Golden Retriever Dog Training | Sammy | Fullerton, CA
- OffLeash SoCal
- 3 days ago
- 15 min read
Sammy, a Golden Retriever from Fullerton, CA went through the Balanced Canine Training SoCal Board and Train dog training program. Sammy was trained by Rob Steinbach in Lomita, CA
Sammy 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 Sammy 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 Sammy!
Sammy is a two year old Golden Retriever from Fullerton, California here for our Two-Week Board and train Program!
Sammy is a very lovey pup that clearly loves to give and get affection but has some trouble managing his excitement. Hi pawrents have trouble taking him on walks as he is a strong puller, especially when he sees other pups or humans he wants to greet. When greeting others (pups and humans alike and his humans or strangers), Sammy is known to pull, bark, jump at and even playfully growl to initiate play time. He is also very food motivated but takes that motivation up a notch by counter surfing when he hasn't been invited to do so. He's also been caught jumping to shelves and get items that don't belong to him.
Over the next 15 days we are going to expand Sammy's list of commands and ability to follow through with them and improve his manners in and out of the house and help him manage his excitement so he can enjoy home life as well as the outdoors with his family.
Pupdate 12/8/2024
Today was all about helping Sammy settle into his temporary home and getting to know my pack—and he did paws-itively great! Everyone had a chance to sniff, mingle, and even enjoy a little playful fun.
Afterward, I began assessing Sammy’s skills and responses to commands. He’s already showing some natural talent! For example, he knows how to “sit” when asked but has a bit of trouble staying in place if I move. We’ll be working on building that patience!
In the early afternoon, we went on a walk to check out his “heel” skills. Sammy did well on a flat collar but really shined with the prong collar, needing only minimal leash corrections to stay on track. Squirrels were a big distraction, though, so we’ll continue working on keeping his focus when nature calls his attention.
As promised here is the video tutorial on the E-collar.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 12/9/2024
Today, Sammy and I took a trip to the park for some focused training. We introduced a few new commands: “place,” “come to sit,” “extended sit,” and “heel.”
I also began pairing the e-collar with his commands to enhance communication and reinforce behaviors as needed.
Sammy is responding well to “heel” with minimal corrections, which is a great start. While he knows the “sit” command and follows it reliably, he’s still quite handler-dependent and struggles to hold the position if I move more than a couple of feet away.
Our focus moving forward will be on building Sammy’s patience and consistency by continuing to pair commands with the e-collar. This will help improve his follow-through and ability to hold positions confidently.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 12/10/2024
Today, Sammy and I focused on a few key areas, including “come to sit,” “place/extended stay,” and his door and greeting manners.
The “come to sit” command is proving to be a bit of a challenge for Sammy, especially the part where he needs to come around and sit at my heel. This will take some time and repetition, but I’m confident he’ll improve with consistent practice over the next few days.
As for “place,” Sammy is still warming up to the idea since it’s a brand-new concept for him. By the end of our session, I was able to start extending the command for 15-30 seconds, which is a great step forward!
We also worked on Sammy’s door and greeting manners. He gets very excited by knocks, doorbell rings, and even the sight of flyers being dropped off by solicitors. To address this, I had family members help by knocking and ringing the doorbell while I paired the “off” command with the e-collar when Sammy barked. He responded well to the e-collar by sitting promptly, but we’re not quite at the point where he refrains from reacting altogether.
Improving Sammy’s door and greeting manners will be a significant focus for the rest of this week and into the weekend. The goal is to make these interactions calmer and more manageable for you, your family, and your guests.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 12/11/2024
Sammy and I went on a long walk today to work on his "heel" command.
While he was a bit confused with the command about staying on my left heel at first, it didn't take much for him to pick it up and by the end of our walk he was walking almost perfectly at my heel with minimal correction. He also understood if he was falling behind when I said "heel" he would speed up to get in position quickly.
I didn't experience any leash pulling and he was much less distracted by squirrels today.
Next we will be working on Sammy's "heel" command in public places with more distractions.
On the way back, we briefly stopped at a local park to work on "place". I noticed he shows a lot of hesitation jumping up onto a bench so we will keep working on this to get him comfortable and confident doing so.
Sammy was able to extend his sit command at the park for about 35 seconds even with a dog playing nearby off leash.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's Pupdate!
Pupdate 12/12/2024
Today, Sammy and I focused on his “place” and “down” commands.
