Meet Colt! A playful, sweet 5 month old Labrador Retriever who has joined us for our Three Week Board and Train Program. Over these next three weeks Colt and I will work on behaviors such as nipping, Greeting Manners because he tends to get overly excited when greeting new people, Door Manners, and Heel with the goal of ultimately being Off Leash With a reliable recall! Stay tuned for his Three Week transformation!
Pupdate 6/16/2022
Colt got settled in today at my house. We had some playtime in the backyard and I introduced him to the other pups through the gate. They had a good interaction through the gate and seemed happy to interact with each other. Colt did well with the crate, going in there with some guidance from me pointing toward the crate and rewarding him when he went in all on his own.
Pupdate 6/17/2022
Colt and I went for a walk today around the neighborhood. I introduced him to the prong collar and he caught on very quickly to following the guidance of the leash with leash pressure. He already automatically sits whenever I stop walking and turns with me frequently. I played the name game with him which is the action of marking and rewarding whenever Colt offers me attention after calling his name. He is very attentive! At times he gets over excited, especially when we initially go out on a walk. I pop the leash and Cue Off whenever he jumps or nips. After a few repetitions he stopped jumping and Heeled nicely with me.
Pupdate 6/18/2022
Colt and I Heeled together today to the local park. I introduced him to the E collar, teaching him to pair the leash pressure with stimulation of the E collar. Anytime I changed direction with Colt while walking, I stimulated him with the E collar at a level that he responded to which fluctuated according to his environment. Colt began to pair the two together quickly.
Once we got home we had some playtime in the backyard with the E collar on. When Colt gets over excited he likes to jump. I cue Off to Colt and if he responds to it by stopping the behavior I praise him and continue to play with him. If he doesn’t, I stop playing with him and Cue Off again with stimulation of the E collar. Colt is learning how to contain the impulse to jump!
Pupdate 6/19/2022
Colt and I took a trip to the beach today! There were plenty of distractions that Colt did really well around. He was interested in the distractions of his environment but was still bring attentive and didn’t fixate on anything which is great! I played the name game with Colt rewarding him whenever he offered me his attention voluntarily and on command. I introduced him to the Come to Sit command which is how we build a reliable recall. I guided Colt with the leash to come behind me and sit on my left side. He is a quick learner and began to perform it consistently. Once he got into position by my left side we Heeled around the beach together. He turned when I turned and when he would get sidetracked, I would stimulate him with the E collar and guide him with the leash. We also worked on Colt’s Extended Sit command. He was able to hold his Sit for 30 seconds consistently. His release word is Break which is when he knows he is free to go. I reward Colt in increments of 15 seconds and if he gets up before I release him I add a leash pop and remind him to Sit. We will continue to add a longer duration for his commands as well as distance. Good job Colt!
Pupdate 6/20/2022
Colt and I took a trip to the local dog park today! There were plenty of dogs running around and playing at the park behind the fence. We Heeled around the park then began to work near the distractions at a threshold that Colt was consistent with. We worked on Colt’s Come to Sits which is Colt’s strongest command so far! He has caught on to it very quickly and hardly needs me to guide him with leash pressure at all to Come and Sit by my left side. I then introduced Colt to the Down command. He needed help with leash pressure toward the floor as I gave him the hand signal of my palms facing the floor. Colt did this a few times eventually without leash pressure. We will continue to do puppy push ups together and build consistency with this command. He stayed in the Down command for a minute which is excellent since he just learned the behavior!
Once we got home, I let colt run around and play with my other board and train dog Houey. They match each other’s energy and have so much fun together! At times I have to step in and cue Off to Colt when he is being too rough with Houey. This is how Colt will begin to learn his own size and how to be more gentle with other dogs.
