Emmy | Cavapoo | Santa Monica, CA. | In Training.
- heatheroffleashsoc
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 4 hours ago
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!
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