Hana | Border Collie Mix | Santa Monica, Ca | In Training
- Robert Steinbach
- May 11
- 12 min read
Updated: May 24
Meet Hana! Hana is a 2-year-old Border Collie mix with brains to spare and energy to burn. She's joined us for our two-week Board & Train program, and while she's got a heart of gold, she’s also arrived with a few quirks we’re ready to iron out. Recently, Hana’s been letting her anxiety do the talking—whether it’s nipping for attention, jumping up to say “notice me now,” or guarding her favorite things like a dragon with treasure. She’s also been struggling with separation anxiety, which we’ll be helping her work through so she can feel calm and confident, even when she’s not glued to your side.
Over the next two weeks, Hana will be learning all her basic commands—on and off leash—while we help her replace anxious habits with polite, well-mannered ones. With her smarts, a little structure, and a lot of consistency, we’re excited to help Hana channel all that Border Collie brilliance into becoming the calm, respectful companion she was meant to be. Stay tuned—this girl’s glow-up is going to be a fun one to watch.
Pupdate 5/11/2025
Hana kicked off day one of her Board & Train program with curiosity, smarts, and just a little bit of sass. We started the day at the park getting to know each other and assessing what she already knows. At first, she played it cool—acting like she’d never heard the word “sit” in her life—but it didn’t take long before she caught on to what was being asked and started following through. This girl is sharp, and it shows. As we continue training, we’ll be focusing on extending her commands and building the kind of confidence and consistency that sticks.
Back at home, Hana was introduced to her new digs and our resident dog crew. She handled the meet-and-greet like a pro and even showed flashes of her playful side. Her tendency to nip surfaced briefly during the excitement, but a quick “off” had her back on track and engaging appropriately. Though she was a bit reserved when first arriving, it didn’t take long for her to settle in—tail wagging and soaking up the attention like she’s known us for weeks. Right now, we’re giving her time to get familiar with her surroundings while gently reinforcing boundaries and commands. A solid first day for a pup with tons of potential.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 5/12/2025
Today, Hana and I went to a local park to continue building on her basic obedience skills. We focused on reinforcing her “place,” “sit,” “down,” and “heel” commands in a new environment with moderate distractions. Hana responded well and showed great focus throughout the session. Introducing her to different surfaces and settings is helping her build confidence and reliability with her commands, and she remained engaged and eager to work the entire time.
I also introduced Hana to the e-collar today, allowing her to get used to wearing it and beginning the process of conditioning her to follow commands while wearing it. At this stage, I’m simply pairing the collar with the commands she already knows, helping her make the connection in a positive and clear way. Tomorrow, I’ll begin to slowly incorporate low-level stimulation to further reinforce her understanding. Hana is proving to be a very smart pup and is picking up on her training quickly—she’s off to a great start.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's pupdate!
Pupdate 5/13/2025
Today, Hana showed impressive progress during her training session, particularly with her heel command. From the start, she was focused and eager to work, responding well to guidance and redirection. We began with basic positioning and leash work, reinforcing the idea that “heel” means walking closely at my side without pulling or lagging behind. After just a few repetitions, Hana started to grasp the concept and moved more confidently into position each time she was asked.
As the session continued, her responsiveness improved significantly. By the end of our training, Hana was consistently staying in the correct position with minimal correction, showing both enthusiasm and understanding. Her quick improvement today highlights her intelligence and willingness to learn. With continued practice, Hana is well on her way to mastering the heel command as a reliable part of her obedience skill set.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 5/14/2025
Hana rolled up her sleeves today (figuratively, of course) for a focused training session in our yard, this time with our pups present to create a little real-world chaos for distraction. Despite the extra excitement,
Hana is catching on quickly to every command we’ve presented so far. That said, her insecurity tendencies do still show, especially when asked to follow through in unfamiliar moments. She’ll hesitate or second-guess, which is perfectly normal at this stage. We’ll be focusing hard on repetition across varied environments to help her build confidence and become more reliable under any condition.
One area where Hana is shining is “place.” She’s taken to it like a natural, staying in her “place” or “sit” position until she’s released—even with the other dogs milling around trying their best to be distractions. Where she still likes to test us a little is with “down”. If asked to “down” independently (not as part of “place”), she tends to put up a little polite protest. So today we worked in some puppy push-ups (alternating between sit and down) to reinforce the difference and get her more comfortable with the motion.
All in all, a productive day with some real flashes of potential. Hana’s getting there, and with continued consistency, she’ll only keep improving.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 5/15/2025
Today we continued reinforcing all of Hana’s commands, with a special focus on her heel—and let’s just say, it’s come a long way since day one. The pulling has vanished, and she clearly understands what’s expected when asked to heel. Her progress is undeniable, but we’re still seeing her nervous/anxious tendencies pop up, particularly during our walks.
