Hank | Rottweiler/Shepherd Mix | Manhattan Beach, CA | In-Training

Meet Hank! He is a three year old Rottweiler/Shepherd mix who has joined us for our One Week Board and Train Program. Hank is here for basic obedience, leash pulling, and being distracted by other dogs. He does well with people and other dogs, but he gets very distracted around them, and will pull on his leash to try and interact. The goal for Hank is proper leash walking, and listening to his commands better. Over the next seven days, Hank will be working on his obedience and be set up for success, with the hopes of becoming a well behaved pup. Check in to see his progress!

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Hank and I spent the day getting to know each other by going on a walk around the park to establish a bond. Throughout our walk, Hank was pulling on his leash, and would move from right to left as we made our way around the park. To keep him from doing so, I introduced Hank to heel, which consists of having Hank walk with me on my left side. Whenever he began to pull away, I stopped, let him get towards the end of the leash, then I walked in the opposite direction, and guided him back towards my left with leash tension. Our session consisted of many u-turns, in which Hank caught onto, and is making improvement when walking. I will continue to work with Hank on his heel, as it will now be applied on every walk we go on.

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Hank and I met up with other trainers and their pups who served as a distraction for Hank at a local park today. He was also introduced to his recall which is known as come to sit. This consists of having Hank come towards my right, going around behind me, and coming to a sit on my left. It did not take Hank long to understand the concept as he began following through. He still needs more practice, but by remaining consistent with the exercise, Hank can continue to improve. He also worked around other dogs in which he did very well with. I was able to keep him in a sit while a couple of pups passed by without him wanting to interact.

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Hank and I worked on place today. Place consists of having Hank getting onto an elevated object and remaining there in a sit or a down. It can be of great use when guests are over, and it can also build confidence in a dog. To teach Hank, I began with a low level object that he can easily get onto, and used leash tension as guidance. He was hesitant about it, so I remained patient with Hank and worked at his pace. Once he placed one paw on the object, I released him with a “break,” and rewarded him with praise. Anytime Hank touched the object it was considered a win, in which he began to understand what I was asking. After a few repetitions with Hank, he was able to follow through and place fully on the object. Once he started to show more confidence, we moved to a higher object in which he did very well with. Hank still needs more practice, but he is following through with his placing.

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Hank and I worked on what he has learned so far in a public setting filled with people distractions. Our morning and evening walks have been helping Hank improve on his heel. He is not pulling like he used to, and remains at my side throughout our walks. He adjusts very well to his surroundings and does not mind noise around him. He did very well with his recall and continues to progress the more we work on it. Hank was having a little trouble with his placing today, as he would come out of it after only a few seconds, but by resetting him and working him through it, Hank followed through. In the coming days, I will be working on having him hold his position longer as I introduce him to distance and duration. He is adjusting well here at home, and does very well in his crate overnight.

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Hank and I worked on down today. Down can be the most difficult commands to teach considering it being a submissive position, which can make a dog feel vulnerable being down on all fours. To teach Hank, I asked him to sit, and used leash tension to guide him towards the ground. Anytime he made the slightest intent into going down, I released leash pressure and praised him for it. There were a few instances in which he sat up and would stiffen up his front paws, so we walked it off, reset, and repeated the process. He was being a little stubborn during our session, so we took breaks in between to avoid frustration. It took some time and patience, but Hank was able to follow through in completing his down.

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Hank and I have been working on his door manners. During the initial phase of his program, anytime I would open a door, Hank would immediately try to go through. By working on distance and duration, Hank has learned to remain in a stationary position when a door opens. He will challenge you from time to time by getting up and wanting to go through himself. If that occurs when opening the door, close it, reset Hank back into position, and repeat the process as needed. The more you remain consistent with the exercise, the greater the result.

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Hank has completed his One Week Board and Train Program and is ready to come home. He was a very great companion and he will be missed. We worked on his final, and he did really well piecing everything that he has learned together. Hank is a smart pup and can be capable of so much more as long as he remains consistent with his training. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity in being his trainer, and I am looking forward to showing you what he can do. Thank you Hank!

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