Meet Gary! This nine-month-old German Shorthaired Pointer from Anaheim, California is here with us for our Two Week Board and Train Program. Gary is a friendly and very energetic pup, but he is very easily distracted by his surroundings and often struggles to maintain the focus needed to reliably listen to what is asked of him. He likes to use all of his might to pull heavily on the leash while walking, and loves to chase birds due to his high prey drive. Gary also is easily overexcited, and tries to jump on everyone he meets. He can be mischievous at home as well, and will frequently counter surf and try to escape through open doors. Over the next fourteen days, we will be working to improve his obedience, manners, and overall listening skills to set him on the right track to becoming a well-behaved pup both on and off leash! Stay tuned for his transformation!
Pupdate 5/26/2024
Today Gary and I spent the day bonding and getting to know each other after his pickup! We walked around and explored the park a bit, and I worked to develop a positive relationship with him to help him feel comfortable and happy training with me going forward. While he warmed up to me very quickly, overall he seemed to be much more interested in his surroundings and struggled to maintain focus for any period of time while we were at the park together. Whenever people were around he often tried to pull towards them or jump on them if they got close. He also tried to chase every bird he saw, and was very interested in smelling and taste testing everything he found on the ground. He would tend to fixate on distractions, and would have trouble shifting his attention away from things he found interesting. After taking some time to explore the park and assess his general behavior and personality, I began testing his knowledge of basic commands to help me get an idea of his starting point and what areas of his training may need some extra attention. Gary didn't seem to have any understanding of the Heel command, and regardless of leash pressure used or verbal commands given, he was determined to pull on the leash as hard as he could to get where he wanted to go. When using the long leash, he was almost always at the very end of the leash trying to explore around rather than staying close to me. He was also unable to perform a Sit or Down when asked, and didn't seem interested in listening to either command. He didn't seem to understand the Place command either, and was unwilling to climb or jump even onto low or easy to reach objects when prompted. His recall was generally unreliable too, though he did seem to have some concept of the command. When called he would often ignore his name, leash pressure, and the Come command completely, especially if he was focused on something else, which was almost always the case. Sometimes he would come my general direction when called, however he did not stick around for more than a moment or two before immediately rushing back off in a different direction. He doesn't appear to have any knowledge or understanding of leash pressure either, and consistently chose to pull against the directional pressure whenever it was applied using a standard flat collar and leash, or with a slip lead. After we'd spent some time together at the park getting to know each other, it was time to head home and get him settled in! Gary had some trouble jumping into my car, and he seemed to lack the confidence needed to make the jump needed to get up. He was eventually able to do it, but it took lots of encouragement and a bit of food to motivate him. He wasn't quite sure of the kennel either and initially hesitated when asked to go inside, but with a piece of his kibble he was easily lured inside. The goal for Car Manners is for Gary to jump into the car and enter the kennel without needing any physical assistance or food motivators, so we will continue working on this! At home, he quickly settled in and made himself at home! He sniffed around the room, played with some toys, and found a comfy spot to relax for a bit. Later, we went out for a walk around my neighborhood to help him become familiar with the area. We will be taking walks around my neighborhood daily, so getting him used to this environment will be good for him. When exiting the house to start our walk, Gary 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. At dinner time, he eagerly ate his food, although while getting his food ready he was jumping both on me and the counters a lot. When setting the food bowl down, he attempted to rush to it before it even reached the floor, so Food Manners are something we will definitely work on as well! Later, when asking Gary to enter the kennel he was unwilling to enter on his own but with some guidance and a food lure he was able to enter it. However, he doesn't seem to be the biggest fan of the kennel, and vocalized and cried loudly for over an hour until he finally settled down a bit, at which point his vocalizing became soft, whistle-like whines. Gary will be kenneled during nighttime or whenever he is otherwise unsupervised, as well as for car rides, so getting him comfortable with the kennel will be important. Once he was quiet, I let him out of the kennel, and we will be spending the rest of the evening building a positive association with the kennel so that hopefully he can sleep through the night comfortably. Overall Gary seems to be settling in well, and we are so excited to begin this training journey together!
Pupdate 5/27/2024
Today Gary and I spent the day working in various areas around my neighborhood. He was introduced to the concept of leash pressure and e-collar pressure, along with the Heel command. We began the day in a quiet, distraction-free area along my neighborhood streets to provide Gary the best opportunity to learn and focus as we begin his training journey. Later in the day the neighborhood got more busy with plenty of people and other dogs out on walks, which helped serve as distractions during our afternoon and evening sessions. He was a bit unfocused at first, but once he began to understand that training could be fun and rewarding for him, he began to pay closer attention to me and became more willing to learn and practice. We used some of his food as a reward occasionally throughout the process, as this really helped to motivate him and keep him in a good mood!
