Golden Retriever Dog Training | Diggs | Santa Monica, CA
- OffLeash SoCal
- Jun 14
- 19 min read
Diggs, Golden Retriever from Santa Monica, CA went through the Balanced Canine Training SoCal Board and Train dog training program. Diggs was trained by Priscilla Khor in Rowland Heights, CA.
Diggs came to Balanced Canine Training SoCal with varying behavioral issues, including pulling on the leash, squirrel chasing, jumping up when greeting, counter surfing, generally not listening to commands, and barking at strangers. Balanced Canine Training SoCal was successful in transforming Diggs into a well-managed pup.
The dog trainers at Balanced Canine Training SoCal are here to help you and your dog be as amazing as our before and after videos!
Contact us today! (562) 448-3774
Meet Diggs! He’s a six-month-old Golden Retriever from Santa Monica, California here for our Three-Week Board and Train Program! Diggs is incredibly sweet, affectionate, and super smart — he already knows a bunch of basic commands and charms everyone he meets with his friendly personality. But like many pups his age, his excitement can sometimes get the best of him. He struggles with leash pulling, especially when greeting new people or dogs, and has a habit of jumping up or cobbing arms during those overenthusiastic hellos. At home, Diggs is crate trained and well-mannered during the day, but nighttime crating has been more challenging.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be focusing on refining his leash skills, improving impulse control during greetings, working on boundaries around the house, and building up his off-leash reliability so his family can confidently enjoy time with him at the park. We’ll also be revisiting nighttime crate comfort and reinforcing polite manners inside and out. Stay tuned for Diggs' 3 Week Transformation!
Today was Diggs’ first day, and right from the start, his friendly personality was front and center! He greeted me with tons of enthusiasm — no hesitation when it came to saying hello, but definitely still learning how to channel all that puppy energy appropriately. He’s incredibly sweet and clearly eager to connect, but he hasn’t quite learned how to control his excitement yet, especially when he’s outside where the world is full of distractions.
One of our first challenges was getting into the car. Diggs doesn’t quite have the confidence to hop in on his own yet, so we’ll be working on building his comfort and independence with that task.
Overall, he seems like a very smart boy with a lot of potential — he just needs some help with structure, boundaries, and learning how to slow that happy brain down a little. We’re excited to help him get there!
Today, Diggs was introduced to the e-collar for the first time. As expected, he was a bit confused at first, so we took it slow — pairing the e-collar pressure with leash guidance and familiar commands to help him understand. Over time, we began fading the leash pressure and relying more on the e-collar alone, though he’s still learning how to fully follow through without the leash assist.
We focused on sit, down, and place today — all commands Diggs has had some exposure to, and while he can be a little stubborn, he is following through and showing progress. We also took our training on the road with a loose leash walk around the neighborhood. He stayed in my general area with much less pulling than when we started — a big win for day one!
We wrapped up by working on his extended sit outdoors, and he was able to hold position for a solid amount of time despite distractions. Diggs is off to a promising start!
Today’s pupdate is about Diggs's sit command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the sit command would look like.
On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain his attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time.
When his butt touches the ground in a sit, I praise with a “good sit!”, throwing the command back at him in his praise.
Once he is in his sit, there are three things we work on:
Duration: how long he stays in his sit
Distance: how far away we can be while he stays in his sit
Distractions: how many things can go around him while he stays in his sit
In the video, I am working on distance and duration. Each time he is in the sit, I walk around him, getting farther away as we progress, and also leaving him in the sit for longer. This teaches him to have stability in his commands rather than breaking it whenever he pleases.
As we get to practice in busier areas, we will naturally have a higher amount of distractions to train with, and his stability in his sit will increase drastically.
When we are done with the command- or any command- I release him with his word “Break!” which allows him to do whatever he wants. He always chooses to come for hugs and pets.
Diggs had a big day today with a training trip to the park, where we met up with some friends. As soon as we got out of the car, his excitement kicked in — he saw the other dogs and immediately began pulling hard on the leash, eager to greet them. This gave us a perfect opportunity to reinforce leash manners. Each time he pulled, I turned and walked the other direction. After several circles and a little patience, Diggs began to understand that pulling doesn’t get him what he wants, and he was able to walk nicely over to a nearby place cot.
