Coco | Shepherd/Lab Mix | Encino, CA. | In Training
- heatheroffleashsoc
- Nov 16, 2025
- 19 min read
Updated: Dec 6, 2025
Meet Coco!
Coco is a beautiful 5-year-old Shepherd/Lab mix from sunny Encino, California, and she’s just joined us for our Three-Week Reactive Board-and-Train Program! This sweet girl has a big heart, but she’s also been carrying around a bit of anxiety — especially when it comes to other dogs and people, whether they’re passing by her home or out on walks. She’s also known for putting her whole strength into pulling on the leash and tuning out any attempts to get her attention!
Over the next 21 days, we’ll be focusing on helping Coco build a solid foundation in basic obedience and polite house manners. Just as important, we’ll be working on boosting her confidence so she can feel calmer, braver, and more in control when she’s out and about with her family. Our goal is to give Coco the tools she needs to be a more relaxed, responsive, and all-around happier companion.
We can’t wait to see this lovely girl shine!
11/16/2025
As soon as we arrived, Coco’s excitement took over—she wanted to sniff everything and was absolutely convinced the ducks nearby needed to be chased immediately. She’s such a silly lady and her enthusiasm definitely kept the energy high!
Once we made our way around the park, Coco gradually began to settle in. Her attention shifted from all the smells and wildlife to focusing more on our walk together. That’s when we began working on her heeling. At first, Coco wasn’t too thrilled about my corrections and made it clear she had her own ideas about how the walk should go. But with a little time, consistency, and repetition, she started to realize that I wasn’t giving in—and that staying by my side was the easier (and more rewarding!) choice. Before long, she was walking nicely with me. What a smart girl!
For our very first session together, things went really well. By the end of our walk, she was even checking in with me on her own and giving my hand little kisses as we headed back to the car. Those sweet moments show just how much trust she’s already building.
I’m excited to see how far this lovely girl will come in her obedience journey over the next few weeks!
11/17/2025
Today, Coco and I headed out to Home Depot to continue building on the new commands she learned yesterday—heel and sit on command—and to introduce a brand-new one: come-to-sit! Right from the start, Coco was eager and excited to get to work. As soon as we stepped inside, her tail was wagging nonstop, and she fell into a lovely heel as we made our way through the aisles.
Her sits were just as impressive—she settled right at my side with beautiful posture and a proud little expression every time she was asked. She’s already showing a natural willingness to listen and engage, which made today’s training feel smooth and fun.
The only thing that threw her off a bit was a giant Chewbacca display that made sounds whenever someone walked past it. Coco gave it a few concerned looks and hesitated at first, but we turned it into a confidence-building opportunity. We spent some time calmly heeling around it from different distances, and with each pass, she relaxed a little more. By the end, she was walking by with far less hesitation—a big win for her bravery!
When we introduced come-to-sit, she understandably struggled at first; coordinating the recall and finishing position can be tricky on day one. But with repetition, encouragement, and lots of verbal praise, she began to piece it together. You could almost see the mental lightbulb flickering on as she worked through the steps.
For her first full day with me, Coco is already making wonderful progress. Her positive energy, happy spirit, and eagerness to please make her such a joy to train. I’m excited to see how much she’ll grow over the next few days!
11/18/2025
Today Coco and I headed back out to Home Depot to continue reinforcing the same commands we worked on yesterday, making sure everything was as solid as possible before introducing anything new. She did a great job settling into the routine and was eager to get to work!
We also began adding both distance and duration to her sit command. At first, she broke the command a bit early, but with a calm redirection back to her original spot and a repeat of the cue, she quickly understood what was being asked of her. After just a couple of reminders, Coco patiently held her sit until she was told otherwise—such a wonderful sign of growing reliability.
All in all, Coco is showing a beautiful understanding of her commands, and I’m so proud of the progress this sweet girl is already making. She’s well on her way!
11/19/2025
Her heel is coming along beautifully—steady, engaged, and so much more consistent. Her come-to-sit, however, needed a bit of fine-tuning. Coco developed a little habit of stopping or sitting just behind me rather than following through to sit neatly at my side. With this, repetition and encouragement were our best tools. Any time she stopped short, I used the e-collar and leash together to guide her forward, and occasionally took a small step ahead to help clarify what I was asking. The moment she followed through correctly, she got tons of praise and love. After just a few reps, the light bulb turned on and she really started getting it!
