Fitz | Mini Goldendoodle | Santa Monica, CA | In-Training
- meganoffleashsocal
- Apr 6
- 40 min read
Updated: Apr 28
Meet Fitz, a four-month-old Mini Goldendoodle from Santa Monica, California! This sweet and playful pup is here with us for our Three Week Puppy Board and Train Program, where we will work on teaching him basic obedience and manners, as well as provide potty training. He doesn't have much knowledge of basic commands yet, and has a short attention span which causes him to be easily distracted. Fitz comes to us with some undesirable behaviors that are common with puppies, such as barking for attention, eating things off the ground, pulling on the leash, jumping up on people, play biting, and having potty accidents indoors. Over the next twenty-one days, we will be working on improving his obedience, discipline, and manners to set him on the right path to becoming a well-behaved puppy. Stay tuned for his transformation!
Pupdate 4/6/2025
Today Fitz and I spent the day bonding and getting to know each other at the park after he was dropped off with me. He was a bit unsure of what to think when he realized he was left with me and did seem a bit anxious about being away from his family at first, though he quickly warmed up to me and we became fast friends! However once the initial excitement of meeting me wore off, he was generally more interested in exploring the area and investigating everything around us rather than focusing on me.
While at the park, I tested his current knowledge of commands to get an idea of where his starting point is and what areas may need some extra focus going forward. I asked him for basic commands, including Come, Heel, Sit, Down, and Place. He would sometimes Come to me when called with enough excitement to motivate him, but it often took several asks before he responded, and once he got to me he was quick to either jump on me or wander back off again. When asked to Heel, he didn't seem to recognize the command at all and was almost always at the end of the leash attempting to walk wherever he wanted to go. He also liked darting off in random directions or trying to run towards things he found interesting. He seemed to possibly understand Sit, however he was very inconsistent about following through with it. On the rare occasion he did Sit, he would almost always stand back up and start walking away after a second or two and wasn't able to stay still for very long. He wasn't able to perform Down on command, and didn't seem to understand what was being asked of him. I also asked him to Place on some low, easy to reach objects, but he didn't seem to understand what was being asked of him and seemed to lack the confidence to attempt any jumps even with plenty of encouragement. He didn't seem to have any understanding of leash pressure either, and would often ignore or try to pull against the leash when pressure was applied, so this is another area that will need some work in the near future!
After our time at the park, it was time to head home and get him settled into my home. He wasn't able to jump into the car on his own, but was comfortable with being picked up and placed into the car. He wasn't quite sure what to think of the kennel in the car, but he went inside easily enough with some gentle guidance. He did whine for the first few minutes of the ride home, but he settled down eventually and was quiet the rest of the way. Anytime Fitz is to ride in a car with me, he will be secured in a kennel for his utmost safety. He will also be in a kennel at home during nighttime or any other time he is unsupervised. This may be a useful tool in his potty training journey as well, as pups are instinctually discouraged from going potty inside their sleeping area. We will be working to ensure he sees the kennel as a safe and relaxing space so that he develops a positive association with it during his stay with me. Upon arriving home, he had some time to explore around and become familiar with his new environment. When I offered him some food, he jumped on me a lot and was very impatient, so we will definitely be working to improve his Food Manners! Later, we went out for a walk around my neighborhood to let him go potty and become familiar with the area. When exiting the house to start our walk, Fitz kept trying to run out the door as soon as it was opened, so we will also be working to improve his Door Manners to make sure he can respect the boundary a doorway creates, as this will help keep him safe. During the walk, he went potty a few times in some grassy areas, for which he was heavily rewarded to encourage the good behavior! Starting tomorrow, will be taking walks around the neighborhood multiple times daily to work on potty training and obedience training alike, alongside our other outings. Overall he seems to be settling in nicely, and we are so excited to begin this training journey together!
Pupdate 4/7/2025
Today Fitz and I visited a park, where we met up with some other OffLeash SoCal trainers and their pups! This provided a great opportunity to practice some training in close proximity to other dogs and people in a controlled environment. Fitz was pretty excited when we first arrived and wanted to say hello to and play with everyone and everything he saw. He also tended to vocalize frequently, and was prone to whining and barking at the other dogs. With time however, he eventually came to understand that the other dogs and people were all focused on their own training, which helped set a good example for Fitz to follow! He was still pretty wiggly whenever a person or dog moved around or got close to him, though he gradually became more neutral about this the longer we spent here, as it became a normal occurrence and thus helped him become more desensitized to it. During training today, we focused on two aspects: introducing leash pressure, and encouraging him to settle down around distractions by introducing the Off command.
Pressure is a fundamental tool used in teaching basic obedience commands. The idea is that whenever leash pressure is applied, it is paired with a command. The pressure then remains present until Fitz follows the pressure and performs the behavior or command being asked of him. The moment he follows through, the pressure immediately turns off and a reward is given. Yesterday, whenever the leash was used to apply pressure, he would firmly resist it, try to pull in the opposite direction, and made no attempt to turn the pressure off, so it was clear he didn't quite understand the concept of leash pressure just yet. We spent a good amount of time focusing on teaching him what leash pressure means, and how to turn off the pressure once it's applied. We practiced some simple exercises by applying leash pressure, encouraging him to follow it, and rewarding him when he did! He learned that trying to resist it was not successful or rewarding, and that simply following the directional pressure and paying attention to what I was asking of him was very simple and rewarding! After a while of practicing with this, he did much better and began showing a good understanding of leash pressure!
