Ghost | Cane Corso | Chula Vista, CA | In Training
- Tanner Strong
- Mar 15
- 10 min read
Updated: Mar 28
Meet Ghost! He's a five month old Cane Corso from Chula Vista, California, here for our Two-Week Community Board and Train Program! Ghost is extremely friendly and playful with people, but can be a little nervous around dogs, especially if they bark at him. He's already a strong boy, and loves to pull on his leash, sometimes pulling forward, but often planting his feet and refusing to move. He's familiar with a few commands but often decides for himself whether or not to follow through. Boundaries are also something he needs, as he'll sometimes jump on people he is trying to greet! Over the next fourteen days, we will work on Ghost's obedience skills, help boost his confidence, work on his impulse control, his manners in and out of the house, and show Ghost how to be the best pup he can possibly be! Stay tuned for Ghost's two week transformation!
3/15/2026
Ghost and I spent a little time at the park after I picked him up so we could get to know each other! Right away, he showed how affectionate and friendly he is. He was very happy to be around me and quickly warmed up, which made for a great first introduction.
While walking around the park, I noticed that Ghost loves to keep his nose to the ground and is very interested in trying to eat just about anything he finds, grass, dirt, food, or even bits of garbage. This is something we’ll be focusing on correcting early on, since it’s important that he learns not to pick up things he shouldn’t. My goal is to have him pay much more attention to me during our walks instead of constantly searching the ground. Once the treats came out, he actually started doing very well with this and was much more willing to check in with me, which is a great start! We’ll keep building on that progress as we continue training.
Ghost also did very well on the drive home and stayed calm for the ride. Once we arrived, he began settling in quickly and comfortably. He’s already starting to explore and relax in the new environment, which is great to see. I’m looking forward to working with him!
3/16/2026
Ghost and I went out to the park this morning to continue building on his foundation! Our main focus today was engagement, getting him comfortable checking in with me, responding to his name, and choosing to focus on me even when there are distractions around.
While working on this, I noticed an immediate improvement in how he walks with me. Ghost is already much more likely to pay attention while we’re moving together. He still gets distracted from time to time, which is completely normal, but he’s becoming much more willing to let go of the distraction and bring his attention back to me, which is great progress.
Alongside this engagement work, we also practiced some of his basic commands, and he’s starting to become a little more reliable with them each time we practice. He’s beginning to understand what’s being asked of him, and we’ll keep reinforcing these behaviors so they become more consistent.
We also had a couple real-life moments to practice staying calm. A neighbor’s dog barked at us this morning, which startled Ghost a bit and made him want to move away quickly. Even so, he did a nice job sticking with me and moving past the situation. Later in the evening, that same dog barked at us again, and I could already tell that today’s work helped, Ghost seemed to care much less about it the second time around and recovered much more easily.
Overall, it was a great day of progress for Ghost! Each time he checks in with me and chooses to focus instead of reacting to distractions, he’s building confidence and learning that I’ve got things under control.
3/17/2026
Today we started working on his Come To Sit command, which will be his official recall. This is a bit more advanced than a basic “come” because I’m not just asking Ghost to come to me, I want him to come all the way in, move around to my left side, and sit with his ears lined up at my knee. It’s a more precise behavior, but it sets him up for excellent control and reliability in the long run. He’s already beginning to understand the idea, and with repetition, this will become smooth and automatic for him.
Another big highlight from today was his engagement. Ghost is spending noticeably more time looking up at me instead of keeping his nose glued to the ground. This is a huge step forward, as it shows he’s starting to value checking in with me over scanning for distractions. That shift in focus will make all of his training much easier and more effective moving forward.
Be sure to check out the video above to see his progress in action, he’s definitely heading in the right direction!
3/18/2026
Ghost and I focused mainly on his Place command today! For Place, I want Ghost to confidently hop onto an object, like a place cot, and remain there until he’s released or given another command.
He’s already been doing well with this at home, but today we worked on bringing that same behavior into a more distracting public setting. With other pups around, Ghost was definitely curious and interested in what was going on. There was one moment where he pulled on the leash to try and engage, but overall he handled himself really nicely.
More often than not, Ghost chose to give me his attention instead of fully giving in to the distractions, which is exactly what we’re looking for. He stayed true to his friendly and well-behaved nature, and showed that he’s starting to understand how to manage himself even in a more exciting environment.
Great progress today, this is a strong step toward making his Place command reliable anywhere!
3/19/2026
Ghost had a great start to his day with a morning trip to the park, where we spent some time exploring around the ponds! He was a little unsure about the geese at first, but I was really proud of how well he handled them overall. When asked, he did a nice job disengaging and bringing his attention back to me instead of fixating on them.
We also continued working on his Place command using a variety of different objects to help build his confidence. Introducing new surfaces and environments can be a bit challenging, but Ghost stepped up and made solid progress today!
Good job today, Ghost!!
3/20/2026
Ghost and I headed to the park this morning, and it was definitely more crowded than usual! This gave us a great opportunity to work around lots of people and other dogs, adding some real-world distractions to his training.
We focused heavily on his Heel command, and Ghost did a really great job. Even with dogs and people passing by, he was often able to stay locked in with me, not paying them much attention at all. There were many moments where distractions walked right past us, and Ghost chose to stay focused and continue walking nicely at my side, which is exactly what we’re looking for.
I’m very happy with how he handled the busier environment today, he showed great progress with his focus and composure. Really good job today, Ghost!
3/21/2026
Ghost and I headed to the park this morning, but for today’s video I wanted to highlight one of the manners we’ve been working on, his Door Manners!
