Emmy | Cavapoo | Santa Monica, CA. | In Training.
Updated: Jul 16
This sweet little lady is Emmy, a 7-month-old Cavapoo from Santa Monica, CA, who has just joined us for our Two Week Urban Board and Train Program!
Emmy has been described as a true little love bug with plenty of the typical puppy behaviors that come along with her age, including some separation anxiety and selective listening. Add in a touch of uncertainty when it comes to new people and places, and it’s safe to say Miss Emmy is ready for some guidance to help her navigate the world with more confidence.
Over the next two weeks, we will be working closely with Emmy on her basic obedience, house manners, and building a stronger foundation of communication between her and her handlers. Our goal is to help Emmy gain confidence, learn how to make better choices, and understand that listening can be both rewarding and fun!
We are so excited to get started with this sweet girl and watch her personality shine as she learns and grows throughout her training journey. Stay tuned for Emmy’s transformation!
7/3/2026
Today was Emmy’s first day with me, so we kept things simple by starting with an introductory walk through the park. This gave us a chance to get better acquainted while also allowing me to assess what she may already know. I quickly discovered that Emmy definitely knows how to sit—she just doesn’t quite understand doing it on command yet, so that’s something we’ll be working on throughout her program.
When we first got started, Emmy was understandably nervous about both me and her new surroundings. She spent a lot of time trying to walk behind me and would occasionally sit in protest, hoping I’d scoop her up instead. Rather than giving in, I gently encouraged her to keep moving forward. Before long, she began to relax and even started walking nicely at my side.
We also introduced her sit command by applying gentle leash guidance behind her ears. At first, she responded by trying to jump up into my arms again, but once she realized that wasn’t an option, she offered a nice sit. We celebrated that success with plenty of praise and affection, which she absolutely loved and responded to very well.
After our walk, we loaded up in the car and headed to my house so Emmy could begin exploring her home away from home for the next two weeks. She wasn’t thrilled about getting into her travel crate at first, but once she was inside, she settled down nicely and stayed quiet for the entire ride.
Once we arrived, I gave Emmy plenty of time to explore both inside and outside until she felt comfortable. She definitely wanted me by her side every step of the way, which is completely understandable with everything being so new. While she’s still unsure about the crate itself, she was able to settle once inside, and I’m confident that with a little time and consistency she’ll continue becoming more comfortable.
Overall, Emmy handled her first day very well. New environments can be overwhelming, but she showed me that she’s willing to work through her nerves, and that’s a wonderful place to start. I’m excited to watch her confidence grow over the next two weeks and can’t wait to see how much progress we make together!
7/4/2026
Happy Fourth of July!
Today Emmy and I kept things close to home as we continued building on the progress we started yesterday. We also added two new commands to her growing skill set: down and come to sit!
Emmy started today’s session still feeling a bit unsure about me and the leash pressure, so we began with a nice walk around the neighborhood. As expected, she frequently tried to stop behind me and sit in protest of continuing the walk, but with some gentle encouragement I was able to get her moving again.
Once she got going, she did well! However, whenever a car drove by or another person came near, she would often revert back to stopping and sitting. Each time, I calmly encouraged her to keep moving forward, and little by little this became easier for her.
I certainly don’t blame her for feeling uneasy. She’s just a little lady, and the world is still so big and new to her. During these moments it’s important that we encourage the behaviors we want to see and avoid giving in by picking her up, even though that’s exactly what she’d prefer. Building confidence comes from helping her work through these situations, and she took some nice steps in that direction today.
When it came time to practice commands, Emmy’s first instinct was to jump up into my arms. Once she realized that wasn’t an option, she happily sat and received lots of love before we moved on to learning something new.
We introduced down using gentle leash guidance paired with a treat to help guide her into position. At first she didn’t understand what I was asking and was not very happy with me for a moment, but as soon as she figured it out she was showered with praise and affection. After a few repetitions she began to understand the concept, although she’s still a little pouty about it—which is completely normal! I’m confident that once she settles into her new routine, that attitude will fade.