Once on place near the other dogs, he handled the distractions fairly well. The only time he broke position was when a new person approached — but with a couple well-timed corrections, he quickly realized he needed to hold his position no matter what.
We also used the park setting to work on building confidence by having him place on new surfaces, like benches. This exercise not only helps with his focus and body awareness, but it’s also been a great way to boost his comfort with climbing — and it’s paying off! He’s already showing noticeable improvement with getting into the car and crate more willingly and with less hesitation.
Diggs is progressing steadily and showing us more of what he’s capable of each day!
Today’s pupdate is about Diggs’s place command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the place command would look like.
On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain his attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time.
When he is either in a sit or down on the place object, I praise with a “good sit!”, throwing the command back at him in his praise.
There are four rules when it comes to the place command:
The place object must have defined edges or boundaries (a dog bed, towel, or bench are good place objects.)
Only place one objects your dog is allowed to be on. Don’t place on the bed if he’s not allowed on the bed, and don’t place on the antique table if he’s not allowed to be on it.
Always get the “win” when practicing the place command. If he struggles to place on a tall object, help him up. Consistently following through with the command builds confidence in your dog and accountability.
The duration he is expected to be in place is built over time. We start low, a few seconds or minutes, before building up the time he is in place over many repetitions.
Once he is in the place, there are three things we work on:
Duration: how long he stays in his place
Distance: how far away we can be while he stays in his place
Distractions: how many things can go around him while he stays in his place
In the video, I am working on all three, as both people and dogs pose as great distractions for him. He has learned to remain in his place even when people are around, even petting him.
When we are done with the command- or any command- I release him with his word “Break!” which allows him to do whatever he wants.
Diggs took a field trip to Home Depot today to work on his manners in a busy, high-distraction environment — and he did an awesome job! We focused on his leash heel around the store, weaving through aisles and passing by plenty of people and carts. He was attentive and responsive, and by the end of our visit, he was confidently heeling off-leash as well!
We also worked on the stability of his sit and down commands, and he held both positions beautifully, even with all the activity around him. One of the highlights of the trip was how well he handled greetings — several people approached to pet him, and Diggs stayed calmly in his sit the entire time, showing perfect manners and impressive impulse control.
To keep building on his confidence, we practiced place on a variety of surfaces, including the loud and wobbly Home Depot carts. I was super impressed — not only did he get up without hesitation, but he stayed put even as the cart tilted forward. Diggs is proving to be a quick learner and a solid pup under pressure!
Today’s pupdate is about Diggs's heel command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the heel command would look like.
On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain his attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time.
The heel command is different from all the other commands in that it is a moving command. The dog is joining your motion rather than assuming a position in one spot. The moving position I am teaching him to be in is right next to my left leg, where his face does not go past my knee. That is the heel position that we are working towards.
The dog should start and stop the heel command in a sit next to your leg. When he is in position, I say “heel”, tap the remote, and move forward at the same time. I keep walking, and whenever he leaves the position next to my leg, I remind him with “heel” and another tap on the remote. We are essentially creating a safe zone near your leg where they aren’t getting reminded to be in heel.
It is important to praise your dog while he is in heel to reinforce that position. I remind him, especially when he’s in a good heel position, with “good heel!” to mark the correct position for him.
When coming to a stop, give your dog a heads up by saying “and Diggy sit”, and stop walking on the word “sit”. This alerts your dog to the change in pace, allowing him to predictably sit at the end of your heel.
To further practice, we will work around distractions such as other people and dogs, and reinforce the command as we go. We will also move the command off leash when he is ready, which will follow the same pattern as on leash.
Today’s pupdate is about how Diggs explored a brand new environment — the bustling Santa Monica Pier! With so many new sights, sounds, people, and animals, it was an exciting challenge for him, and we kept him on leash the entire time to ensure safety and structure. Despite it being his first visit to a place this busy, he handled it all relatively well!
Our main focus was refining his heel in a high-distraction setting. It took a little time and patience to get him into the correct position, but by the end of our outing, he was walking nicely on a loose leash, even with all the activity around him.
