Meet Coco! An energetic 6 month old Terrier mix from Long Beach, CA. Coco has joined us for our Three Week Board and Train Program to work on behaviors such as barking, socialization and walking nicely with the ultimate goal of being Off Leash! We will be exposing Coco to new environments to build confidence. Stay tuned for his 21 day transformation!
Pupdate 7/03/2022
Today I got Coco all settled into my home. Once he was settled in I introduced him to the E collar. I began to apply leash pressure in the direction I wanted Coco to go. Once coco followed the pressure path I created for him, I released the pressure to teach Coco how to turn that pressure off. As I applied leash pressure in the beginning, Coco fought the leash pressure, not wanting to follow. I applied a few leash pops, encouraging him to come. Coco then followed as I made frequent turns to capture his attention. Towards the end of the session he began to grasp the concept and became more consistent with staying by my left side as I cued Heel. Heel is the action of Coco walking by my left side, sitting when I stop walking, and turning when I turn. I Cue Heel before I change direction, and before I move forward from a stationary position. We then worked on his Extended Sit. Coco did well with staying seated until I released him with the Cue Break!
Pupdate 7/4/2022
Coco and I took a trip to the park where we had the opportunity to train with distractions. Coco initially barked at a lot of things. Most of his triggers were men, and other dogs. I introduced him to the prong collar today which helped with his Heel and helped deter him from barking. Whenever he pulled or barked I applied a leash pop along with stimulation of the E Collar. This stopped Coco from pulling and barking. I then introduced Coco to Come to Sit by my left side. I applied leash pressure in the direction I wanted him to go. At first Coco fought the leash pressure. I helped guide him by stepping backwards as I applied leash pressure towards me. The added movement helped Coco want to come behind my right side to sit on my left side ready to Heel. We practiced many repetitions until Coco stopped fighting the leash pressure. I will slowly stop taking as many steps as Coco gets more comfortable with leash pressure. The goal is to have him eventually be able to do this without any leash pressure.
Pupdate 7/05/2022
Coco and I went on a field trip to the beach today. This was a lot for Coco to soak in initially. He is very aware and unsure of his surroundings. As we Heeled together around the beach, I rewarded Coco whenever he offered me his attention on command and voluntarily. Once he was more attentive and acclimated to his environment, we practiced our Come to Sit. Coco does not need as much leash guidance for his Come to Sit and is offering the behavior more quickly now. I introduced Coco to the Place command. Place is the action of Coco jumping onto any surface that I point to. Place promotes a calm state of mind for him. It is great for anxiety, and builds confidence. We will continue to build duration, and distance with this command around more distractions.
Pupdate 7/6/2022
Coco and I went on a pack walk today with all of the other trainer’s dogs! This was a great chance to work on everything he has learned in a new environment. Coco displayed signs of stress to loud noises and being near traffic. We worked him through it and will continue to do so as we desensitize him with more trips near distractions. We walked to a coffee shop and Coco did well with staying by my side as we sat down and waited for our drinks. He eventually felt comfortable enough to lay down and not shake anymore. I rewarded him for remaining calm in this new environment.
Pupdate 7/7/2022
Coco and I took a trip to the local Petsmart today! We started our trip by Heeling around the store to get Coco acclimated to his surroundings. Coco barked once when we initially got there and it is mainly when people stare at him. Eye contact from strangers can be intimidating to Coco and his barking is fear based. He would rather avoid than confront situations. To get things he doesn’t like away from him, barking is what he resorts to. I correct this behavior by Cuing Off and popping the leash paired with stimulation from the e-collar. He stopped barking immediately and hasn’t barked since then, which shows me he is learning what is expected of him. Once we took a few laps we worked on his Come to Sits, Heel, and I introduced him to the Down command. Down is great to pair with the Place command because they both help Coco enter a calm state of mind. I helped him into the Down position by adding leash pressure towards the floor, and signaling my palms towards the floor as well. When I saw that Coco was almost down but not all the way, I gently pressed his shoulder blades towards the floor, just enough so he could lay down. Once he went Down I Cued Break and offered him a lot of praise. We have some work to do with the Down command but it is a great start!
Pupdate 7/8/2022
Coco and I ventured out to Heritage Park today! Coco at first was shaky and unsure of his environment. I did notice today that it took less time for him to become more comfortable with his environment which is great! We Heeled around the park together then began to work on his Place command with Down. Coco was able to perform Down on his own after I guided him with the leash a few times. After I paired Down with Place repeatedly, Coco began to offer the behavior voluntarily. He was able to hold his Extended Down with Place for one minute and a half. We are almost at our goal with duration. Good work Coco!