We also introduced come to sit, where Emmy walks around my right side and finishes sitting neatly on my left. I can already tell this one will take a little extra time, as she’s still adjusting to leash pressure, but that’s perfectly okay. With patience, consistency, and practice she’ll get there. Emmy is a smart little girl, and she’s already learning so much.
After our training session, I let her relax for a while before taking her back outside for another walk. This outing wasn’t focused on commands as much as it was helping her burn off some extra energy in hopes that she’ll be nice and tired when the fireworks begin tonight.
I’ve also created a cozy little spot for her to spend the evening, complete with calming music to help muffle some of the noise from outside.
As for crate training, Emmy definitely had something to say about sleeping in her crate for the first night! She spent a little while trying to negotiate whether she really had to stay in there all night. The whining and barking came in short waves, but after a while she realized I wasn’t giving in to her protests and settled down beautifully. Smart girl!
Overall, Emmy is learning so much already, and I’m very proud of the progress she’s making. As her confidence continues to grow and those first-day nerves begin to fade, I think we’re going to see her blossom even more.
Lastly, we hope you enjoy today’s festivities if you’re celebrating. Have a fun, safe, and Happy Fourth of July!
7/5/2026
Today Emmy and I headed out to Home Depot to continue building on her progress with her commands around distractions. We also introduced a brand-new command today: place! While the store wasn’t especially busy, there was still plenty of noise from forklifts and all the other sounds that come with a trip to Home Depot, making it a great opportunity to expose Emmy to new experiences.
When we first arrived, Emmy was feeling pretty nervous. She would stop during our walk and even jump up at me, hoping I’d pick her up instead of asking her to continue forward. Because of that, our first objective was simply encouraging her to keep moving. With a little patience and encouragement, she began walking nicely at my side and eventually made her way confidently through the entire store!
Once she had settled in, we got to work on her commands. At first, holding her extended sit and down was difficult. Anytime a loud noise caught her off guard, she would pop up and try to scurry away. Each time, we calmly reset and tried again. As the session went on, she became much more comfortable and found it easier to remain in position despite the distractions around her.
Next, we introduced the place command by asking Emmy to hop up onto a stack of boards. She was definitely hesitant at first and offered quite a bit of resistance, but after a few patient resets, she found her courage and hopped right up! Once she was on top, I asked her to lie down, and she did a wonderful job.
Her come to sit is already looking very nice, too! She’s catching on quickly and is beginning to understand exactly where she should finish the command.
Overall, Emmy made some wonderful progress today. Although she started our outing feeling nervous, she left with a little more confidence than she arrived with, and that’s exactly what we’re hoping to build with each new experience. We love seeing this brave little girl continue to grow. Keep it up, Emmy!
7/6/2026
Today’s outing took Emmy and me to a park in Rosemead, where we met up with some fellow trainers and their pups to continue building on her training around real-world distractions. When we first arrived, Emmy was very excited to meet all of the new dogs! After allowing her a few calm introductions, we got to work.
At the beginning of our session, Emmy tried to fall back into her familiar “I don’t want to heel, please pick me up” routine. Since we’ve been steadily introducing leash pressure over the past several days, today we decided to try a new training tool: a prong collar. Because leash pressure is still a relatively new concept for Emmy, she initially wasn’t very fond of it and made it clear she’d rather not participate. We took things slowly and gave her time to understand what was being asked. Before long, she realized the pressure was simply information rather than something to worry about, and she relaxed considerably. Once she understood that, she settled into a much nicer heel position and walked calmly at my side for the remainder of our session.
With so many exciting things happening around us, Emmy found her extended sit, down, and place commands a bit more challenging today. Holding position while other dogs, people, and trainers were nearby required a lot of self-control! After a few reminders, however, she began to understand exactly what we were asking and did a wonderful job staying put. One of my favorite moments from today was watching Emmy comfortably share a place exercise alongside another pup on a place cot. It was such a sweet moment and a great example of her growing confidence around other dogs while remaining focused on her job.