Pressure is a fundamental tool used in teaching basic obedience commands. The idea is that whenever pressure is applied, be it from a leash or an e-collar, it is paired with a command. The pressure then remains present until Gary follows the pressure and the command being given. 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. He also seemed to completely ignore pressure from a normal collar and a slip lead, so we practiced with a prong collar today which is a very helpful tool to both discourage pulling and help him develop a clear understanding of pressure. 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. 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! In order to properly introduce the e-collar, it's very helpful for Gary to first have a solid understanding of leash pressure, as leash pressure is the most simple form of pressure due to the clear directional guidance it provides. Once he understood the leash pressure, we began adding in a new form of pressure from the e-collar. By pairing these two forms of pressure simultaneously, he will come to understand that each pressure has the same meaning. With time and practice, this will allow the leash and e-collar to be used interchangeably, and eventually allow the opportunity to begin training with the e-collar only, without the need for a leash! Be sure to check out today's video for an in-depth e-collar tutorial!
The Heel command is an important concept for Gary to begin developing early on in his training, as his strong pulling while on the leash can pose dangers to his handler, himself, or others in the area if it is allowed to continue. The goal for the Heel command is for Gary to be able to follow directly alongside his handler on their left side at their heels, 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 reduce and eventually eliminate pulling on the leash or veering off in different directions, and 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 or pull ahead, leash and e-collar pressure were applied, and the verbal command Heel was given. He eventually began to grasp the concept, stopped trying to pull as much, and instead learned to follow the guidance of the leash. When walking in the correct Heel position, the leash was loose, no pressure was applied, and lots of praise and rewards were given to communicate that he was in the desired position. As he gets better with this command, he will have an easier time staying in the Heel position without as much guidance or pressure needed, and will need to be reminded less and less to return to position. For his first day, he seemed to catch on quickly and is making good progress!
On another note, Gary seems to be settling into my home well, however he seems to have forgotten his potty training a bit! He has had several urine accidents within the home, all which have occured less than an hour from when we were last outdoors with plenty of opportunities to go potty. It's unclear exactly what is causing this, whether it's when he's a bit too excited, nervous, or simply bored, as so far there doesn't seem to be much of a pattern to it. He also had an accident in his kennel overnight, despite having a potty break in the middle of the night. He was whining significantly so I took him out and he did go, but when I woke up again around three hours later I noticed he had urinated in his kennel sometime within that time period. He also seems to have a habit of marking with his urine as well, and while that's fine while outdoors as long as it doesn't interrupt his commands, doing it inside the house on walls or household objects definitely isn't a habit we want to encourage. We will be working on breaking these poor habits and giving him some refreshers on potty training to help solve the issue.
Pupdate 5/28/2024
Gary and I took a trip to a local park today, where we introduced the Off and Come to Sit commands, as well as continued to practice with his Heel. We found a relatively distraction-free area of the park, and began the training session there where Gary could have a good environment to focus and learn in. Once he was in a good mindset for training and began catching onto the new commands introduced, we began moving around to different areas of the park to practice around a slightly increased amount of distractions. There were some people and other dogs in the area which he mostly ignored, apart from one small dog who barked at him which caught his attention, causing him to bark back a few times. Gary also often found himself very distracted by interesting smells in the grass, and small animals in the area such as birds and squirrels.
Gary will often become hyper-fixated on distractions, which makes it difficult for him to regain his focus or listen to any instructions being given to him. Moments like this are a great opportunity to implement the Off command. The goal for the Off command is for Gary 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 hyper-fixation, jumping on people or counters, or any other behaviors that are undesirable or inappropriate at that time. The Off command when paired with leash and e-collar pressures allows me to quickly grab his attention and get him to focus on me 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, Heel, Come, etc. Once his focus is regained, asking him to then focus on a task will help keep his attention away from what initially distracted him or caused the undesirable behavior. Gary has shown great progress in understanding the Off command so far, and with each repetition, he seems to be quicker to respond and refocus when prompted!
Come to Sit is another important command to begin practicing early on in Gary's training journey, as it will be our main form of recall. Having a solid recall is important for any pup's obedience training, though this will be especially crucial for him to master if he is to be allowed off-leash. The goal for Come to Sit is for Gary to come directly to me when called, and circle around to perform a Sit on my left side. While Gary has some general understanding of the Come command already, he is largely unreliable and often chooses to ignore what is being asked of him, and is quick to run back off if he does come when called. 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 such as Heel. By having him sit on the left side facing forward, we are setting him up for success to begin walking in Heel as he is already in the desired position for it. We introduced this concept today by combining the verbal command with leash and e-collar pressure to grab his attention and guide him towards me. Once he followed the guidance and approached me, the leash was used to then guide him around to my left side, where he was then asked to perform a Sit. As we practiced more, he began to rely less on the leash pressure to grab his attention and guide him, which is a good sign of progress! He would sometimes sit slightly out of the desired position once he got to me, though for his first day, he did a great job overall! 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 seemed to struggle most with this command when practicing on the grass due to the distractions it caused. To update on Gary's potty issues, he did have another accident in the kennel overnight, this time with both urine and feces. He woke up in the middle of the night crying again, so we went out for a potty break which he did urinate for, though sometime between that break and morning time, he chose to go potty again inside of the kennel. So, we started the day with a bath, and he ended up being a very good boy for it which was good! We spent a lot of time outdoors today which meant he had fewer chances for potty accidents inside, but when we were inside we made frequent trips out to give him chances to go potty when needed. Thankfully, no other major accidents to report apart from his overnight kennel accident, however he did try to mark on my couch in the evening today, which the Off command was effective in interrupting.