Fitz is often easily distracted, as he tends to focus on his surroundings even when asked to perform commands. Moments like this are a great opportunity to implement the Off command. The goal for the Off command is for Fitz to stop whatever he is doing, and focus on his handler. This is a very versatile command, similar to "no" or "leave it", and can be used in various situations, such as to interrupt fixation on distractions, barking, jumping on people, eating or sniffing things he's not supposed to, or any other behaviors that are undesirable or inappropriate at that time. He is a young pup who tends to act without thinking more often than not, so this command will be great in improving his overall impulse control! The verbal Off command when paired with leash pressure allows us to interrupt the behavior and help him to refocus so that he is in a better mindset to listen for upcoming instructions. Once the Off command is given, it's beneficial to immediately follow it with another command such as Sit, Come, Heel, etc. Once he stops whatever behavior he was doing, asking him to set his focus on a task will help keep his attention away from what initially distracted him or caused the undesirable behavior. Fitz has shown good progress in understanding the Off command so far, and with each repetition, he seemed to be quicker to respond and refocus when prompted.
Pupdate 4/8/2025
Today Fitz and I visited a local park, where we trained around distractions. The park wasn't overly busy, but did have a variety of distractions including people, children, dogs, and small animals such as birds and squirrels. Fitz was pretty excited when we first arrived, though managed to settle down and maintain a decent level of focus with help of the Off command. During training today, we focused on introducing two new commands, Come to Sit and Heel!
Come to Sit is an important command to begin practicing early on in Fitz's training journey, as it will be our main form of recall. The goal for Come to Sit is for Fitz to come directly to me when called, and circle around to perform a Sit on my left side. The Come to Sit command when performed in its entirety, ensures that he not only comes when called, but also requires him to sit beside his handler and not leave that spot unless released or given a new command. By having him Sit on the left side facing forward, we are setting him up for success to begin walking in a Heel, as he is already in the desired position for it. We introduced Come to Sit today by combining the verbal command "Come" with some other visual cues to grab his attention and encourage him to move towards me. If he failed to begin coming to me on the first ask, leash pressure was added to provide clear communication and guidance. Once he approached me, he was guided around to my left side, where he was then asked to perform a Sit. As we practiced more, he began to rely a bit less on the leash pressure to grab his attention and guide him, which is a good sign of progress! With each successful repetition, I made sure to reward him with lots of praise and affection, to build up a positive association with the command and coming to me when called. He'll need some more work with this command before he is consistent with it, though for his first day with this command, he did a good job!
Heel is another important concept for Fitz to begin developing early on in his training, as he tends to pull on the leash and veer off in different directions when walking. While he is small now, the older and bigger he gets, the more of an issue this will become as he's already quite strong for his size! The goal for the Heel command is for Fitz to be able to follow directly alongside me on my left side, and maintain that position while walking unless released or given a new command. This precise positioning takes a lot of practice to master, but it will effectively allow his handler to take the lead on walks instead of him trying to pull them around wherever he pleases. To introduce this command, I kept the leash short but loose, and ensured he stayed on my left side in roughly the Heel position as we walked. If he began to veer off, pull ahead, or otherwise create tension on the leash, he was given some guidance with the leash and the verbal command "Heel" command was given until he returned to the desired position. During Heel, his sole focus should be following his handler's lead, and as such he needs to remain neutral to and ignore his environment, which will definitely take some practice to accomplish. He sometimes struggled to ignore distractions around us, but he eventually began to grasp the concept, stopped trying to pull around as much, and instead learned to follow my lead. When walking in the correct Heel position, the leash was loose, no pressure was applied, and lots of praise and rewards were given to create value in this position. As he gets better with this command, he will have an easier time staying in the Heel position without as much guidance needed, and will need to be given reminders less frequently. Overall he did a good job today and seemed to catch on pretty quickly, though more work will need to be done before he can Heel reliably, especially around distractions.
On another note, Fitz's potty training is coming along nicely and he has had no potty accidents indoors. Now that he has been here for a couple of days, he is beginning to adjust to the routine we are establishing. We have been taking him out to potty every couple of hours throughout the day to create good habits, and monitoring him closely to avoid any potty accidents. His impulse control has begun to improve a bit, and he is beginning to show more signs before giving in to the urge to potty the moment he feels the need to. If he begins to pace around, sniff the ground, or begin whining for seemingly no other reason, these are signs to watch for that he needs to potty, and to take him out quickly. By interrupting him before he has an accident, taking him outside to an appropriate area, and rewarding him when he goes there instead, we are helping him learn where he should and shouldn't potty.
Pupdate 4/9/2025
Today Fitz and I spent the day working in various areas around my neighborhood. My neighborhood tends to be pretty quiet overall, though some common distractions are often present including people out for walks, other dogs, and the occasional bird or squirrel. Lawns, trees, bushes, and other foliage also served as a good distraction, as Fitz's love for exploring scents was a good challenge to work with during training. During today's training, we focused on introducing the Place and Down commands.
The goal for the Place command is for Fitz to jump or climb onto a designated object, such as a bench, a bed, or another object with defined borders, and hold a stationary command while remaining on the Place object until released or given a new command. We introduced this command at home using a familiar object, a dog cot. He is comfortable climbing onto and relaxing on the cot in his own time, so this was a good object to use and help set him up for success. We used some leash pressure to guide him onto the cot while giving the verbal Place cue, which he quickly picked up on. After a few repetitions, he quickly began to understand what was being asked of him and was able to Place with minimal to no leash pressure. Around the neighborhood, we practiced Place with various other objects such as tree stumps, rocks, low walls, and other suitable objects we encountered. He did well with this overall, and while he was sometimes a bit hesitant with new objects, just a bit of motivation and encouragement helped build his confidence and willingness to Place on cue. We will continue practicing this command with different objects in a variety of environments to improve Fitz's skills with this command!
