Diggs | Golden Retriever | Santa Monica | In- Training

priscillakhoroffle
May 9
11 min read

Updated: 9 hours ago

Meet Diggs! He’s a six-month-old Golden Retriever from Santa Monica, California here for our Three-Week Board and Train Program! Diggs is incredibly sweet, affectionate, and super smart — he already knows a bunch of basic commands and charms everyone he meets with his friendly personality. But like many pups his age, his excitement can sometimes get the best of him. He struggles with leash pulling, especially when greeting new people or dogs, and has a habit of jumping up or cobbing arms during those overenthusiastic hellos. At home, Diggs is crate trained and well-mannered during the day, but nighttime crating has been more challenging.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be focusing on refining his leash skills, improving impulse control during greetings, working on boundaries around the house, and building up his off-leash reliability so his family can confidently enjoy time with him at the park. We’ll also be revisiting nighttime crate comfort and reinforcing polite manners inside and out. Stay tuned for Diggs' 3 Week Transformation!

Pupdate 5/9/25

Today was Diggs’ first day, and right from the start, his friendly personality was front and center! He greeted me with tons of enthusiasm — no hesitation when it came to saying hello, but definitely still learning how to channel all that puppy energy appropriately. He’s incredibly sweet and clearly eager to connect, but he hasn’t quite learned how to control his excitement yet, especially when he’s outside where the world is full of distractions.

One of our first challenges was getting into the car. Diggs doesn’t quite have the confidence to hop in on his own yet, so we’ll be working on building his comfort and independence with that task.

Overall, he seems like a very smart boy with a lot of potential — he just needs some help with structure, boundaries, and learning how to slow that happy brain down a little. We’re excited to help him get there!

Pupdate 5/10/25

Today, Diggs was introduced to the e-collar for the first time. As expected, he was a bit confused at first, so we took it slow — pairing the e-collar pressure with leash guidance and familiar commands to help him understand. Over time, we began fading the leash pressure and relying more on the e-collar alone, though he’s still learning how to fully follow through without the leash assist.

We focused on sit, down, and place today — all commands Diggs has had some exposure to, and while he can be a little stubborn, he is following through and showing progress. We also took our training on the road with a loose leash walk around the neighborhood. He stayed in my general area with much less pulling than when we started — a big win for day one!

We wrapped up by working on his extended sit outdoors, and he was able to hold position for a solid amount of time despite distractions. Diggs is off to a promising start!

Pupdate 5/11/25

Today’s pupdate is about Diggs's sit command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the sit command would look like.

When his butt touches the ground in a sit, I praise with a “good sit!”, throwing the command back at him in his praise.

Once he is in his sit, there are three things we work on:

Duration: how long he stays in his sit

Distance: how far away we can be while he stays in his sit

Distractions: how many things can go around him while he stays in his sit

In the video, I am working on distance and duration. Each time he is in the sit, I walk around him, getting farther away as we progress, and also leaving him in the sit for longer. This teaches him to have stability in his commands rather than breaking it whenever he pleases.

As we get to practice in busier areas, we will naturally have a higher amount of distractions to train with, and his stability in his sit will increase drastically.

When we are done with the command- or any command- I release him with his word “Break!” which allows him to do whatever he wants. He always chooses to come for hugs and pets.

Pupdate 5/12/25

Diggs had a big day today with a training trip to the park, where we met up with some friends. As soon as we got out of the car, his excitement kicked in — he saw the other dogs and immediately began pulling hard on the leash, eager to greet them. This gave us a perfect opportunity to reinforce leash manners. Each time he pulled, I turned and walked the other direction. After several circles and a little patience, Diggs began to understand that pulling doesn’t get him what he wants, and he was able to walk nicely over to a nearby place cot.

Once on place near the other dogs, he handled the distractions fairly well. The only time he broke position was when a new person approached — but with a couple well-timed corrections, he quickly realized he needed to hold his position no matter what.

We also used the park setting to work on building confidence by having him place on new surfaces, like benches. This exercise not only helps with his focus and body awareness, but it’s also been a great way to boost his comfort with climbing — and it’s paying off! He’s already showing noticeable improvement with getting into the car and crate more willingly and with less hesitation.

Diggs is progressing steadily and showing us more of what he’s capable of each day!

Pupdate 5/13/25

Today’s pupdate is about Diggs’s place command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the place command would look like.

When he is either in a sit or down on the place object, I praise with a “good sit!”, throwing the command back at him in his praise.

There are four rules when it comes to the place command:

The place object must have defined edges or boundaries (a dog bed, towel, or bench are good place objects.)
Only place one objects your dog is allowed to be on. Don’t place on the bed if he’s not allowed on the bed, and don’t place on the antique table if he’s not allowed to be on it.
Always get the “win” when practicing the place command. If he struggles to place on a tall object, help him up. Consistently following through with the command builds confidence in your dog and accountability.
The duration he is expected to be in place is built over time. We start low, a few seconds or minutes, before building up the time he is in place over many repetitions.

Once he is in the place, there are three things we work on:

Duration: how long he stays in his place
Distance: how far away we can be while he stays in his place
Distractions: how many things can go around him while he stays in his place

In the video, I am working on all three, as both people and dogs pose as great distractions for him. He has learned to remain in his place even when people are around, even petting him.

When we are done with the command- or any command- I release him with his word “Break!” which allows him to do whatever he wants.

Pupdate 5/14/25

Diggs took a field trip to Home Depot today to work on his manners in a busy, high-distraction environment — and he did an awesome job! We focused on his leash heel around the store, weaving through aisles and passing by plenty of people and carts. He was attentive and responsive, and by the end of our visit, he was confidently heeling off-leash as well!