Pupdate 7/9/2022
Coco and I focused our work today on confidence building & trust exercises. We went to Home Depot to expose Coco to a crowded, loud environment. This was a lot for Coco to soak in initially which is why we started with a lap around the whole store together. After Coco explored his new environment we began to work on place with a new surface, stairs! Coco was very unsure of this at first, not wanting to walk up the stairs. I encouraged him to go up by going on the stairs first then having him follow. As he got more comfortable with going up the stairs, I only walked up to the second stair, then lastly, I didn’t go up the stairs at all with him and had him do it all on his own. When Coco was in the Down position in Place, he was startled by loud noises from the machines. I guided him with leash pressure to go back Down, which he struggled with. After multiple attempts, we reset then tried Place with Down again. Resetting is great to help him decompress and feel comfortable again. We then worked on a trust exercise by having Coco Place on top of a rolling cart as I pushed it around. At first he jumped off right away when he felt movement. We then slowly desensitized him to it and Coco was able to stay on! Men passed by staring at Coco which is definitely a trigger for him. He looked back at them but did not bark at all. I released Coco then praised him for fighting the urge to bark.
Pupdate 7/10/2022
Coco and I went on a trip to the local Petco today. There were plenty of distractions to expose Coco to and it didn’t take him long to become more comfortable with his environment today. Although he was very alert he was not shaky which is definitely an improvement! There was a reactive dog while we Heeled around the store and Coco did not react. Whenever I see him staring too long at a trigger like a crowd of people or another dog, I cue Off to Coco and stimulate him with the E collar to get his attention if he doesn’t respond. Today was his first day on the 15 ft leash. I tested where Coco was at with his Come to Sit from a 10 ft distance. He was consistent with that distance and hardly needed any leash pressure. We focused on his Down command because at times Coco will test it and take a while to respond to Down. We practiced puppy push ups which is the action of Coco going from a Sit to a Down repeatedly. Coco began to respond quicker. We will keep working on building fluency with his commands and distance!
Pupdate 7/11/2022
Today Coco and I took a trip to the park where we worked on everything he has learned, around other dogs and minor distractions. When we first arrived, Coco immediately began to shake and tried to hide in between my legs. I body block Coco from being able to go in between my legs and guide him with the leash to Come and Sit by my side instead. Coco has become consistent with Coming to Sit by my left hand side when I call him. He does great at holding his Extended Sit for a minute and a half. When I create more distance between Coco and I, he tends to Break his Sit by trying to follow me. This is due to a lack of confidence. We will gradually try to increase distance as Coco becomes more consistent and confident.
Pupdate 7/12/2022
Coco and I emphasized our work today on his Down command. Previously it took him a while before he consistently would perform Down. Our goal today was to get Coco to perform Down fluently and consistently. We practiced some more puppy push ups while in Place. I pair Place with Down so Coco begins to automatically offer Down when in Place. Once Coco practiced Down repeatedly with me I stopped guiding him with leash pressure which helped him figure out what I was asking of him all by himself. I gave him the Down signal which is the action of my palms facing the floor and stimulated him with the E collar as I Cued Down. Coco began to offer Down more fluently by the end of the session which was the goal! Now that he responds better to Down we can introduce him to the Under command next and continuously expose him to new environments to work on confidence building. Great work Coco!
Pupdate 7/13/2022
Today Coco and I started our training with a walk around the neighborhood. As we were practicing our Heel, the truck that picks up our street trash passed by making a lot of noise. Coco was very afraid of this truck and went to hide underneath the nearest object. I called Coco to come and helped him come out with some leash pressure towards me. We then took a trip to The Citadel Outlets where I introduced Coco to the command Under. Under is great to use with him when out on a trip to dinner with Coco. Under is the action of Coco going under a surface and laying Down until released. Now that Coco has improved his Down greatly he was ready and was a natural at performing Under! He feels safe when he is under a surface which definitely helps him. I have begun to add more distance between Coco and I while he is in the Sit position. I was able to walk all the way to the end of the 15 ft. leash today which is big for Coco! This demonstrates to me that Coco is gaining more confidence. Since he did so well with added distance today, I also introduced him to Send Away to Place. I sat Coco at a distance from Place and sent him to Place with a Down. Coco was consistent with this as we repeatedly practiced this. We will continue to expose Coco to loud noises and crowds of people. Good job Coco!
Pupdate 7/14/2022
Coco and I worked on building duration and distance around more distractions at the Outlets of Orange. We had the chance to work around the other trainers and their dogs. I had Coco work on all of his commands with a different trainer today which was a challenge for him at first. He is very attached to me so when I had him work with the other trainer, he kept trying to come with me. I added distance between him and I and after a few tries and encouragement from the other trainer, he started to follow the other trainer’s lead. His Come to Sit became more consistent and after a few tries, he performed Down as well. I will keep having him work with different trainers to build his confidence no matter who he is with.
