Meet Darla! She's a fifteen month old Miniature Dachshund from Santa Monica, California here for our Two-Week Board and Train Program! She is a sweet and playful pup, but she has a tendency to get extremely excited. She loves most people, but will jump and climb all over you once she likes you. Despite her size, she's pretty strong and will pull her mom all over the place when on walks. When it comes to dogs, Darla can be quite reactive. She will bark at passing dogs, especially when out on walks! Once she finds a suitable playmate, she will try to guard their toys and nip if she doesn't get her way. Darla also tends to ignore commands unless there's a treat in it for her!
Over the next fourteen days, we will work on Darla's basic obedience commands, mitigate her reactivity towards other dogs, work on her manners in and out of the house, and show her how to be the best pup she can possibly be! Stay tuned for Darla's two week transformation!
Pupdate: 11/24/2024
After picking up Darla, we stayed at Pan Pacific Park for a few minutes to get to know each other! She is quite the leash puller, and she did her best to pull me wherever she wanted. Pan Pacific Park is full of unruly dogs, so I got to see plenty of her reactivity. If a dog was far enough away, Darla would stop in her tracks, face the dog, and bark once or twice. If the other dog moved either toward her or away from her, she would have a much stronger reaction. She would start barking, pulling, and begin literally vibrating with what seems like excitement. Using some leash tension and remaining calm, I found that simply ignoring the other dog and leading Darla in the opposite direction helped a lot. After several times, she seemed to start to understand she wasn't going to be allowed to pull me toward the other dog. If she's allowed to pull to something, whether it's a dog or a smelly bush, she is getting a direct reward for that behavior.
In the above video, I am simply asking Darla for some basic commands. She doesn't really want to do any of them for me, but she at least isn't going too crazy about the other dogs around us, only giving a few barks here and there.
On the drive home, Darla whined a little in her crate, but settled in for the ride pretty quickly. Back at home, I let her sniff around my house to help get her used to the new environment. She's been very sweet to me and I think she's starting to like it here.
In addition to her first video, I am adding a tutorial video and a picture of her new E collar! This will make the turnover process go more smoothly once it's time for Darla to go home!
Pupdate: 11/25/2024
Darla and I went to Almansor Park today for training! We began working with her E collar and a prong collar. Our main goal today was working on her understanding of leash pressure, and shaping that into a Heel command. For Heel, I want Darla to walk politely at my left side, with her ears in line with my knee, or ankle in her case. Darla has been a major leash puller, veering wildly in all directions, so this is a very important aspect of her training. Over the course of today, she has slowly been learning to maintain the desired position directly at my side. She still tends to get quite distracted while walking, but she improved a lot today.
The slightly more difficult command for Darla today was a simple Sit. I struggled to have her sit for me at all yesterday, but she was extremely distracted. Today, she still wanted to look all around rather than stay still and sit, but with enough consistency, she is now starting to give me the Sit command with only a bit of leash pressure. The next step will be expecting her to sit with no leash tension needed. Once she sits for me, she will only hold it for a few seconds at a time, so we will also be working hard on that.
When it comes to reactivity, Darla barked at my personal dog last night when she walked by her kennel. Today, there were several dogs walking around the park while we were there. She started reacting to some of them, but with the help of her E collar, the prong collar, and her Off command, I saw an improvement from yesterday in this department as well. We will be using Off as a general "do not do" command. We can use it whenever Darla gives us any unwanted behavior. This can be jumping and climbing on friends, refusing to let go of a toy, barking too much, or even sniffing something she shouldn't. Luckily, Darla has given me plenty of opportunities to show her the Off command, and she is quickly getting the hang of it!
Darla took a while to finish her dinner last night, but ended up eating it all. She ate her breakfast and dinner pretty quickly today, however!
