Ghost | Cattle Dog/ Husky Mix | Los Angeles, CA. | In Training.
Meet Ghost! 👻
Ghost is a sweet two-year-old Cattle Dog/Husky mix from Los Angeles, CA, who has just joined us for our Three Week Old School Board and Train Program!
Ghost has been described as a very smart pup with a bit of a stubborn streak, and he comes to us already knowing quite a bit when it comes to obedience.
However, it seems our handsome boy has recently decided that listening is more of a suggestion than a requirement, and his recall? Well, let’s just say he’s been keeping that one up for debate! 😉
Over the next three weeks, we’ll be working closely with Ghost to fine-tune his obedience commands, build consistency and accountability, and begin transitioning his skills into off-leash work. We’ll also be focusing on improving his house manners and helping him understand that listening to his handler isn’t optional, even when he has other plans in mind!
We’re excited to get started on this journey with Ghost and see all the progress he makes along the way. With his intelligence, personality, and a little guidance, we’re looking forward to helping him put those smarts to good use!
Stay tuned for updates as Ghost tackles new challenges, explores new environments, and continues working toward becoming the best version of himself. It’s bound to be a fun journey! 🐾
10/25/2026
We kicked off our first day together with an introductory walk at the park! Not only was this a great opportunity for Ghost and me to get better acquainted, but it also gave me a chance to assess what he already knows, and let me tell you, this handsome boy has quite a bit of knowledge under his belt!
As we got our walk underway, we spent some time refreshing his heel command. At first, Ghost was eager to take the lead and pull me along for the adventure, especially with all the ducks and other animals around to investigate! 🦆 However, it didn’t take long for him to remember his manners and settle into a much nicer walking pace. With a little guidance and consistency, he was off to a great start!
After getting some steps in, we found a nice spot to continue working on his obedience. We practiced heel, his sit and extended sit commands, and introduced come-to-sit. This is where I got my first glimpse of the stubborn streak I’d been told about! Ghost quickly made it clear that he wasn’t particularly impressed with my leash pressure or some of the requests I was making. In his mind, he had much better things to do than listen to me! 😂
Of course, that’s all part of the process. Whenever Ghost offered resistance, I stayed calm and consistent, encouraging him to follow through with each command. Every time he made the right choice, he was rewarded with plenty of praise and pets to reinforce the behavior we wanted to see. The goal is to help him understand that following through is worthwhile, even when he’d rather do his own thing!
His sit command was an interesting one. Once he was seated, he did a nice job holding his position, but getting him into that position initially required a little convincing. The good news is that by the end of our session, he was offering his sits with noticeably more ease! That’s a great first step toward building more consistent obedience.
We also introduced come-to-sit, which ties directly into building a more reliable recall. The goal is for Ghost to come to me, travel around my right side, and finish by sitting neatly on my left. The trickiest part for him was making that wrap around my right side. He occasionally wanted to stop behind me instead of completing the movement, so I stepped forward and encouraged him to continue around until he reached the correct position. This command will take some additional practice, but that’s perfectly okay! It can be a tricky movement for many pups, and we’re just getting started.
Once we wrapped up our training session at the park, it was time to load up and head to Ghost’s home away from home for the next few weeks! He handled the car ride very well, which was lovely to see. Once we arrived, I gave him plenty of time to explore both inside and outside at his own pace. He seemed pretty happy with his new accommodations, although he did appear to have one major complaint: the resident cats are apparently not available for chasing! 😹 We’ll be working on those household manners, too!
While Ghost may still have a few nerves as he adjusts to his new surroundings and routine, I’m confident he’ll settle in before long. He’s a very smart boy, and I’m excited to get to know him better while helping him put those smarts to good use!
All in all, we made some nice progress on day one! We’ve already identified a few areas to fine-tune, and we’ve started laying the groundwork for more consistent obedience and a stronger recall. As Ghost gets comfortable and we continue building our working relationship, I’m looking forward to seeing him gain confidence in the process and learn that listening can be just as rewarding as doing his own thing.
Stay tuned for more of Ghost’s adventures! We have plenty of work ahead of us, and I have a feeling this clever boy is going to keep me on my toes! 🐾
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