We had plenty of opportunities to practice polite greetings with strangers, and Diggs did a great job! He didn’t jump up on anyone and showed lovely manners. His main struggle is staying in his sit when he gets really excited, but even then, he was quick to correct and refocus.
Around other dogs, Diggs held his commands well for the most part. He made a few mistakes by breaking position during our trip, but overall, he stayed composed and didn’t pull, lunge, or overreact to dogs, people, or even the flocks of birds fluttering around. He’s learning quickly and continues to show great potential!
Today’s pupdate is about Diggs’s down command! I demonstrate in the video above what a targeted repetition of the command looks like. I’m teaching him that me squatting and opening my arms does not mean “break”.
On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain his attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time.
When his elbows touch the ground in his down, I praise with a “good down!”, throwing the command back at him in his praise.
Once he is in his down, there are three things we work on:
Duration: how long he stays in his down
Distance: how far away we can be while he stays in his down
Distractions: how many things can go around him while he stays in his down
In the video, I am working on all three. Each time he is in the down, I walk around him, getting farther away as we progress, and also making gestures that he thinks means attention. This teaches him to have stability in his commands rather than breaking it without the word “break”.
Every time that he breaks the command, I tap the remote and remind him to “down”.
As we get to practice in busier areas, we will naturally have a higher amount of distractions to train with, and his stability in his down will increase drastically.
When we are done with the command- or any command- I release him with his word “Break!” which allows him to do whatever he wants.
Today, Diggs and I took a trip to Target to continue building his focus and reliability in a busy public space. With carts rolling by, automatic doors opening, and plenty of people moving around, it was a great environment to work on his heel and command stability — and he did really well!
We started by reinforcing his on-leash heel, making sure he stayed in the proper position next to me as we walked through the parking lot and into the store. At first, he needed a few reminders to stay close and not wander, but once we got into a rhythm, he was moving confidently right by my side with a nice, loose leash.
Inside the store, we worked heavily on the distance and duration of his sit and down commands. I would give him a command, walk away, and wait to see if he could hold it — and he did great! Even with people walking by, carts clattering, and all the distractions Target has to offer, Diggs held his positions with increasing consistency. There were a couple moments when excitement got the better of him and he tried to stand up early, but a quick reminder helped him settle back into place and stay focused.
We also used today as another opportunity to continue working on his car routine — specifically, building his confidence with getting into the crate in the back of the car. He’s already come a long way since his first day, and now he’s hopping in with much more ease. With just a bit of encouragement, he gets into the crate calmly and without resistance, which is a big improvement from earlier in the week.
Overall, Diggs handled today’s distractions like a champ. He’s learning that calm behavior gets rewarded, and he’s showing great progress in both public settings and his crate confidence. Proud of this guy!
Today’s pupdate is about Diggs's come to sit! I demonstrate in the video above what a few repetitions of the command looks like. The key to this command is how he makes the u-turn behind me to end up in a sit by my left leg, where the heel command also starts.
On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain his attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time. Even as he’s coming towards me, I watch for signs of him slowing down or walking away, which is when I will tap him again and remind him with “come”.
In the video, I am also reminding him with “sit” when he is in the right spot, but that will be faded out so he knows that the “come” command includes the sit at the end.
When he is sitting by my leg, I praise him with “good come!”, throwing the command back at him.
As he becomes more reliable with the u-turn motion, we start recalling him from higher distraction environments and from farther away.
When we are done with the command- or any command- I release him with his word “Break!” and give him lots of love.
Diggs was back at Home Depot today, and this time, we took things up a notch by working completely off leash — and he crushed it! With all the usual distractions in the store — carts rattling by, people walking past, and loud overhead announcements — Diggs held his commands confidently and stayed engaged with me the entire time.
We practiced his full command set: heel, sit, down, place, and extended versions, and he nailed each one. He stayed right at my side through the aisles, maintained a focused heel without needing leash guidance, and responded immediately to verbal cues. Even when people approached or walked past us closely, he didn’t break position or lose focus.
He also handled greetings beautifully. A few people stopped to say hello, and Diggs remained in a calm sit the entire time, showing perfect manners without jumping or getting overly excited.