Pupdate: 11/26/2024
Today I wanted to get Darla more used to behaving and remaining calm around other dogs. So far, Darla and my personal dog have only interacted at a distance, or through the kennel walls, sometimes leading to Darla barking at my dog. Today, we all went out together, so that Darla would be working in very close proximity to another dog. For the first few minutes, Darla went back to pulling and getting a bit too excited, even jumping on my leg to try to play. It didn't take long, however, for our work together to take hold and for Darla to calm down, falling back into her Heel as we walked. After this brief warm up right next to my dog, I noticed that Darla was far less likely to bark or pull towards other dogs at the park. As a trio, we managed to walk extremely close to several other dogs all while maintaining a nice tight Heel. I'm hoping that when Darla and I go back alone, today's work will carry over and help her understand she doesn't need to bark and pull towards every single dog we meet.
Back at home, Darla is already doing a similarly good job ignoring my dog, and she hasn't barked at her since. That being said, I have not introduced a toy to this dynamic yet, which is something that might be a little more challenging for Darla, as she is known to be possesive of toys. I thought it best to save that for another day.
As far as her commands, we started working on another one with Darla! Now that her simple Sit command is getting better, I am starting on her Come To Sit command. For this, I want Darla to come to my right side, walk around my legs, and sit at my left side. This is a little more challenging, but since she's done a good job finding that Heel position next to me, she is doing okay with it. She still hesitates to come to me immediately when asked, but she is doing well with the actual motion of the command. This is going to be our recall command, and I would like Darla to respond to it whether she is playing, napping, or really any time she is asked. We will demonstrate her Come To Sit command tomorrow in a video.
Pupdate: 11/27/2024
Darla and I went to Home Depot today for training! It was nice and busy this morning, so we got a lot of opportunities to work around distractions. Home Depot is a great place to take your pup because they are almost always pet friendly, usually have plenty of patrons in the morning, and offer a wide variety of noises. We started our day in the garden center. Darla really didn't have issues here, aside from occasionally wanting to sniff a plant. We did our warm up in this area, and then continued. While walking through the much more populated store, she was able to walk through tight halls, crowds, and near squeaky carts. It wasn't until we got to the lumber section that she started to get a bit nervous. People stacking the wood can be extremely noisy and tough to work around. What I found was if we were simply walking through the lumber section without stopping, Darla didn't seem too intimidated. It was when we stopped to work near the noise that she began making mistakes. Once we saw this, we spent the majority of our time in this section. I think her confidence was coming from being directly next to me where she feels safe. I want her to be confident and comfortable even if I'm not standing right next to her, so we spent a lot of time holding the Sit command and seeing how long she could hold it and how far I could walk away from her while she was holding it. We also continued working on her Come To Sit command. She did a great job with this command a lot of the time. When there was a very loud cart or person stacking wood, she would try to move to the opposite side of me, but was usually willing to fix it with a little guidance. Without any wood stacking going on, she completed the command without tension nearly every time. This tells me her understanding of the command is getting good, we just need to practice around lots of distractions and work on building her confidence.
Pupdate: 11/28/2024
Darla would like to wish you a happy Thanksgiving! For training this morning, we took everything nice and slow, working on her demeanor walking and working around the family's eating at the park. There were more than a few dogs accompanying the groups, offering plenty of distractions. She tried her best to remain focused on me throughout the morning and afternoon, and she did well. Again, her main obstacle was remaining focused when trying to sit still. Her Heel command and coming along great, and when we're in motion, she's having very little issue remaining calm and focused.
We worked on her Place command a lot today. For Place, I want Darla to hop onto a raised object, such as a cot or a bench, and remain there when asked. While out in public, this command is great for confidence building and working on impulse control. We mainly focused on the place cot, since it was difficult to find other objects she could comfortably reach. At home, I use the place command whenever I'm doing something that Darla doesn't need to be a part of, such as cooking or cleaning. She's very smart, so teaching her the actual command was fairly easy. Having her remain on the object for an extended period of time is what we're finding to be more challenging. Nonetheless, she did a good job with this.
