of his commands already, but he can be very stubborn about following through and will often stop in his tracks when he doesn't want to do something. Over the next three weeks we'll work on getting him nice and solid with all his basic commands, teach him how to walk calmly on a leash without reacting to other dogs, and show him that he doesn't need to guard his toys so fiercely. Stay tuned for Bruno's three-week transformation!
7/18/26
After we got home, Bruno and I walked over to a local park so I could see what he could do. He did stop quite a few times on the way there even though it's only three blocks away, so I got to see that stubborn streak right away! He did perk up once he realized he got to go explore yet another park, though, so I let him sniff around a little bit to get some of that out of his system. Once we started working, he did give me all of his commands eventually, but it was definitely touch and go! He was reluctant to leave the shade at all, and there wasn't much enthusiasm with his recall, but once he was paying attention he was pretty good with the Sit and Down commands (as long as it was in the shade)! Once we got back home I introduced him to his play yard and he settled right on in. Mostly he just found a shady spot to lay down in and took a nice nap! I also brought him inside to familiarize himself with the house and his crate, which he also had no issues going into. I think right now he's just okay with being anywhere that isn't hot, so he's not being too fussy about where he is as long as he can nap where it's cool! He did get a chance to meet the other dogs through the fence and he was alert, but there was no lunging or barking. So far he's doing really well, and I look forward to seeing what he can do over the next three weeks!
7/19/26
I was able to get Bruno into the car already! He didn't exactly jump in, but he did get his front legs up on his own for me so I was able to boost his rear end in there. We'll work on that end as we go, but it's a start! That meant I was able to take him to a park a little bit further away, one that's still pretty quiet and has lots of shade to work in. We worked a lot on his Heel today where I was just teaching him where he needed to be when given the command. We also worked on his Recall and showing him where he should be positioned at the end of it (sitting on my Heel side). His Sit is pretty decent so for that one mostly I'm just working on getting him to do it the first time I ask, and then he does fight a little bit with the Down so we worked on that one a lot today. I introduced him to Place using a cot to make it easy for him to get on and off it. He struggled staying on it at first, so I did a lot of practice with his duration and making sure he knew to stay there until released. He had it down after several tries once he realized all I wanted was for him to lay there in the shade and be comfortable! At home today I had him in a play yard adjacent to the other dogs so he could hang out and watch them playing through the fence. He did really well with that with the exception of a little bit of excited barking, so I'm using the collar to correct him when he doesn't stop when asked to. He's getting his own ball time as well, and he actually does drop the ball decently well as long as no one is trying to directly grab it from him. We're working on the Drop It command so I'll be able to take things without issues, but baby steps right now! With a little bit of progress every day he'll get there before he goes home for sure!
7/20/26
Today we reverted back to not wanting to get in the car or even putting his front feet up for me, so I made that my focus! We did all his normal obedience commands in the house and yard, which he's beginning to catch onto, but really zeroed in on that car. I decided to pull out my dog ramp because I think part of the issue is just the struggle to get his back legs up high enough to boost himself in. He may do better when I can get some of the weight off his hips, but for now I want to make it as easy on his joints as I can. And it worked! He had a much easier time getting up into the car once he figured out he could balance on the ramp. There's still some hesitation getting into the crate, which is something we're working on in the house too, but with some treats tossed in there and a bit of a nudge, he'll go in without putting up nearly as much of a fight as he did without the ramp. Both in the car and in the house I'm working a lot on having him just go into the crate and allowing him to come back out so he gets more used to the idea that he's not going to be stuck in there forever. I want him to think of it as just another little bed and not something bad, so during practice it's a lot of in and out. He gets treats when he goes in, then I vary the time he's in the crate for so he gets more accustomed to it. Sometimes it's just in and out without me closing the door, sometimes it's a few minutes with the door shut, and then of course he does have to be in there for sleeping at night. He doesn't seem to mind that so much since everything is dark and calm, though, so mostly it's just about getting him to walk in on command without any fuss. Slowly but surely we're getting there!