Pupdate 6/21/2022
Colt and I emphasized our work today on the command Place. Place is a great command to use to keep Colt in a calm state of mind. He knows to stay there until released with the Cue Break. Place is great to use when at home eating dinner, or when you have friends at home that want to say hi to him. Dogs are very visual which is why it helps to have a target that they know they need to stay on while being pet or having company over. Colt was able to go to Place while I was about 4 feet away from the surface. He stayed on there for a minute and a half which is great since this is still new for him! We will keep practicing this command, creating more distance from the surface. Colt is able to Come and Sit by my side reliably without any leash pressure guidance from me.
We practiced Heel together, making 180 turns together. Colt stayed by my side making those turns nicely with me, while looking at me. He is offering the Down command quicker now. I paired Place with Down which helped him offer the behavior voluntarily once in Place. Good work Colt!
Pupdate 6/22/2022
Colt and I worked on all of his commands today at the park! There were other trainer’s dogs, loud noises from the game going on, and new smells for Colt to soak in initially. We worked on his Heel command around the park making frequent sharp turns to keep him engaged and by my side. I introduced Colt to the Under command which is the action of him laying under an object like a table or bench. I guided him with the leash under the table and he naturally followed. This is great to use with him when out in public with Colt to keep him in a relaxed state of mind. Colt was able to hold this position until I released him. We then practiced Extended Place on different surfaces at the park like a rock or table. Colt is great at jumping onto objects and is quite confident!
Pupdate 6/23/2022
Colt and I began our day by practicing some proper socialization with my other Board and train pup Houey. Dogs learn bite inhibition by playing with other dogs. Bite inhibition is a behavior where a dog learns the power of their own bite. Colt gets very excited when playing and at times can push or nip too hard. When Houey runs away from Colt or vocalizes from a nip I cue Off to Colt which is me telling him to stop what he is doing with Houey. If he stops I praise him, if not I stimulate him with the E collar. Colt caught on to this quickly and stopped immediately after I said Off. Towards the end of the play session Colt was being gentle with Houey, not mounting or nipping too hard. We then Heeled together to the local park where we worked on proofing everything he has learned with more distance between us and more duration. Colt has reached the 2 minute mark when holding his Extended Sit and Place. Now we will continue to practice this around more distractions!
Pupdate 6/24/2022
Colt and I emphasized our work today on the new command he has learned which is Under. We practiced this with different surfaces like benches and tables. He did begin to confuse Under with the Place command. When I noticed he was struggling with this, I guided him with the leash pressure Under and up when we worked on Place. We worked on these different commands close together so he can learn to differentiate the two. We will keep practicing this to gain consistency. When we worked on his Heel command the leash was dragging. Colt turns whenever I turn and sits whenever I stop walking. If he strays away I call him to Come and Sit by my side. Once I see he is consistent with all of the commands while the leash is dragging, we will begin our Off Leash work!
Pupdate 6/25/2022
Colt and I began to test where he was at with his Off Leash work at home first! We focused our work on impulse control, and his recall. I Heeled with Colt, Off Leash while the food bowl was on the floor. Initially Colt wanted to eat the food as soon as he saw it on the floor. I called him to Come away from the food which was a big test for him. He came to me and sat by my side. We Heeled and I rewarded Colt anytime he looked at me instead of the food on the floor. Once I saw that he was more focused on me than the distraction, I placed the food next to him, went out of sight for about 5 seconds, came back and the food was still there! I then released Colt to eat his food with the cue Break.
After practicing some impulse control and recalls we went on a walk around the neighborhood with the leash dragging. When we are around distractions, I practice Come to Sit a bunch with Colt. This prepares him to be reliable with his recalls once he is Off Leash in public. At times Colt strays away to investigate distractions which is definitely the curiosity of a puppy! We are working on getting him to ignore those distractions with the Off command. I use Colt’s kibble to reward him for his attention which helps prevent him from being distracted. We will keep exposing him to new environments to prepare him for that Off Leash work.