Overall, Emmy continues to learn something new every day and is making steady progress. She’s becoming more confident with leash communication, more reliable with her commands, and more comfortable working around distractions. I’m proud of the effort she put in today, and I look forward to seeing her confidence continue to grow!
7/7/2026
Today’s adventure took Emmy and me out to Santa Monica, where we met up with another trainer to continue building on her commands around distractions. During our outing, I had the other trainer take Emmy for a spin practicing everything she’s been learning. This is an important part of her training because it helps her understand that no matter who is holding the leash, that person is the one giving direction. Emmy definitely has a habit of thinking she’s the one calling the shots, and she loves to play the role of, “I’m just a baby, I don’t know anything,” whenever she meets someone new. While she is still a baby, she’s also an incredibly smart one, which is exactly why holding her accountable is so important.
Despite trying to test the waters a little, Emmy did a fantastic job with her commands today. The only hiccup she had was popping up from one of her down commands a single time before quickly getting back on track. Considering she’s only been in my care for a few days, the progress she’s making has been outstanding. Of course, being the little smarty pants that she is, she still likes to test the boundaries every now and then, almost as if she’s asking, “Do I really have to?” The answer is always yes!
Overall, Emmy had another great day, and I couldn’t be prouder of this sweet little lady. She continues to gain confidence, learn quickly, and show just how much potential she has. I’m excited to keep building on everything she’s accomplished so far!
7/8/2026
Today Emmy and I headed out to Home Depot to continue practicing her commands around real-world distractions, and she did a fantastic job! We saw some significant improvement with her heel command today. Instead of trying to trail behind me, Emmy spent much more time walking right at my side where she belongs. It’s been so rewarding to watch her confidence grow and see everything starting to come together.
We also spent some time working on her place command by asking her to hop onto a variety of different objects. Emmy wasn’t entirely convinced that she was physically capable of jumping onto them and gave me a few looks that seemed to say, “I’m just a tiny baby… that’s way too high!” But after a couple of brave running starts, she realized she was more than capable, hopped right up, and happily held her down position. It was a wonderful confidence-building moment for her.
Her extended sit and down commands were no trouble at all today, and she did a great job remaining patient until released. She also navigated through the busy store very nicely, taking all the sights, sounds, and people in stride while staying engaged with me.
All in all, Miss Emmy is making wonderful progress. She’s becoming more confident, more focused, and more willing to take on new challenges every day. I’m so proud of this little smarty pants, and I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next!
7/9/2026
Today Emmy and I headed back out to Century City Mall to continue building on the progress we’ve been making with all of her commands, and she did a wonderful job!
Of course, she’s still a little lady navigating a great big world, so she was a bit nervous about her surroundings and occasionally tried to scurry away as we heeled through the mall. That’s completely understandable, and her confidence will continue to grow with more practice and exposure to new environments.
Emmy did an excellent job with her extended sit and down commands, patiently holding each position until she was told otherwise. Her come to sit is also looking lovely! I have been pleasantly surprised by how quickly she picked up the motion for this command, and she’s showing a great understanding of what’s being asked of her.
We also worked on her place command, which needed a little extra encouragement today. Emmy was still convinced that hopping onto different surfaces just wasn’t her thing. Instead of jumping up, she’d place her two front paws on the object and then look back at me as if to say, “You’re going to help me the rest of the way, right?” Unfortunately for her, I’ve already seen her launch herself onto the couch with plenty of enthusiasm, so I knew she was more than capable!
Rather than giving her a lift, we took as many running starts as she needed until she realized she could do it all by herself. The moment she finally hopped up, we celebrated with lots of praise and excitement so she could understand what an awesome accomplishment she had just made.
