Henry | White German Shepherd | Beverly Hills, CA | In-Training
- cristianoffleash
- Feb 12, 2023
- 22 min read
Updated: Mar 4, 2024
Meet Henry, a 8 month White German Shepherd coming from Beverly Hills, CA. Henry has joined us for our 3 Week Board and Train and will be going through every type of situation possible to be more of a well mannered dog. Henry at the moment will pull out of excitement, can be distracted, and a fear of being alone. Henry does come with some knowledge of obedience but there are other areas I will focus on to show Henry its ok to be independent, also knowing a solid structure of obedience. Check his progress out with me as a trainer!
Pupdate 2/12/2023
Today was the first day of meeting Henry. I took Henry to a park nearby my house to get him exercised and see how his engagement would be with me. Henry was able to show me his sit & down obedience commands but did not know his place or heel. I took him around the park to see if he would get distracted by the smells or sounds or anything around us. He stayed close to my side but would often try to travel far ahead of me to lead instead of follow. There was one person who passed by us with a dog and Henry seemed interested but I was able to have him come to me when asked and he listened.
When we arrived at my house I let Henry meet my personal dog Hunter. I let them introduce themselves right away because Hunter seemed interested and was showing signs of play. They kept smelling each other for the majority of the time I let them but Henry seemed confused a bit but would let Hunter smell him without a issue. As the days pass by I'll let them spend more time together and take them on walks to show Henry he can feel comfortable walking alongside with Hunter. As I put Henry in his crate after some training he seemed fine until I left the room and he started to cry. I ignored the crying and simply continued what I was doing and after just a couple of minutes Henry stayed silent regardless if I left the room or not. Henry soon went to sleep after this.
When I showed Henry his food he didn't want to eat but I left it out for him. After 30 minutes he decided to eat so he must have felt a little uncomfortable eating at someone else's house. I will monitor his eating to see if he will eat again on time tomorrow morning.
Pupdate 2/13/2023
This morning I woke up to Henry crying in his crate but very low tone of cry. I get up but ignore the crying still and as he sees me he goes silent. Today I took Henry to a park in El Monte to work on his obedience training with the other trainers from offleash. Henry did really well behaving around dogs and being greeted by the other trainers. We took the time to work next to each other and there weren't really any issues with Henry's training. The only thing he would do is get up from his down while around the other dogs but quickly learned just from a second try of the practice. I took the time to focus on Henry's place command while also recalling him around me. This is where Henry started to slow down but being redirected with the e-collar made him understand that he has to complete the task I ask for. Henry so far is on low level settings of the e-collar and is responding well so far to it. Henry was able to give me an extended duration of time while practicing place without having to check up for me.
We went for a walk learning how to clean up his heel. I would turn either left or right randomly as we walk straight. This is to have Henry focus more on me when he catches up next to me he will pass by. Now when Henry guides himself coming up to me he's more aware to slow down and keep the pace I'm going. The longer we stayed at the park walking around, Henry was able to keep himself next to me rather than passing me.
Henry ate only a small portion of his food this morning but later in the day he ate his whole meal without issue. Henry and Hunter have been spending time around each other playing shortly for the duration of 2 minutes and then Henry gets bored of him. As the days go on I think Henry will learn to be more open with Hunter who simply wants to play with Henry.
Pupdate 2/14/2023
This morning I let Hunter and Henry out first thing in the morning to see how they were towards each other. They started to actually play today and became friends, also being very gentle with each other while playing. After they played I took the both of them for a walk for 1 hour before going home. Once we arrived back at the house I trained Henry to be more obedient around doors. Last night we practiced this as well and Henry was more consistent with getting up right away and following me. Today He was able to hold his position but there are times he gets up as well. The goal is to have Henry confident the moment I leave his sight since he chooses to make a decision to get up or follow me. In the video I was finally able to leave his sight for an extended amount of time, following up with the door closing and I break him to let him know he's free to do what he wants.
I took Henry with me to pick up my little brother from school. He didn't mind seeing people and kids at all when school is out. We practiced all of Henry's obedience commands at the park next to the school to pass the time. While waiting for my brother we had some kids come to us who wanted to see Henry but were uneducated and as soon as 1 child started petting him all of them tried to. I quickly removed him and told the children to please politely ask to say hi to a dog rather than just petting a dog right away.
We practiced more door manners at night. Henry and Hunter continued to play as if they always knew each other. They also took their first nap together laying next to one another.
