Meet Buster a one-year-old Maltipoo from Los Angeles, CA who has just joined us for our Two Week on leash Board and Train Program. Buster comes to us with lots of excitable puppy behaviors and needing help with potty training. Even though Buster is little he pulls heavily on leash and likes to circle around you. Buster is a sweet lovable pup who jumps to greet every human and canine. During his time with us Buster will learn on leash obedience and proper greeting manners. Stay tuned for his fourteen-day transformation!
Pupdate 7/31/2022
Buster spent the day getting used to his new environment. He did great on the drive home but was a little hesitant to come out of the car. Once he came out, he was happy and walked into the house comfortably. Buster got to meet our Chocolate Labrador Oso and they instantly were best friends! We weighed in Buster at about 9.5lbs, the was moving around quite a bit. A scoop wasnāt provided for his kibble, so we used the chart on the back of the back to have an idea of how much to feed Buster. We will provide him with Ā½ cup per meal for the time being. He did not have any potty accidents today. Busters first day of training officially starts tomorrow!
Pupdate 8/1/2022
Today we introduced Buster to a proper Heel with the pinch collar. Buster picked up on this relatively quickly but had some moments when he didnāt want to keep walking. Making turns/changing directions was also a little challenging for him. To keep Buster by our side we use directional leash pressure and tell him āHeelā to walk with us. The idea is that Buster should walk nicely on our left-hand side, not in front, not behind, or to far off to the side.
Buster has not had any potty accidents. When he goes outside, we praise with āgood pottyā and make a big deal out of it! I have noticed that he goes potty in more of a marking fashion then going all at once.
Pupdate 8/2/202
Buster was introduced to the Place command today. Place is having Buster get onto a specified object, having him sit/down, and hold his position there. Place can be used on benches, dog beds, dog cots, chair or even a small rug on the ground. At first Buster was hesitant to get onto the Place objects. After some encouragement and repetition, he was able to complete the command on his own. One he is up there I ask him to sit and practice his duration (holding his commands longer). He struggles a bit with this but is making progress!
We have noticed Buster does not like walking over things on the ground such as leashes or metal grates. We will continue to build confidence in Buster to show him he has nothing to be afraid of.
Due to Buster being used to āfree feedingā and grazing he is not yet eating all his meals when they are provided. We provide Buster with a 30-minute window/opportunity to eat his food. Buster will likely take some time getting used to this new schedule and routine. Sticking with this feeding structure will help move away from the grazing/free feeding!
Pupdate 8/3/2022
Today Buster worked more on his Heel command with his training roommate Blu. Buster and Blu instantly got along with each other; they are also becoming great friends! Buster becomes a little confused at times of where to walk and becomes a little nervous walking in close quarters. When this happens, we provide Buster with verbal encouragement and help direct him with the leash. It is great practice for Buster to get used to busier environments where others will walk closely to him.
Pupdate 8/4/2022
Buster loves his new friend Blu. They very much enjoy their playtime together. Even though Buster is a little pup he definitely has a big personality! As we work on potty training, we repeat the phrase āgo pottyā and give lots of praise when he does. When we are out and about Buster gets designated times to go potty. This also aids with potty training, so he learns to go when the opportunity is presented. It helps move away from his marking that he likes to do.
Buster does well in the crate in the car and at home. Sometimes he will bark a bit at home if he hears loud noises but will settle down after a minute. He sleeps throughout the night successfully with no potty accidents. Buster didnāt eat much of his breakfast initially. After going for a long walk, he then worked up the appetite to eat more.
Apologies, the video today was goes with the update from yesterday!
Pupdate 8/5/2022
Today on the Buster show with your lead star buster the dog! In todayās video Buster is working on his Come to Sit command, also known as his recall. Whenever we call Buster to Come, he is to come directly to us, loop behind us, and sit directly on our left. When he nears our left-hand side, we tell him Sit. Once Buster completes this, he either holds his sit, walks with us in Heel, or he can be released with Break. If we would like Buster to hold his sit, then we simply repeat the command as he stays in that seated position. If we want Buster to Heel (walk with us) we say Heel as we take that first step. We repeat the word Heel throughout our walk. If we would like to release Buster with Break, we simply say Break! Then he is free to sniff around and be a pup.