We also worked on her sit command, adding both distance and duration. Initially, she struggled when I took a few steps back, wanting to break position and come to me. But with a handful of reminders and consistent repetition, Coco began holding her sit with much more confidence.
Now for the exciting part—Coco learned down today! At first, she was not too thrilled about this new request, but with gentle guidance and encouragement she figured it out. Once she understood the motion, we tested the waters by adding a bit of distance and duration here as well. Much like with her extended sit, she wanted to hop up and follow me at first, but with practice she started realizing that every command—sit, down, anything—must be held until she’s told otherwise.
All in all, Coco proved once again that she is such a smart girl and a genuinely quick learner. With the right mix of encouragement, patience, and love, she’ll give you her whole heart and do just about anything you ask. She truly wants nothing more than to make her handler proud.
11/20/2025
Today Coco and I made our way back to Home Depot to continue practicing all the commands she’s learned so far—this time with plenty of built-in distractions! We focused on heel, come to sit, and her sit and down commands with added distance and duration.
Coco’s heel is coming along nicely; she’s settling into the rhythm and responding much better when asked to sit at my side. Her come to sit is still a bit of a work in progress, though. She has a tendency to stop just behind me instead of following all the way through and sitting neatly at my side. But with consistent repetition and clear guidance, she’ll get it—her potential is shining through!
We also worked on her extended sit and down commands. These are a challenge for her right now. When I take a few steps away, she wants to scurry right back to me, unsure about staying put on her own. With lots of encouragement, redirection, and reminders, she’s starting to understand what’s being asked of her. This will continue to get easier with consistency and confidence-building.
All in all, this sweet girl is making steady, meaningful progress. They may be small steps, but they’re steps in the right direction. I’m so proud to watch her try her best—her effort and enthusiasm make every session a joy!
11/21/2025
Today Coco and I headed out to the Santa Anita Mall to work through all the commands she’s learned so far and to introduce a brand-new one—place! Her heel command continues to improve each day, and her sit command is coming along just as nicely.
When it came to her extended sit and down, Coco showed a bit of hesitation holding the command. She still has the urge to scramble toward me once I step away, but with gentle encouragement—like a calm “good sit” or “good down” after a correction—she’s becoming more confident and much better about staying put.
Her come-to-sit command is also showing improvement. She’s following through more consistently and is getting better about sitting neatly at my side, though she still needs a little encouragement to complete the motion smoothly.
As for her new place command, Coco handled it beautifully. She was more than happy to hop onto a couple of benches and lay down, holding the command until I gave her the cue to break. It was wonderful to see how quickly she picked up on it.
All in all, with repetition and structure, Coco is making solid progress. She’s learning, trying, and showing improvement each day!
11/22/2025
Today Coco and I headed back out to the Santa Anita Mall to continue practicing all the commands she’s been learning, and she did such a wonderful job! As we heeled and worked through her extended commands with plenty of people moving around us, Coco kept her focus right on me. She broke her commands a little less today, showing that she’s beginning to trust me more and more to guide her in the right direction.
At one point, we took a short break on a bench, and I asked Coco to sit beside me. She was so patient, calmly watching people pass by without getting distracted or restless. Once we were recharged, we got right back to work!
Coco is such a smart girl and truly a joy to work with. Her happy energy, eagerness, and sweet personality make every training session fun. I’m proud of the progress she’s making every single day!
11/23/2025
Today Coco and I headed out to the park to work through her commands, and she certainly arrived with a big dose of excitement. The moment we got there, she wanted to sniff everything in sight—and even tried sneaking in a few bites of grass, which we quickly corrected with the off command. Not all grass is safe for snacking, after all!
Ms. Coco also brought plenty of sass to today’s session. She just wasn’t quite in the working mood at first—and that’s okay! Even we humans have days where we’d rather not do what’s asked of us. To help her ease into it, we started with a simple heel for a while, keeping things light and manageable. Once she began to settle, I sprinkled in some sits and downs here and there until she seemed more engaged and ready to focus.
Because of her “mood,” we did have to revisit the follow-through on her come to sit. At one point, she even jumped up on my back in an attempt to avoid sitting where she was supposed to—classic Coco sass! So we practiced the command until she clearly understood what was expected.
Her extended commands, though, are coming along beautifully. She’s showing more patience and holding her positions while waiting for my cue to break, which is wonderful progress.