The other command introduced to Fitz today is the Down command. The goal for the Down command is for Fitz to lay down completely when asked, and remain in that position until released or given a new command. To begin working on this command, we used leash pressure and physical guidance to guide Fitz into the Down position while the verbal command was given. Occasional food motivators were also useful in luring, rewarding, and building a positive association with the position. He caught onto this command pretty quickly, and was able to perform it both indoors and around the neighborhood without much trouble. If something caught his attention, he would tend to break the command, but this is something we will be working to improve over time. We kept the duration for this command pretty short today with lots of breaks and praise, as this helps make the training fun and rewarding. As we continue to practice this we will continue increasing the duration gradually so he can learn to remain in this position for extended periods of time. We will also continue adding in more distractions so he can eventually be reliable with the command in any situation or environment.
Pupdate 4/10/2025
Today Fitz and I visited an outdoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The mall had a decent amount of distractions present, including small groups of people, other dogs, food, music, and birds. There was also a busy street nearby, which added some additional noise distractions such as car honks and loud engines.
When we first arrived here, Fitz seemed to have some hesitation about the tile floor throughout the mall area. He seemed to be a bit unsure of his footing while on this smooth texture, and was underconfident about walking on it. We ended up needing to spend some time easing him into the idea of stepping on it, and gradually building his confidence about it through positive reinforcement. It took a few minutes, but eventually he was able to walk on it without seeming to be worried about it anymore! Fitz tended to get a bit distracted by other surroundings we encountered at the mall, though the Off command was effective in helping to grab his attention and bring his focus back to training.
Once Fitz's concern about the tile floor had passed, he was able to perform Heel with pretty good reliability! He would sometimes lag behind slightly as we walked or veer off a bit towards distractions he found interesting, though with just a light tap with the leash he was able to correct himself and return to the Heel position. He was generally good with his Come to Sit command and his recall was pretty consistent, though he often needed a good amount of guidance to help him position himself correctly for the Sit, as he would often try to Sit way behind me instead of beside me. He was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place each without too much issue. One focus of today's session was practicing some slightly longer durations for his stationary commands while being near distractions, and encouraging him to remain in position until released of given a new command. To update on Fitz's potty training, he is still doing well overall! He did have one small urine accident indoors today while I had turned my back on him for a moment to prepare his dinner, though this is just a reminder that at this stage in his life keeping an extremely close eye on him is crucial for his success! While his impulse control is steadily improving, it is still drastically low compared to an adult dog, so when he feels the need to go, he is generally quick to relieve himself without much warning. Typically, he will feel the need to urinate around ten times a day, so frequent potty breaks and close monitoring have been important throughout the daytime, especially if he is out of the kennel and indoors. His impulse control while in the kennel seems to be in stark contrast to when he is outside of it, as while in the kennel he appears to make a conscious effort to hold it and communicate that he needs to go. Thus far, he hasn't had any accidents while inside of his kennel.
Pupdate 4/11/2025
Today Fitz and I visited an indoor mall, where we continued to practice each of his commands around distractions. The mall was pretty busy, and had some crowds of people, other dogs, food, and music to serve as distractions.
This location had slick tile floors similar to the mall we visited yesterday. While Fitz had struggled initially yesterday, he seemed to recall the training we had done with this, and today he confidently walked on this surface with zero hesitation! The busy environment however did take some getting used to, as Fitz was pretty easily distracted by all the sights and sounds. Despite his attention drifting frequently, he was however quick to refocus when prompted and was able to perform his commands with good reliability!
Fitz was able to Heel with pretty consistent reliability! He understood to follow my lead and match my pace as we walked around the mall. Even as we passed by various distractions, he generally was pretty good about not drifting off or trying to approach things that caught his attention. Every now and then he would start to fall out of position slightly, though with a quick reminder, he was able to reposition himself with very minimal guidance needed. His Come to Sit was pretty good too, and he always understood to come right to me when recalled. He would sometimes get a bit too excited and jump on me once he got to me, though we used the Off command to discourage this and guided him around the maneuver as usual. He was able to perform Sit and Down with good reliability, and his average duration of about thirty seconds was impressive today considering the amount of distractions around challenging his focus. He did sometimes struggle to hold his Sit, though this seemed purely due to the floor being a bit slippery under his fluffy paws, and he would tend to slide into the Down unless he periodically adjusted himself to maintain his Sit. Fitz was able to Place pretty well, though there were only a handful of objects he was easily able to jump onto. Lower objects he had no trouble with, though objects that required a bigger jump to get onto he would sometimes need a bit of a running start and some extra encouragement to boost his confidence, though he always gave it his best effort which was of course rewarded!
Pupdate 4/12/2025
Today Fitz and I visited a park, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The park was quite busy throughout our visit, and had lots of distractions present including people, children, ball games, and lots of other dogs. The grassy fields and the various scents contained within also served as a good distraction during training.
Fitz was quite excited when we first arrived, and had a hard time staying focused due this. He often wanted to run around and play in the grass, try to chase balls being thrown, and would also sometimes bark at other dogs. By using the Off command when needed and consistently holding him accountable for his commands, he eventually seemed to settle down. With time, he understood that he needed to maintain a more calm demeanor during training so that he could follow his commands properly. We still of course made plenty of time for play and fun times, and by reserving this playtime only for breaks, he came to see it as a reward and understood to save these bursts of energy for appropriate moments. We did some practice of switching back and forth between play mode and work mode, to help him better understand the difference between these two situations and develop a sort of "off switch" to his excitement when needed.