Pupdate 5/29/2024
Today Gary and I began our training session at home, where we introduced two new commands, Place and Down. Once he made some progress with these commands, we took a walk to a local a park to continue his training for each command he has learned thus far. While at home Gary was able to show an increased level of focus, due to the environment's familiarity and low distraction levels. However, when at the park Gary was as usual very excited and energetic, which caused him to quickly lose focus at the sight of any distraction. We continued practicing with the Off command, to help improve his impulse control and ability to regain focus and ignore distractions when asked. He has shown some good progress with the Off command, however when he is very focused on something else he sometimes needs to be asked a few times before he snaps out of it and returns his attention to me. This was mainly noticed when encountering small animals at the park, such as birds and squirrels.
Since Gary is often very distracted and excited while in public, we first introduced the Place and Down commands while at home, where there are virtually no distractions to take his focus away from learning. The goal for the Place command is for Gary to be able to jump or climb onto an object, such as a bench, bed, or other platform, and hold a stationary position such as Sit or Down. We introduced Place using a comfortable dog cot that Gary is already familiar with climbing onto and relaxing on in his own time, which helped to promote confidence and learning. By using leash pressure paired with the verbal command and a hand signal, he was able to follow my guidance and Place onto the cot when asked. When asked to Sit on the cot, he had no issue doing so. After practicing with this for a while, he seemed to understand what was being asked of him. Using the comfortable place object again, we then introduced the Down command. Down can be a tricky position for some dogs to perform on command, especially for dogs who tend to become anxious or over-excited and struggle to relax. While on the cot, I used leash pressure and some physical guidance to help Gary into the Down position, and the moment he followed the guidance and laid all the way down, lots of praise and reward was given! He seemed to catch on to this pretty quickly, and soon was able to perform Down while on the cot with minimal physical guidance needed. We then practiced Down on the floor, to get him comfortable with performing the command on a different surface from the cot. While he did struggle with this at first, he was eventually able to lie down anywhere around my home that I asked him to, though he did sometimes need some physical guidance to help him follow through with the command.
Once he got the hang of both Place and Down while at home, we made a visit to a park to continue his training out in public where more distractions would be present. There were lots of suitable Place objects at this park, such as a variety of benches and other low platforms. Despite Gary's confidence with performing Place on the cot at home, he was a bit hesitant about attempting the jump onto any object at the park, and needed a lot of reassurance and guidance to direct him. With sufficient motivation, he was able to make the small jump needed to get onto a low bench we were practicing with, though he was a bit unsure of his footing and was hesitant to perform Sit or Down during the first several attempts. With some more practice, he eventually became a bit more comfortable with jumping onto the bench when asked, and only needed light leash pressure to show him where I wanted him to go. He also became more confident with performing a Sit while on Place, however he protested heavily against performing Down while on the place object, and needed consistent guidance to lower him into the position. We also practiced Down around some other areas of the park, such as on the grass, pathways, and other surfaces. He seemed most willing to perform Down while on the grass, but was stubborn about performing the command on harder surfaces like concrete. Wearing out some of his energy by playing in the grass and working on Heel and Come to Sit seemed to help him become a bit less hesitant about lying down overall. Thankfully Gary slept through the night last night without any whining or potty accidents! He went potty outside during our morning walk and after his breakfast, and several times while we were at the park. However within an hour of getting home from the park, he attempted to mark on the couch again. I interrupted this behavior the moment it began, and took him outside to let him empty his bladder again in an appropriate area. Later, around thirty minutes after our evening walk with several potty breaks included, he marked on the corner of a wall which was also interrupted.
