Meet Bumble! A sweet, 3 year old Finnish Lapphund who has joined us for our One Week Board and Train Program. Over the next week Bumble and I will be working on behaviors such as walking nicely on a leash, greeting manners, and proper socialization. Stay tuned for his 7 day transformation!
Pupdate 6/12/2022
Bumble got all settled in today. I walked around the neighborhood with him for a while before going to the backyard and playing together. Now that we have had some time to bond together, we will get started on introducing him to some obedience training!
Pupdate 6/13/2022
Today I introduced Bumble to the E collar paired with leash pressure. I began by walking with Bumble, and applying leash pressure in the direction I wanted him to go paired with stimulation from the E collar so he can pair the two together. Bumble resisted at first but after Some repetitions Bumble began to follow the leash pressure path I created for him. The second he followed it I released that pressure and offered him a ton of praise with a treat. Bumble then began to catch on and walked nicely by my left side with less and less leash pressure. I then introduced him to the extended Place command. This creates a calm state of mind for Bumble and can be done on top of any surface. In this case we used the elevated dog cot. Bumble stayed there for 45 seconds today until I released him with the cue Break. We will continue to build duration with this command and add in more distractions as well. Great work Bumble!
Pupdate 6/14/2022
Bumble and I went on a trip to the local park today where we had the opportunity to work on all of his commands at a new environment. Bumble is becoming more consistent with his Heel. When he first arrived to the park he was excited, trying to lead me on the walk. I turned the opposite way he was pulling and stimulated him with the E collar. After some resistance, Bumble began to follow the leash pressure I was guiding him with and walked with me. Every time I turned I stimulated him with the E collar reminding him to Heel. Turning frequently requires Bumble to decide if he will follow my lead or not. After a few repetitions he made the right decision and followed me as I turned. We then began to work on Bumble’s Come to Sit. Come to Sit is the action of Bumble coming behind me to sit on my left hand side ready to Heel. We practiced several repetitions together. Bumble began to perform his Come to Sit quicker each time. We then practiced his Place command on different surfaces. Bumble hopped on to these different surfaces with ease, staying there until I released him with the Cue Break. He was able to hold it for up to two minutes today which was great! He exceeded the goal set for him. Now the next step is continuing to proof these commands in different environments with more distractions.
Pupdate 6/15/2022
Bumble and I took a field trip to the beach today! This was a lot for him to soak in initially. There were crowds of people, dogs on and off leash, bicycles, skateboards, etc. All of these distractions got Bumble’s attention at first but after a good Heel around the new environment with frequent turns to keep Bumble engaged, he was consistent with all of his commands in no time. We Heeled up and down the stairs which seemed to get Bumble very excited. I took it slow with him, having him sit at the end of every staircase to remind him to stay close to me. When we heeled down the stairs, I stimulated him with the e collar a few times reminding him to Heel at the same time. He checked back in with me and slowed down to match my pace. We then worked on his Come to Sit, which gets Bumble on the left side of me ready to Heel. Bumble demonstrated that he was fluent in this as we repeatedly practiced it. His Extended Down and Sit has been at a minute and a half with all of these distractions consistently. The few times he did get up before I released him, I repositioned him back where he was and started the time clock over again. There were friendly people that wanted to say hi to Bumble. We used this as an opportunity to work on his Sit while being pet. Bumble did great and did not get up while receiving attention from people.
Once we got home, we had some playtime with the other board and train pup. They seem to get along very well! Bumble is showing the puppy how to socialize with well manners which is exactly what I was looking for when pairing them together. Great job Bumble!
Pupdate 6/16/2022
Bumble and I took a trip to the Citadel Outlets today! We worked on proofing all of Bumble’s commands that he has learned so far with a 15 ft leash. Bumble has proved to be consistent with holding his Extended Place and Down for a minimum of a minute and a half with distractions. He has improved with his Come to Sit, offering the behavior from more of a distance. At times he does need help with guidance from the leash. We were able to practice Greeting Manners, Bumble does well with not getting over excited when greeting new people. At times Bumble tries to pull ahead during his Heel or creates distance between him and I when we initially arrive somewhere. I turn the opposite way that he pulls, stimulating him with E Collar which gets his attention. I add leash pressure towards me when I stimulate him which shows him where I want to be, right by my side. I walk him near a wall often, to help him stay close to me during our Heel. This is beginning to translate without a wall, as I slowly fade it out. We will begin filming for his final video tomorrow!
Pupdate 6/17/2022
Bumble and I worked on filming his final video at the Santa Monica Promenade today! We trained around loud distractions like a drummer playing music, and plenty of dogs with crowds of people. We focused our work today on proofing his commands around the other trainer’s dogs. Dogs are a big distraction and Bumble did great with holding his Sit command while the other dogs walked around him. I reward Bumble whenever he voluntarily offers me his attention, marking it with a yes every time I am about to reward him. Bumble has become very attentive while working! I was able to walk to the end of the leash for all his commands while he stayed in position. We had the chance to work on all of his manners as well, making sure he understands that the door is a boundary that he can only cross when given permission. Excellent work Bumble!
Pupdate 6/18/2022
Bumble and I worked on proofing everything he has learned so far at the local park. Bumble has become consistent with all of his commands. He reliably Comes to Sit by my left side and his Heel has improved each day. I walk by a wall every now and then to remind Bumble to stay close to me during his Heel. He can hold his Extended Sit and Down for a minute and a half consistently and can hold his Sit while saying hi to someone new. We have worked on his Door Manners and Food Manners. Bumble Sits at the door voluntarily and when he doesn’t I give him that extra guidance. Consistency is key to maintaining everything he has learned.
The top picture is from when we went to the beach together. He is a very photogenic boy! Thank you for the opportunity to work with your pup! We can’t wait to show you what he has learned!