Pupdate 6/26/2022
Colt and I worked on proofing all of his commands in a very distracting area today, the beach! There was a lot going on and Colt did great with these distractions. He stayed by my side during the Heel, with the leash dragging. We focused our work on Send Away to Place. Colt can perform this while we are 5 feet away from Place. We are creating more and more distance with this command. He practiced his Greeting Manners with a kid today and stayed in the Down position the entire time which is quite challenging! His Food Manners is consistent and now he sits for the Door automatically when we approach it. Great work Colt!
Pupdate 6/27/2022
Colt and I had the chance to practice all of his commands at the park, next to all of the trainers dogs! Colt has done amazing with holding his Extended Sit and Down for two minutes, and has proven he can do more. His record has been 3 minutes. His recall has been consistent, Coming to Sit by my side whenever I call him without leash pressure. I do need to use leash pressure when sending him away to Place to help guide him in the direction I want him to go. He is beginning to understand what I ask of him but struggles to leave my side at times. I believe this is due to the attachment he has established with me. We will keep working on the Place command while creating distance so he can get more and more comfortable with leaving my side. When we got home we had playtime with the other pup Houey. Colt will leave playtime to Come and Sit by my side which takes a lot of impulse control to do when he is having fun!
Pupdate 6/28/2022
Colt and I took a trip to the beach today and practiced everything with the leash dragging. Towards the end of our session I was able to take the leash off and Colt was very consistent! Which proves to me he is ready to be Off Leash officially tomorrow. We cleaned up his send away to Place command and he can now do it from about 10 feet away without any leash pressure. He can hold his Under command for two minutes, as well as his Extended Sit & Down. He can Come to Sit from a distance, even when very distracted while playing with other dogs. If another dog approached him while he is in a stationary position, he has done well with not getting up. We will keep proofing all of his commands in different environments!
Pupdate 6/29/2022
Colt and I began our Off Leash work today at The Citadel Outlets! He stayed by my side the entire time while Off Leash and the few times he got ahead of me, I stopped walking and had him Come to Sit by my side to correct himself. His Send Away to Place has been consistent and he can hold it for an entire two minutes with his record so far being 3 and a half minutes! We also worked on his Under command. At first Colt was sticking out from underneath the bench too much. I began to help guide him so his body can be entirely under the surface. After I gave him that extra guidance he performed Under for a minute while being entirely under the bench. Amazing job Colt!
Pupdate 6/30/2022
Colt and I took a trip to the beach today! We practiced everything he has learned so far Off Leash, around a ton of distractions. Colt did well with staying by my side and checking in with me. I make sure to reward Colt with his kibble when he sees something very distracting but decides to come to me instead. I want him to see me as the most valuable thing no matter the environment. We practiced Greeting Manners with friendly people that wanted to say hi to him. Colt gets very excited around new people. When they say hi to him I communicate to them to only say hi once he is seated nicely, if he gets up then that’s when the petting should stop. We are working on cleaning up his Heel to be closer to my side and working him Off Leash around higher distracting environments.
Pupdate 7/01/202
Colt and I worked some more on all of his commands Off Leash while at Santa Monica Pier! His Heel has been consistent, now we are working on getting him to stay closer to me while Heeling because at times he created a little distance between us. Whenever he sits too far away from me or ahead of me, I have him reposition himself until he is right next to me. He is able to hold his Extended Place and Sit for two minutes, while all of these distractions are near him. Colt has done well with loud noises and large objects passing by him. He checks in frequently which is great! Good work Colt!
Pupdate 7/2/2022
Colt and I took a trip to the local park today where we worked on proofing everything he has learned. We emphasized our work today on practicing Send Away to Place and Heel around very distracting environments. There were dogs Off Leash, birds and ducks, as well as parties with kids running around. Colt was not phased by this and was very attentive to where I was the entire time. When I change my pace, he changes his pace as well according to where I am at. Colt and Houey have become best friends! Always playing together and walking nicely together by my side.