This was a big milestone day for Diggs — confidently working off leash in a public store is no small feat, and his consistency and responsiveness really stood out. He’s showing excellent control, even in high-distraction environments, and it’s clear he’s starting to understand and enjoy his role. Great work, Diggs!
Today’s pupdate is about Diggs’s food manners! This is a good way to teach dogs impulse control, especially with dogs who are CRAZY about meal time. I teach them to “leave it”, sitting in front of their food bowl until I let them have their food with the word “Break!”. At first, Diggs was very impulsive when it came to his food. He saw food and he went for it. However, he’s been very smart in learning how to get his food faster- by sitting and waiting on command. He’s learned to go in his crate and wait patiently when I place the bowl inside. This has definitely helped him learn impulse control on his other commands as well!
Diggs had a great training session today during our off-leash trip to the mall! While the mall wasn’t particularly busy, it was still a valuable opportunity to work on his obedience in a new environment filled with light distractions like background noise, new smells, and a few curious passersby.
We focused on off-leash heeling throughout the space, and Diggs did a fantastic job. He stayed in position beside me, moved smoothly through turns, and remained attentive the whole time. A few people stopped to greet him, and although he was excited and popped up from his sit a couple of times, he was able to settle quickly and remain seated for the rest of the interaction — a big win for his impulse control!
We also worked on his under command using a variety of benches and chairs around the mall. Diggs had no hesitation getting into position and showed excellent understanding of the command, regardless of the surface or setup.
His sit command continues to shine — I was able to walk away confidently, knowing he would hold position without trying to follow. Even from a distance, when I gave the heel command, Diggs responded immediately, moving smoothly back into position at my side.
While the mall wasn’t crowded today, it was still a great session to reinforce calm, controlled behavior in a public setting. Diggs continues to make steady progress and is proving to be more focused and reliable every day!
Today’s pupdate is about Diggs’s under command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the under command would look like.
On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain his attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time.
When most of his body is under the chair, I praise with a “good under!”, throwing the command back at him in his praise.
Once he is in his under, there are three things we work on:
Duration: how long he stays in his under
Distance: how far away we can be while he stays in his under
Distractions: how many things can go around him while he stays in his under
In the video, I am working on moving away from him while he is under the chair. This teaches him to have stability in his commands rather than breaking it whenever he pleases.
As we get to practice in different areas, he will be asked to place under different objects such as tables and benches, as well as other chairs. It is similar to the place command in that we generalize the command to all types of objects by asking the command of him for more and more things.
When we are done with the command- or any command- I release him with his word “Break!” which allows him to do whatever he wants.
Today’s pupdate is about our trip to Daiso, where we put Diggs’ impulse control to the test — and he rose to the challenge! I brought him here specifically to see how he’d handle being around low shelves filled with soft toys and tempting items within reach. While he was definitely curious at first, he never tried to grab anything, showing great restraint and growing maturity.
We also had several people stop to say hello, and Diggs is really starting to show improvement in his greeting manners. He remained much calmer than before, staying in his sit for the majority of interactions and managing his excitement well. His progress in this area is really starting to shine.
Off-leash work around the store was smooth and confident. He maintained a steady heel, responded well to commands, and stayed focused throughout our time in the store. It’s clear he’s becoming more comfortable and reliable in public settings.
A big highlight today was loading up to go home — Diggs jumped right up into the car and into his crate without hesitation. This is a major step forward, especially considering how unsure he was about car manners and crate entry early on. Today’s trip was a win across the board, and Diggs continues to impress with his steady improvement!
Today’s pupdate is about Diggs’s door manners! He did come to me with a general concept of this already, but his main struggle was getting out the door in a calm manner. We worked on this every time that we went out the door and now, he is able to walk with me out the door and into the car without becoming over excited. As you see in the video, I have them in a sit by the open door as I am getting things ready outside, and when I am ready for him to go out with me, I recall him straight into the heel and he exits the door with me. This is a great way for him to start the day off on a good note, and not struggle with me trying to sniff every last thing that’s outside. Having a structured start to the trip means the entire trip will be structured as well.