Pupdate 2/15/2023
This morning I took Hunter and Henry for a walk and gave them time to play this morning before taking Henry to Home Depot. Once we arrived at Home Depot I noticed Henry was somewhat uneasy being in the store, also trying to walk in front of me to start sniffing the new smells around him. I continued to keep walking Henry and as he tried to pass me I would administer the E-collar and say heel to have Henry acknowledge I don't want him passing by me. I took Henry to the lumbar section of the store and worked on any of his obedience commands with the free space we had. Once we started practicing here Henry seemed more comfortable in the store without anything bothering him or interfering with his training.
We continued to work on Henry's recall at home which is Henry coming around my body and ending up in his heel position. He will get somewhat distracted still coming behind me but the faster I call to him when he's circling around me he seems to follow through better. Henry has been eating half of his food in the morning but the evening meal he eats everything. I will monitor and see if I can add anything to motivate him to finish his meals in the morning.
Pupdate 2/16/2023
Today I took Henry to a park in La Mirada to work on his obedience. We worked on his recall in the beginning of the visit near a pond that had some geese and ducks swimming inside. Henry was usually distracted when he would have to circle around me. I would consistently use the remote to get his attention and even if Henry would end up in front of me I kept redirecting him until he was in the correct position for heel. His first recall in the video is that he does very well but then wants to ignore me after completing it once. I kept Henry by the pond and practiced this for a while until continuing our walk around the pond. Henry seemed interested in seeing the ducks but I would keep talking to him to get his attention and have his eyes on me rather than the ducks.
Later one we saw some of our friends from offleash and practiced obedience around each other. Henry had no issues and listening to me with the dogs around and I would often have him in a down while the other dogs would do training around him to see if anything bothered Henry. So far nothing really seems to get Henry's attention unless its something he hasn't seen before but Ill monitor his behavior as he engages with new objects and animals. Henry seemed fine eating today in the morning and in the evening after both exercises. Henry also had a lot of play time with Hunter taking naps next to each other.
Pupdate 2/17/2023
Today I took Henry to Hillcrest Park in Fullerton to get some exercise and focus on his heel working towards leash dragging. Henry did well walking around the park but when we got to the fountain by harbor street Henry was not willing to get on the platform next to the fountain. We stayed in this area for 20 minutes working on Henry having the confidence to go half way up, then all the way up from the assistance of me jumping up with him. Once he finally got up Henry seemed uneasy but constantly breaking him and getting him back up right away, I was able to show Henry that there's no need to feel uncomfortable being near the fountain. Shortly after Henry started to smile and I had him nearby for an extended amount of time before leaving.
We found some shade and a big open area to practice leash dragging obedience. Henry did very well practicing this but he still has a habit of trying to keep his head low and smell things on the ground. Henry will drift off but he is redirected each time with the use of the e-collar and comes back into a heel next to me. It was getting hot so I took Henry back home to work on more boundary obedience inside the house.
Henry does well waiting for me if I place him by the door next to our kitchen. Henry and Hunter have also been waiting by the door each time I let them play to come into the backyard. Henry only had to be redirected once for him to understand he has to wait even when I open the backyard door. Both of them will wait until I say break. They both come running directly to the backyard door to play.
Pupdate 2/18/2023
Today I focused on only training Henry for his recall since he's doing very well with every other obedience command. In the morning I had the usual routine of taking Henry and Hunter out and letting them play. After I trained Henry for 30 minutes consistently doing his recall command until I gave him his food and let him take a break and fall asleep again. Later in the day when he woke up I put the e-collar back on him and went into another obedience session.
In the video this is his progression with his recall and how he responds now. He is doing well going around me without me having to use the remote. The best help that made this practice better for Henry was to be close aligned next to a wall so when he comes around me he doesn't have space to travel away from me. This allows Henry to find his designated spot next to me and has made this practice fun and easier for Henry. If he does stop behind me I will use the e-collar and Henry will guide himself back into his heel.
So far Henry has been progressing everyday and been able to perform daily. He is confident with what he does and shows his abilities to be obedient.
Pupdate 2/19/2023
Today Henry worked on heeling with another dog. The dog he was working with is Hunter, my personal dog. They have been used to each other from the first day they met each other and can listen while around each other. In the video my dog is being more problematic trying to lead instead of heeling next to Henry. Henry has no issue listening especially when he's placed between me and Hunter. When we arrive back home I ask them both for a sit before opening the door to let them through.
The rest of the video is of them playing together and displaying their play behaviors. Henry and Hunter can be very physical but they don't pass their limits when it comes to playing. They both have the same energy so they both test each other and like to mess with each other to see what the other will do. Once they are done playing, Hunter will take Henry back to my room and Henry will watch Hunter walk back into his crate, but I'll still have to assist Henry by walking near the crate and then asking Henry to go in.