Pupdate 8/6/2022
We took a trip to an outdoor mall to work on all of Busterās commands with distractions. Buster still isnāt fond of walking over things like manhole covers or something similar. If it didnāt move when he walked on it he was a little more comfortable. Busters Heel is coming along quite well and didnāt seem to phased by the distractions of the other patrons shopping. He hasn't really barked in public. It seems as if he does it at home to get your attention.
Pupdate 8/7/2022
In this video Buster does a quick run through of all his commands. He does Come to Sit (recall), Heel, Sit, Place, and Down. For the commands Sit, Place and Down we want Buster to hold his commands and wait until we release him with Break or ask him to do something else. Buster struggles a little with holding his commands for very long. Although he does hold them longer when he is on a Place object. Buster does run out of energy very quickly when it is hot out.
Buster does get startled by a dog barking in the neighborsā yard and tries to run ahead, but after some follow through he is no longer bothered by the dog. Throughout all of his commands we practice with a relatively loose leash. This allows Buster to make some small mistakes this way we can provide him with a correction and structure when needed. The idea is to have Buster start to do some problem solving on his own now that he knows all of the commands.
Pupdate 8/8/2022
Buster took a trip to Home Depot to work out of the heat. His Sits from a Heel have improved greatly. We just have to provide him with a heads up that we are going to stop walking and cue Sit. He will complete it right away. Buster usually does well going into a Down on command as well. I think it is secretly his favorite since he gets to lay down and relax.
You can see in the second video that he was very unsure of the Place object as well. After we pick him up and put him on the object, he had the confidence to do it all on his own! With one week complete of training Buster is right on pace to finish strong!
Pupdate 8/9/2022
Buster has not had any potty accidents! When we take him out to potty, we make sure he has the opportunity to release his bladder and bowels. Repeating the phrase āgo pottyā. Keeping him in a designated area helps him get everything out. So, when he goes potty, we donāt allow him walk around a great distance. First his job is to go potty, then he can explore and sniff around. We have noticed that Buster typically barks when he is looking for attention. He of course lets out some barks when he is running around playing which is normal for pups to do.
Pupdates 8/10/2022
Today Buster went to the Brea Mall. Given the heat, Buster really enjoyed it. We focused on heel, duration sit, and duration down. Buster did overall well; only breaking command when strangers approached to speak to him in a high-pitched voice. When Buster is out in public, we provide him with lots of reminders of the task at hand. It helps keep him focused on you and not be consumed of whatās going on around him. When working with a new Place object Buster needs some assistance before, he gets the confidence to do it on his own.
Pupdate 8/11/2022
Buster has been a great teacher in getting our new pup Roxie to come out of her shell. Roxie is a very nervous pup who is unsure about the outside world. Buster walked up to her multiple times and let her sniff him. He repeated this process until Roxie had the courage to walk away from us humans. Once Roxie was on the grass Buster immediately started playing with her! It was very sweet to watch and observe how little Buster is helping one of our new recruits be more comfortable.
Pupdate 8/12/2022
We worked on Busterās house manners. These include crate manners, door manners and food manners. For crate manners we would like Buster to go in/out of the crate on command. He sometimes is a little lazy coming out of the crate which isnāt a bad thing! As long as he doesnāt push his way out of the crate. Door manners we want Buster to sit/down and wait before going in/out of any doorway. Even if it is left open. Food manners work similar to door manners where Buster must sit/down and wait to be released to get his food.
Pupdate 8/13/2022
Buster enjoyed his day with his friends before going home tomorrow. We also gave him a bath so he can be as clean as possible. Buster was a great pup to work with and did well with all other pups he came across. He definitely knows how cute he is and tries to use it to his advantage! Staying consistent with all his new commands and having a daily structure will continue to help Buster thrive.
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