Pupdate 7/15/2022
Coco and I proofed his commands some more today at The Outlets. I have been able to build more distance between Coco and I consistently. After a few laps around a new environment, he now appears more confident while training. Although loud noises still startle him, it doesn’t take him too long to get back to work. I have been focusing on getting Coco to work with different trainers whenever we get the opportunity. Coco looks for me often whenever he works with another trainer. I went out of sight and let them work together for a while. Once I came back Coco was excited to see me, yet continued to work. Great job coco!
Pupdate 7/16/2022
Coco and I have been focusing our work on building distance between us around more distractions. Coco has remained consistent with his Come to Sit and Heel. He turns when I turn and sits when I stop walking. Coco has done well with saying hi to new people and not barking at dogs or people. We take advantage of practicing Greeting Manners whenever we get the opportunity to continue to expose him to new environments and people.
Pupdate 7/17/2022
Today Coco and I ventured out to the local park. Since it was a Sunday, there was a lot going on as we Heeled around the park together. Coco checks in with me more frequently while we are out together yet definitely shows signs of stress when we initially arrive. After a lap around the park together, Coco stopped shaking which is an improvement from our trips before where he would shake the entire time. We also have been working on Coco’s manners such as Door Manners, Greeting Manners and Food Manners. Coco knows to wait at the door or for the food until he hears his release word Break. Good work Coco!
Pupdate 7/18/2022
Coco and I had the opportunity to work on everything he has learned so far at the Regional Park around other trainers and their dogs. Coco was reunited with his sister today! He recognized her yet stayed focused during training and only tried to say hi once. She was working so we did not want to disturb her training yet we worked them near each other so they can work through any excitement they had. I called coco‘s name to get his attention and he responded well to it. If he stared too long I cued off along with E collar stimulation if he didn’t respond to it. We then practiced Place on various objects, especially a wobbly board that was at the playground. Place is great for confidence building with Coco. He was skeptical of Placing on top of the wobbly board at first so I helped guide him onto there by guiding him with the leash towards the board. I put my foot on top of it so he can have more balance initially, then as he gained confidence and balance, I removed my foot, having him find his balance all on his own. Coco trusted the process after a few tries and jumped on more quickly as we repeatedly practiced this.
Coco has been quite selective with his food lately, not wanting to eat the dry along with the wet food. I will be giving him extra wet food without the kibble for a meal in efforts of seeing if he prefers that method, to help give him the proper nutrition that he needs.
Pupdate 7/19/2022
Coco and I worked on all of his commands today while out at the beach today. The birds flying around were initially a big distraction for Coco. His prey drive kicked in and he wanted to chase them. I cued Off and Coco stopped staring at the birds which is how I prevent him from running after them. As we Heeled down the Pier there was a reactive pug barking at Coco. I Cued Off then reminded Coco to Heel which helped Coco work through it and not react as well. We are working on keeping his Extended Sit and Place for two minutes, at times when Coco is at a new place he struggles to stay in a stationary position for long. I give him frequent breaks when he holds his position for up to two minutes.
Pupdate 7/20/2022
Coco and I heeled around the local park today. Coco acclimated very quickly to his new surroundings and didn’t display signs of stress like shaking or hiding. He is naturally very alert but has learned to not alert bark excessively.
We had the opportunity to work on Car Manners and Greeting Manners with a friendly kid that wanted to say hi. Coco did well with saying hi and stayed seated until she walked away which could be a sign of him wanting more attention. It is best to only give Coco attention and rewards on our terms so he doesn’t beg for attention or bark. We will begin recording for his final video tomorrow!
Pupdate 7/21/2022
Coco and I went to the Citadel Outlets today and began to film for his Final video. He did great with training in the noisy environment and stayed consistent with his commands. There was another trainer’s dog we trained with and Coco did well with not being distracted around the other dog. He held his Place for 3 and a half minutes consistently which is longer than the goal set for him! We will continue to build duration with all of his commands around more distractions. Good work Coco!
Pupdate 7/22/2022
Coco and I worked on all of his commands that he has learned so far at The Block of Orange. Coco has improved greatly with training at new places. He has more confidence when we venture out to new places, and hasn’t tried to hide between my legs. Coco‘s biggest distraction today was a truck that collects trash. It makes a very loud noise that triggers Coco into walking the opposite direction of the noise. We worked through it and Coco began to Heel with me instead after I encouraged him to Heel with me. Exposure to different environments and noises is what we will continue to focus on with Coco moving forward.
Pupdate 7/23/2022
Coco and I worked on proofing all of his commands some more while Heeling together to the local pet store. We worked around other dog’s and crowds of people which Coco doesn’t seem to mind anymore! He no longer barks at new people and let’s different people approach him to say hi. Coco has gained a new confidence in different environments! His recall is consistent and he follows through with his commands, even from a distance. After we worked on everything and came home, I let out Coco to run around and play with my uncles chihuahua in the backyard. They had a blast chasing each other around until they both got tired and took a nap. Thank you for the opportunity to work with your pup, Coco and I can’t wait to show you you what he has learned tomorrow!
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