We also worked on the stability of his sit and down commands, and he held both positions beautifully, even with all the activity around him. One of the highlights of the trip was how well he handled greetings — several people approached to pet him, and Diggs stayed calmly in his sit the entire time, showing perfect manners and impressive impulse control.

To keep building on his confidence, we practiced place on a variety of surfaces, including the loud and wobbly Home Depot carts. I was super impressed — not only did he get up without hesitation, but he stayed put even as the cart tilted forward. Diggs is proving to be a quick learner and a solid pup under pressure!

Pupdate 5/15/25

Today’s pupdate is about Diggs's heel command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the heel command would look like.

The heel command is different from all the other commands in that it is a moving command. The dog is joining your motion rather than assuming a position in one spot. The moving position I am teaching him to be in is right next to my left leg, where his face does not go past my knee. That is the heel position that we are working towards.

The dog should start and stop the heel command in a sit next to your leg. When he is in position, I say “heel”, tap the remote, and move forward at the same time. I keep walking, and whenever he leaves the position next to my leg, I remind him with “heel” and another tap on the remote. We are essentially creating a safe zone near your leg where they aren’t getting reminded to be in heel.

It is important to praise your dog while he is in heel to reinforce that position. I remind him, especially when he’s in a good heel position, with “good heel!” to mark the correct position for him.

When coming to a stop, give your dog a heads up by saying “and Diggy sit”, and stop walking on the word “sit”. This alerts your dog to the change in pace, allowing him to predictably sit at the end of your heel.

To further practice, we will work around distractions such as other people and dogs, and reinforce the command as we go. We will also move the command off leash when he is ready, which will follow the same pattern as on leash.

Pupdate 5/16/25

Today’s pupdate is about how Diggs explored a brand new environment — the bustling Santa Monica Pier! With so many new sights, sounds, people, and animals, it was an exciting challenge for him, and we kept him on leash the entire time to ensure safety and structure. Despite it being his first visit to a place this busy, he handled it all relatively well!

Our main focus was refining his heel in a high-distraction setting. It took a little time and patience to get him into the correct position, but by the end of our outing, he was walking nicely on a loose leash, even with all the activity around him.

We had plenty of opportunities to practice polite greetings with strangers, and Diggs did a great job! He didn’t jump up on anyone and showed lovely manners. His main struggle is staying in his sit when he gets really excited, but even then, he was quick to correct and refocus.

Around other dogs, Diggs held his commands well for the most part. He made a few mistakes by breaking position during our trip, but overall, he stayed composed and didn’t pull, lunge, or overreact to dogs, people, or even the flocks of birds fluttering around. He’s learning quickly and continues to show great potential!

Pupdate 5/17/25

Today’s pupdate is about Diggs’s down command! I demonstrate in the video above what a targeted repetition of the command looks like. I’m teaching him that me squatting and opening my arms does not mean “break”.

When his elbows touch the ground in his down, I praise with a “good down!”, throwing the command back at him in his praise.

Once he is in his down, there are three things we work on:

Duration: how long he stays in his down
Distance: how far away we can be while he stays in his down
Distractions: how many things can go around him while he stays in his down

In the video, I am working on all three. Each time he is in the down, I walk around him, getting farther away as we progress, and also making gestures that he thinks means attention. This teaches him to have stability in his commands rather than breaking it without the word “break”.

Every time that he breaks the command, I tap the remote and remind him to “down”.

As we get to practice in busier areas, we will naturally have a higher amount of distractions to train with, and his stability in his down will increase drastically.

When we are done with the command- or any command- I release him with his word “Break!” which allows him to do whatever he wants.

Pupdate 5/18/15

Today, Diggs and I took a trip to Target to continue building his focus and reliability in a busy public space. With carts rolling by, automatic doors opening, and plenty of people moving around, it was a great environment to work on his heel and command stability — and he did really well!

We started by reinforcing his on-leash heel, making sure he stayed in the proper position next to me as we walked through the parking lot and into the store. At first, he needed a few reminders to stay close and not wander, but once we got into a rhythm, he was moving confidently right by my side with a nice, loose leash.

Inside the store, we worked heavily on the distance and duration of his sit and down commands. I would give him a command, walk away, and wait to see if he could hold it — and he did great! Even with people walking by, carts clattering, and all the distractions Target has to offer, Diggs held his positions with increasing consistency. There were a couple moments when excitement got the better of him and he tried to stand up early, but a quick reminder helped him settle back into place and stay focused.

We also used today as another opportunity to continue working on his car routine — specifically, building his confidence with getting into the crate in the back of the car. He’s already come a long way since his first day, and now he’s hopping in with much more ease. With just a bit of encouragement, he gets into the crate calmly and without resistance, which is a big improvement from earlier in the week.

Overall, Diggs handled today’s distractions like a champ. He’s learning that calm behavior gets rewarded, and he’s showing great progress in both public settings and his crate confidence. Proud of this guy!

Pupdate 5/19/25

Today’s pupdate is about Diggs's come to sit! I demonstrate in the video above what a few repetitions of the command looks like. The key to this command is how he makes the u-turn behind me to end up in a sit by my left leg, where the heel command also starts.

On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain his attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time. Even as he’s coming towards me, I watch for signs of him slowing down or walking away, which is when I will tap him again and remind him with “come”.

In the video, I am also reminding him with “sit” when he is in the right spot, but that will be faded out so he knows that the “come” command includes the sit at the end.

When he is sitting by my leg, I praise him with “good come!”, throwing the command back at him.

As he becomes more reliable with the u-turn motion, we start recalling him from higher distraction environments and from farther away.

When we are done with the command- or any command- I release him with his word “Break!” and give him lots of love.

Diggs | Golden Retriever | Santa Monica | In- Training

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