Draco | Cane Corso | Downtown Los Angeles, CA | In Training
- Tanner Strong
- Sep 21
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 5
Meet Draco! He's a fourteen month old Cane Corso from Downtown Los Angeles, here for our Two Week Urban Board and Train Program! Draco is a sweetheart, but often decides to take his friendliness a little too far by jumping, knocking people over, and pulling toward anyone he wants to say hi to! He can be mouthy and likes to play bite, but doesn't know his own strength and size. Around other dogs he can be a bit reactive, making walking politely very tough for him around distractions. He's familiar with some commands, but often decides for himself when he wants to listen and follow through! Over the next fourteen days we will work on his obedience skills, help with his impulse control, work on mitigating his reactivity, help with his manners in and out of the house, and show him how to be the best pup he can possibly be! Stay tuned for Draco's two week transformation!
Pupdate: 9/1/2025
After picking up Draco, we spent a little time at the park to start getting to know each other. He was quite friendly right off the bat, and I think he’s already starting to like me — just a little!
Leash walking isn’t exactly his favorite activity at the moment — he definitely wanted to do things his way and gave a few good pulls. That said, with a bit of encouragement, he offered me a few Sits throughout our walk, which was a promising start. He seems willing to listen, even if he's a bit stubborn!
Once we got home, Draco had some time to sniff around and get his bearings. It didn’t take him long to find my dog’s giant bed and plop right down — it was really sweet to see him start to relax and feel at home so quickly.
So far, he’s been a very pleasant guest and I’m looking forward to getting to know him more. He’s got a great personality and a lot of potential!
Pupdate: 9/22/2025
Draco had an outing today at the park where we met up with some other trainers and their dogs! He showed mild interest in the other dogs but stayed fairly polite and didn’t give me much trouble around them—great progress in a stimulating environment!
We also began introducing the Place command. Draco was very nervous about stepping onto the raised object we presented, clearly unsure and hesitant. Rather than push him too quickly, we pivoted and practiced Place using a towel on the ground instead. This small change made a big difference—he responded much more confidently and was able to engage with the command in a positive way!
We'll continue building his confidence by gradually introducing slightly more challenging Place objects over time, making sure he's comfortable at each step.
Way to go, Draco!
Pupdate: 9/23/2025
We went to Live Oak Park today for training! Our main focus was on building Draco’s confidence and practicing his Place command. Although he started off a bit nervous, we took some time to warm up with a walk before moving on to training.
Once we began working on his Place command using various benches, Draco was hesitant at first. With patience and encouragement, he slowly gained the courage to hop up — and we rewarded him heavily each time! This was a challenging exercise for him, but it really showed that with support and practice, things aren’t always as scary as they seem at first.
Pupdate: 9/24/2025
Today we focused on sharpening Draco’s recall skills with the Come To Sit command. This exercise is all about building reliability and consistency, helping him return promptly and sit politely at our side when called. He’s showing great progress — each repetition is boosting his confidence and responsiveness. Check out the video above to see how well he’s doing with this important skill!
Pupdate: 9/25/2025
Draco started his day with a nice trip to the park this morning, where he got to stretch his legs and take in all the sights and smells before we shifted gears. The rest of the day was focused on polishing his indoor manners, especially his door manners. We’ve been working on teaching him to exit and enter calmly so that the door opening becomes a nonevent instead of something exciting. This includes practicing waiting patiently, maintaining focus, and only moving forward when given the cue.
We build on this skill a little more each time we leave the house, which has been especially helpful in the mornings when Draco is full of energy. By starting with calm behavior at the door, we’re setting the tone for a more collected, focused outing overall. He’s learning that calmness and patience lead to freedom and fun—a huge step toward a polite, confident dog. Draco is making steady progress and handling these transitions with more composure every day!
Pupdate: 9/26/2025
Today we kept building on Draco’s training by working around distractions, focusing especially on his Heel and Place commands. While he still needs more practice holding his Place for longer periods, today was a big step forward — instead of showing nervousness or hesitation, Draco actually became excited and playful about getting onto his Place, which is exactly the kind of attitude we want to see!
Throughout most of our sessions, he carried himself with a confident, upbeat energy. There were still a few tricky spots — for example, in today’s video you can see his tail stop wagging as we approached the basketball courts, then start wagging again when he got a break and a treat afterward. This shows us he still needs more exposure and confidence building around certain distractions, but overall Draco is definitely moving in the right direction and showing great progress!
Pupdate: 9/27/2025
Draco had a huge training day today! We headed to the park, which was absolutely packed with soccer games, baseball games, and a variety of other activities — definitely the busiest environment he’s faced so far. With so much movement, cheering, and distractions all around, it was a great test of his focus and manners.
Despite the excitement, Draco rose to the challenge. He stayed polite and mostly focused on me, responding well to his cues and working through each exercise with enthusiasm. We practiced navigating around crowds, holding his positions, and keeping a steady pace on leash even with kids running by and balls flying around.