Despite the rocky start, we ended the session on a high note—and that’s what matters most. Ending strong helps reinforce her confidence and lets her feel proud of the work she did. Training is just as much about encouragement and building trust as it is about the commands themselves.
Coco put in great effort today, even with her sassy streak, and I’m proud of her!
11/24/2025
Today Coco and I headed out to the park for a meetup with some fellow trainers — and wow, was it an eventful day! Not only did we review all of the commands Coco has learned so far, but we also incorporated a reactivity exercise and practiced proper greeting manners.
When we first arrived, Coco had only one thing on her mind: playtime. She was buzzing with energy, wanting to explore, sniff, and especially run toward the children playing nearby. With a few reps, reminders, and gentle corrections, she eventually settled into work mode and began checking in with me more consistently.
We did notice that her patience with extended commands still needs some polishing. She tends to pop right back up before being released, so we’ll continue reinforcing that calm, steady hold until she waits reliably for her cue.
For the reactivity drill, one dog would hold a sit with their trainer while another team heeled around them, gradually closing the distance. The goal was to see if any dog showed signs of discomfort or reactivity so we could correct and redirect. Coco didn’t show any reactivity — no growling or lunging — but she did express some discomfort when asked to heel or sit very close to the other dog. Nothing dramatic, just genuine uncertainty. With repetition, encouragement, and lots of praise, she did improve little by little.
During our greeting-manners portion, two kids approached and asked if they could say hello. I told them absolutely — as long as Coco stayed in a sit. She did well overall! She popped up once when the excitement kicked in, but with a quick correction she sat back down and the kids continued giving her pets.
All in all, Coco handled a very full, very stimulating day with so much grace. There was a lot happening around her, and it was wonderful to watch her navigate obstacles, learn through repetition, and stay her happy, eager self. She’s making great progress, and I’m proud of how she worked today!
11/25/2025
Today Coco and I headed back to the park to continue sharpening up her commands, and she did such a wonderful job! Her heel is looking great—nice and clean, with that happy little trot she does when she’s really feeling herself. Her extended commands are improving by the day as well. With a few encouraging reminders like “good sit” or “good down,” she’s learning that staying put until released is the winning move.
For come to sit, Coco is getting much better with her follow-through. Her new idea, however, is to turn and face me instead of sitting neatly at my side. To help her understand what we’re looking for, we used a wall or fence as a guide. This setup makes it so she has to come in and sit between me and the wall—no spinning around allowed! After repeating this exercise a few times, Coco started catching on quickly and began sitting perfectly at my side like the superstar she is.
When it came to place, Coco had zero hesitation hopping onto park benches or tables. She’s confident with this command, and with a couple reminders like “good place” or “good down,” she held her position beautifully.
All in all, Coco continues making fantastic progress. She’s learning to trust her handler more each day while still keeping her sweet, silly, joyful personality shining through. Proud of this girl and excited for what she’ll accomplish next!
11/26/2025
Today Coco and I headed to a local coffee shop to work on her manners in a real-world setting. What was meant to be a simple outing quickly turned into a great lesson in patience and holding her commands—something every growing pup needs practice with!
As soon as we approached the counter to order a coffee, Coco tried to jump up and investigate all the interesting smells and sights. We immediately met that with a clear “off” and asked her to sit nicely beside me. She did well settling into that expectation.
Next, we found a table outside so I could show her what the routine should look like—laying down beside me or the table. At first Coco had her doubts about this plan and offered a bit of resistance, but we stayed consistent. Eventually, she realized that listening was the best choice and settled into a down next to me.
The real challenge came when it was time for her to stay there. Passing people made her a little uneasy at first, leading her to pop up to check in with me. Each time, I guided her gently back into the down and reminded her of what she was supposed to be doing. With repetition and reassurance, she grew more comfortable and began holding her position for longer stretches.
All in all, Coco did well today—especially considering how new and stimulating this type of environment can be. With more exposure, consistency, and reminders to be the best girl, I have full confidence that Coco will soon be able to handle settings like this with total confidence and professionalism!
11/27/2025
Happy Thanksgiving from Coco! 🍂🦃
Today Coco and I headed out to the park for a festive training session, with our main focus being her place command. We spent most of our time having her hop up onto different platforms, settle into a down, and then practice holding that position while I added both distance and duration. Like any other extended command, Coco initially found the added challenges a bit tricky — she’d wiggle, shift, and want to follow — but after a few gentle reminders she really began to understand that waiting patiently for her release cue is the key to success!
