Carson | Standard Poodle | Los Angelas, CA | In Training
- Chelsea Benz
- Jul 29
- 13 min read
Updated: 2 days 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!
Pupdate 8/2
She’s quite the lean backer!
Today we took another trip back to Home Depot to continue working around distractions! Returning to the same environment is just as important as introducing it in the first place. Each visit helps build Carson's confidence and teaches her that all the sights, sounds, people, carts, and noises are simply part of everyday life. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by everything happening around her, she's learning that her job is to focus on her handler no matter where we are. That's exactly the kind of mindset that creates a reliable companion both at home and out in public.
The biggest accomplishment today? We officially mastered Sit! No more little butt boops for this clever girl! Carson has figured out exactly what I'm asking of her and is beginning to respond confidently to the command on her own. It's always exciting when that lightbulb moment happens, and she made me one proud trainer today.
We also introduced Down, which is typically one of the more challenging commands for dogs to learn. Unlike Sit, asking a dog to lie down puts them in a much more vulnerable position, so it requires a greater level of trust, patience, and confidence. It's also a less natural behavior for many dogs to offer on command, which is why it often takes a bit longer to click. Even so, I can already see Carson putting the pieces together, and I truly believe she's well on her way to mastering it.
Keep up the fantastic work, Carson, you've got this! I'm so proud of you!
Pupdate 8/3
Today we took another exciting field trip, this time to Westfield Mall, to continue building Carson's confidence and obedience in a busy real-world environment. Malls are fantastic training locations because they provide a constant stream of distractions, people of all ages, strollers, elevators, automatic doors, unfamiliar sounds, food aromas, and plenty of movement. Learning to remain calm and focused in an environment like this helps Carson understand that even when the world around her is busy, she can still look to her handler for guidance.
One of my favorite things to watch today was Carson's body language. As we spent more time working together, you could actually see her begin to settle into the environment. Her movements became looser, she carried herself with much more confidence, and she wasn't nearly as concerned with everything happening around her. Instead of constantly taking in every distraction, she started checking in with me more frequently and relaxing into our training. That's exactly the kind of confidence we're striving to build!
Today was also a big milestone as we introduced the e-collar. Carson accepted it beautifully and took the new communication tool completely in stride. Remember, the e-collar isn't about punishment, it's simply another way to communicate clearly and consistently with your dog, reinforcing behaviors she already understands while giving her confidence through clear guidance.
We also introduced the Place command! As you can see in today's video, Carson was a little unsure at first and had a few moments where she fumbled through the exercise. That's perfectly normal whenever a new concept is introduced. With patience, repetition, and encouragement, everything finally clicked, and she began understanding exactly what was being asked of her. Every successful repetition builds a stronger foundation for future training.
On the potty-training front, we're continuing to make steady progress. The best recipe for success is maintaining supervised trips outside paired with appropriate crate time whenever Carson can't be actively watched. This prevents opportunities to practice accidents indoors while creating plenty of opportunities to reward her for making the correct choice outside.
Every time she successfully goes potty outdoors, she's learning that relieving herself outside earns praise, freedom, and positive experiences, making it far more rewarding than having an accident inside. Consistency is what turns those good decisions into lifelong habits.
Great work today, Carson! Keep it up, you've got this!
Pupdate 8/4
Today we headed back to Home Depot to continue working around real-world distractions. With all the people, shopping carts, loud noises, and new smells, it's the perfect environment to reinforce Carson's obedience while teaching her to stay focused despite everything happening around her.
I'm so proud of how far she's come! Carson is doing a fabulous job with her Sit, Down, Come to Sit, and Heel commands. She's becoming more responsive each day and is beginning to understand that listening isn't just for quiet training sessions, it applies everywhere we go. Her confidence continues to grow, and it's wonderful to see her settle into the routine.
The one command that's proving to be uniquely challenging is Place. That's completely normal for some dogs! Unlike commands such as Sit or Down, Place requires a puppy to not only go to a designated object but also remain there calmly until released. It combines confidence, impulse control, and duration all into one exercise, making it one of the more mentally demanding behaviors to learn. Every dog has that one lesson that takes a little extra time to click, and for Carson, this just happens to be it.
The good news is she's making progress every single day, and with consistency and repetition, I have no doubt it'll come together. We just have to keep showing her that success on Place is rewarding and fun.
Keep up the fantastic work, Carson! We'll get there together, you've got this!
Pupdate 8/5
Today we took another trip to Lowe's to continue building Carson's confidence in a new environment. While we practiced all of her commands, today's main focus was Place, as she's still learning to climb onto unfamiliar surfaces. That's completely normal for a puppy! At this age, she's still figuring out where all four of her feet are and how to confidently navigate different textures, heights, and objects. Every successful repetition teaches her that new obstacles aren't something to fear.
We also found the perfect opportunity to introduce Carson to a new challenge; stairs! Stairs can seem intimidating for young puppies because they require balance, coordination, and confidence. Rather than rushing her, we encouraged her to work through them at her own pace, rewarding every bit of progress.
By the end, you could already see her uncertainty beginning to melt away as she became more willing to tackle each step. Moments like these are exactly how confidence is built. Fantastic job today, Carson!
As for potty training, I've noticed Carson can sometimes get so excited that she has what we call "happy wees." This is very common in young puppies and simply happens because they're still developing the ability to fully control their bladder when emotions run high. The best way to help is by keeping greetings and exciting moments calm and low-key.