He also showed some nice moments of engagement where he chose to look back at me for direction rather than getting distracted. While there’s always room for more consistency in high-energy settings, today was a big step forward in his ability to stay calm, collected, and responsive. Draco had a fun and exciting day, and I’m proud of how well he handled such a challenging environment!
Pupdate: 9/28/2025
Draco went with me to Home Depot today for some real-world practice! This was his first time in an environment like this, and while he seemed a bit nervous at times, he did a great job overall. Staying consistent with our Heel and Off commands really helped him stay focused, even with all the distractions around. From time to time, he was curious about plants or items on the shelves, but each time he was asked, he quickly regained his position and focus. From the point of view of the glasses camera, you can see him walking with me mostly politely and staying close.
I was especially proud of how quickly he settled into the rhythm of the walk. The aisles, carts, and echoing noises can be overwhelming for a first visit, but Draco kept checking back in with me and listening. Trips like this are great confidence builders and help him learn to apply his training skills outside of more familiar settings. Overall, for his first trip to a place like this, Draco handled it very well and made some great progress today. I’m excited to keep exposing him to new environments and see his confidence continue to grow!
Pupdate: 9/29/2025
We met with some other trainers and their dogs at the park today, and I wanted to revisit his Place command on the cot since he struggled with it last time we were there. Draco was very uncomfortable with it for most of the session, only managing to get on with great difficulty, and even then he wasn’t too happy remaining in position. To troubleshoot, I had him try the bench instead, and he hopped up with very little hesitation, which was a big contrast. That made us wonder if it was the cot itself causing some of the issue. This particular cot is a little wobbly, so I brought it home to see how he would do with it in a calmer environment. Sure enough, he had very little trouble getting on and remaining there once we were home.
It seems like the challenge was a mix of his nerves, the new dogs around, and the unsteady cot making him feel insecure. With lowered pressure and a quieter setting, Draco did much better and has been using that same cot successfully throughout the rest of the day.
Pupdate: 9/30/2025
Draco went to the mall today for the first time! While he was a little nervous, he remained pretty polite throughout the outing. He had enough excitement that his Heel wasn’t perfectly steady, but he didn’t pull too much or try to break position very much, which is a big win for him in such a new environment. Interestingly, the most nervous he got was actually outside in the promenade area, especially near the fountains where the sound and movement of the water caught his attention. Once we went inside, there were more people and distractions, but he seemed less concerned compared to how he felt around the water. Overall, this was a very positive day for Draco, and he handled his first mall experience well!
Pupdate: 10/1/2025
Draco had another good outing back at the mall today! He came in a little more confident this time, and I noticed he was choosing to stick with me more often instead of getting caught up in all the distractions around us. His focus is improving, and it was great to see him check in with me more consistently throughout the session.
We also revisited the fountains that made him uneasy before. While he still wasn’t completely sure about them, he handled it much better this time and stayed composed. Spending a little extra time around them seemed to help him build confidence. Overall, Draco did really well and continues to make steady progress with each visit.
Pupdate: 10/2/2025
Draco and I explored downtown Alhambra today, which was a little more challenging for him compared to some of our other outings. There were plenty of sights, sounds, and activity to take in, and a few times his nerves showed. Even so, it usually wasn’t too hard to get him back into a more excited and confident mindset.
Draco’s excitement is also when he’s most likely to get overly playful and a bit mouthy. To help him with this, I make sure to stand up straight, stop praising or playing, and wait calmly until he settles down before we continue. He’s been learning a lot from this process and showing improvement each day. Overall, he did a nice job today handling a tougher environment, and I’m happy with the progress he’s making.
Pupdate: 10/3/2025
Draco had a slower but still very fun day at the park today! We focused on tightening up his commands, making sure he stayed sharp and consistent. With a few light e-collar reminders to keep him on task, Draco was polite and responsive, performing well throughout our session.
After his time at the park, he came home and enjoyed a well-earned nap on his place cot, showing how nicely he can settle after working. Once he was rested, we continued reinforcing his home manners, making sure he stays just as polite indoors as he does outside. All in all, it was a steady, productive day for Draco filled with both fun and progress.
Pupdate: 10/4/2025
Draco and I went back to the mall today, this time during a much busier period — and he absolutely rose to the challenge! Despite the heavier crowds and increased noise, he carried himself with great confidence. Aside from a couple of moments where he wanted to break into play mode, he stayed focused and responsive throughout our session.
It was clear he was enjoying himself today, which was great to see. His nerves didn’t seem to get the best of him at any point, and his overall demeanor was calm and happy. Command-wise, he nailed each one, and his Heel showed huge improvement. He maintained position beautifully with very few reminders, staying right where he should be without drifting ahead.
All in all, today was probably Draco’s best day with me so far. His confidence, responsiveness, and connection were all right where I’d hope they’d be — and it truly felt like we both enjoyed our time together!
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