7/21/26
The ramp did the trick! Bruno got in the car with minimal effort today, and off we went to Live Oak Park! It's a fairly large park that usually has people walking dogs, playing soccer, and right now there's always summer camp kids playing there. We unfortunately didn't come across any other dogs today (probably because of the heat) but there were plenty of distractions with the kids! Bruno didn't pay them too much mind and was pretty good with giving me his Sit command and his Recall. He's still a little slow on the Down, and he was doing a bit of tugging today on his Heel. There was only one attempt to dead-stop, which is good, but instead he was wanting to wander off to do his own thing so I kept the leash a little shorter than I'd like. He was getting the swing of it by the end of session, though, and I was able to give him some of the slack I was looking for. He has been doing pretty well on our regular walks around the home lately, too. I've had to tug on him to get him moving less and less as long as we go out early enough in the morning and late enough in the evening for it to be cool. I typically bring a tennis ball along too so if he stops on me, I get him moving forward and then toss the ball for him as a reward after we've gone several steps. If you use this, be careful you don't chuck the ball every time he stops without making him move first. Otherwise he's going to think he's getting rewarded with the ball for stopping! I'll also toss it randomly here and there while he's got a steady pace going just to encourage that movement. It's been helping with his walking, we get to work on his Drop It, he's getting exercise and having fun, so it's good all around!
7/22/26
Bruno and I went down a long walk along one of our wash trails today. He started out in really good spirits, actually trotting along for a good deal before he started to get tired. I mostly let him have the lead as long as he wasn't pulling so he could sniff and explore as he wanted, but periodically I would call him back to me to test his Recall when he was distracted. For the most part he came back without difficulties, and the couple times he was thinking about ignoring me, it was nothing one quick correction with the collar couldn't fix. I had him at the Heel off and on too to get him used to being in position at my left side when asked, and he gave me his Sit and Down commands fairly cleanly when I asked him for them. He's still not quite where I want him to be with his speed on the Down, but we're inching our way there every day. On top of that, he was very pleased that we found a few different sorts of balls along the way that had clearly gone over people's fences in areas where housing was backed up against the wash. He carried the tennis ball we found the rest of the way back, and then would stop and poke at other balls, then look at me as if he were saying, "Lady, pick this up, I can't carry all of them!" We wound up bringing four balls back with us! It was an enjoyable walk for both of us today with no dead stops at all!
7/23/26
We all know Bruno can be pretty headstrong at times, but I've been noticing over the last week that there are a few things that genuinely make him very nervous. He isn't a huge fan of fireworks, he absolutely detests the sound of the bug zappers in our backyard, and today I learned the sounds of the Home Depot forklifts are also not his favorite thing. We went over there to work today to stay cool, and while he didn't seem to mind at first, the moment one of those machines started cruising around in the next aisle over, his eyes got a little wide and he wasn't able to focus up on me as well. He did give me all his commands but he kept getting sidetracked on his Heel and he needed a little more encouragement with his Recall. He was fine with any people who walked by, no issues at all with barking or stiffening up at anyone. It was just the forklift he decided was no good! He did settle down as he walked around the store more, and he didn't try to pull as we went out the door to head back to the car. It was just a new, scary thing and it just means I need to make sure he gets some more exposure to unusual places over the next couple weeks. I want him to like those shopping centers as much as he likes going to the park, so we'll keep working at it!
7/24/26
We set out early this morning to another little park I know that has really good shade cover so Bruno would stay cool while we worked. It's also a great place to encounter other dogs while walking, and we just happened to run across one of my regular dog walk clients, so I took advantage and stopped nearby to have a little conversation with them while keeping Bruno in his Sit. The other dog is also not super dog friendly so we didn't get too close, but it was definitely enough for Bruno to be interested. He kept a wary eye on the other dog, but otherwise didn't try to go over to him and didn't have any concerning reactions. We also passed near some other dogs along the path and he was behaved as we walked. I have noticed he can be very hit and miss on which dogs he'll ignore and which ones he'll react to, but as long as we keep some distance he doesn't tend to be bothered by other dogs too much in general when we're out and about. He otherwise did all his commands without too many issues (outside of a little stubbornness here and there, but he's doing that less and less as he realizes I'm going to make him follow through anyway). And then saving the best for last, as we were leaving he got in the car all by myself with no ramp and no help from me! He was hot and clearly didn't want to wait for me to get the ramp set up, so he crawled right up in there on his own! It was slow and a little clumsy, but I'll take it if he's willing to do it!