Fitz's Heel needed some extra attention when we first arrived as he was prone to veering off and other mistakes such as stopping to sniff or stare at things around us. After some more practice however, he became more neutral to his surroundings and had an easier time staying focused on his position beside me. His Come to Sit was pretty good overall, though we did need to continue working on finding the right level of excitement to use when recalling him, because if I offered too low energy he would sometimes ignore the command, and if I was too high energy then he was prone to jumping on me and running around as if mistaking the command for a break. Fitz was able to Sit, Down, and Place each with pretty good reliability. He would sometimes need some guidance for Down, though he was able to perform it on the first try without guidance sometimes as well. He would sometimes break his Sit to enter a Down, though this happened more so towards the end of the session when he began to feel a bit tired.
Fitz's potty training has been going great! He has had no accidents since the last update, and seems to be getting the hang of the routine we have set. While it does seem to be happening less commonly, there were still a few times when he would begin preparing to potty inside and would need to be interrupted and taken outside before he had an accident. Though generally he has been much better about communicating to me that he needs to go, and displaying better impulse control when the urge arises, which is great to see! Fitz also got a quick bath today, as his little paws and belly have been quite the dirt magnet and were looking a bit dingy. He didn't love the bath, and at first seemed intent on trying to bite the water like it was a monster out to get him, though by being patient and rewarding any calm behavior he offered, he did seem to get over it and let me clean him up without too much fuss.
Pupdate 4/13/2025
Today Fitz and I spent some time training at a local shopping strip, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. This location had a variety of distractions present, including groups of people, lots of other dogs, and loud noises such as car engines, honks, and sirens from the busy street nearby.
Since this location is close to my neighborhood, we took a couple of different trips here today. During one of the sessions, we brought along Hugo, a Standard Poodle who is also staying with us for a board and train program. Fitz absolutely adores Hugo, and in their free time they love to goof off and play together, so having him around during training was a good distraction to test his focus with! While having Hugo around was definitely a major distraction for Fitz, he still ended up doing a good job overall. Fitz just needed a bit of extra reinforcement to ensure he stayed calm and didn't get too riled up when Hugo was around. If he did begin to get excited and lose focus, the Off command was used to bring his focus back to training and communicate that playtime was not appropriate at that moment, and he was held accountable for the command given to him. They of course had their time to be their silly selves during break times, though it's important for Fitz to be able to distinguish when playtime is allowed versus when he needs to settle and maintain focus. Thankfully, Hugo's more mature mindset and understanding of this concept helped set a good example for Fitz to follow!
Overall, Fitz did a great job with his commands today, and was able to perform each of them with good reliability and consistency. Despite the busy and noisy environment and the various types of distractions present around us, Fitz generally had an easy time staying neutral to our surroundings. He was able to Heel very well, even when moving past major distractions such as groups of people. When Hugo was with us, he would sometimes try to veer off to be closer to him, though by reminding him of the command consistently and discouraging this, he understood this would not mean he would get to play and had an easier time Heeling near him the more we practiced. His Come to Sit was really impressive today, and he experienced no issues with this command. His Sit, Down, and Place commands were all great too, and we spent some extra time focusing on improving his duration by asking him to hold it for longer periods of time. He was successfully able to hold his positions for about a minute with relative ease, and sometimes for even longer. We also stopped by a restaurant patio for a quick bite to eat, which was a great way to apply this skill in a real life situation where he would need to stay still for an extended period of time. While he was sometimes a bit wiggly due to Hugo being close by, and he did try to break his Down one time to attempt to play with him, he learned it was unsuccessful and he was then able to calmly lay beside him for several minutes after that point until it was time to head out.
Pupdate 4/14/2025
Today Fitz and I visited a busy park, where there were tons of people, dogs, strollers, bikes, toys, and other distractions around! We are officially past the one week mark into Fitz's board and train program, meaning we are a third of the way through already! This busy location was a great place to put his skills to the test in a highly distracting environment.
Fitz was pretty excited when we first arrived, which is understandable given the amount of interesting surroundings present. He was however also a bit cautious and slightly nervous around some of the distractions we encountered, such as strollers passing by us or dogs barking in the near distance. When a stroller moved past us, Fitz would tend to freeze up or try to move away from it, even if it meant breaking commands like Heel or a Sit in order to do so. We ended up spending some time seeking out people walking with strollers and practicing working around them so that he could become more familiar with them and less wary of their presence. It took some time, but eventually Fitz seemed to overcome his hesitations and was more curious rather than fearful, which is good progress! There was also someone controlling a small toy RC car around the park, and there were a few dogs playing with it by chasing and barking at it. Fitz didn't seem to pay much mind to the toy car, though he was quite concerned about the dogs barking, and the noise spooked him a bit. I worked to reassure him through this moment, and he quickly settled back down once the noise got far enough into the distance. Whenever we heard a dog barking after this point, I focused on encouraging him to focus on me and provided him with lots of praise and rewards. This helps to build a more positive association with the sound, and continues to teach him that focusing on his handler is always the most rewarding option for him, even when there are big distractions present.
Even with all the distractions, Fitz ended up doing very well with his Heel and almost always was right beside me, offering me his focus and engagement as we walked together. If he began to fall out of position for any reason, he was always quick to return to the Heel, sometimes even catching his mistake on his own and correcting himself! His Come to Sit was also good, and he was always eager to come running to me anytime I called him. He also did well with his stationary positions of Sit, Down, and Place, and did a pretty good job holding his positions despite the busy surroundings. He did sometimes get impatient or bored, and break commands after some time had passed, though he seemed to understand not to break these positions to approach distractions that excited him, which is a great display of his growing impulse control!