For this exercise, the goal is for Ghost to wait politely when I open the door, rather than rushing through ahead of me. I want him to understand that he should pause at the threshold and only go through when I invite him to. This is not only great for everyday structure, but also an important safety measure to prevent him from darting out into unsafe situations.
We can apply this same concept to other boundaries as well, like gates, fences, or even invisible lines inside the house. For example, the dogs aren’t allowed in my kitchen, and this training helps reinforce that kind of rule clearly and consistently.
We work on little things like this every day, and Ghost is doing a great job learning to slow down and be polite. He’s making solid progress and showing better patience each session, keep it up, Ghost!
3/22/2026
Ghost and I had our usual morning trip to the park, getting some good movement and engagement in to start the day. After that, we shifted our focus to the home environment, where we spent more time working around the other dogs and reinforcing his Place command and overall manners.
Ghost really surprised me today in the best way! While he still enjoyed his fair share of play (which is very on-brand for him), what stood out most was his ability to give the other dogs space and settle down when needed. He showed much better balance between playtime and relaxation, choosing to hang back and decompress while others were active instead of always feeling the need to be involved.
This is a big step in developing his impulse control and overall calmness in a group setting. Learning when to engage and when to relax is such an important skill, and Ghost made some awesome progress with that today. Really proud of him, great job, Ghost!
3/23/2026
Today we worked on Ghost’s commands with his leash dragging. This is a great step toward off-leash reliability, as it allows me to see how he performs with more freedom while still having access to the leash if needed.
Distractions were fairly minimal this morning, just a few geese, ducks, and some people playing soccer, but Ghost handled everything really well! There were a few moments where he hesitated or got a bit distracted, but overall his responsiveness and engagement were right where we want them to be. I focused on using the leash as little as possible, and he did a great job making good decisions and staying connected with me.
We still have a little more work to do before I’m ready to take the leash off completely, but Ghost is absolutely on the right track. I’m really happy with his progress and how he’s starting to carry himself with more confidence and consistency!
3/24/2026
Ghost and I continued working on all of his commands today, and I’m really happy with how he’s progressing! We introduced a smaller leash to better replicate the feeling of being off-leash while still maintaining a level of control if needed.
Ghost handled this change very well and showed great reliability with his commands. He stayed engaged, responsive, and made some really good choices throughout our session. It’s clear he’s starting to understand what’s expected of him even with that added freedom.
On top of that, Ghost had a great time today! He brought a nice balance of focus and fun to our training, which is always awesome to see. Overall, I’m very pleased with his progress and looking forward to continuing to build on this momentum!
3/25/2026
Ghost had a great day at the park today! We met up with some other trainers and their dogs, which gave us a perfect opportunity to work around real-world distractions. I let Ghost spend a few short periods off leash while we trained, and he handled it really well—staying engaged and making good decisions even with the extra freedom.
One of our main focuses today was greeting manners. We worked on having people pet him without him getting overly excited or trying to jump, and he’s definitely improving in this area. He’s starting to understand that calm behavior is what gets him attention, which is a big win.
I was especially proud of how well he managed his focus around the other dogs. Even off leash, he did a great job not getting too distracted and sticking with me when asked. Overall, it was a really solid session and a great step forward for Ghost. Keep up the good work, buddy!
3/26/2026
Ghost and I had another solid day of training! We spent some time working in a more distracting environment, and I’m really happy with how he handled himself overall. He started off a bit curious and aware of everything going on around him, but after a proper warm-up, he settled in nicely and began focusing much better.
We focused on his Heel, Come To Sit, and Place commands today. Ghost is continuing to make good progress with his Heel, staying closer and more in tune with my pace. His Come To Sit is becoming more reliable as well, with quicker responses and better positioning. For Place, we worked on having him confidently get onto different objects and remain there calmly, which he’s improving on each day.
Ghost also did a nice job maintaining polite manners around distractions. Even when something caught his attention, he was able to redirect back to me without much issue. That ability to disengage and refocus is a huge step forward for him.
Overall, Ghost is showing great progress and continues to build consistency in both his commands and his mindset. Proud of him today!
3/27/2026
Ghost and I spent more time working off-leash today, and I have to say, this was his best day yet! He really stepped up and showed off how reliable he’s becoming, even with the added freedom. It was awesome to see his progress not only from my perspective, but also through the eyes of others, he definitely impressed a few people with how well he stayed tuned in and responsive.
We also took advantage of a few opportunities to practice his greeting manners with strangers. Ghost did a nice job staying polite and controlled during these interactions, continuing to build that calm, respectful behavior we’re looking for.
Overall, I’m really proud of how far Ghost has come. Days like today are a great reminder that all the consistency and work he’s been putting in is paying off in a big way. Keep it up, Ghost!
3/28/2026
Ghost and I had another great morning at the park today! He continues to show steady progress in his training, and it’s always nice to see him start his day in a focused and positive way.
For today’s video, I wanted to highlight the rest of the manners we’ve been working on together. We’ve already introduced door manners, but now Ghost is taking it a step further by practicing them off leash! This means he’s learning to respect thresholds and wait patiently, even without the physical guidance of the leash—great for both safety and reliability.
We’re also working on food refusal, where Ghost is learning to ignore food on the ground, even when it’s something extra tempting. This is a huge safety skill and helps ensure he doesn’t grab anything he shouldn’t while we’re out and about.
Lastly, we’ve been practicing car manners. Ghost is doing a great job sitting politely while I open the car door, then calmly hopping in and going straight into his crate. This routine helps keep things smooth, controlled, and safe every time we travel.
All of these manners may seem small individually, but together they make a big difference in everyday life. Ghost has been doing an awesome job putting it all together, and I’m very proud of him!
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