7/25/26
Bruno and I worked inside the Santa Anita Mall today so we could not only stay out of the heat, but get him around a busier environment. I stuck to the area by the theater so we'd have plenty of space to move around the crowds as needed, but he didn't seem to really mind any of the passersby. His biggest issue was that he wasn't able to hold his Sit on the tile. He kept sliding down! So we shifted over the carpeted area where he could have some grip, and then he did just fine with everything. His Heel was a lot better today with me hardly having to give him any guidance with the leash at all. He's holding his Sit and Down much longer, and he's getting a lot cleaner with his Place command. He got in and out of the car again today all on his own with no ramp involved, and he went to sleep in his crate for an afternoon nap totally by himself, no prompting, while the crate door was just open. It really felt like things clicked into place for him today, I'm really pleased with his progress!
7/26/26
Bruno and I took a nice, long walk along the Royal Oaks Trail this morning, which tends to be busy with joggers, bikers, and other people walking their dogs. He did really great with his Heel today when I asked for it, and he didn't tug even when I let him have the lead. He gave me his Sit, Down and Place commands with zero issues at all, didn't mind the joggers or bikers, and didn't lunge or bark at other dogs. He definitely still watches them closely and will think about closing distance, but he's good at moving along when I redirect him. And he was trotting along most of the way too! Slowly, but he was moving! It was some great exercise for him, and he definitely took a nice, long nap when we got home. He's making great progress!
7/27/26
Today was our group practice today, meaning all the local Off Leash trainers who have dogs meet up and work together. It was a great opportunity to get Bruno into a controlled environment with other dogs being handled by professionals. This was the first time I put his prong collar back on him since I brought him home just to be safe since I knew I'd be getting closer to dogs than we typically are while we're out and about, but really he did pretty good with them! He was a bit more distracted than usual having them around, but he didn't try to go after anyone, which was great! I did have to put a muzzle on him, however, when I was letting other trainers work with him. I've noticed that while Bruno is pretty good for the most part, he does have a tendency to redirect his frustrations at the nearest person to him if he isn't getting his way. He did it to me a couple times in those first couple days (no actual biting, just threatening, basically) and he did try to check one of the other gals today when he just didn't want to lay down for her. For her safety, I put the muzzle on and she worked him for a little longer before I took him back. It's just something to be aware of, and we definitely still have time to try to sort that reaction out of him, but from what I've seen of his reactivity, he is a little resource guardy in general (not specific to balls), but he's fine just passing other dogs as long as they don't lunge at him first. If they do, or in cases like above where someone is trying to make him do something he doesn't want to do, then he'll redirect that frustration onto the nearest person. He doesn't try to do it to me anymore since I've been handling him every day and we've bonded, and I'll keep working on it, but it is something that needs to be pointed out so any potential future incidents can be avoided. Otherwise, though, he's still a little stubborn at times but he's coming along!
7/28/26
Bruno and I went back to Live Oak Park today a bit earlier than last time when I knew there'd be more dogs out. He was still very interested in them, but again, no lunging or any real reactive behavior. He did a lot of staring and clearly wanted to go over to them, but he listened when I redirected his attention and got him moving. He didn't show any concerning behaviors towards any people that we passed by, or to any of the kids running around on the playground. He also held his Sits and Downs for me a lot longer without having to correct him on those. After practice I got him running and bounding around in the soccer field just because he was feeling frisky today and wanted to be silly in the grass. He's been getting into the car just fine now, and sleeps in his crate with no issues when asked to go in. He's getting better and better each day!
7/29/26
For today's session Bruno and I chanced a visit to Arcadia Community Park. It's one of our biggest parks in the area, but it's been so hard finding anybody out and about these days with this heat wave going on! There were a few people milling around at the picnic tables, and one couple walking their dog, but the biggest distractions for Bruno today were the squirrels. Even they weren't so active though, so mostly we had a pretty quiet session. I took advantage of that and did some Heel work with the long line dragging loosely between us so he wasn't relying as much on the leash pressure. I also worked him on his Place at the picnic tables mostly to see if he could do it! He got himself up there nice and slow, and stayed until I released him. Everything else he did for me without too much pushback. He's gotten a lot better at holding his Sit and Down positions for me. He struggled just a little bit with his Recall today, though, just being stubborn. He wanted to lay down in the shade and stay there, and I don't blame him! We're all tired of this heat! But still, he needs to come when he's called, so I had to give him some corrections until he was doing it reliably again. Afterwards I let him wander and sniff around some before we headed back home for a nap in the AC!