Diggs had a big adventure today as we joined some friends for a Memorial Day hike and picnic! It was a perfect chance to reinforce his training in a fun, real-world setting with lots of new sights, sounds, and smells.
We kicked things off with a group walk, giving Diggs plenty of practice walking nicely on leash alongside other dogs. His impulse control needed a quick refresher at first — he was excited to be around his canine buddies — but once we got into the flow, he settled into a calm and steady heel. Throughout the hike, Diggs held his position well, even as we passed by other people and dogs on the trail.
During our picnic break, we used the opportunity to work on his extended place command. Despite food being around and plenty of distractions, Diggs stayed put and relaxed in his spot — a huge win for his self-control and focus in high-distraction situations.
We also made good use of his obedience commands throughout the hike for safety and manners, especially when navigating tighter parts of the trail or stepping aside for others to pass. It was great to see how he’s starting to generalize his training and apply it naturally in different environments.
One highlight of the day: we got to see some horses in their stables, and Diggs was fascinated — curious but calm, showing zero fear and lots of confidence. The feeling was mutual, as one horse seemed just as intrigued by him!
Today was a fun and productive outing, and Diggs handled it all like a champ. He continues to grow more focused, responsive, and adaptable every day.
Today’s pupdate is about Diggs’s car manners! Every time we get into the car, we practice sitting and waiting while I get the car ready, jumping into the trunk independently, and getting into the crate. Diggs has definitely shown a LOT of improvement in this activity, as it was very difficult for him to get into the car at the begging of our training. Through lots of repetition, he’s definitely grown accustomed to the crate in the trunk as well as the motion of jumping into it. I’m proud of him for gaining the confidence to do so!
Today’s pupdate is about Diggs’s trip to the park to meet up with some of our trainer friends and work through his obedience around other dogs — and he had a great session overall!
We practiced all of his foundational commands in the presence of several dog distractions, and while his puppy brain definitely made a few appearances, it also gave us the perfect opportunity to strengthen his recall. A few times, he couldn’t resist trying to run over and play, but each time, I was able to recall him before he reached the other dogs and guide him right back to his place — a huge step in building reliability and responsiveness, even in moments of excitement.
Of course, he’s still a young pup, so a little play-driven mischief is to be expected, but what’s impressive is how well he bounces back and returns to listening once corrected. That’s the beauty of consistent training — he’s learning how to think through his impulses and come back to focus.
One specific moment stood out today: while he was in a solid place command, I handed him off to another trainer so I could run to the bathroom. As I took off, Diggs broke his command and ran after me. This showed us a deeper layer of his training — he has a strong attachment and some separation anxiety, especially when he suddenly can’t see me.
To work through this, we used the opportunity to desensitize him. I had him return to place, and then we practiced me disappearing behind trees and other park structures, gradually increasing the time and distance I was out of sight. At first, he struggled and broke command when he got too anxious, but with repetition and consistency, he began to understand that he could stay calm and hold position even if I wasn’t right in front of him.
The park trip was a great blend of obedience, distraction training, and confidence-building. Diggs is showing more and more control and emotional resilience with each session — the kind of progress that sets him up for long-term success.
Today marked Diggs’ last day of training, and we couldn’t think of a better way to wrap things up than with a trip back to the Santa Monica Pier — a full-circle moment to show just how far he’s come.
This visit was all about putting his progress on display, and the video from today highlights the full range of his obedience commands in one of the busiest, most distracting environments we’ve trained in. Compared to his first time here, Diggs was noticeably calmer, more composed, and fully in tune with his training.
One of the most impressive moments came when a dog barked at him while he was holding a down command — and Diggs didn’t flinch. He stayed completely still, unfazed, and confident. It was a perfect demonstration of the focus and self-control he’s developed.
He also had several chances to practice his greeting manners, and he nailed every single one. As people approached to say hello, he remained calmly in his sit or place, didn’t jump, and waited patiently for permission — textbook polite pup behavior.
Diggs has made incredible progress over the last few weeks, and today was the perfect send-off to celebrate all of his hard work. He’s walking into the next chapter with confidence, solid obedience, and a strong foundation that will only continue to grow. We’re so proud of this sweet, smart boy!
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