Carson | Standard Poodle | Los Angelas, CA | In Training
- Chelsea Benz
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
Meet Carson, a five-month-old Standard Poodle from Los Angeles, California! She joins us for our Two-Week Urban Board and Train Program, complete with potty training to help set her up for success.
As you might imagine, Carson is a lively little bundle of springs with enough puppy energy to power a small city! While her enthusiasm is certainly charming, she's still learning how to channel it appropriately. That excitement can sometimes lead to some painful headbutts to Mom's knees, along with a reluctance to Heel, a talent for counter surfing, and plenty of barking whenever she has something to say. She's all puppy in a rapidly growing body!
Follow along as I help Carson transform into a calmer, more respectful young lady. Together, we'll build her confidence, improve her manners, and give Mom the peace of mind that comes with having a well-behaved companion. Stay tuned!
Pupdate 7/29
Today was Carson's very first day with me, so we kept things nice and simple by heading to the local park to begin working on one of the most important foundations of her training: Heel.
Teaching a proper Heel isn't just about having a dog walk politely by your side, it establishes communication, encourages engagement, and teaches your dog that paying attention to their handler is rewarding. Before we can ask for reliability in busy environments, we first need to build that understanding together.
As you'll see in today's video, you can practically watch the gears turning in Carson's head as she tries to piece together exactly what I'm asking of her. It's one of my favorite parts of training because you can see the learning process happening in real time. We even began introducing Sit.
At first, Carson wasn't quite sure what I wanted, so I helped her by applying gentle upward leash pressure while softly guiding her into position with a hand on her hindquarters. This isn't about forcing the behavior, it's about giving her clear physical guidance so she can connect the cue with the action. As she gains confidence and understanding, that extra guidance will quickly fade away until she can perform the command on her own.
One thing I paid especially close attention to today was every moment Carson chose to check in with me. Anytime she looked up at me voluntarily, she received lots of enthusiastic praise.
Those little moments of eye contact are exactly what we're looking for because they show she's beginning to think, "Maybe I should pay attention to the person holding the leash." Building that engagement now lays the groundwork for every command we'll teach moving forward.
At the end I also introduced "Break!" which is a command to let her know "Hey, you're done! Good job!" It's every dog's favorite because there is a lot of excitement and acknowledging she did well. She was confused at first, as many pups are, but soon she will understand what that means and be very happy to hear it!
Carson is one smart little cookie, and even on day one she showed me she's eager to learn. I'm so excited to watch her confidence grow and can't wait to share her journey with you over the next couple of weeks!
Pupdate 7/30
Today we continued building Carson's understanding of leash pressure by taking our Heel work on a walk through the neighborhood. Since she's still very new to walking on a leash, she wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea today. Compared to yesterday, she had quite a bit more to say about it, and that's perfectly okay! Learning something completely new can be frustrating, and it's my job to be patient while helping her understand what's being asked of her.
Even with a little puppy sass, we gradually found a rhythm together. Every small success is another step toward clear communication and confidence. Tomorrow we'll be introducing the prong collar, which will allow me to communicate leash pressure more precisely and teach Carson not only how to respond to that pressure, but more importantly, how to turn it off by making the correct choice. This creates a much clearer conversation between us and helps set her up for success.
Not bad at all for her first full day with me! I'm excited to see what tomorrow brings for our smart little lady!
Pupdate 7/31
Today Carson and I headed over to Chatsworth South Park to continue her training in a busier environment. Working in a park like this is important because it introduces new sights, sounds, smells, and people, helping her learn that her commands apply no matter where we are, not just in quiet, familiar places. The more positive experiences she has in different environments, the more confident and reliable she'll become.
With the temperatures climbing, we made good use of the shade for most of our extended training session to keep Carson comfortable while she worked. We also introduced a brand-new command: Come to Sit! She did a fantastic job beginning to understand that coming back doesn't just mean returning to me, it means finishing in the correct position and ready for the next cue.
Today was also Carson's first experience with the prong collar, and much to my surprise, she accepted it without any negativity. As you'll see in the video, it gave us much clearer communication and helped guide a much nicer Heel. The prong collar isn't about force, it's about making leash pressure more precise so Carson can understand exactly what I'm asking and make the right choice.
Well done today, Carson! You're making wonderful progress!
Pupdate 8/1
Today we took our first trip to Home Depot! While it may seem like just another store, it's actually one of the best places to introduce a young dog to the real world. Between shopping carts rolling by, forklifts humming, people walking in every direction, automatic doors opening and closing, and all the new sights, sounds, and smells, it can be a very overwhelming experience for a puppy's first visit.
Rather than expecting perfection, my goal was simply to be a calm, confident leader for Carson to follow. Dogs naturally look to us for guidance, and by keeping a steady demeanor throughout the outing, it helped show her that there was nothing to fear. Building confidence in environments like this now lays the foundation for a dog that can remain relaxed and focused almost anywhere.
You can also see she's slowly starting to understand what Sit means! There are definitely moments where you can almost see the gears turning, and occasionally getting stuck for a second—as she works through what I'm asking of her. That's completely normal during the learning process. Every successful repetition builds a little more understanding, and I have no doubt that over the next few days everything is going to start clicking into place. Before long, she'll be sitting like a seasoned pro.
Great job today, Carson! I'm so proud of the progress you're making!
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