Pupdate 5/30/2024
Today Gary and I visited the Santa Monica Pier! This was a great location to practice all of his commands around different kinds of distractions. The pier had an abundance of distractions, including crowds of people, other dogs, loud music, and lots of birds! Gary was definitely excited when we first arrived here, and needed some time to adjust to the busy environment. We spent some time walking along the pier, and as time passed he seemed to settle down a bit and have an easier time focusing on his training. The biggest distractions for him today seemed to be the birds we encountered, as there were lots of pigeons and seagulls that bravely strutted around the pier and reguarly caught his attention. The Off command was effective in keeping him from getting too distracted, though sometimes he needed to be asked a few times before his fixation was interrupted. We tried out a new leash today, which is a slip leash with a head halter. This provides some extra assistance with guiding where his head is facing, while also discouraging pulling. This was a good alternative to the prong collar, and helped keep him from spinning around to face distractions he was fascinated by, such as birds in the area. He responded well to the pressure from this leash, though he did sometimes try to paw at the head halter to get it off, and it took him some time to get used to the feeling of it being on him, though he did seem to get more comfortable with it over time. The goal is for Gary to not need a leash at all eventually, so we will be weaning him off the need for specialized leashes with time, but tools like this are a great way to teach commands and encourage learning in an effective way during these early stages of training. Gary overall did a good job with his Heel command, and while he did try to leave the position when distracted, some gentle guidance with the leash paired with the verbal cue and stimulation from the e-collar always helped to bring him back to the correct position. We spent a lot of time making various turns as we walked, to help promote engagement with me and focus on his positioning. Gary also did a good job with his Come to Sit, and was good about coming to me when called, even with plentiful distractions around. The leash we practiced with today was pretty short, but as we continue to work on this command we will gradually be increasing the distance between us during his recall. He often needed some leash pressure for the maneuver around to my left, but he seems to be catching onto the idea and was sometimes able to do it with very minimal guidance. Gary did pretty good with his Sit and Down commands today, though his duration was on the shorter end as he often wanted to break position before being released. Whenever this happened, he was asked to return to the position asked of him to hold him accountable and reinforce an implied stay. Gary was also able to down today with minimal to no physical assistance, which was great to see! He did an exceptional job with Place today, and was confident enough to jump onto a variety of different objects, even some that required a bit of a jump to get onto! Gary did not have any major accidents in the home last night or today, however at one point while training at the pier he did lift his leg and mark on my leg and shoes, which was interrupted and discouraged as we definitely don't want him marking on his handler! At home after returning from the pier and about an hour after our evening walk, he attempted to mark on the indoor doormat and on the side of his kennel, which were both interrupted. When taking him out for his last potty break before bed, he urinated a few times on some trees and bushes, but when walking back up to the door of my home and asking him to sit before I opened the door to enter, he marked on my outdoor door mat. I took him back over to the grass and trees, but he didn't seem interested in going again, and we were able to head back inside without any more incidents.
Pupdate 5/31/2024
Gary and I visited a local shopping strip today, where we continued practicing each of his commands around distractions. This location provided a variety of distractions to work around, such as people and dogs along the sidewalks and noises from the nearby street. Overall Gary was quite excited and distracted by his surroundings, though he was able to maintain focus more reliably today, and seemed to have an easier time ignoring distractions when asked with the Off command.
We focused on improving Gary's stationary commands today, and worked to improve his reliability with performing and remaining in each position. He did well with Sit and Place today, and seemed comfortable performing both commands with minimal to no leash pressure. He was also able to hold Sit for about one minute today, even while distractions were present, which shows great progress in his self-control and patience skills! We spent some extra time focusing on the Down position, as this is a command he sometimes struggles with. When in slightly quieter areas of the shopping strip, Gary seemed a bit more relaxed and willing to perform the command, and needed minimal to no leash pressure to guide him into the position. He was able to hold the position for about one minute consistently with minimal distractions, which is good! However when around increased distractions, such as if people or dogs were walking past or loud noises could be heard from nearby cars, Gary was less reliable with performing the command when asked, and was prone to breaking position more frequently, averaging about fifteen seconds before sitting or standing back up. Each time this happened, I consistently ensured he returned to position, and with each repetition he seemed to become less inclined to break position even if a distraction caught his attention.
While at the shopping strip, we also continued working on his Heel and Come to Sit, both of which he has improved a lot with over the past few days! Gary is developing a good idea of where he needs to be when the Heel command is given, and he can often correct his positioning with only minimal leash pressure needed. He is starting to pay more attention to the position of my legs, my hand signals, and the e-collar for guidance and communication. When in less distracting areas, Gary can remain in the Heel position with relative ease, only needing occasional reminders if he happens to step slightly out of position. When in places with a higher volume of distractions, he usually does quite well with Heel overall, but many more reminders are needed to help him stay focused and in position. Gary's Come to Sit has also seen a lot of improvement, and we have been working to improve his consistency with recall as well as his positioning for the Sit on my left side. Even when moderate distractions are present in the immediate surroundings, Gary seems to be pretty solid with always coming to me when recalled when the command is given, which is great! He is learning that coming when I call him will always be the best option, as it leads to a more rewarding and positive experience rather than trying to ignore the command, which will never be successful. Typically, he needs very minimal or no leash pressure needed at all to get his attention or guide him toward me, however he could use some more work on his positioning once he gets to me. Gary sometimes gets confused about the maneuver to my left side, and isn't sure where to Sit, so consistent leash pressure is often needed to guide him to where I want him before I ask for the Sit. When he is very focused, he's sometimes able to perform the command without this guidance, though his focus while around distractions will need to improve before he can consistently perform the command without guidance from the leash.