Fitz's potty training is also going very well, and he has had no accidents since the last update.
Pupdate 4/15/2025
Today Fitz and I trained along a shopping strip, where we continued working on each of his commands around distractions. This location had a variety of distractions, including other dogs, people, strollers, food, and noises from the nearby street.
The narrow sidewalks of this location often put us in close proximity to various distractions, which added an additional challenge to Fitz's focus during training. Overall, Fitz did a good job staying focused while people moved around us, and didn't seem too interested in random people passing by. Occasionally, someone would baby talk towards him in passing and he would look at them happily, but he understood not to break commands to approach them or otherwise get overexcited about the interaction. Fitz also did well about staying neutral to most of the dogs we encountered. Some of the dogs were playful and excited to be walking past Fitz, which did tend to prompt him to have the same feelings, though despite the temptation he understood to follow instructions regardless. There was one dog that was on the other side of the street barking at Fitz, and this did seem to concern him a bit as he stopped in place to stare at the dog, though with a reminder of Off he was able to snap out of it and continue on his merry way without further issue. We also had some strollers pass by us in close proximity while training here, and while Fitz did seem a bit wary of the first one we encountered, he seemed to become more neutral towards each one we encountered after that!
He did an impressive job with his Heel today, and happily trotted alongside me as we walked around the sidewalks and even into some pet friendly stores! He understood not to stray too far from me, and seemed focused on maintaining his position even when passing by distractions. His Come to Sit was reliable, and he didn't have any notable issues with the command today. Fitz's stationary commands were also great today, and he had no trouble performing them. He did a particularly good job with jumping onto some high objects such as benches that are a bit taller than he is used to. It took a bit of a running start, though he was able to successfully make the jump and seemed very proud of himself for doing so!
Pupdate 4/16/2025
Today Fitz and I visited a local park, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The park was quite busy, and had lots of distractions to train around, including people, children, other dogs, birds, squirrels, skateboards, strollers, scooters, and toys! The grassy fields and all their interesting scents were also a good distraction to work with during our visit here.
Fitz was as usual pretty excitable while we were here, especially when we first arrived as the new environment added to his eagerness to explore. Once he had a chance to investigate around a bit and get a feel for what the park had to offer, he began having an easier time focusing as the environment became less exciting to him. There were a few distractions that would tend to get his attention, though overall he did a great job staying neutral to our surroundings and performing his commands around them! He was able to perform each of his commands with good reliability. Naturally there is still lots of room for improvement, though Fitz's progress is coming along very nicely for where he is at in his program, so we are super proud of him!
Potty training is also going very well with Fitz, and once again, we are happy to report no indoor accidents! He seems to be fully understanding the expectations set for him while we are in my home, and that potty is not to be done while inside. He is beginning to have the urge to potty less frequently as well, which does make this process much easier as the number of times he needs to go out is becoming more reasonable for his age. When he first came to me, he would need to be interrupted nearly a dozen times a day as he was prone to impulsively trying to potty very often while inside. This has begun to improve drastically over the past few days, and now he seems to only need to potty around four to five times a day, spaced several hours in between. He's also much better about communicating when he needs to go, and waiting patiently until taken outside instead of trying to find a spot indoors to do his business. Fitz has also been doing great about going potty outdoors on cue, and whenever I tell him to "go potty!" he seems to understand what is being asked of him and will promptly begin searching for a good spot to do so at.
Pupdate 4/17/2025
Today Fitz and I visited an outdoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions! The mall was pretty busy, and had some crowds of people, other dogs, music, and food to serve as distractions. There were also lots of strollers, carts, and other large rolling items like this which offered other challenging distractions to work around.
Fitz was definitely excited about this location, and he was initially quite prone to being distracted and a tad overwhelmed due to the busy surroundings. When first making our way into the mall it was clear that it was a bit too much for Fitz in that moment, so before venturing further into the busiest areas, we first spent some time warming him up to training and giving him some time to adjust in a quieter area by the parking lot. This gave him a chance to observe his surroundings in a more manageable way, and ease him into the environment to set him up for success. He gradually became more focused on me and more neutral to the various distractions passing around us, and we worked our way into the mall at a pace he was comfortable with. By doing this, by the time we fully entered the mall again Fitz was focused, on task, and much calmer. This allowed him to have good success with his training, and he ended up doing a fantastic job with all of his commands!
During our visit at the mall, Fitz was a very popular pup! Lots of people stopped to admire him, watch us train, and some even approached us and asked to say hello to him! This created some great opportunities to practice Fitz's Greeting Manners. The goal for Greeting Manners is for Fitz to remain calm, collected, and polite while greeting people in any environment, whether it's with someone he knows or if it's someone new. Fitz came to us with a habit of interacting with people by jumping all over them and even play biting at their limbs or clothing, which even with his friendly intentions, is a dangerous behavior as he could accidentally injure someone! As such, this is an important area of his training and is something we have been working on whenever the opportunity arises, whether it be at home with me or my guests, or out in public with new people. To help Fitz learn the desired manners, we first have him perform and hold Sit or Down, as this gives him a task to focus on and discourages him from breaking the position or displaying impolite behaviors. If he tries to jump up, nip, or get over-excited, any affection being given abruptly ends, the Off command is given, and he is immediately asked to settle back into position. Even if he simply stands up from his position, the greeting needs to immediately pause until he returns to it again. When having a new person greet Fitz, it's important to inform them of his training and the expectations set for him, that way they can help reinforce the training appropriately and not accidentally set him back by encouraging poor behaviors. Staying consistent with these manners is key to his success, as he will come to understand that jumping on people, trying to play bite, or breaking commands are not rewarding behaviors, and will only delay or prevent him from getting what he wants, which is to say hello to people and get attention from them!