He has shown great resistance to “down,” so I introduced a chair as a training tool to guide him into the correct position. With the chair, Sammy showed a good understanding of the command, but without it, he’s still a bit inconsistent. We’ll continue working on this to help build his confidence and reliability with the command.
At home, we also had a few opportunities to practice his door manners when someone knocked or rang the doorbell. Sammy is improving and responding to the “off” command more promptly. He’s even starting to sit more consistently before greeting, which is great progress!
Looking ahead, Sammy will be getting plenty of public training over the next few days. This will help reinforce his obedience and focus regardless of distractions.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 12/13/2024
Sammy and I took a long walk today to continue working on his “heel” command. We’ve been pairing corrections with the e-collar, and I’m happy to report that he’s making great progress in this area.
While he responds well to the e-collar for corrections during “heel” or “off” when distracted, I’ve noticed that in other situations, the stim can make him nervous, triggering a flight reaction rather than follow-through on the command.
The good news is that Sammy requires only minimal stim to respond, and I’ve found that consistency paired with praise as rewards has an even greater positive impact on his behavior.
We also stopped by a local park to work on his “place” command. Sammy showed fantastic progress by jumping onto a bench with very little hesitation—a big step forward in building his confidence!
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Pupdate
Pupdate 12/14/2024
Today we visited our local hardware store to practice his “place” and “down” commands in a new, distracting environment. This also gave us opportunities to work on his greeting manners with strangers.
Greeting Manners
Sammy is doing well with not jumping on people, which is great progress! However, he loves giving and receiving affection, and when the petting stops, he tends to nudge closer for more. To help manage this, it’s important to reinforce the “off” or “sit” commands to remind Sammy to stay calm and composed.
Another key aspect is Sammy’s undeniable charm—his good looks often draw attention. It’s essential to stay alert and ask people to wait before approaching, giving you time to position Sammy and maintain control of the interaction.
Heel
Sammy’s “heel” command is coming along nicely. While he still needs some fine-tuning, he generally stays at my heel and responds well with minimal e-collar corrections or voice commands.
Place
Sammy is making great progress with “place.” He’s following through with the command more consistently, and we’re now working on extending the duration.
Down
The big focus today was on “down,” which has been a challenging command for Sammy. Without the chair to guide him, he initially struggled, but by the end of the session, he made huge strides! Off of “place,” he sometimes rolls onto his back for belly rubs when given the “down” command, but on “place,” he shows better follow-through. I’m happy to report that Sammy has learned “down,” which is a major milestone!
We’ll continue polishing this skill to build his confidence and consistency.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Pupdate!
Pupdate 12/15/2024
Today, Sammy and I ventured to a bustling street filled with shops and restaurants to practice his heel, place, and greeting manners. The environment provided plenty of distractions, making it an excellent training opportunity.
Place and Down
Sammy is doing a fantastic job pairing “place” with “down.” He’s grasping the concept well, and the next step will be working on extending the duration of these commands to strengthen his patience and consistency. He is currently at a threshold of 40-120 seconds. The thing to note here is Sammy is handler dependent.
Heel
Sammy’s “heel” command is solid. He walks nicely without pulling on the leash, and while he occasionally lags behind or drifts slightly out of position, a verbal reminder quickly brings him back to the correct spot. His understanding of the command is strong, and we’ll continue fine-tuning this skill.
Greeting Manners
Sammy’s greeting manners continue to improve, but it’s crucial to stay in control during interactions. Sammy adores affection, and when petting stops, he wants to inch closer or sits up on his hind legs with his front paws raised—not jumping, but clearly asking for more love. While this behavior is endearing, reinforcing the “off” or “sit” command will help keep these interactions polite and controlled.
All in all, it was a great day of training with lots of progress! Sammy did an excellent job practicing his commands in a lively environment filled with distractions.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Pupdate!
Pupdate 12/16/2024
Today, Sammy practiced all of his commands off-leash and did a great job!
Even with distractions from other dogs and their handlers training nearby, he stayed focused and worked hard.
A highlight of the day was Sammy holding his down/place position for over 5 minutes—a big accomplishment!
Next, we’ll continue building on his off-leash skills by introducing him to more crowded environments with increased distractions.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Pupdate!
Pupdate 12/17
Today, Sammy and I visited the mall to practice his commands in a high-traffic environment full of distractions.