Gary went most of the day without any potty accidents or indoor marking, however he did have one in the evening, around thirty minutes after our last walk of the day. He had urinated a few times on the walk and marked several trees while on a break right before we went back inside. I was sitting down at my computer desk to begin writing this update, and Gary crawled under my desk and began urinating by my feet. I attempted to interrupt him verbally and with the e-collar, but he continued regardless so I grabbed his leash and quickly guided him to the door and outside, which he continued to urinate on the way out. Once getting out the door, he paused just long enough for us to get to the grass where he could finish urinating.
Pupdate 6/1/2024
Today Gary and I visited an outdoor mall, where we continued working on each of his commands around distractions. The mall had lots of distractions present, such as groups of people, many other dogs, and small children running around playing. Overall Gary did a good job maintaining focus today, especially while groups of people moved around us. If someone made noises at him or reached out while walking by he would sometimes become distracted, but was able to quickly refocus when prompted. We also walked around a patio area where people go to eat their food from the nearby restaurants, and Gary was tempted to search for fallen food on the floor that he could snatch up, so the Off command came in handy here to remind him to focus on his obedience. I also noticed that Gary tended to fixate on dogs more today than he has in previous days, and would often stare and whine when seeing them. His focus needed to be redirected away from them using the Off command almost every time one was within sight.
The focus for today's session was practicing all of Gary's commands using as minimal leash pressure as possible. By saving leash pressure only for when he truly needs it, we can encourage him to problem solve and follow commands using only verbal cues, hand signals, and the e-collar. This will help prepare him for his upcoming transition to training while off leash! Overall he did a great job with his Heel command, and was able to walk beside me in the correct position and follow my lead with very minimal leash guidance needed. Around ninety percent of the time we spent practicing Heel, the leash was completely loose and unused, though every now and then he needed a small tug to help him find the correct position if he was distracted by something. Gary did a solid job with his Come to Sit as well, even without leash pressure. He did a great job coming to me as soon as he was called, though every now and then he needed light pressure from the leash to guide him through the maneuver to my left. He sometimes sat slightly out of position, so when this happened he was encouraged to correct his positioning so that he learns exactly where the desired position for this command is. Gary did exceptional with his stationary commands while at the mall, and was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place anywhere asked of him. He was able to perform these commands with almost no leash pressure reliably. He sometimes needed to be reminded to hold his Sit today, as he seemed to want to slide into the Down position, so sometimes some leash pressure was needed to reinforce the Sit and prevent him from sliding.
While at the mall, there were lots of nice people who wanted to come say hello to Gary, which provided great opportunities to practice with his Greeting Manners. The goal for Greeting Manners is for Gary to remain calm, collected, and polite while saying hello to people. Greeting Manners are something we have been practicing organically throughout his program, both with people out in public and with myself or guests while at home. Before allowing someone to approach him, we first ask Gary to focus on holding a stationary command, such as Sit or Down, which helps to prevent over-excitement, jumping, or other impolite behaviors from occurring, as his focus is instead directed to holding the position. If he breaks position or begins behaving impolitely, he is immediately asked to refocus and return to the position asked of him. Before the greeting takes place, it's important to inform the person or people that Gary is in training, and that they can help him learn by only petting him when he is listening and calm. Giving him attention or praise when he is over-excited, jumping up, or otherwise behaving impolitely will result in those behaviors becoming encouraged, which would be detrimental to his progress! By ensuring all praise and affection are reserved strictly for when he is holding the position asked of him and behaving calmly, we can work to encourage this good behavior. Over time, Gary will come to understand that impolite behavior will not be rewarding for him, and that the only way to get what he wants and say hello to people is to listen and remain calm. He was able to greet many people today without trying to jump on anyone, but he was pretty wiggly and did often try to stand up out of the position asked of him. He also tried to playfully paw at a few people, which also caused the greeting to temporarily pause until he settled down again. After being greeted by several people today, he seemed to begin understanding the concept that holding his position and behaving politely was the best way to get the attention he wanted! With more consistent practice, Gary will continue to improve with this, and learn to replace his bad habits with good manners!
Gary has had no accidents as of yet today, which is great news! He has also not tried to mark anywhere in my home. We are continuing to make frequent potty breaks outside, as well as monitor his food and water intake to continue developing a good routine for him and reduce the chances of accidents occurring.
Pupdate 6/2/2024
Today Gary and I visited a Petco, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The store was relatively busy today, with plenty of people, other dogs, shopping carts, and other types of distractions around. There were also some distracting aisles around the store, such as the treat and toy aisles that served as a good test for Gary's focus. Overall he did a good job staying focused while in this location, and was able to redirect his focus back onto training when prompted with the Off command. Gary also got to say hello to a few customers and employees here, and while he was once again a bit wiggly during the greetings, he did not try to jump on anyone which was good to see! We continued working on his commands with as minimal leash pressure as possible. He did a great job with his Heel today, and was able to follow alongside me as we made our way around the store and past various distractions. We were even able to walk past other dogs without him becoming over excited, and he managed to remain neutral towards them and not let them distract him from his training. We also practiced Heel while I pushed a shopping cart around, which was a great way to test his abilities with a new kind of distraction involved. He was able to Heel alongside me with almost no leash pressure needed, with the leash only being needed during a few select moments during the session when he was especially distracted by something.