We’ll continue showing Emmy just how capable she really is as our training progresses. Today she put forth a fantastic effort, worked through her uncertainty, and kept trying even when things felt a little challenging. I couldn’t be prouder of the progress she’s making. Way to go, Emmy!
7/10/2026
Today we took a trip out to Santa Monica to continue building on Emmy’s progress with her commands around real-world distractions, and she did a wonderful job!
Emmy also got to help me with another pup in my care today, a Corgi named Millie who isn’t very comfortable around other dogs. Emmy was the perfect little helper for this exercise. Since she’s such a sweet, gentle girl and isn’t overly energetic, she made an excellent training partner. All that was asked of the girls was to simply walk near one another and calmly exist in each other’s space. Emmy did a fantastic job respecting Millie’s boundaries whenever she needed a little extra room, showing wonderful manners and self-control.
Throughout our outing, Emmy continued to perform her commands very nicely. There were a couple of loud noises from the street that startled her, and she let me know she’d much rather be picked up. Instead, I asked her to sit and rewarded her with some calm praise and a few quick pets when she did. She gave me a little tail wag, took a deep breath, and we carried on with our heel work as if to say, “Okay, I’ve got this!” Moments like these are such great confidence builders and help Emmy learn that she can work through things that feel a little scary.
Overall, Emmy is doing an excellent job! While she’s still a bit timid with the big world around her, she’s becoming more confident with each new outing and continues to make wonderful progress. I am so proud of this brave little bean and all the hard work she’s putting in every day. Keep it up, Emmy! 💕
7/11/2026
Today, Emmy and I headed out to Century City Mall to continue building on her progress with her commands around distractions. Today’s outing brought a bit of a new challenge for her, as there was a larger crowd than she has experienced while in my care. The mall was hosting a FIFA viewing event, which brought in a lot of people and added a whole new level of excitement and stimulation to the environment.
With the increased activity around us, Emmy was understandably a little nervous, and that made holding her extended commands more difficult at times. However, we continued forward as we always do and treated it like business as usual. Anytime Emmy broke a command, we calmly redirected her back into position and reminded her that she was safe, that she could trust the process, and that she did not need to rush back to me when things around her felt overwhelming.
After some time working through it, Emmy began to settle in and was able to hold her positions much better, which was wonderful to see. We also had a little more difficulty with her place command due to all the excitement and distractions around us, so we took our time and calmly worked through it just as we have during our previous outings.
While the beginning of the session may have been a little rocky, the most important part was that Emmy was able to work through it and make progress. Not every experience has to be perfect, especially when we are introducing new environments and challenges. What matters is that she learns she can overcome them.
By the end of our trip, Emmy left the mall feeling just a little more confident than when she arrived, and I truly admire her bravery and willingness to work through new experiences with me. She definitely earned some extra love and praise for today’s outing!
All in all, Emmy continues to make great progress, and I’m very proud of the confidence she is building along the way.
7/12/2026
Today Emmy and I headed back out to Century City Mall to continue practicing her commands around distractions, and she did a wonderful job! Our main focus today was her place command, as she still occasionally struggles with the confidence to jump up onto unfamiliar surfaces. With each new object, Emmy needed a few running starts before gathering the courage to give it a try. Once she committed, we made sure to celebrate each success so she could understand that everything was perfectly safe and that she had made a great choice! By the end of our visit, she was hopping up onto different surfaces with confidence and hardly any hesitation at all. It was such a joy to watch her confidence grow throughout the session!
The rest of her commands are also coming along nicely. Emmy has a great understanding of what is being asked of her, though she still likes to test whether she really has to remain in her extended sit and down commands from time to time. This is completely normal and simply her checking to see if the expectations have changed. With each repetition, she’s becoming more consistent and is settling into those expectations beautifully.
Her come to sit is looking fantastic, and her heel has made tremendous progress as well. No more trailing behind me—Miss Emmy is now confidently walking right beside me, just as she should. Way to go, Emmy!