Her improvement on place also carried over into her other commands, which was huge for her today. At one point, a kind woman stopped to compliment Coco and ask a few questions about her training. While we chatted, I asked Coco to sit nicely beside me, and she did just that! She only broke once when a boy rolled past us on his skateboard — it made her a little nervous — but with a calm reminder she went right back into her sit and held it until I finished the conversation.
This kind of impulse-control around distractions has been a challenge for Coco, so seeing her put it all together today was truly wonderful. I’m so proud of this big, happy girl and all the progress she continues to make! 💛🐾
Happy Thanksgiving from both of us!
11/28/2025
Today Coco and I headed out to Home Depot to work through all the commands she’s learned so far, and the moment we arrived she was ready to get started! Her heel was spot-on—she stayed right with me and showed off how far she’s come. Her sit and down commands were great as well. When we added some distance and duration, she got a little wiggly at first with all the excitement in the store and wanted to pop up and come back to me. But with a few reminders and gentle corrections, she settled in and remembered exactly what she was supposed to do.
Her place command is also coming along nicely! And her come-to-sit command is improving, though she still has a habit of swinging her bottom out and facing me instead of sitting neatly at my side. With a bit more practice, she’ll have that polished in no time.
We even had a couple of great opportunities to work on her greeting manners with employees who were excited to meet her. Coco made everyone proud by staying calm, keeping all four paws on the ground, and showing off her best polite-girl behavior.
All in all, Coco had a fantastic work day! She’s making steady progress, her listening skills have improved so much, and her enthusiasm makes every session a joy. Yay Coco!
11/29/2025
Today Coco and I headed out to an outdoor mall to practice her commands with plenty of real-world distractions—and wow, did those distractions show up today! Despite all the excitement, Coco’s heel is looking beautiful. Every once in a while she still needs a gentle reminder to stay nicely at my side, but that’s usually at the start of our outing when she’s eager to explore.
Her come-to-sit is improving every day. Sometimes she still tries to sneak behind me or swing that little bottom out, but with patient corrections she quickly falls back into the right position. Coco’s extended sit is rock-solid—very little seems to pull her attention away as she watches me closely, waiting for her cue to break.
Extended down, however, was a bit more of a challenge today. She kept wanting to pop up and return to me, and at one point a passing dog was just too exciting to ignore—she jumped up to go say hello! I immediately called her back and reminded her that we were working, and she settled in again.
All in all, Coco continues to make daily progress. It’s clear she understands her commands; we just need to keep reinforcing that she must follow through, even in fun and distracting environments. And as always, Coco is such a joy to work with. I absolutely love how happy she gets when she knows she’s done something well.
11/30/2025
Today Coco and I headed back out to the outdoor mall to work on her commands with plenty of distractions. Our main focus for the day was holding her extended commands, and this girl showed so much improvement! Coco was able to maintain her positions for noticeably longer periods and waited patiently for my cue before breaking—such a big win for her impulse control.
We also spent time working on her extended place command, asking her to hop up on different surfaces and hold either a sit or a down until released. In the beginning, Coco wasn’t too thrilled about the idea, but with a little extra encouragement (and a well-timed snack or two), she quickly built up her confidence. Before long, she was placing on just about any object she could safely fit on.
As usual, Coco brought her big heart and willingness to learn. Today was another fantastic training day, and I’m so proud of this girl for trusting me and letting me guide her in the right direction.
🔥 Quick Note: There was a fire that started somewhat close to my house today, but there’s absolutely no need for concern — all the fur babies are completely safe! I kept everyone indoors, monitored the situation closely, and made sure we were well out of any danger. Everything is under control.
12/1/2025
Today Coco and I headed back out to the mall to work through all the commands she’s been learning, this time with plenty of real-world distractions. While we touched on everything, it quickly became clear that the theme of today’s session was extended commands. Sitting still simply was not on Coco’s to-do list, and she let me know right away!
That’s perfectly okay, though—just like us, not every day feels like an all-star day for our pups. Sometimes they wake up and decide, “Nope, not feeling it,” and that’s completely normal. What mattered most was that Coco stuck with each repetition and followed through. With patience, encouragement, and consistent reminders, she began to understand that staying put was the key to success.
By the end of our session, Coco was performing each command just as she knew she was expected to. Her progress shone through, and she closed out the day strong. Great job, Coco!