Pupdate 7/03/2022
Today I introduced Colt to the game of Fetch! It is always best to introduce this game to him in an environment with minimal distractions and not too much open space. I began by throwing the toy close to me, cuing Fetch before I throw it. As Colt walks over it I mark it with Good. As soon as he grabs it I call his name to come over to me, reaching out my arm to grab the toy from me. When I reach out my arm to grab it I cue Off with a closed fist. Once Colt gives me the toy I mark it with a Yes immediately and reward him with something of equal or greater value. It is important that Colt knows he will be compensated for giving something that is of extreme value to him. If I were to just take it from him without rewarding him, he would not be motivated to bring it back to me. I continuously did this with Colt, rewarding him each time. As his consistency improves, I will begin to randomly reward him once he is ready. Good work Colt!
Pupdate 7/4/2022
Colt and I proofed his commands some more at the Park. There were plenty of distractions which Colt was not phased by. Even with the loud fireworks, Colt continued to be consistent held his extended Sit. He has been able to hold his Extended Sit and Place for two and a half minutes which exceeds the goal set for him.
I did notice today that Colt has begun to have diarrhea. I have put him on a special diet. I have given Colt pumpkin along with white rice and plain chicken. This will help with his sensitive stomach. I ordered anti diarrhea liquid which should come in the mail by Wednesday. This liquid will help with his tummy ache as well. I will continue to monitor this.
After proofing all of his commands at the park we worked some more on fetch today in the backyard. Colt has become more consistent with bringing me the toy each time! He doesn’t test the Off command as much anymore and stops immediately what he is doing when I cue Off, especially during playtime!
Pupdate 7/5/2022
Colt and I went on a field trip to the beach today! We worked on his Send Away to Place command. He was able to perform this from over 10 feet away. We worked on his Come to Heel and Come to Sit as well. Colt walks nicely by my left side and doesn’t leave too much of a gap between us while walking. At times he did struggle with holding his Extended Sit while I was at a distance. I shortened the distance between us and will slowly build more distance as his consistency increases.
The new diet Colt was on fortunately helped him and he did not have diarrhea! I will now slowly offer him more of his kibble and add the anti diarrhea liquid to it.
Pupdate 7/6/2022
Today Colt and I went on a trip to The Citadel Outlets. We worked on everything he has learned over these past 3 weeks with more distance, duration and distractions. Colt was able to hold his Extended Place and Sit for 2 and a half minutes which exceeds the goal we set for him! He stayed by my side as we Heeled through large crowds and has remained consistent with different environments. Amazing work Colt!
Pupdate 7/7/2022
Colt and I have put an emphasis on proofing all of his work in different environments with high level distractions. We went to The Block of Orange today where we filmed for his final video. Colt can perform his commands from great distances, and has improved his Heel, staying closer to my side. This video clip above is from our trip to the park the other day with his best friend Houey.
Pupdate 7/8/2022
Colt and I ventured out to The Heritage Park today! We worked some more on proofing his commands and even practiced fetch in the least distracting area of the park. Colt has become more consistent with bringing back the toy each time I throw it and responds well to Off when he struggles to let it go. We practiced his Greeting Manners with friendly people that wanted to say hi and Colt is such a sweet boy! He is always happy to say hi! Colt has learned to control his impulses and stay seated while being pet. It is always good to remind him when he gets over excited. Extra coaching in excitable situations is always good!
Pupdate 7/9/2022
Colt and I went on a trip to Home Depot today. We Heeled around Home Depot with my other board and train dog Coco. This was their first time meeting and they did well together. Initially Colt wanted to instigate playtime but after I Cued Off then Heel, Colt understood he needed to stay next to me and leave Coco. Colt’s manners around dogs, people, and the Door has improved.
I gradually introduced Colt to his kibble again and still monitored his stool. I noticed this morning he began to have diarrhea. I fed Colt boiled chicken with anti diarrhea liquid. I will keep monitoring him.
Colt automatically sits at the door without me needing to ask, and will stay there until released with the Cue Break. He waits to play with other dogs until I release him and he jumps in the crate excitedly when we are loading up the car. We will be taking his CGC test later today and are excited to share our results with you tomorrow during his drop off! Excellent progress Colt!