Later in the evening, we tried dropping the leash while practicing Darla's commands. Allowing the leash to drag gives me some idea of how she might perform off leash while still having access to the leash should I need it. For today, I dropped the leash for about thirty seconds to a minute at a time, while asking for her Heel, Come To Sit, and Place commands. I did my best to keep her engaged by changing my speed, offering physical praise, and giving her plenty of breaks between commands. Practicing this way, she did a really good job. Her main issue with this exercise was remaining in Place when asked, as she would sometimes preemptively come to me before I asked. She is still very prone to being distracted, and she's quite fast, so I am going to take my time while we assess her for off leash work. Today there were almost zero distractions while we practiced this, but she is certainly heading in the right direction.
Pupdate: 11/29/2024
Darla and I spent the day in Downtown Alhambra! My original plan was making today her first day at the Mall, but I forgot it was Black Friday so I opted to save that for tomorrow. Downtown had a good mix of people walking, eating, plenty of noise, and a few people walking their dogs sprinkled throughout. We stopped for a coffee at a small shop with outdoor seating and this was by far the most challenging for her. While we walked around the area, she really didn't have any issues other than the occasional need for an adjustment in her positioning at my side. Stopping at the restaurant, however, she wanted to continue exploring, so my hand remained on her leash to keep her within a few feet of me. Several other dogs walked by us without issue, which is great, but one small dog began barking and lunging at her. When this started, she returned the challenge with some growls of her own. Luckily, she is becoming very responsive to her E collar and her Off command. While I am hoping to get her to the point where a reaction from another dog doesn't lead to her own reaction, it is nice to know a simple reminder puts a stop to her reactivity. In this case, the owner of the other dog had to physical pick up his dog to stop the reaction, while I had to remain calm and say, "Off, Sit." She's doing much better in this department, but still not perfect. She had a lot of fun today, though!
Pupdate: 11/30/2024
Darla and I went to Santa Anita Mall today for training! It was very crowded, but Darla did a pretty good job after some warm up time. There were tons of people, and quite a few other dogs. There were times I felt Darla drifting away from me or towards another dog, but like I mentioned yesterday, she is getting to be reliably responsive to her commands and E collar, so a lot the time, she needed only a quick reminder. I used the leash for guidance several times, but usually to keep her from jumping off of a place object before I was ready.
Notably, there were several dogs who lunged, barked and pulled towards us, one of which you can see in the above video. Unlike yesterday, there were zero times when these dogs got a reaction out of Darla. At most, she gave a quick look then continued walking with me.
I expected Darla to be a bit overwhelmed by the crowds, as this is by far the most populated spot we've gone to, but she seemed fairly confident all day. Even her jump was much more confident, and I found that she was able to hop onto benches at heights I previously thought she couldn't.
Currently, her biggest issue is still impulse control, and even in that regard she did much better today.
Pupdate: 12/1/2024
Today was another great training day with Darla at the park. Weāve been working on leash skills and moving toward off leash work, and she did a good job, especially with a much smaller leash dragging. Itās a key step in helping her get used to the sensation, and she showed a lot of patience and progress. The real test came when we encountered some distractions, including a group of geese. Darlaās focus was impressive, albeit not perfect āshe didnāt pull or get overly excited, and she maintained her composure despite the geese moving around nearby.
Iām really proud of how far sheās come. It's days like today that show how much progress we've made together. Weāve been focusing on building her confidence and keeping her calm around distractions, and itās paying off. Itās always rewarding to see her stay on track and behave well in an environment full of distractions. Iām looking forward to our next outing, where weāll continue to build on these successes and tackle even more challenges!
Pupdate: 12/2/2024
Today was a milestone day for Darla and me. After days of practice and trust-building, we finally decided to take her off-leash at the park. Iāll admit, I was a little nervousāletting her loose in an open area felt like handing over the keys to a new driver. But I knew she was ready, and I was eager to see how sheād handle the freedom.
The park was quiet when we arrived, with just a few people and their dogs scattered around. It was the perfect settingāminimal distractions but enough stimulation to make things interesting. As I unclipped her leash, Darla gave me a curious look, almost as if to say, āAre you sure about this?ā
Once free, she surprised me with how well she stayed by my side. She trotted happily, occasionally sniffing the grass but usually keeping an eye on me. Her training really shone through when other dogs passed by. I could see the temptation in her eyes, her tail wagging ever so slightly as she glanced at them. But when I gave her the "Off" command, she responded well. A quick flick of her head back toward me, and she refocused without much fuss.
