Chopper | Belgian Malinois | Santa Monica, CA | In-Training
- Reine Melnick
- 6 days ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
Meet Chopper, a 7-year-old Belgian Malinois from Santa Monica, California, who has officially joined Offleash SoCal for our Two-Week Board and Train Program!
Chopper is a smart and capable boy who already has a foundation of basic obedience, but like many intelligent dogs, he sometimes chooses to ignore commands when something more exciting grabs his attention. He also knows he's a strong, athletic dog and has a habit of pulling his owners around on walks—especially when a squirrel catches his eye!
While Chopper is an affectionate and loving companion, he can become overly reactive toward other dogs while out on leash, making walks more stressful than they need to be. Over the next two weeks, we'll be focusing on building reliability with his obedience commands, improving his leash manners, and teaching him how to remain calm and respectful around other dogs.
We're excited to help Chopper reach his full potential and can't wait to show off his progress. Stay tuned over the next few weeks as he transforms into a more focused, well-mannered pup!
Pupdate 5/31/26
Today was Chopper’s first day with me, so I wanted to keep things simple and stress-free by taking him on a relaxed walk around my neighborhood. The goal was to help him decompress, explore his new surroundings, and build confidence in an unfamiliar environment. During our walk, I really let Chopper take the reins—allowing him to choose the pace, decide where we went, and stop as often as he wanted to sniff and investigate. Giving him that freedom helped him understand that this new place was safe and allowed him to settle in comfortably.
Chopper did an excellent job throughout the walk and was incredibly respectful. As he became more comfortable, he even started checking in with me on his own by looking back to see where I was and what I wanted from him. These little moments of engagement are always a great sign that a dog is beginning to build trust and confidence.
After spending some time exploring, we slowly introduced the "Heel" command. Right away, I could tell Chopper is a very respectful and thoughtful dog. He required very little leash guidance and was quick to adjust his pace right back to my side whenever needed. He also showed off a very nice "Sit" and seemed eager to work without needing much encouragement.
Since he was doing so well, I decided not to overload him with too much training on his first day. We headed back home where Chopper continued to impress me by settling into his new crate with very little fuss and relaxing comfortably inside.
I’m incredibly proud of Chopper and how well he handled his first day. He has been an absolute pleasure to work with so far, and I’m excited to see what we accomplish together over the next two weeks!
Pupdate 6/1/26
Today, Chopper and I met up with a few other trainers and their dogs at a local park for a training session focused on exposure and observation. Since this was only Chopper's second day with me, I wanted to keep things relatively relaxed and use the outing as an opportunity to gauge his comfort level around other dogs while they worked nearby.
Rather than jumping into a lot of obedience exercises, we focused primarily on his Extended Down while on "Place." I used the Place command as a central point of focus for Chopper, encouraging him to concentrate on the task he had been given rather than the activity happening around him. This allowed him to experience the presence of other dogs without feeling any pressure to interact with them.
Throughout the session, my main priority was monitoring Chopper's body language and making sure he remained comfortable as the other dogs trained nearby. I wanted to watch for any signs of stress, tension, or discomfort and adjust accordingly if needed. Thankfully, Chopper handled the situation beautifully. He remained calm, relaxed, and committed to his command despite the distractions around him.
What impressed me most was how little interest he showed in the other dogs. Even as a playful Golden Retriever was running back and forth with its trainer nearby, Chopper stayed focused and unbothered. He did an excellent job remaining in position and showed great self-control throughout the entire exercise.
I am incredibly proud of Chopper for how calm and composed he was today. Exposure sessions like these are an important part of helping dogs feel confident and neutral around distractions, and Chopper showed us that he is already off to a fantastic start. Great job, buddy!
Pupdate 6/2/26
Today, Chopper and I had a very relaxed training session in the yard as we continued building on the commands he already knows. Since he's still settling into the program, I wanted to keep things low-pressure and focus on reinforcing good habits while allowing him to gain confidence and understanding.
I've noticed that Chopper can be a little slow when responding to commands at times, but that may simply be due to his age, as he is 7 years old. As he becomes more comfortable with me and settles further into his routine, we'll continue working on improving the speed and consistency of his command execution. Right now, my focus is on making sure he understands exactly what is being asked and succeeds each time.
During our session, we primarily worked on his "Place" and "Down" commands. Chopper did a nice job settling into position and remaining calm while working. We also practiced a few repetitions of "Come to Sit." While he's still learning the finer details of positioning, he continues to improve with each session and I expect that command to become much smoother as we spend more time practicing together.
Overall, I am very happy with Chopper's progress, especially considering this is only Day 3 of his program. He is a respectful boy who is putting in the effort, and I'm excited to continue building on this solid foundation. Good job, Chopper!
Pupdate 6/3/26
Today Chopper and I headed to Lake Balboa to continue working on his commands while exposing him to a variety of distractions, including birds, squirrels, dogs, and people. We began our session practicing a structured "Heel" using both the E-collar and slip lead. Early on, I noticed that anytime I paired a command with the E-collar, even at a very low level (7), Chopper's demeanor would noticeably change. Rather than becoming more responsive, he would tense up and push through the stimulation, and this pattern remained consistent across multiple commands.
After observing this, I decided to remove the E-collar from the equation and rely primarily on the slip lead and verbal commands. Almost immediately, Chopper appeared much more relaxed and willing to work. His responsiveness improved, and he seemed far more comfortable engaging with me throughout the session.