Gary also did a solid job with his Come to Sit command, and was able to perform recall and the maneuver for the command with very minimal to no leash pressure needed. The narrow aisles of the store also were helpful in reducing the amount of mistakes he could make in terms of his positioning as the resulting spatial pressure caused him to sit close to me when completing the command. Whenever he did make a minor mistake, he was often able to correct himself when prompted without any physical guidance needed. Gary did a good job with his stationary commands overall, and was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place all without any leash pressure anywhere he was asked to during our visit. Occasionally he needed reminders to remain in position, but he was consistently able to hold his positions for around a minute and thirty seconds, which is impressive considering his original duration for these commands! Gary went all of last night and the vast majority of today without any potty accidents. However tonight after a potty break around nine thirty pm and putting him to bed around ten o clock pm, he seemed to struggle to fall asleep and was whining a lot while in his kennel. For the past few nights, he's usually been quiet around this time so I let him out to see if he needed another potty break. The moment I let him out of his kennel to get his leash on, he began urinating in and around his kennel, so I quickly leashed him and guided him out the door. He urinated all the way out the door but stopped once we stepped fully outside. He then finished his urinating on a tree outside, then after the accident was cleaned up, he went back in his kennel and thus far has been sleeping soundly.
Pupdate 6/3/2024
Today Gary and I visited a park, where we met up with some other OffLeash SoCal trainers and their pups! This was a great opportunity to practice all of Gary's commands while in close proximity to other dog distractions. When first approaching Gary was very excited and was very eager to move closer to them. We ended up spending a few minutes warming up his commands while at a distance from the other dogs, until he calmed down a bit which allowed us to move closer without him becoming overexcited. After this point, we were able to work around the other dogs without any issue, and if Gary did become momentarily distracted by one of them the Off command was effective in helping him refocus. We started the session with the head halter slip lead to help him warm up to his commands, then we switched over to a long lead attached to his flat collar and continued working on his commands with minimal leash guidance. Gary also had the chance to work with some of the other trainers as his handler, which was a good chance to test Gary's handler transferability. While it's great that Gary is able to work well with me and follow my instructions, it's also important for him to be able to listen to other people apart from just me. He did show a bit of separation anxiety from me, and was not the biggest fan of someone else taking the leash and moving away from me. I often saw him scanning the area looking for me, and if I was within sight he often tried to ignore the other trainer's commands to stare at me instead. He sometimes gave the handlers some trouble with performing his commands overall and tried to get out of performing commands by jumping in the air or on them, but once he realized the rules of training remained the same with them as they are with me, he stopped doing this as much and was able to follow their commands.
Gary overall did a good job with his Heel command, and was able to perform it with almost no leash pressure needed! He understood exactly where he was supposed to be when the command was given, though every now and then he would try to test the boundary by walking slightly ahead of me or whoever was handling him. When this happened, the verbal cue paired with the e-collar was enough to remind him of where he was supposed to be, and he was able to return to position without the leash being needed to guide him. We ended up doing some Heel practice with a long leash dragging as well, which is a great way to test how he might behave with off leash freedom, while still having the leash readily available should it be needed for any reason. He did a good job with this overall, though there were a few times when the leash needed to be picked back up if he began to drift too far and struggled to return to the position in a timely manner. We'll continue working on this! We also practiced some Come to Sit with the leash dragging, and once again Gary did a good job but was more prone to making mistakes when leash pressure was completely absent. He was able to correct himself more often than not, but there were a small handful of times when the leash needed to be picked up for momentary guidance. Gary did well with his stationary commands, and most of the time he was able to perform all of them without any leash pressure. During the beginning of our session he sometimes needed some guidance for down, as he had lots of extra energy and was sometimes stubborn about performing it. However after we had been at the park a while, he was more readily performing Down without any help needed.
Gary didn't have any accidents today, but he did try to mark on a wall inside my home once. This was interrupted and he was taken outside to empty his bladder in an appropriate area.