It wasnāt all perfect, of course. There were a couple of moments when her curiosity almost got the better of her, especially when a playful Golden Retriever bounded past us. Darlaās little legs tensed as if ready to chase, but with a firm "Off", she stopped herself. It felt like a victory every time she chose to listen over indulging her instincts.
We ended the session with a short playtime to reward her hard workāher tail wagged so hard it could have powered a small fan. It was heartwarming to see her enjoy the freedom, and it reminded me how far sheās come since we first started her training.
Today was a huge step for Darla. Now that we've made this leap, it's time to focus more on adding as many distractions as possible. We will see if she can replicate today's success in a more populated environment.
Pupdate: 12/3/2024
Today, Darla and I spent some time at the park, where she once again impressed me with her progress in training. But the real challenge of the day wasnāt at the parkāit was back at home, where we tackled one of her toughest tasks yet: food manners and food refusal.
Darla seems like a little food enthusiast. The moment anything edible is within her reach, her eyes light up, and her nose goes into overdrive. While her love for food is adorable, itās also important for her to learn restraint, especially when it comes to food that isnāt hers.
Our training setup was simple but challenging. I placed pieces of human food on the ground in front of her, something she would normally jump at the chance to snatch up. The goal was for her to resist the temptation and follow my āSitā and "Off" commands.
At first, it was a battle of wills. She would glance at the food, then back at me, her expression practically begging me to reconsider. But with consistent reinforcement she started to grasp the concept.
The turning point came when she actively chose to look away from the food and focus on me instead. It was such a proud moment! I rewarded her with praise, and a break. She still struggled a bit when I added new types of food or moved the pieces around, but overall, her progress was impressive.
This exercise wasnāt just about teaching her not to eat food off the groundāit was about building discipline and trust. Each time she resisted the urge, it felt like she was saying, āI trust you to tell me when something is okay.ā Especially when I place her own food in front of her and give her a big happy, "Break!" to let her know she's okay to chow down.
Weāll keep practicing, but today was a big win for Darla. It reminded me how much patience and consistency pay off in training. Watching her grow into a well-mannered little dog makes every effort worthwhile.
Pupdate: 12/4/2024
Today, Darla and I ventured out to the Santa Anita Mall for another training session. It's always a balance of anticipation and curiosity when I take her to a public placeāthereās so much to learn, for both of us. The goal for this outing was to test her focus in a moderately busy environment, and Iām proud to say she did a good job.
This time, I decided to up the ante a little by allowing the leash to drag while keeping it on her. It's a small step, but an important oneāit gives her a sense of freedom while still maintaining a safety net. The mall, with its open spaces and scattered foot traffic, seemed like the perfect place to experiment. She's already proved to me multiple times that she can handle being off leash at a park with moderate distractions, but we decided a small leash dragging in the mall environment would be best for now.
Today was quieter compared to our last visit. There werenāt as many distractionsāfewer kids running around, less loud music blaring from stores, and only a handful of shoppers milling about. On one hand, it made the session easier; Darla could focus more on me and less on the environment. On the other, it left me wondering how she would handle a busier setting without her leash in my hand.
That said, she impressed me with her responsiveness. Even with the leash dragging, she stayed close, followed my cues, and resisted the urge to wander off. All her basic commands were performed reliably and consistently, and she even ignored a couple of stray food wrappers on the groundāa small victory for a Dachshund!
What struck me most was how confident she looked. Her little tail wagged enthusiastically, and she seemed happy to be back here. Moments like these remind me why I enjoy training her so muchāitās not just about the obedience but about building trust and communication.
As we wrapped up our visit, I realized just how far sheās come since we started this journey. The quieter atmosphere may not have tested her limits, but it gave us a chance to solidify her progress and enjoy each other's company.