Once we moved away from the E-collar, we focused on his "Heel" while walking near a large group of ducks to evaluate both his prey drive and overall reactivity. I was incredibly proud of how well he handled the distraction! Despite ducks walking nearby and making plenty of noise, Chopper remained calm, focused, and completely unbothered.
Since he showed very little interest in the ducks, we transitioned into practicing his "Extended Down." Using only the slip lead for guidance, I wanted to reinforce a calm state of mind while teaching him that small animals moving around him are nothing to get excited about. At one point, a squirrel even ran past us, and Chopper barely acknowledged it. He remained relaxed and showed very little concern for all the animal activity happening around him.
Overall, Chopper had a fantastic day and worked extremely hard. I was very happy with his ability to stay calm around distractions, and I'm proud of the progress he's continuing to make!
Pupdate 6/4/26
Today Chopper and I headed back to Lake Balboa to continue sharpening up the commands he already knows while spending some time around real-world distractions. Since Chopper has been very well-behaved with his commands but tends to be a little slow in his execution, I decided to bring some treats along to see if we could start pairing the training process with something a little more positive and motivating for him.
While Chopper wasn't overly interested in taking treats from my hand, he was very content simply observing his surroundings. One thing that continues to impress me is how calmly he watches other dogs pass by. Throughout our outing, he showed very little interest in reacting and seemed perfectly happy sitting back and observing the activity around him.
We also spent some time working on his "Place" command using a bench at the park. Chopper had very little trouble hopping up onto the bench and settling into position. Once there, he happily laid down and relaxed while we watched the world go by. These calmer training sessions are great for reinforcing obedience while also teaching him that he doesn't need to engage with everything happening around him.
Since temperatures were starting to climb and Chopper has that thick shepherd coat, I wanted to keep today's session fairly relaxed and avoid overworking him in the heat. We focused on quality over quantity and made sure he stayed comfortable throughout our time at the park.
Overall, Chopper was extremely well-behaved and handled all of the dogs and distractions around him without any issues. I am very happy with his progress and look forward to continuing to build on his confidence, responsiveness, and overall obedience. Great job today, Chopper!
Pupdate 6/5/26
Today Chopper and I headed to the Oaks Mall to continue working on all of his commands while adding the distraction of people, children, and a busy environment. We started our session with a structured "Heel," and Chopper did an excellent job walking calmly by my side. He had no issues passing large groups of people and kids throughout the mall and remained very respectful during our walk.
One thing I was especially happy to see was how often Chopper would voluntarily check in with me. Throughout our Heel, he frequently looked in my direction to see what I wanted from him. Every time he made the choice to engage with me, I made sure to praise him for the behavior. Those moments of engagement are incredibly important because they show that he is choosing to focus on his handler instead of everything happening around him.
After spending some time walking, we took advantage of the fountain in the middle of the mall to work on his "Place" and "Extended Sit." Chopper did an amazing job remaining in the commands I gave him. Despite numerous people walking past, he chose to remain calm and stay exactly where he was asked. It is always rewarding to see a dog make the right decision on their own without needing constant reminders.
We also spent some time practicing his "Come to Sit," and once again Chopper demonstrated the command very nicely. He continues to understand what is being asked of him and is becoming more consistent with each session.
Since he was performing so well, we finished our outing by working on his "Extended Down" in front of Starbucks. This gave us another opportunity to practice remaining calm while people walked by, entered stores, and moved around him. Chopper handled it beautifully and stayed relaxed throughout the exercise.
I am incredibly proud of Chopper's progress. While his command execution can still be a little slow at times, one thing that consistently stands out is how calm, thoughtful, and reliable he is. Once he is given a command, he stays committed to it without needing constant reminders, which is a huge accomplishment. Great job today, Chopper!
Pupdate 6/6/26
Today Chopper and I headed back to the Oaks Mall to continue building on all of the commands he has been learning in a more distracting environment. The mall was fairly busy with shoppers, families, and children walking around, making it a great place to practice staying calm and focused while things were happening around us.
We kicked off our session by working on his "Heel" as we made our way through the mall. Chopper was very polite on leash and did a great job staying with me as we passed by people throughout our walk. One thing I really liked seeing was how often he would glance over at me on his own. Those little moments of engagement tell me that he is paying attention and thinking about what we are doing together. Anytime he chose to focus on me instead of the distractions around him, I made sure to let him know he was making a good choice.
After spending some time walking, we made our way over to the fountain area to work on his "Place" and "Extended Sit." Chopper settled into both commands very nicely and seemed completely content relaxing while the world moved around him. People walked by, stopped nearby, and continued on their way, yet Chopper remained calm and held his position without any issues. It was awesome to see how comfortable he was remaining in command despite all of the activity.
We also spent some time practicing his "Come to Sit." Chopper continues to show that he understands what is being asked of him and was able to complete the exercise successfully. While he still takes his time responding at times, he remains willing and cooperative throughout the process.
To wrap up our training session, we worked on an "Extended Down" near Starbucks where there was a constant stream of people walking past. Chopper did an excellent job remaining relaxed and staying exactly where he was asked. His ability to settle and simply observe his surroundings instead of reacting to them continues to impress me.
Overall, Chopper had a fantastic day at the mall. While we are still working on speeding up his command execution, I am extremely happy with how steady, calm, and reliable he has become. He consistently holds his commands well, remains relaxed around distractions, and continues to make great decisions in public settings. Keep up the great work, Chopper!
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