Gunter | Chocolate Labrador | San Pedro, CA. | In Training.

Meet Gunter!

Gunter is an 8-year-old Chocolate Labrador from San Pedro, California, who has just joined us for our Three Week Reactive Board and Train Program!

Gunter has been known to struggle with reactivity toward other dogs, making walks and outings more challenging than they should be. He also has a habit of pulling on the leash and lunging at passing cars and motorcycles, making it difficult for his family to enjoy calm, relaxed adventures together. Gunter shares his home with his housemate, Lucy, and the two have a tendency to feed off one another’s energy when they become reactive, often escalating each other’s responses to the world around them.

It’s safe to say Gunter is ready for some guidance! Over the next three weeks, we will be working closely with him on his basic obedience, leash manners, impulse control, and house manners. Our goal is to help Gunter learn how to make better choices, build confidence, and develop the skills he needs to successfully navigate the world around him.

We’re excited to be a part of Gunter’s training journey and can’t wait to watch his progress over the coming weeks. With consistency, structure, and clear communication, we’re confident Gunter will make wonderful strides and be well on his way to enjoying many more stress-free adventures with his family. Stay tuned for his transformation!

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8/1/2026

Today Gunter and I kicked things off with an introductory walk at the park! This gave us the opportunity to get better acquainted while also allowing me to assess what he already knows. It turns out Gunter definitely knows his sit and down commands, which is a great foundation! Like many dogs, though, it’s more a matter of whether he feels like listening, so one of our goals over the next few weeks will be to make those commands much more reliable and consistent.

We also spent some time establishing Gunter’s heel command because, just like his sister Lucy, he was more than happy to try and take me for the walk! Anytime he forged ahead, I would give a quick pop on the leash and simply change directions until he chose to walk politely at my side. It didn’t take long before he started making much better decisions, and by the end of our walk he was already being much more respectful on leash.

Next, we introduced Gunter’s come to sit command, which asks him to come around my right side and finish in a nice sit at my left. While Gunter would have much preferred to lounge around instead of practicing, he accepted the leash guidance well and worked through the exercise nicely.

One thing I noticed throughout our session was that whenever I asked Gunter to sit, he would often default into a down instead. While it’s great that he already knows both commands, I want to make sure he understands the importance of responding to the specific cue he’s given. There is absolutely a time and place for down, but when I ask for sit, that’s the behavior I’m looking for. We’ll be spending the next several days helping him better understand that each command has its own meaning.

After wrapping up at the park, we loaded into the car to head over and check out his home away from home for the next three weeks. Gunter hesitated a bit when he saw the crate in the car, but with a little encouragement he hopped right in and handled the car ride very well. Once we arrived at my house, he was eager to explore everything alongside his housemate, Lucy. The two of them definitely feed off each other’s excitement, making every new sight and smell even more interesting. Gunter seemed to settle in nicely and didn’t have many complaints until it was time to head into his crate. He was a little reluctant at first, but with some patience and guidance I was able to get him settled inside.

Overall, Gunter had a great first day and is already off to a solid start. I’m looking forward to continuing to build on today’s foundation and watching his obedience and confidence grow over the next three weeks!

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