For now, Iāll call this a win. The next step? Coming back on a more busy day to see how Darla handles the added activity. But for today, Iām celebrating her success at the Santa Anita Mallāa reminder that every small step is a big one in the world of training.
Pupdate: 12/5/2024
Today, Darla and I headed to the park for another training session. It was one of those crisp, cool days that begged for outdoor activity, and Darlaās tail was wagging before we even got out of the car. As part of her ongoing training, weāve been working on socialization and commands in a more distracting environment, and the park provided the perfect backdrop.
When we arrived, we joined a small group of dog trainers who regularly meet to practice together. The atmosphere was lively, with dogs of all shapes and sizes eagerly sniffing around and engaging with one another. Darla was excited but manageable.
We started with the basics. Darla did well with her commands, even with the distractions of other dogs running nearby. Her focus has improved tremendously, but she had trouble specifically with her "Down" command when the other dogs were near. This command puts Darla in a vulnerable position, so it's understandable that it's the last one she wants to do with the other dogs around.
The real test came when we practiced the "place" command. Darla happily scampered up onto my place cot, but was not a fan of another dog climbing on with her. Using her "Off" command, she started maintaining her composure and shared the cot with the other dog, even though she was clearly not thrilled. Similar to how we are working on sharing at home home with toys and my personal dog, Darla needs to know she doesn't own the Place cot, and needs to share it when asked. Other than that, Darla did well all day on and off leash. When we got home she curled up for a well earned nap.
Pupdate: 12/6/2024
Today, Darla and I had an adventure that combined training and funāa trip to Home Depot. She was surprisingly excited to be back!
From the moment we stepped out of the car, Darla seemed to remember this spot. Her tail wagged furiously as we approached the sliding doors.
Once inside, I was impressed with how well she handled herself. We started with her on the leash, weaving through aisles of lumber, paint, and holiday decorations. Darla kept her focus impressively, heeling closely and ignoring distractions like carts rolling by and the occasional distant barking of other dogs.
As we moved into less crowded areas, I decided to test her off-leash skills. I unclipped the leash several times on and off to continue getting her used to having her leash taken off with feeling the need to immediately run around. She stuck by my side, her little paws padding confidently alongside me. Whenever I stopped to browse or look at an item, she waited patiently, watching me for her next cue.
What really stood out was how well she responded to recalls in a relatively busy environment. If I called her name from a short distance, she trotted back to me without hesitation, even when there were fascinating smells or interesting sights around. Her progress has been great, and today felt like a reward for all the hard work weāve been putting into her training.
By the time we got home, Darla was tuckered out from the mental and physical stimulation, curling up on her place cot with her blanket. Watching her grow in confidence and ability with each outing fills me with pride.
Home Depot may not be the first place that comes to mind for a dogās day out, but for Darla, itās become a favorite training ground. Itās amazing to see her excitement for exploring new spaces and her growing ability to stay calm and focused, even in busy environments.
Hereās to more adventures like todayābecause Darlaās tail wags and bright eyes make every trip worth it!
Pupdate: 12/7/2024
Darla and I went to Santa Anita Mall today for training!
We worked on and off leash, and she succeded at both, following commands and staying close, her little tail wagging as if she knew she was doing a good job.
But the moment that made me the proudest? Practicing her greeting manners. Weāve been training her to sit politely when meeting new people, and today, we put that to the test. A kind stranger stopped to admire her, and I seized the opportunity. āDarla, sit,ā I said, and just like that, she planted her tiny butt on the bench and waited. The stranger reached out to pet her, and Darla stayed calm, soaking up the attention with her usual charm, and sniffed their hands. It was one of those moments where all the hard work feels completely worth it.
Of course, the mall offered more than just training. Darla loved the energy of the place, from the sparkling holiday lights to the occasional whiff of food from the restaurans. She was a magnet for attention, drawing smiles and compliments wherever she went.
By the time we were done, weād walked a lot, made some fun memories, and shared a quiet moment over snacks. Days like this remind me why I love training her so much. Itās not just about the obedienceāitās about seeing her grow, connect, and enjoy the world around her.
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