Char | French Bulldog | Pasadena, CA | In-Training
Meet Char! He is a sixteen month old French Bulldog who has joined us for our Two Week Board and Train Program. Char is here for basic obedience, not listening in high distracting environments, and wanting to do things his way. Over the next two weeks, Char will work on his behavior, with hopes of becoming a well mannered pup. Check in to see his progress!
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Char and I spent the afternoon getting to know each other with some playtime and taking a walk around my neighborhood. He was also introduced to Heel which consists of having Char walk next to me on my left side. Every time he would pull away from me, I would turn and walk in the opposite direction. Char was also having a little trouble at our starting point by not moving when I would start walking. I worked him through it with a little leash tension and verbal encouragement. We will continue practicing by implementing his Heel on every walk we take from now on.
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Char and I went out to a local park today and began our session by practicing his Heel a little more. He is picking up on it and is doing well by not pulling away. Char was also introduced to Place which consists of having him get onto an elevated object and remain there in a Sit or Down. This technique can serve a great purpose when guests are over and it helps build confidence in a dog. I assisted Char onto a park bench with leash tension as he placed his front paws on the bench. To have his back legs go up, I gave them a boost with my foot and fully got him on. After a few repetitions, Char began understanding the concept and began placing on his own!
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Char was introduced to his recall today which is known as Come to Sit. This technique consists of having Char come towards my right side, go around behind me, and Sit on my left. Char and I practiced with leash tension and his kibble since he is very food motivated. Char was guided towards my right side with leash tension and to have him completely go around me to Sit on my left, I lured him with food. He is understanding the concept and is making more progress the more we work on it.
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Char and I took a trip to Home Depot today and was introduced to Down. This technique can be difficult to teach and it requires time and patience. It is a submissive position and can make a dog feel vulnerable in general considering it is down on all fours. With Char, I asked him to Sit and then used his food to lure him towards the ground. Char knew what I was asking but would sometimes pop his rear up which looked like he was taking a bow. To have Char not pop up, I placed my hand above his back and if he happened to pop up, I would gently press him back down. Char did great at following through and he is doing really good practicing what he knows around people and other dogs.
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Char and I drove out to the Outlets in Orange today and worked on his Extended Down around people serving as a distraction. Since learning Down, I have been increasing distance in increments of five seconds at home for every foot that I step back. We are at about thirty seconds but Char went a lot longer at the shopping center and I even managed to get to the end of his leash!
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Char and I did a little shopping in Santa Monica today and worked on his Extended Place and Down. During this session, I was able to drop his leash beside him and increase distance without it. Char did really well and is almost ready to begin working off leash. He has learned all of his commands, so over the weekend, our sessions are going to consist of practicing with Char’s leash dragging.
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Today we took a walk around my neighborhood and worked on Char’s Heel with his leash dragging. During our first few attempts, Char was having some trouble following me when I would make a u-turn. To work him through it, I used his kibble to lure him in my direction and he was able to follow through. I also asked Char for a Come to Sit, and even though I stepped to the side, he did great for his first time with no leash guidance.
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Char and I drove out to a local park today and worked on a run through of what he knows. He is making very good progress and is just about ready to be fully off leash. Our goal this week is to piece everything together in preparation for his Final video. I am looking forward to continue setting Char up for success as we begin his final week of training.
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Char and I had a cookout today for Memorial Day. I had guests over and he had a great time playing with my son and nephews. He also had some playtime with his buddy Raj and I had both work on their Sit and Place together while being each other’s distraction. They enjoyed running around in my backyard and had a nice dinner outside.
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Char worked on some off leash conditioning today at a local park and practiced on his Come to Sit and Extended Down. He was coming out of his Down a few times, but has managed to work through it. Char is also working on not falling behind on his Heel and did a good job keeping up today. Char is ready to work off leash and will continue to do so as we move forward into more distracting environments.
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Char and I met up with other trainers at a local mall and assisted one another by using our dogs as distractions for each other. Char also worked off leash around people in the shopping center and did very well practicing all of his commands. Char is ready for his Final and will be working on it for these next few days.
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Char has been working on his Door Manners since the day I picked him up. He does pretty well waiting at the door and not running out but at times he would not wait for my cue when it was time to go outside. We have been working on it with a long line in case he comes out while I am outside. We worked in thirty second increments and he picked up on it very well and can now wait patiently for two minutes. With more consistency, Char has the potential to increase his time!
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Char and I drove out to the Santa Monica Pier today to work on his Final and he put on a great performance! Everything Char has learned was pieced together and the results were amazing. He adjusts well to all distractions and has learned to listen in public areas, which is one of the main reasons he came to us. I love his efforts and I am very proud of what he has done in a short time!
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Char has successfully completed his Two Week Board and Train Program and is ready to come home! He has been a great companion and such a pleasure to work with. We became good friends and he will be missed. I am looking forward to showing you what he has learned. Thank you for trusting me with Char these last two weeks and thank you for giving me the opportunity to be his trainer.