7/30/26
We were back at the mall again today to get out of the heat and to find some bigger crowds since I'm striking out at those parks. Bruno actually seems to be better inside the mall than anywhere else, I've noticed. I don't know if it's the air conditioning so he's feeling less stubborn, or if it's nerves so he wants to stick close, but his Heel is always smoother and he doesn't argue with me when I ask him to move into his positions. The only thing that made him forget we we working was when we passed by the little booth with the walking, squeaking toy animals. He wanted those so bad! So we did a little bit of work on his Leave It around that booth before moving along. Otherwise he looked like an absolute pro, and everyone was smiling and pointing at him and saying how handsome he was when he was sitting for his pictures. He's a total shopping expert inside the mall, showing off all his good manners and looking happy as a clam doing it!
7/31/26
I took Bruno to work in the field across from my favorite dog park today. There were several other dogs wandering around, but Bruno actually didn't seem to pay them too much mind. He'd look, acknowledge, then continue doing his thing. He really only started getting stubborn today when he decided it was too hot out (even though it was morning and the heat hadn't even really kicked in yet). He went from happy and cruising around to doing his dead stops again any time we stepped into a shady patch and he didn't want to step out of it. We pushed through it, though, finished out the session, and he got his inside nap time in the AC as soon as we got home. At home in general he's doing a lot better. He waits where and when I ask him to, gives me his commands just fine, and he's been less fussy at the other dogs. He's really just selective and it takes him a bit to warm up. He's gotten to the point where he'll play bow at my dogs through the fence when he sees them, but then there's a little Frenchie and Boston pair staying with us at the moment who he absolutely hates and he will bark at them if I don't stay on top of him when shuffling dogs around. That being said, he'll pass dogs without issues when we're just out and about walking and working, but I do recommend not letting him go up to strange dogs, and I'd be very wary of letting him run around with any given how unpredictable he can be with who he likes, who he doesn't, and what might trigger him. He's just not a super sociable guy when it comes to other dogs, and that's okay! Not everyone needs to be an extrovert! Otherwise he really enjoys getting out and running around, and our outings are a lot more enjoyable for me too now that he doesn't fight me as much on what we're doing!
8/1/26
It's definitely a heat thing lol. I took Bruno back to Home Depot today to work in the air conditioning, and while he had his stubborn moments yesterday, today he was an absolute angel. The leash stayed nice and loose as he Heeled with me through the store, he gave me his Sits and Downs with zero hesitation, and he also got up to come or to walk with me without any delays either. He was just a little bit nervous doing his place on the platform but he didn't fight me on it at all, and he was good about not trying to sniff anything or lift his leg as we went through the garden center. What pleased me most was as we were wandering through the aisles, a little girl came sprinting out of one and very nearly ran right into Bruno's face. He didn't even flinch. No reactions, no trying to jump on her or even trying to sniff her. She came and went and he was absolutely calm! He also didn't seem to mind the forklifts at all today. So basically as long as he's not hot and grumpy about it, he's a total behaved gentleman!
8/2/26
I was hoping it'd be a little cooler today, but it wasn't much better than yesterday so we were off to the mall again! It's a Sunday, it's still summer vacation, and everyone is hot, so it seemed like just about everyone in town had the same idea today! That meant it was a really good practice day for Bruno in navigating heavy crowds, but he handled it like it was no big deal. People passed by him very closely, and while he was curious about what some of them were carrying in their shopping bags, for the most part he didn't pay anyone any mind. Certain parts of the floor are still too slick for him to sit on, so we did a lot of Down practice in those areas and worked on his Sit on the carpets, the rougher tile, and outside. Much to his chagrin, all the seating inside was taken everywhere so we had to work on his Place outside as well, and you can see he needed a little more guidance there. He really, really hates working in the heat, even if it's shady and not too bad! We pushed through it though because you can't let him get away with being stubborn, then went on a ride down the elevator. He was a total gentleman in there and stayed in a polite Sit out of the way of the other mall patrons. There were a few other dogs walking around the mall as well, but he was really good about passing them by without issues. It was a great day overall!