Henry didn't eat his full meal this morning but in the evening he ate everything again without a problem.
Pupdate 2/20/2023
Today I took Henry to a park in Downey, CA to work on his leash dragging obedience. When we first arrived I noticed there were more people walking around than usual since it's the holiday. We passed by a numerous number of people, some with dogs as well. Henry had no issues walking from the beginning, even going to the restroom and going into a sit to let me pick up his mess. I asked Henry for a heel to continue to walk and he followed through. This park also had ducks and geese walking around which didn't bother Henry too much but I would verbally tell him off each time his eyes made contact with the birds. Henry would look at me after and continue the walk, as this happens I reward Henry with little praise and keep the pace we are on.
We took a break and used the tables that were next to each other to focus on his place command. While practicing this I would have Henry placed on the table and ask for his recall to challenge him and see if he can understand to still come around me while being first placed on a platform. Henry would sometimes pass by me too much so I would redirect him with the e-collar to have him follow through into his heel position. He did fix this and is on low level settings with the e-collar when training now.
I went to buy some fish oil and wet food to add to Henry's meal since he won't eat his morning meal. Im assuming it might just be from the kibble alone might not be interesting for him. Adding more to his food to make it smell more intriguing for Henry. Once I fed Henry with every addition he ate his food in the morning with no issue.
Pupdate 2/21/2023
Today I focused on training Henry to be calm when leaving his sight. I apply this to door manners or his place command since objectively Henry is asked to do something rather than just doing what he wants at that moment. He does well letting me leave his sights but when I come back to Henry as I get close to him he has the initiative to break. In the video he does this once but I simply just ask him for a sit before continuing to leave with him. I will continue to work on my approach coming back to Henry so he's not breaking each time.
We also worked on his obedience with the leash dragging most of the day, even our walks. I also took Henry for a walk in a different path than usual today to see if he would get distracted when walking onto the Main Street or new neighborhoods. Henry had no issue heeling with me and evening going potty, coming back to me after and going into a sit so I can pick up his mess. When we got back home I trained Henry again outside with his recall and randomly leaving his sight again but this time outside to see his reaction. He doesn't even mind at all when it's outside and lets me approach him as I walk back to break him.
Pupdate 2/22/2023
This morning Henry and I went to tri-city park in Placentia, CA. We first went for a walk around the park having the leash drag from the beginning of the walk. While going around we found random benches and tables to have Henry place on anything along the way. Henry did well each time I asked him, even sometimes taking his time going up but still performing. We found a random table to start focusing on his send away to place.
In the video, now I am keeping Henry distant to have him walk towards the table rather than me guiding him right next to his side. He does well but when he finds himself back onto the grass he keeps trying to go into a down when I would say sit. I would use the e-collar to redirect him to get back into a sit and he follows through. The more we practiced this, I was able to drop the leash and show Henry with my body language that when I point to something he should place himself onto it without me being next to him. As we continued our walk again I had Henry sit and I would walk away from him to place on something different. When he would walk up to something new he would slow down approaching the platform or table but still perform his tasks.
Henry took 30 minutes to finish his meal this morning, he didn't want to eat everything that was mixed. I tried something new again and had him eat in his crate but I left a big treat next to the bowl. Henry kept staring at his food and the treat and seemed confused on what to eat first. I waited and left the room several times and he wouldn't look at me. He kept staring at his choices. Eventually he decided to eat his food and I left him one big treat to eat as well.
Pupdate 2/23/2023
This morning it was raining so we worked on some home training till the skies cleared. Henry has rules set in my house and one of them is to always wait by the kitchen door until he is given permission to pass. Showing a dog boundaries helps educate them that the area they are allowed in they are free to roam but once a specific area is marked he has to still follow that rule just like my own personal dog. The kitchen has a lot of food and things the dogs can get into and get them sick.
When we leave and come back from a visit somewhere Henry knows he has to walk towards my side of the house. Since the first day he was over he is always told to sit or go into a down when he is at this specific door in my house. Henry has no issue letting me do the things around the house but leaving his view is the challenge. I leave food on the floor and throw some empty water bottles to distract him but Henry has no issues with this. Only once I'm around Henry, he tries to get up from position and follow me but I verbally correct him without the use of the e-collar and he's listened.
I took Henry again to pick up my brother from school. Once we found our waiting spot I asked him for a down and he stayed in his down until my brother came to us.