All in all, Emmy continues to make wonderful progress. She is also becoming quite the little professional when it comes to posing alongside her fellow board and train pups during our adventures! I am so proud of this sweet little lady and all the effort she’s putting into building her confidence. Keep up the amazing work, brave girl!
7/13/2026
Today Emmy and I headed out to a park in Rosemead to meet up with some fellow trainers and their pups, where we continued building on her progress with commands around distractions. Emmy showed up in such a lovely mood today! She was full of wiggles from the moment we arrived and was quite the little love bug. I received lots of kisses on the nose, and every time I would gesture for her to lay down, she’d try to sneak in a kiss on my hand first. It was absolutely adorable!
Seeing Emmy so happy and engaged was especially rewarding because, when we first started working together, she would get a bit pouty during training. She didn’t quite understand why there was suddenly leash pressure or why she was being asked to learn all of these new things. Thanks to all of the confidence-building we’ve been doing together, it seems she’s decided that training isn’t such a scary or frustrating experience after all. Watching that shift in her attitude has been truly wonderful. Emmy is still the same sweet, sensitive girl, so keeping our sessions upbeat and encouraging continues to be the key to her success.
Of course, with all that happiness came a little bit of silliness, and that’s perfectly okay! We simply stayed patient and calmly worked through anything that needed a reminder. During one extended sit, Emmy briefly popped up as I stepped forward, but almost immediately planted that little bottom right back on the ground all by herself. I made sure to praise her for making such a great decision. Moments like that are incredibly encouraging because they show just how well she understands her commands and is beginning to think through them on her own.
Even with other dogs and people nearby, Emmy did a fantastic job staying focused on me and her work.
Overall, she handled today’s outing with grace, confidence, and, of course, that constantly wiggling little tush of hers. You just have to love a little love bug like Emmy! We can’t wait to show you more of her progress tomorrow!
7/14/2026
Today Emmy and I headed back out to the mall to continue working on her commands around distractions. There was another FIFA event going on today, which meant plenty of people, noise, and excitement to use as real-world training opportunities.
Miss Emmy showed up wiggly, happy, and ready to get to work! She absolutely blew me away with her place command today. Every surface I asked her to hop onto, she did without a moment of hesitation. What a brave little lady! Her confidence has been growing so much over the past several days, and it has been incredibly rewarding to watch that progress unfold in real time.
Her extended commands were fantastic as well. Emmy patiently held her positions until I gave her cue to come to sit, and her recall was excellent throughout our outing. She continues to show a great understanding of what is being asked of her.
During heel, she only needed a couple of reminders. With the larger crowds, it was understandable that she felt a little nervous at times—she’s still just a little lady navigating a big, busy world! With a bit of extra guidance and reassurance, she settled right back in and did a wonderful job staying with me.
Overall, Emmy continues to show a wonderful understanding of all of her commands, and I’m so proud of the bravery and confidence she displayed today. After all of her hard work, she enjoyed some extra snuggles, a few tasty snacks, and some well-deserved relaxation in the air conditioning once we got back home. Great job today, Miss Emmy!
7/15/2026
Emmy and I kept things close to home today and focused on fine-tuning her house manners. She has been making wonderful progress with all of her commands, so today was the perfect opportunity to strengthen the everyday skills that help make life at home easier and more enjoyable. We’ve been practicing these daily, including her off-leash recall, door manners, car manners, and food manners, and I’m so proud of how far she’s come!
For her off-leash recall, the goal is simply for Emmy to come whenever she’s called while out in the yard. This one came together very naturally for her. Once she fully understood her “come to sit” command, her recall became a piece of cake! She’s become very reliable about turning her attention back to me and happily coming when called.