12/2/2025
Today Coco and I headed out to Home Depot to put her commands to the test with lots of new sights, sounds, and distractions. We even took a moment to practice her skills alongside her buddy Taco—and she handled it wonderfully!
During her solo session, Coco did fantastic. She’s really beginning to show that she understands her commands, especially her extended ones. She only broke an extended command once, and that was purely out of excitement as she anticipated my cue for her come-to-sit. This sweet girl is truly eager to please, and it shows more and more each day.
For her first time practicing right next to Taco, she exceeded expectations! She stayed beautifully on my left side and didn’t budge. It was adorable seeing both pups sitting on either side of me, looking up so happy and proud.
All in all, Coco is making wonderful progress, and today’s outing was a big success! So proud of this girl!
12/3/2025
Today Coco and I kept things close to home so we could focus on her commands—both during her solo session and while practicing alongside her little buddy, Taco! During our one-on-one work, Coco did fantastic. She ran through all of her commands just as she knows she’s supposed to, confident and composed the entire time. It was wonderful to see how solid she’s getting with everything we’ve been practicing.
When it was time for the joint session, though… Coco had some opinions. Asking both pups to share the place cot turned into a bit of a challenge. Taco hopped right up without hesitation, but Coco took one look at the situation and said, “Absolutely not!” After a few repetitions and a little firm encouragement, she realized resistance was futile and decided to cooperate. And once she settled in, seeing the two of them lying on the place cot together was absolutely adorable!
Overall, it was a great day of training. Even though Coco showed a little resistance at first, she warmed up to the idea of working with Taco, and that was so rewarding to see. She’s such a smart lady, and she continues to impress every day!
12/4/2025
Today Coco and I headed out to the park for a fun and productive training session—both solo and alongside her buddy Taco!
During her one-on-one work, Coco did awesome. She performed all her commands with confidence, just as we’ve been practicing over the last few weeks. Her extended commands in particular are really shining—she’s showing so much more patience and is waiting calmly for her cue to break. It’s a big improvement and she should be so proud of herself!
When it came time to work with Taco, Coco still had a little hesitation at first, but she bounced back quickly once she was reminded of what was being asked. After that, she settled in nicely and worked right through the distractions. I even managed to capture a few adorable shots of the two of them during our outing!
Overall, it was another successful day for Coco. She continues to impress me with her progress. Proud of this girl!
12/5/2025
Today Coco and I headed out to Santa Monica to keep preparing for her final, and she had a wonderful, well-rounded day of training! Not only did we work on her commands individually, but she also got in some teamwork practice with her little buddy Taco.
As soon as we arrived, Coco’s excitement kicked in right away—classic Coco! We started with a nice walk to let her settle in and take everything in. Once she had her moment to explore, we got into the real work, and she did fantastic.
One of the highlights of the day was during an extended sit. A skateboarder zipped past us out of nowhere, and Coco held her position beautifully, keeping her eyes on me almost the entire time. Such an impressive moment—what a good girl! While she was holding that sit, a small group of people hanging out nearby approached and asked about her training and if they could say hello. I told them of course! Coco did pop up at first when the man came over, but with a quick reminder she sat right back down and allowed him to give her some gentle pets. Huge progress with greeting manners!
When it came time to work alongside Taco, Coco showed a lot more willingness than she has on some previous days. It was lovely to see them both settle into the work together, and they performed really nicely as a team.
Overall, today was full of distractions—skateboards, people, noise, excitement—but Coco handled herself impressively well. She showed great understanding of her commands and proved she’s truly absorbing everything we’ve been practicing. I’m happy to say it was a great training day for this smart, sweet girl!
12/6/2025
Today was a big day for Coco! We headed out to Santa Monica not only to work through her commands, but to film her final as well—and let me tell you, this girl absolutely brought her A-game! Every single command was spot-on, smooth, and confident. Not a slip-up in sight!
I’m so incredibly proud of how far this sweet, silly girl has come. She went from pulling on the leash and deciding when she wanted to sit, to becoming a polite on-leash walker who performs her commands right when asked. Watching her growth has been such a joy.
I also want to take a moment to thank you for trusting me with Coco’s care and for giving me the opportunity to be part of her training journey. She’s been such a delight to work with, and I truly hope everything she’s learned here helps you and your family enjoy an easier, happier, and more fulfilling life with her.
Great job, Coco! 🎉🐶❤️
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