While she’s no longer pulling, dragging behind or veering off course, she tends to hang back a bit, keeping some horizontal distance from my actual heel. She’s cautious—especially around anything unfamiliar underfoot, like plumbing access plates or changes in surface. Early in the walk, she hesitated around these spots, but with a little encouragement and focus, she began stepping over them more confidently. That said, if her attention drifts even slightly from her handler, those nerves creep back in and she’ll instinctively avoid anything that looks different or unpredictable.
We also passed a few gates with barking dogs behind them, which caused some visible hesitation—but interestingly, dogs walking by or off-leash didn’t faze her at all. It’s clear that her triggers are rooted more in environmental uncertainty than social anxiety. We’ll continue building her confidence and strengthening her trust in her handler so she starts to understand she doesn’t have to scan and assess every unknown—that’s our job.
A bright spot: Hana has started to frequently glance up during her walk—checking in, looking for cues, and staying tuned in. This is a fantastic sign that she’s connecting with her handler and ready to follow direction. Each day she’s becoming more thoughtful, engaged, and connected.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 5/16/2025
Today Hana and I met up with one of the other OffLeash SoCal trainers and his pup at a local park. I worked on getting Hana comfortable following her commands while out in public with more distractions and she did great!
She had great interactions with the other dog and the other trainer and there was no mouthing or nipping on her part. She also did so well with the place and down commands that I started working her with the leash dragging which is the next step towards her being able to perform tasks off leash. She even gave me a few clean “come to sit” commands without any use of the leash. I worked on extending the time that she will stay in the “place”, “sit” and “down” positions and at several points she held the position for over 5 minutes. To give you a point of reference usually dogs are holding those positions in public for 45 seconds to a minute at this point.
We went on a walk around the neighborhood after the park to continue working on her “heel” command. She’s getting more and more consistent every day. I have noticed that her tolerance for the e collar is very low. She gets a little spooked when I use it for a correction and her first instinct is the flight response. I didn’t allow her to pull away from me and did a few change of directions in order to give her something to focus on and get her back into the heel position and then praised her once she was. This tells me that she’s still not ready to be off leash in a public setting. It was the sound of a child yelling that spooked her and made her want to take off. I will continue to expose her to areas with more distractions in order for her to understand that when she’s following commands from me, she will be safe. Over time this will hopefully improve her tolerance for the distractions.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate.
Pupdate 5/17/2025
Today we took Hana out to a more high-traffic environment to put her training to the test, and she handled it with grace (and a little side-eye for the soccer balls). Our local park was buzzing with kids’ games, families, dogs, and plenty of distractions—all of which gave us the perfect opportunity to work on her focus and follow-through under pressure.
Hana continues to improve every day—she picks things up quickly and clearly wants to get it right. That said, the main area we’re dialing in now is her reliability after the first command. Because of her naturally timid and cautious nature, she sometimes waits for a second prompt before deciding it’s “safe” to follow through. This is a confidence issue more than anything, and we’re focusing on consistency and calm reinforcement to help her build trust in the process.
At home, we’ve also been layering in more door manners. She understands the concept of waiting at thresholds, but her excitement can still override her impulse control—especially if she thinks there’s something exciting waiting on the other side. We’ll keep working to balance that excitement with structure so her follow-through becomes second nature.
Overall, she’s doing really well. She’s thoughtful, responsive, and wants to please—she just needs a little more time to fully believe in herself.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 5/18/2025
Today I spent time working on Hana’s Door, Food and Car manners. Hana has a a bit of an issue with impulse control but she made big improvements with that today. She is starting to put it all together.
After several repetitions in each area she was following through like a champ. She’s very quick and very smart so timing with her commands is critical. That said, she has mastered all three commands and is now capable of doing them “Off Leash”!
It will be important once she’s home that you continue to challenge her and extend the time that she’s required to hold each position before she’s released with the “break” command. By varying the duration, you will build in more reliability as she won’t know when the “break” command is coming and will learn to hold the position no matter what until the next command is given. I say next command because it doesn’t always have to be the “break” command. If you’re having her sit before getting in the car, the next command will be “load up”. If you’re having her sit at the threshold of the door before leaving with her on a walk, the next command will be “come”, so that she comes and sits next to you while you close the door. Being consistent with this every single time will condition her to do this as the expected behavior. It will continue getting better over time. If you only do it intermittently or let her get away with leaving the position before she’s given permission, she will learn that she doesn’t need to listen to you every time. Consistency is key!
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Pupdate!
Pupdate 5/19/2025
Today Hana and I continued to work on all of her obedience commands. She is getting much more consistent and I rarely have to use any leash pressure with her. That lets me know that she’s ready for some off leash training. I do have some concerns about how skittish she can be at times when she feels the e collar so I have been working hard to reinforce her commands while on leash so that when she’s off leash I can feel good about her not wanting to bolt when she feels the e collar stim.