We also spent time practicing her door manners. This means Emmy waits patiently at the doorway before going in or out of the house until she’s invited through. The ultimate goal is for her to remain in position even if I walk past her and briefly out of sight. At first she couldn’t quite understand why she wasn’t allowed to follow me everywhere, but after plenty of repetition and consistency, she’s really started to understand the expectation. She now waits much more calmly and confidently for her release.
Next came her car manners. Emmy’s job is to sit patiently while I get everything ready before loading into the car only when she’s asked to. Since our little bean is on the smaller side, I introduced her to using a ramp so she could climb into the car independently. The ramp was definitely the biggest challenge, as it made her a little nervous at first. With lots of encouragement, patience, a little leash guidance, and plenty of praise, she found the confidence to conquer it like the brave little girl she is! Once she realized the ramp wasn’t so scary, loading up became easy for her.
We also worked on food manners. Emmy’s job is to sit patiently while I prepare and place her food bowl down, and even after it’s sitting right in front of her, she must continue waiting until I give her the cue, “okay,” before eating. I intentionally use “okay” instead of “break” because “break” has become her cue to come celebrate with me after a job well done, and keeping those cues separate helps avoid confusion. At first, this exercise wasn’t Emmy’s favorite, especially since she’s already been a bit finicky about mealtimes. She couldn’t quite understand why her food was right there but she wasn’t allowed to eat it yet. It took a few repetitions and some encouragement, but she caught on quickly. By the end of our session, she was patiently waiting for her release cue, even when I briefly stepped out of sight!
We also continued working on another important house rule while spending time in the yard—not chewing on things that don’t belong in her mouth, like plants. Anytime I noticed Emmy investigating something she shouldn’t, I simply gave her the “off” command. She would immediately redirect her attention and move away from whatever had caught her interest. Does that mean she’s still a little cheeky about testing the boundaries every now and then? Absolutely! She’s still a puppy after all. But she’s an incredibly smart little girl who learns boundaries very quickly, and with consistency and supervision, I have no doubt she’ll continue making great choices.
Overall, Emmy continues to impress me with her progress in every aspect of her training. Beyond learning new skills, it’s been so rewarding to watch her silly personality shine brighter every day. She’s becoming more confident, more trusting, and more willing to take on new challenges, which is exactly what we’ve been working toward over the past couple of weeks. I couldn’t be more proud of this sweet little bean, and I can’t wait to show you everything she’s learned!
7/16/2026
Today Emmy and I took one last big trip out to Santa Monica to fine tune her commands around real-world distractions, and she did a wonderful job! We practiced her place command on a variety of different surfaces, and she didn’t hesitate for a second to hop right up. What a brave little bean! It was such a joy to see how much her confidence has grown.
Her extended commands looked wonderful today as well. Emmy was very patient while waiting for her release cues, showing great self-control even with so much going on around us. Her heel command has come a long way too—not once did she try to lag behind me, and she stayed nicely at my side throughout our outing. Her come to sit command is also looking fantastic. Watching this once-shy little lady confidently show off everything she’s learned was incredibly rewarding.
In just two short weeks, Emmy has made tremendous progress, and I couldn’t be more proud of her. Of course, she still has the occasional silly puppy moment and needs a gentle reminder here and there, but that’s completely normal—she’s still just a pup after all!
Those little moments only add to her charm.
I have truly enjoyed watching Emmy’s transformation unfold during her stay. She quickly won the hearts of not only me but several of the other trainers I work with. She has that special little love bug personality that’s impossible not to adore.
Overall, Emmy handled her board and train program beautifully, and the amount of progress we were able to make together has been outstanding. Lastly, I would like to take a moment to sincerely thank you for trusting me to care for your sweet girl and for allowing me to be a part of her journey in obedience. My hope is that I have been able to provide both you and Emmy with the tools and foundation to continue building on her success so you can go forth and enjoy many wonderful adventures together.
Emmy is truly the sweetest girl, and I am going to miss her terribly. Thank you again for allowing me to spend these past two weeks with such a special little lady. It has been an absolute pleasure.
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