At the start of our session, Sammy was noticeably distracted by people and especially by other dogs. However, as the training progressed, his focus improved significantly, and his follow-through on commands was much stronger.
Sammy successfully performed all his commands on leash and managed most of them off-leash as well—a great step forward!
One thing to note is Sammy’s tendency to slide out of his sit position due to his sleek fur on tile surfaces. This often leads him to shift into a down instead of holding the sit. It’s something to keep in mind for future training sessions, especially in environments with smooth or slippery flooring.
We also worked on introducing Sammy to new or unfamiliar things. For instance, he was hesitant and even a bit scared of the dog statues outside Lazy Dog restaurant. I introduced him to the statues, giving him the chance to approach them at his own pace. While he remained cautious, he was able to investigate them and learn they were safe.
When introducing Sammy to new objects or sounds, it will be important to continue this type of training. If he shows hesitation or fear, gently encourage him to approach and sniff in a calm, controlled manner to help build his confidence.
We’ll keep working on Sammy’s commands in high-traffic environments to refine his behavior even further.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Pupdate!
Pupdate 12/18/2024
Today we focused on Sammy’s “car manners”!
Sammy really enjoys car rides so it didn’t take a lot of convincing to get him into the car. The convincing came when he had to climb into the kennel. Initially Sammy was hesitant of the kennel but over the last few days he has gotten completely comfortable with it. He jumps right in, turns around and lays down to let me know he’s ready to go. This has also transferred over to the kennels that I have in my home. Sammy will often go in on his own to lay down and take a nap. This will allow you the ability to kennel him at home in the future if you so choose.
Sammy was doing very well walking off leash with me today so we progressed to the “car manners” portion of his training “off leash” as well. He did great! Sammy has been showing that he has the ability to be off leash with me in most low distraction environments. He’s even been able to be off leash at the mall but has had a few instances of trying to make a break for it. The e collar stopped him and he sat down and then we continued walking with no leash.
I say all of this to say that Sammy will have to earn the right to be off leash with you. It will take continued training once he’s home in order for Sammy to earn your trust when it comes to being off leash. Typically I will work him on leash and then when he’s following all of his commands and not breaking from them, I will transition him to off leash and continue training.
Sammy has made huge strides with his recall and with his follow through and I’m positive that he will continue to improve. I will go over all the best practices and training techniques that I have used with Sammy during the turnover on Monday, but it will be very important for anyone in your family that will be giving him his commands to be consistent and ensure that he is following through with the command every time. This will ensure that he knows no matter which family member is giving him the command, he will need to follow through with it.
It’ll be important for him to wear his e collar most of the day so that when he’s given a command, you and your family will be able to hold him accountable. I have noticed that Sammy doesn’t need any input from the e-collar on most occasions at this point in his training. He has learned that he can avoid the stim from the e-collar by following through with the command when first asked.
We can go over everything in further detail on Monday.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 12/19/2024
Today, we returned to the mall to focus on all of Sammy’s commands off-leash.
Overall, Sammy did very well, successfully completing multiple rounds of tasks without breaking position. He's shown a lot of progress!
That said, I want to highlight an important observation: Sammy has a strong flight response when he becomes scared or overwhelmed. This occurred during training and I had to increase the e-collar stim to a higher level to interrupt his flight response and regain his focus. Sammy only moved 2-3 feet away before sitting immediately with the higher correction. I note this as this is an area to keep in mind as you continue working with him and be vigilant of his cues. While Sammy is fully capable of performing off-leash commands, it’s crucial to ensure he earns the privilege through consistent training to keep both of you safe.
Another key point to note is the importance of consistency in handling Sammy. Whatever behavior you allow or discourage should be the same across the board with everyone. For example, if you don’t want Sammy to jump on your mom, he shouldn’t be allowed to jump on anyone at all. Clear and consistent expectations will set Sammy up for long-term success.
We’ll continue spending the remainder of the week working in public spaces to reinforce Sammy’s commands and behavior amidst distractions.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Pupdate!
Pupdate 12/20/2024
Today, Sammy and I focused on his off-leash door manners. Sammy picked up the command fairly quickly, but it usually takes him one try to fully follow through. This is largely due to Sammy's attachment to his handler (me in this case).
Sammy is naturally handler-dependent and wants to stay close, always observing and following what his handler is doing. This attachment becomes especially evident during door exercises. If Sammy sees me walking out the door, he struggles to stay in his place because he associates it with being left behind, which overrides his initial response to the command.