She is getting better and better with this each day and I’m hoping tomorrow she will put it all together and show me that she can be trusted off leash.
I have received your email about how to continue her training and how to hold her accountable at home and I will be replying to that shortly.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Pupdate!
Pupdate 5/20/2025
Big milestone for Hana today—she officially graduated to off-leash training! We took our daily strolls around the neighborhood without the leash and she crushed it. She followed all her commands beautifully, stayed close, and checked in with me often for direction. Even with typical neighborhood distractions—people, smells, distant barking—Hana stayed locked in and didn’t let anything pull her attention away.
Something we’ve really noticed is that when it’s just her and her handler, Hana is incredibly focused. She wants to please, she listens well, and she really shows up for the work. That said, she’s still very much a pup at heart—so she’s carrying a good bit of that classic puppy energy. Keeping her physically and mentally stimulated will be key to her continued success at home. She thrives with structure, activity, and consistent follow-through.
We’re so proud of how far she’s come—off-leash confidence and all!
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 5/21/2025
Now that Hana’s officially off-leash, we’re shifting focus to the real-world stuff—reinforcing all of her commands in busy public spaces with plenty of distractions. Today’s training field trip took us to Shoreline Village, and between the crowds, other dogs, boat horns, and seagulls doing their thing, Hana had every reason to lose focus—but she didn’t.
She was totally locked in with her handler the entire time—checking in, executing commands, and navigating the chaos like a seasoned pro. It’s clear she’s not just following instructions; she’s listening, trusting, and showing up with confidence.
It’s wild to see how much Hana has grown in just a week and a half. Her maturity is shining through, and she’s proving that no task is too tall for her when she knows what’s being asked and feels supported. That said, it’s good to keep in mind—new environments can still make her a bit hesitant, which is normal. The key is to start with simple, familiar commands to set the tone and remind her, “You’re good. I got you.”
More public adventures tomorrow—
Stay tuned for the next pupdate!
Pupdate 5/22/2025
Today we took Hana to a local park for training—right in the middle of all the action. Between little league games, basketball matches, and some very enthusiastic cheering sections, there was plenty going on to test her focus.
As expected, Hana did great following through on all her commands, both on and off leash. Her reliability continues to impress, and she clearly knows what’s being asked of her. That said, the loud crowd energy definitely had her on edge at first. You could tell she was on alert—not reactive, but definitely unsure.
Once I noticed her starting to scan and stiffen up, we paused and refocused her attention through simple commands and engagement. It worked like a charm. She responded quickly and settled back in, reminded that her handler is in control and that she’s safe.
Even when she was feeling uneasy, she never broke her commands, which is huge. Going forward, that little bit of insecurity is just something to be aware of—it’s not a flaw, just a part of her personality. With continued structure and clear leadership, those moments will fade, and she’ll start to see unfamiliar or noisy environments as no big deal.
She’s doing so well and continues to show us she’s got all the tools—now it’s just about reinforcing the trust.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 5/23/2025
Hana has been doing so well with her training—her focus, follow-through, and overall engagement have all been on point. But today, we noticed a little spot that could use some extra attention: her door manners… specifically at the back door.
While her behavior at the front door has been consistently great (waiting patiently, holding position, no problem), the back door seems to bring out her excitement, and that impulse to bolt out sometimes gets the best of her. So today, we dedicated time to doing reps at that threshold—working on consistency across all exit points, not just the one she’s nailed.
The good news? Hana knows exactly what’s being asked of her. She’s not confused about the command—it’s just that her enthusiasm sometimes takes the wheel. With continued reps and clear accountability, this will absolutely become second nature to her. It’s all about keeping that same calm, composed mindset no matter where the door leads.
She’s got the skills—we’re just rounding out the edges.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s pupdate!
Pupdate 5/24/2025
Today we celebrated Hana’s transformation with one last victory lap—an off-leash stroll to the pier, full of distractions, people, and energy. And Hana? She nailed it. She followed her commands with confidence, focus, and calm, showing that all her hard work has truly paid off.
She also got in a bit more practice with her polite greeting manners, waiting patiently for permission before engaging with new admirers—a huge shift from where she started. She’s composed, responsive, and clearly understands what’s being asked of her.
From the unsure, slightly nervous pup we met on Day One to the tuned-in, reliable companion she is today, Hana’s progress has been nothing short of inspiring. She’s leaving us with a strong foundation and a heart full of trust in her people.
We can’t wait for you to see her tomorrow and for her to proudly show you all that she’s learned.
Thank you for letting us be a part of her journey!
Commentaires