8/3/26
I'm so pleased with Bruno today! We went over to Old Town Monrovia to walk up and down their little main street lined with shops and outdoor dining areas. It was early so staff were in and out of their shops getting ready to open, hauling out tables, sweeping, etc, but Bruno navigated around all of that without any issues. The sidewalks only have so much room for passing, but Bruno stuck to his Heel and didn't bother anyone else who was also out and walking about, nor was he phased by the motorized scooter that came up right behind us or an electric wheelchair that passed by. We even passed a little dog in a stroller and he barely acknowledged it. He didn't test me on any of his commands today, and crawled up the benches easily for his Place. On the way back we did encounter a very reactive small dog who started lunging and barking at Bruno. We stepped off the sidewalk and passed by on the street, and while Bruno did keep an eye on the dog, he didn't stop moving forward with me, didn't try to lunge, and didn't bark back. He was so good for me!
8/4/26
Today Bruno and I went on an adventure over to Old Town Pasadena. I'd been prepared to walk him through its normal city-crowded sidewalks, but despite it being cooler today than the past couple weeks, it was like a ghost town there! We hardly came across any dogs, but I chased down who I could lol. He wanted to investigate the ones we did pass by, but again, he's good about continuing on his way with some verbal reminders and a small tug on the leash. He had zero issues with any of the people we passed or the construction, and the louder city traffic didn't seem to bother him at all. As per his norm, the only times he started to get a little stubborn with me were when we weren't in the shade or when he was starting to get tired, but he's much faster at giving up the fight. All he needs is one reminder and then he falls back inline. All that being said, he still got plenty of practice in despite there not being as many distractions as I thought there might be, and he certainly got his exercise in today. We went about two and a quarter miles with only one instance of him attempting to stop on me, and he gave right in on my cue. Overall he handled the city environment really well!
8/5/26
As we're winding down to our last few days of training I wanted to show off some of Bruno's new house manners, and of course how well he's doing getting into the car now! He's been so eager to get out and about lately that I actually did have to teach him to wait now before hopping in on his own as opposed to trying to coax him to move. He loves our training outings! That also meant teaching him to be less eager when going out the door. He now has to sit and wait until he's released before going through doors and gates so he doesn't just dart out whenever he wants. And then of course there's the food manners, which is staying in position and waiting until I give him the release word. That one was the hardest for him to learn, he's always so ready for that bowl! But we got there in the end. Overall he's been doing really great with his manners around the house. He still loves to play with toys, but he's been quiet, patient, and very polite lately. It's a pleasure having him around!
8/6/26
We went back to the mall one final time today to throw together all the major commands he learned in a crowded space. He had no issues navigating the crowds, even when we passed other dogs, and kept up his positions until I released him. I was a little surprised he kept his Place without problems since the guy in the chair next to me was eating. I thought for sure Bruno would try to sniff out his food! But no, he did really good minding his own business and just waiting for me to give him his release word to come back down. The only thing that broke his focus was on the way out. A kid had purchased one of those little squeaking, walking dog robots from the toy booth and had it on the ground walking around. Bruno saw "moving squeaky toy!" and did try to veer towards it, but it wasn't a hard pull and I told him to leave it, then we continued on our way without anymore issues. He's really come a long way over the past three weeks and I'm really proud of him!
8/7/26
It's our last day in your three week training program! For Bruno's graduation day, I brought him over to the Santa Fe Dam for some fun, but also for that last bit of training with some really great distractions. The lake is always full of people having family parties, hanging out on the beach, renting peddle cars, and also walking their dogs too. While Bruno did get a lot of relaxation time, I made him work him amidst all those distractions too, and he was a total champ. The hardest thing for him was not taking a dive into the water! I wanted to be really careful with those ears, so I let him dip his toes in a little bit, but no swimming for him! He still had a good time, though, and it was fun watching him rolling around in the grass and generally being silly.
Overall, while we definitely had some challenges over these three weeks, I'm very pleased with how much progress we made! He's calmed down significantly around other dogs, he plays nicely with his toys, he doesn't pull on the leash, and while he can still have those moments here and there of wanting to challenge what he's told, it only takes a simple correction before he falls back inline. He's such a sweet boy and we'll miss having him around the house. Thank you so much for letting me be part of his learning journey!
Comments