Fitz has made great progress with his Greeting Manners so far, though there's still lots of work to be done! He seems to understand that he needs to try to stay still and be calm, though the excitement of saying hello to people sometimes gets the best of him. He is generally much better about not jumping on or mouthing people which is fantastic, though holding his positions can be tricky for him since he can get pretty bouncy and wiggly! Instructing the person who wishes to greet him that they need to stay calm themselves, despite his overwhelming cuteness, is important. If the person greeting him is very high energy, talks excitedly to him, or pets him rapidly, it does not lend well to his success. However, if the person is more calm, casual, and relaxed during the greeting, Fitz tends to do much better at relaying this energy back and achieving success with the greeting goals set for him.
Pupdate 4/18/2025
Today Fitz and I did our usual training around my neighborhood during his morning and evening walks, and we also spent some extra time focusing on his house manners. We will be showcasing his Door Manners in today's pupdate!
The goal of Door Manners is for Fitz to hold a stationary position while near a door and remain there until released or given a new command, such as Come or Heel. He is asked to hold the position at the location asked of him, and not break the command even if the door is left open, if someone is knocking on it, or if people walk in or out of it. This practice teaches important boundaries and the importance of thresholds, and prevents impolite and possibly dangerous behaviors, such as trying to escape through open doors, shoving through people's legs when walking through doors, or rushing over to jump on or bark at people who enter through the door. Since Fitz loves to be near his people, one of the bigger challenges in this training for him is his clingy nature causing him to want to follow me if I exit through the door without him. It has taken a lot of practice and there's still work to be done in terms of his duration and overall reliability, but he's now at the point where he can wait in the position asked of him for a good period of time, even if I leave his sight and exit through the door. We've also been working to desensitize him to the sound of the door knocking, as this is something that would often cause him to go into a bit of a barking fit during the early stages of his training. The Off command has been useful in helping him to understand when enough is enough, and to settle back down quietly after hearing a knock at the door.
Pupdate 4/19/2025
Today Fitz and I visited the Santa Monica Pier! The warm, sunny weather combined with it being the weekend meant this location was at an all-time level of busy. The pier offered a large variety of distracting surroundings, including massive crowds of people, loud music, other dogs, food, and flocks of birds.
Understandably, this was going to be a challenging environment for Fitz, so we took our approach to this location step by step to give him time to warm up and acclimate to the surroundings. We did manage to find an area on the pier that was not so crowded, which offered a great place to start the session at. We practiced doing simple training exercises with each of his commands, and celebrating every bit of success as usual, which encouraged him to focus and engage with me despite the distractions in the near distance. When he was ready, we gradually worked our way closer and closer to the main area of the pier, where the distraction levels were very elevated, and continued to work on his training in small sessions that were easily digestible for him. We made sure to take frequent breaks from being in the very busy areas, which helped to give him some time to decompress and absorb the information and skills being developed while training here.
While his focus did naturally bounce between me and the distractions given how much there was going on, he did an impressively good job with redirecting his attention back to me when prompted. Despite all the distractions vying for his focus, he still managed to do a great job with his commands overall! He did understandably need a few more reminders here and there, along with additional guidance from the leash at times, though this is to be expected when working in a challenging environment such as this. All this exposure to various stimuli did help to desensitize him to the chaos a bit, and by the end of the session Fitz was actually quite neutral to most of the distractions around, which is a great sign of his improving socialization and ability to adapt.
Pupdate 4/20/2025
Today Fitz and I visited a busy park, where we practiced all of his commands around lots of distractions. There were many families gathered here celebrating the Easter holiday. There were plenty of people and other dogs around, along with some unique distractions such as barbeques, piñatas, bouncy houses, and more!
Fitz was definitely very excited to be here, especially when we first arrived. All the festivities, noises, smells, and movements around the park pulled at his focus, though he did a good job disengaging and settling back down when prompted. There were some Easter egg hunts going on too, which Fitz thought was the best thing ever- as every now and then we would come across a little plastic egg in the grass that he thought was a toy just for him! While it was cute to see him so excited about the eggs, he wasn't exactly an invited participant in this game, so we made sure to use the Off command to prompt him to leave them alone and not try to play with them! As time went on, he came more neutral to everything around us, and had an easier time engaging with and focusing on me and his training. He ended up doing a good job with his commands overall, and even got a few compliments from people about how well behaved he is!
Fitz's potty training continues to go smoothly, without any indoor accidents. We're on a pretty good schedule now, going out for potty breaks every five hours or so during the day, and he sleeps eight hours overnight without any middle-of-the-night potty breaks needed. While we've been having good success lately, it's not without effort, as he still does need constant supervision while indoors to prevent any accidents from happening. While he is generally pretty good about holding it and communicating to me that he needs to go, there are times when he thinks I am not paying attention to him, and he will start sniffing around or displaying other "about to potty" behaviors, though he stops this as soon as he realizes that I am in fact watching him.
Pupdate 4/21/2025
Fitz and I visited a park today, where we met up with some other OffLeash SoCal trainers and their pups! The other dogs and their trainers provided a great distraction to work around, along with other types of distractions such as birds, squirrels, and grassy fields. The ground also had lots of confetti strings and other debris, seemingly left behind by an Easter celebration yesterday, so this ground clutter was a good distraction as well.