Avoid overly enthusiastic welcomes or excessive stimulation until she's had a chance to settle, and be sure to take her outside before and after exciting events whenever possible. As Carson matures, she'll naturally gain better bladder control, and these little accidents will become less and less frequent.
Keep being patient and consistent, you've got this, Carson!
Pupdate 8/6
Today we took a trip to Lake Balboa to continue Carson's training in a beautiful environment filled with real-world distractions. Between the walking paths, families enjoying the park, cyclists, wildlife, and plenty of new sights and sounds, it's a fantastic place to build confidence while reinforcing obedience outside of more controlled settings.
We were also accompanied by my girlfriend and supervisor so it made to be quite the putting together!
Today's primary focus was Place and Come to Sit. Since Carson still has moments where she's hesitant to jump onto unfamiliar surfaces, we used the park's benches and picnic tables to help build her confidence. As a young puppy, she's still figuring out where all four of her paws are and doesn't always trust that new objects will support her. That's completely normal! Puppies are still developing body awareness, so taking the time to let them investigate and problem-solve is incredibly important.
The best part was watching everything click. Once Carson realized each surface was sturdy and wasn't going to move beneath her, her confidence began to blossom.
Before long, she was hopping up on her own with far less hesitation. Instead of needing encouragement every time, she started making the decision herself, a huge step forward in both her confidence and her understanding of the Place command.
We've made some fantastic strides with Place, and I'm so excited to see what progress tomorrow brings.
Keep up the amazing work, Carson, you've got this!
Pupdate 8/7
Today we took our little gal out to The Oaks Mall for some more real-world training! With bustling crowds, new smells, unfamiliar sounds, and people moving in every direction, it was definitely a lot of stimulation for Carson at first. But she found her rhythm surprisingly quickly!
Training in an environment like a busy mall is incredibly important because we don't want our commands to only work in quiet, controlled spaces. Our goal is to teach Carson that Heel, Sit, Place, Come to Sit, and her other commands still apply no matter what's happening around her. The more she learns to focus on her handler despite distractions, the more reliable and confident she'll become in everyday life.
Once Carson settled in, we steadily worked our way through the mall, practicing her commands and helping her learn to tune out all the exciting things happening around her. Watching her go from a little overwhelmed to confidently working through the environment was a fantastic improvement!
Her Come to Sit is still a little shaky, but she's getting there! She's understanding what we're asking and just needs a little more consistency putting all the pieces together. I have a feeling that with tomorrow's work, we're going to have some really solid progress to showcase!
Keep it up, Carson! You're doing such a great job, little gal!
Pupdate 8/8
Today we went “Back to Our Roots” and took our training right back into the neighborhood! After spending the past several days navigating the hustle and bustle of malls, parks, and all sorts of exciting distractions, I thought it was important to see how Carson would handle something much more familiar: a casual neighborhood stroll.
While all of those big environments are fantastic for building confidence and teaching her how to focus around distractions, the neighborhood is where a lot of Carson’s everyday life will actually take place. Being able to take a calm, structured walk around the block, without needing a constant stream of stimulation, is an important part of turning her training into something she can carry into her daily routine.
And of course… at the end of the day, Carson is still a puppy! I definitely got to experience a few of her little “WHAT’S THAT?!” moments whenever something caught her attention. But those moments were brief, and she was able to recover, refocus, and keep moving right along.
That ability to notice something exciting without completely losing her focus is exactly what we want to build. She doesn't have to ignore the world around her; she just needs to learn that she can experience it while still listening to her handler.
Overall, Carson did fantastic! She showed us that all of the work we've put in around those bigger distractions is starting to translate into her everyday life.
Well done, Carson! Keep it up, little gal!
Pupdate 8/9
Today we headed back out to The Oaks Mall for another round of training! As you can imagine, a busy shopping mall can be quite the sensory overload for a young puppy like Carson. There are people passing from every direction, new sights and smells around every corner, unexpected noises, and plenty of opportunities for that puppy brain to go off script from focusing.
But this is exactly why these outings are so valuable. Training in a controlled environment is one thing, but being able to take those commands and expectations into increasingly distracting environments is where we really start building reliability.
Carson is learning that even when the world around her gets exciting, she can still listen, stay connected with her handler, and work through those distractions.
And as you can see in the video, she pulled through quite well! She handled the hustle and bustle admirably and showed us just how much progress she has made throughout her training.
She's still a puppy, of course, but she's becoming a puppy who knows how to navigate the world with a little more confidence and a lot more focus.
Great job, Carson! Keep up the fantastic work!
Pupdate 8/10
Today we made a return trip to Home Depot to see how Carson has progressed since her first visit! Coming back to a familiar environment is a great way to measure how well she can take what she’s learned and apply it with less hesitation.
Our main focus today was duration. Instead of simply asking Carson to perform her commands, we’re working on having her maintain them for longer periods of time while the world continues moving around her. This teaches her patience, impulse control, and, most importantly, that she needs to wait for her release rather than deciding for herself when she’s finished.
You can see that Carson is becoming much more comfortable working around all the distractions Home Depot has to offer. The goal is to gradually increase that duration while keeping her calm and engaged, so these behaviors become reliable no matter where we are.As for potty training, Carson is doing so good on going when she's asked to outside. I'm happy to report her progress has been leaps and bounds even given the extra liberties of being around the house as she has been. "Go Potty" gets her nose going to the ground on a good spot to go. And what a fantastic, smart girl she is for understanding what it means now.
She’s continuing to put those puppy legs and that busy little brain to work! Great job today, Carson!
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