I want to emphasize again that Sammy is fully capable of performing all his commands off-leash. However, it’s crucial to continue his training consistently and to reinforce these behaviors before granting him the trust of being fully off-leash. Sammy’s tendency to flight when overwhelmed or unsure is another reason why this trust needs to be earned gradually.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's pupdate!
Pupdate 12/21/2024
Today, Sammy practiced all his commands completely off-leash.
For this session, he remained off-leash 100% of the time, and I didn’t need to use the e-collar stim at all—voice commands were enough for him to follow through with each command. Sammy is doing exceptionally well and showing great progress with his training!
Later in the day, we went for a walk around the neighborhood to reinforce his heel. Sammy does fantastic on leash and has learned to ignore common distractions like squirrels or other dogs passing by.
While Sammy is capable of performing heel off-leash, I want to reiterate his strong flight tendency when he feels scared or anxious.
For this reason, I recommend continuing to walk Sammy on leash. Sammy naturally seeks direction from his handler, and being on leash helps him feel more secure and reduces the chances of his flight response kicking in.
Something else to note is Sammy currently weighs 80.1lbs which is 8-9lbs less than when arrived. Sammy has continued to eat his meals as directed including some treats while training and carrots after meals. This weight loss is mainly due to the daily increase in activity and nothing to be concerned about as a typical weight range for a golden retriever is 65-75lbs.
All in all, Sammy is making wonderful progress, and we’ll keep building on his skills.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Pupdate!
Pupdate 12/22/2024
Today Sammy and I worked on his greeting manners!
Sammy has made major improvements and stays in the “sit” position while greeting new people. Sammy still tries to scoot toward the person he’s greeting and reposition himself to get more affection. It’s very cute but in order to continue to build upon his training you should tell the person not to pet Sammy unless he’s holding the sit position where you asked him to. If he leaves it, make him come back to that spot and sit again before allowing further interaction.
He is very driven by affection and he will learn quickly what he should be doing in order to receive it. If he puts a paw up on someone or tries to jump up he should be given the “off” command and you will hold the e collar button until he starts to come back down. You can release the e collar button as soon as he starts to follow through with the command. While he is coming down you will give him something to do by giving the “sit” command. As soon as he sits you may allow the person to engage with him again. This is what I have been doing with Sammy and this will continue to shape that behavior for you.
When people come over, I would either send Sammy to “place” wherever you have designated that to be in your home, or put him in a “sit” before going to open the door. This will set him up for success. Make sure you have the E-collar remote with you because timing will be important during this training. Also don’t wait until you’re having new people over to practice it. You can have one family member go outside and knock on the door or ring the doorbell and then come in and follow the process of greeting Sammy. That way he knows the game before game day comes.
If he leaves “place” or “sit” use the same process I explained above. Give the command again while holding the black S button on the e-collar down until Sammy makes a move back to where he’s supposed to be and then you can release it. If he doesn’t follow through all the way after you release the button then give the command again and continue to hold it down until he has fully completed the task and then release the button. If he doesn’t attempt to follow through at all because he is too excited then you will need to increase the level on the E-collar and try again. This goes for any time you give him a command that he doesn’t attempt to follow through with.
Once Sammy is in position and your guest or family are entering the house, allow them to come greet Sammy. I would do my best to explain to them that Sammy is in training and isn’t allowed to be pet or given affection unless he is sitting or laying down.
When walking in a “heel” with me, Sammy responds well to the E-collar set at around 16. When there are distractions such as squirrels, other dogs, loud noises from cars or trash trucks etcetera, Sammy needs an E-collar setting of around 35 for it to override the distractions. Just some things to keep in mind while walking him or training him in busy environments.
His behavior and follow through should always dictate the setting of the E-collar. If he’s doing everything he’s asked on the first try, don’t use the E-collar. It’s only there as a training tool in the same way that a leash is. If you don’t need to use it, great! If you do need it, it’s there.
I will go over all of his commands and training in greater detail tomorrow at his turnover.
Please make an effort to have anyone that will be handling Sammy be there for the drop off.
Also since one of Sammy’s big issues is greeting, let’s not have anyone pet him if he’s trying to jump. Once everyone has said hello with him seated I’ll allow him to “break” and you can give him all the belly rubs he can handle.
Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!
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