For the first portion of our visit here, Fitz was pretty excitable and distracted. He wanted to say hello to and play with everyone, and got a bit frustrated when prevented from doing so. He would sometimes playfully bark at the dogs or whine at the trainers because he wanted their attention. However, after some time passed of being around them, he came to understand that these behaviors would not get him the attention he was seeking, and he became less prone to them. When he was calm, the other trainers practiced greeting Fitz, which he was a bit wiggly during, but overall did well with as he was not nearly as overexcited as when he first arrived. Fitz was also pretty distracted by the confetti and such on the ground, and seemed tempted to try to play with it, pick it up, or chase after it when it blew around from the breeze. This was a great distraction to work on his impulse control with, and further improve his reliability with the Off command.
Fitz did a good job with his commands overall today, and once his initial excitement of this environment wore off, he did a pretty good job staying focused on me too! He did naturally get distracted from time to time, though he was effectively able to refocus and follow commands when asked to. Since we had other trainers around who were willing to help with his training, we also had some great opportunities to practice his handler transferability. It's important that Fitz be able to listen to and perform commands for people other than myself, as I will not always be around to be his handler in the future once he goes home to his family. He seemed happy to work with the other trainers and did follow their instructions for the most part, though he did seem to have a bit of anxiety about being separate from me. Whenever he was walked away from me or if I stepped out of his sight, he would tend to fixate on where I was and lose focus with his current handler. Though once he spent some time working with a specific trainer and got to see how fun they could also be, he did seem to be less concerned about me being away from him and had an easier time focusing on them.
Pupdate 4/22/2025
Today Fitz and I took a trip to an outdoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The mall was quite busy, and had lots of people, other dogs, strollers, and music to serve as distractions.
Overall Fitz did a good job with his commands! He was a bit excited when we first arrived as usual, though after making a lap around the mall and giving him a chance to experience what the location had to offer, he seemed to settle into a more focused mindset. He seemed content with sticking close and following my lead as we walked around in a Heel, and he engaged with me regularly by offering me his eye contact, which he was rewarded for as always! His Come to Sit was consistent, and he always understood to come right to me anytime he was called. He also did a good job with his stationary commands of Sit, Down, and Place, and was even able to remain in them for a decent period of time despite the nearby distractions. He did break his commands from time to time if he got bored or distracted, though with a reminder he understood his mistake and was quick to return back to it.
Fitz's potty training continues to go very well, and he continues to have no accidents indoors! His ability to go potty on command also helped with today's session, as we were able to find a patch of grass to have him potty at before entering the mall area, where he successfully went potty at when prompted. This helped to provide the reassurance and peace of mind that he wouldn't have any accidents while in the mall, as even though it is an outdoor area, potty would not have been appropriate there.
Pupdate 4/23/2025
Today Fitz and I worked on all of his commands around distractions, working in various areas around my neighborhood and along local shopping strips. We also spent some more time focusing on his house manners, and today we will be featuring his Food Manners video!
The goal for Food Manners is for Fitz to be able to hold a stationary command while his food is prepared and set in front of him. He is then asked to remain in that position until he is released before he can get up and eat his food. Fitz tends to get very excited about his food, and in the earlier stages of his training, he was prone to barking, crying, play biting at me, running around, and jumping all over me when anticipating food. He would also try to rush to the food bowl the moment it was set down, even if it meant trying to shove me out of the way to get to it! With daily practice, we have been working to help him replace these poor habits, and teach him to be more polite and patient even when faced with very tempting distractions such as food directly in front of him! As he progressed in his overall obedience and impulse control, he has been replacing his bad habits, and is now understanding to be polite and patient even when faced with very tempting distractions such as food directly in front of him!
We've also continued applying his other learned skills to help improve other areas of his house manners, such as establishing what is and isn't okay to chew on or play with, and emphasizing the difference between quiet time and play time. Whenever Fitz grabs a hold of or tries to play with something he's not supposed to, say a shoe, a leash, or the corner of the couch, the Off command is used to immediately interrupt him, and he is then redirected to an encouraged behavior, such as by asking him to Place on a dog bed and giving him a teething stick to satisfy his teething desires. Doing this consistently teaches him what behaviors are rewarding versus what are not, and encourages him to make better choices based on his past experiences making different decisions. When he is never able to successfully enjoy a mischievous behavior, he becomes less and less likely to attempt it, and will more readily make better choices on his own accord. If he is left unsupervised and is able to make a poor choice and have fun while doing so, it will set his progress back and make these habits harder to get rid of. As such, ensuring he is constantly supervised is a key element to this aspect of his development.
Fitz also tends to be very excited and playful, and while he does get lots of playtime along with mental and physical enrichment each day, it's also important for him to learn the life skill of being able to settle and practice the art of doing nothing. Naturally, to set him up for success with this, it helps to ensure he is sufficiently exercised so we can focus on creating good habits without any excess energy bustling around in him. We have been working to establish quiet times throughout the day and especially in the evening after our long day of training, where he is encouraged to relax, self-entertain, and get some rest. The kennel has been an important aspect of this as well, and thankfully, Fitz has grown to love the kennel! He is at the point now where he enters it immediately when prompted, and understands to settle down quietly and enjoy his alone time peacefully. I will often leave the kennel door open for him during our free time at home, and he regularly chooses this area as his place to relax in, even with other options available throughout my home, which is a great sign of the positive association he has developed with it and the comfort he feels while inside of it!
Pupdate 4/24/2025
Today Fitz and I took another trip over to the Santa Monica Pier! The pier was not as busy today as it was last time, though it still had a large amount of distractions to offer, including crowds of people, loud music, other dogs, food, and flocks of birds. We were able to capture some great footage of Fitz performing his commands here today, so be sure to check out today's video for a sneak peek of what will be seen in his transformation video!