Pupdate 6/4/2024
Today Gary and I took a walk down a local shopping street, where we practiced all of his commands. This location wasn't overly busy, but during our visit we encountered a decent amount distractions including people, bicycles, strollers, and other dogs. We also passed by a lot of restaurants, many of which had outdoor patios with tempting smells of food. Towards the end of our session, Gary and I visited a cafe patio where he relaxed by my feet under my table as I had a cup of tea and a snack. At first Gary wanted to beg for my food, but after being told Off, he understood it was not for him and ended up calmly laying down until it was time to go. We also practiced leash dragging around my neighborhood, and during our evening walk we had lots of distractions to practice around, like dogs barking at him from behind fences or across streets, joggers running past us, and noisy construction work. Gary still did a great job staying focused and following commands with the leash dragging around these increased distractions. We continued practicing all of Gary's commands with the leash dragging today, and overall he did a great job! His Heel was quite good, and he understood exactly where to be when the command was given. He sometimes needed verbal reminders and reinforcement from the e-collar if he began to drift off slightly, but I did not need to pick up or use the leash at any point. Gary also did good with his stationary commands, and was able to Sit, Down, and Place anywhere asked of him without needing any leash pressure. He was able to hold each of these commands for nearly two minutes consistently as well, only occasionally needing reminders to return to position if he had a lapse in focus. He did a good job with his Come to Sit overall, though he did occasionally need me to pick up the leash and provide slight leash pressure to guide him for the positioning if he was a bit too distracted. He was able to work with the leash on the flat collar today as we trained, as we rarely used leash pressure at all, though I found he was much more responsive to commands when the prong was simply on him, even if it was not being used. We'll spend some time tomorrow and in the coming days getting him used to not wearing it while training. Gary also had lots of opportunities to practice his Greeting Manners today, as his impressive obedience skills gained him some admirers while we were out and about today! He was a bit wiggly sometimes and would occasionally break position, however he did not try to jump on a single person, which was great to see! He seems to be understanding the expectations set for him when saying hello to people, and is learning to stay as calm as possible to not let his overexcitement prevent him from getting the attention he wants.
Gary went most of the day without any potty accidents, however he did urinate a small amount while we were playing inside with a toy. He was running around chasing a ball I was tossing around, and I think he just got a bit too excited. I interrupted him and took him outside to potty again, and he had no more accidents for the rest of the day.
Pupdate 6/5/2024
Today Gary and I visited a local park, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The park had a good amount of distractions to train around, including people, other dogs, and lots of birds and squirrels. The small animals seemed to be the biggest distraction for Gary today, but he showed excellent self control and did not try to chase after any of them which was great to see! The Off command effectively broke his fixation whenever it began to develop, and interrupted him before the staring could escalate to action. We started the session on leash with it dragging, though Gary did such a good job with his commands that we ended up removing the leash and practicing his commands while off leash. We began out in an open field, where we focused on his recall while off leash, which he did very well with and always came right to me when called, even if he was a distance from me while on a break. We then began walking around different areas of the park including on some trails and pathways past different distractions, and we practiced lots of Heel and stationary command which he also did great with. Gary is not only excelling with his skills and manners while out in public, but he has also made huge transformations in his behavior inside the home as well, which I'd like to cover in today's video! House manners are something we have been working on little by little each day since day one. Even seemingly mundane day-to-day tasks can provide excellent opportunities for training. These manners include areas such as Food Manners and Door Manners.
The goal for Food Manners is for Gary 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. Gary always gets very excited about his food, and in the early stages of his training he was prone to jumping on me or counters when anticipating food, and rushing to the food bowl the moment it was set down, even if it meant knocking me out of the way to get to it. Meal times are a great opportunity to sneak in extra training every day with Gary, as he is extremely food motivated and is always eager to work for food. As he progressed in his overall obedience and impulse control, he quickly replaced his bad habits and learned to be polite and patient even when faced with very tempting distractions such as food directly in front of him! He now does very well with his Food Manners, and despite him drooling with anticipation of his meal, he is able to control his excitement and await the release command before digging in! We also have been working on eliminating Gary's counter surfing habits, as he would frequently try to put his paws on counters hoping to steal human food when he thought no one was looking! By turning this into a training exercise, we have successfully discouraged this behavior and he is no longer prone to doing this, even if I leave food on the counter and walk away.
Another area of manners we have been working on is Gary's Door Manners. The goal of Door Manners is for Gary 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 prevents impolite and possibly dangerous behaviors he once commonly displayed, such as trying to escape through open doors, shoving past people when walking through doors, or rushing over to jump on people who enter through the door. With daily practice, Gary has made great progress with his manners related to doors, and understands to follow instructions no matter what distractions the door may create. After Gary has been asked for a stationary command, a door can be left wide open, and he understands to not walk through the doorway unless given permission to, and when invited he can walk nicely through the doorway without shoving through or trying to rush out. I can even leave his sight completely and walk outside without him feeling the need to get up and follow me. He can even hold position while there is knocking on the door, or if guests enter the home. Having proper Door Manners is also a great way to set Gary up for success with in-home Greeting Manners as well, as he is prompted to hold the position asked of him and discouraged from jumping on those who enter through the door. Greetings are an especially exciting situation for Gary, so holding him accountable for his obedience during these moments ensures he does not behave impolitely. When having a guest enter the home, it's important to set some ground rules, such as having them enter calmly, and no touching, talking to, or acknowledging Gary for the first few minutes. Once Gary has had a chance to view and sniff them from a distance he tends to calm down significantly, and once fully relaxed the guest can then approach and greet him while he stays in his stationary command. After this point, Gary is usually calm enough to be released from position and can be trusted to interact freely while behaving politely, though it's important to keep an eye on him to ensure he does not become riled up again as it could lead to him jumping on the guest.
Gary did have a few urine accidents today, both of which occurred around an hour after his last potty break outside. The first one happened right after filming his Food Manners video in the afternoon, where moments after he finished eating he began marking the wall beside his food bowl, and when I attempted to interrupt him he began to empty his bladder onto the floor so I quickly grabbed his leash to guide him outside. The second accident occurred in the evening after our walk, which he went potty several times during. He was taking a nap beside me at my desk, and he woke up, stretched, and began urinating at my feet. Once again I quickly grabbed his leash and guided him outside.
Pupdate 6/6/2024
Today Gary and I visited the Santa Monica Pier, where we practiced all of his commands off leash around a heavy amount of distractions. There were large crowds of people, numerous other dogs, loud music, food, and many birds. Overall Gary was a bit overwhelmed when we first arrived, but we ended up finding a spot to hang out at and allow him some time to adjust to the busy environment. After a while, he ended up laying down and relaxing, and became quite neutral to his surroundings. Gary also got to say hello to lots of nice people today, and he did such a good job staying calm and did not try to jump on anyone. We also got some great footage of Gary performing all of his commands today which will be used in putting together his final video, so be sure to check out today’s pupdate for a sneak peek!
We worked on each of his commands, including Heel, Come to Sit, Extended Sit, Extended Down, Extended Place, and Off, each while off leash. Gary did exceptionally with all of his commands, and was able to stay focused on his training despite the distracting surroundings. He was able to Heel effortlessly past all kinds of distractions and through crowds of people, recall to me reliably from large distances and around obstacles, and each of his stationary commands were good as well. He did sometimes struggle to hold his position, though with consistent reminders he understood to wait until released or given a new command, and ended up being able to remain in the position asked of him for up to two minutes at a time consistently.
Gary didn’t have any indoor accidents today which was great! Early this morning however he did begin urinating the moment we stepped out the front door, and he ended up emptying his bladder while going down the stairs and the driveway in an attempt to get him over to the grass.
Pupdate 6/7/2024
Today Gary and I visited a local park, where we practiced all of his commands while off leash. The park had a good amount of distractions present, including people, children, dogs, and small animals. He was pretty excited when we arrived at the park, but once he had a chance to sniff and look around he began focusing more on me than the environment. He appeared very eager to work and train with me, and performed all of his commands excellently! We also played a game of fetch, which Gary had a ton of fun with! His Heel was solid overall, and he understood to stay right beside me when the command was given, even with off leash freedom while around distractions. He would occasionally try to lead ahead, but with consistent reinforcement and reminders, he was able to match my pace and correct his positioning when needed. Gary's stationary commands were all great, and he did fantastic about performing Sit, Down, or Place anywhere he was asked to. He was consistently able to hold the position asked of him for two minutes or longer. Gary's Come to Sit was exceptional today, and we practiced working on his extended distance recall in a field of the park. Even while on a break and sniffing around, he always kept an eye and ear out for me and would come running to me the moment he heard the cue. He would sometimes come in a bit too fast and miss the turn to position himself correctly beside me, but his enthusiasm was great!
Gary also got to say hello to several people today, and while he was sometimes a bit wiggly and would struggle to hold his position, he never tried to jump on or paw anyone, which was great to see! As always, we made sure that the people and children who greeted him understood to only pet him while he was sitting or laying down, and to stop if he stands up or behaves impolitely.
There have been no potty accidents or marking issues today, which is great to see!
Pupdate 6/8/2024
Today Gary and I visited a park where we put all of his learned skills to use to have a great last day together! He did some fantastic work today, and was very enthusiastic about his training. The park was full of all kinds of distractions, but Gary was unbothered and performed all of his commands excellently. His Come to Sit was sometimes a bit goofy as he liked to run around me a few times before settling into the Sit, but his recall was always solid and full of enthusiasm. We also played lots of fetch, and Gary thoroughly enjoyed himself! He wasn't always the best about actually retrieving the ball, but he had a blast catching and chasing the ball around. Gary also got lots of compliments on his great obedience skills, and he got to say hi to lots of nice people. He further impressed them with his polite greeting manners! Gary also had zero potty accidents while indoors today, which was fantastic!
Gary has made such an amazing transformation in these past two weeks, and the differences in him are truly night and day! Before the program, he had a tendency to immediately become overexcited, overwhelmed, and overstimulated by everything around him, causing him to struggle to pay attention or follow commands. He has since learned to stay calm, focused, and neutral to his surroundings even in the most busy of places. His reliability with commands has increased drastically, as have his impulse control and patience levels. Gary also replaced many bad habits with good manners and polite behaviors, and no longer is a leash-pulling, jumping, out of control pup. His acquired skills and good behavior now allow him to safely enjoy the freedom and fun that comes with being off leash, which opens the door for training and fun times without the hassle of a leash! While he may seem like a whole new dog, he is still the same goofy, 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! Gary 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! With his intelligence and eagerness to please, 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!
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