Fitz seemed to remember the time we spent training here once before, and also seemed to appreciate the fact that the crowds were less dense this time around. Throughout our visit, Fitz maintained an upbeat, happy, and positive mindset, and it seemed like he really enjoyed our time here! With the distraction levels being more manageable, Fitz was able to do an excellent job staying focused, and overall he did a fantastic job staying neutral to his surroundings. Naturally he got a bit distracted from time to time, though he was always able to center himself and offer me his focus, which was super impressive!
Fitz did great with his Heel overall! He was able to walk past all sorts of distractions, all while sticking close to my left side and following my lead. Positioning errors were pretty rare with his Heel, and if he did begin to fall slightly out of position he was always quick to adjust himself when prompted, needing only minimal leash pressure to guide him. His Come to Sit was excellent, and he was always so happy to come bounding over to me whenever I called him, regardless of what distractions were around us. His stationary commands were all great as well, again with very few mistakes for majority of our visit. Once asked to hold a command, he understood to direct his focus onto doing so, and he always did his best to ignore distractions passing by, so as not to let them affect his obedience. Towards the end of our session he did begin to get a bit tired and would sometimes struggle to hold his Sit for extended periods of time as he would want to relax into a Down, though this is understandable! We made sure to take plenty of breaks throughout our visit, and when it was clear he was tired, we set him up for success by asking him to Down when staying still for extended periods, rather than trying to hold him to an unreasonable goal for Sit. Little adjustments and attention to details like this go a long way in fostering success and a positive association with training!
Pupdate 4/25/2025
Today Fitz and I visited a Petco, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The store had a variety of distractions around, including common distractions such as people and other dogs, as well as unique distractions such as shopping carts, small animals in enclosures, and the toy and treat aisles!
Fitz did a great job here overall, and showed an impressive level of focus and impulse control, even when faced with major distractions. He was able to work around other dogs and people in the narrow aisles without breaking positions, and was able to successfully train in close proximity tempting toys and treats all around him! Fitz was also quite a popular boy here, and had many people stopping to compliment his adorable looks and great obedience skills, which opened the door for some more greeting manners opportunities. He did well with this, and we made sure to set him up for success as always by explaining the expectations set for him when saying hello to people, and encouraging him to remain calm and polite.
Fitz's potty training is going well overall, though he does seem to be having a bout of an upset tummy, which has caused his stool to be on the soft side and requires him to need potty breaks more frequently than usual. Before coming to us, we were informed he tends to have this issue from time to time, so it shouldn't be anything to be concerned about, and will hopefully pass soon. I will continue giving him his probiotics and add some extra pumpkin to his meals. He hasn't had any indoor accidents due to this yet, though ensuring he is fully supervised is especially important to ensure his success continues!
Pupdate 4/26/2025
Today Fitz and I visited a Home Depot! This was a great location to continue practicing all of Fitz's commands around a variety of distractions. The store had some people and other dogs, along with some other unique distractions such as shopping carts, machines, and many new smells, sights, and sounds.
Fitz was excited to explore the new environment, and while he was a bit distracted initially, after just a few minutes he began to settle in and had an easier time staying focused. Once his new-location-wiggles had dispersed, he ended up being pretty neutral to most distractions we encountered. He was a bit unsure of the shopping carts and the big noisy machines that occasionally passed by, though with a bit of positive reinforcement and exposure training, he became less concerned about their presence. We also spent some time practicing some "shopping", where I would pick up or interact with products, bend down to read things, push a shopping cart, and act out other scenarios that mimic real-world situations. The only common issue he seemed to have with this practice was if I bent or kneeled down, he would sometimes assume I was about to give the break command. As such, we spent some time working to correct this and encouraging him to wait for the actual verbal cue to be given, rather than letting him jump to conclusions based off my body language.
Fitz's Heel was generally very good, and he understood to always stick close to me as we walked around the store. He was able to pass by distractions without veering off, though occasionally he would lower his nose to the ground to try to sniff spots he found interesting, which was discouraged by using Off and reminding him to Heel. His Come to Sit was reliable and consistent, and as always, he loved running over to me as soon as I called him. His stationary commands were each good as well! He would sometimes break commands momentarily when he had a lapse of focus or patience, though this was generally pretty rare and he was always quick to re-enter the position once reminded.
On another note, his upset stomach seems to be resolving. He needed fewer potty breaks, and his stool was much more typical.
Pupdate 4/27/2025
Yesterday marked the final day of Fitz's Three Week Board and Train Program, however we had the pleasure of spending one final day with Fitz for boarding! Since today is his last full day with me, we spent the day putting all of his learned skills to use and focused on having a fun, memorable day together!
Fitz has made such an amazing transformation in these past three weeks, and the differences in him are truly night and day! Before the program, he had a tendency to immediately become overexcited and overstimulated by everything around him, causing him to struggle to pay attention or follow instructions for what few commands he came to us with knowledge of, especially if he was in a distracting environment. He has since learned many new commands and skills, along with the ability to stay calm, focused, and neutral to his surroundings even in busy places. He has also replaced many poor habits with good manners, and by adding structure and consistency into his daily life he has come to understand how to make better choices. We have resolved many issues that once were common with him, such as leash pulling, jumping to greet, excessive barking, chewing on furniture, and having indoor potty accidents. While he may seem like a whole new dog, he is still the same silly, loving, and playful pup he always has been, and with his new obedience skills he is even more of a joy to be around and take with on all sorts of adventures! Fitz has been such a pleasure to train and share my home with, and I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to help this good boy become the best version of himself! The sky is the limit for this pup, and I know he has a very bright future ahead in his continued training journey with his family as he grows into adulthood!
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