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Pupdate 2/24/2023
This morning was still raining so today's training was at another Home Depot in La Habra. I didn't want Henry to be in the same store we went to before so I took him to a different Home Depot to see how he would do. Henry did very well again walking throughout the store and performing tasks when asked. We had forklifts passing us and people with a variety of lumber and items on carts which Henry seemed neutral to. While practicing we had some unexpected guests who saw us walk through the store. An older man wanted to say hi to Henry since he grew up with dogs. His approach to Henry was enough to make Henry break and make Henry feel timid. He doesn't want to approach anyone who can't come up to him properly and pet him in a nice way. This is a very common issue with most dogs because people don't aren't educated to pet a dog properly. The proper way is to pet them under the mouth or petting his chest. If people stop halfway to pet him and het scared, they will immediately lose Henry trust. Henry was fine and after we walked again before leaving the older man was able to pet Henry. I also leave Henrys sight at times to show Henry this practice at home is still applicable outside in store.
I moved Henry's crate to my room since its getting colder than usual inside my house. I played fetch with Henry since this is the most motivating activity for him, following up with playtime with Hunter and more offleash obedience training at night.
Pupdate 2/25/2023
This morning Henry and I went on a trip to the local pet store to get some items. I brought Henry in first to train and focus on his obedience. We walked very slowly around the store and any time I stopped to check something out I would ask Henry for a sit which he would do. We worked on every obedience commands in aisles and while people were passing by each other. I noticed with some children who pass by Henry, their body language alerts him depending on what they do around him. I will always say the off obedience command to keep him engaged with me and he will check with me for confirmation. When Henry is around my little brother he has no issue and is always coming up to him for pets but outside Henry shows no interest unless they were to spend time around him and engage with Henry.
As I shopped and waited in line an employee came from behind to see Henry which made him get up from his sit. I told the employee he's in training and she wanted to help with any training I needed for him. She was able to step aside from the cashier and help me with his greeting manners. I instructed her to pet his chest or under his mouth. The first time Henry went up to her and let her pet him with no issue. The second time she went for the top of his head which made Henry timid and broke his sit. He ended up not wanting to get praise from her anymore so I ended his training session there and took him home.
Later in the day I had my brother and mother help me with his greeting manners. He was fine with my little brother petting him in a sit or down. When my mom tried I asked that she walked up slowly and have staggered movements. He would break but I would redirect him each time until he allowed my mom to get near him and pet his chest. He seemed timid but the more she was able to pet him he started to settle and look towards her and even lick her hand.
Pupdate 2/26/2023
Today it stopped raining so I took Henry to Hillcrest Park near my house for a 1 hour offleash walk. Henry did really well walking and ignoring anyone who passed by, even if they had dogs with them. We practice every obedience command while walking throughout the park. When we got home I wanted to work on one of Henry's thresholds that I noticed on Friday night. When I moved a trash can around Henry he got frightened and ran back inside to his crate. I first set up Henry's place pad to give him an objective for what was gonna come next. My little brother was grabbing the trash can today and moving it so I can guide Henry and help build his confidence.
When we first practiced this in the beginning Henry was very persistent to leave his place pad and run behind me which I had to redirect him. Henry surprised me and only had to be redirected 4 times until he stayed in his place completely as my brother was able to go around us or near us.
In the video is when Henry started to relax and become neutral without even being bothered by the trash can. My brother accidentally goes over the tip of his tail and that didn't bother Henry at all. We practiced this more and Henry seemed to have his confidence now with the noise of a trashcan. We also worked on offleash obedience one more time before going back inside to let Henry play with Hunter.
Pupdate 2/27/2023
This morning Henry and I went to a park in Garden Grove, CA to work with some of the other trainers and their dogs. During the visit I had Henry learn a new obedience command which is under, to be placed under a table or area of interest.
In the video Henry is learning to do this in public now since we have been working on this at home with my tables. He will get confused if I point to the top of the table so I always direct him to the area right under. Since this table is different from the one at home Henry would first try to place himself on top but I wouldn't allow it. As I redirect him towards the lower area of the table he starts to go down and crawl in the designated spot. Once he did this twice he started to pick it up faster. I also taught Henry how to go under my legs just in case of the situation where you couldn't place Henry down under a table designed like the one in the video.
We went for a offleash walk in the second part of the video going along the riverbed. Henry did really well walking next to me and completing the recall in the end. We also used the giant field behind us to work on breaking Henry from a far distance. I would walk anywhere from 30 - 45 feet away from Henry and wait as long as I wanted him to wait until I said break. He would come running towards me with the biggest smile.
Pupdate 2/28/2023
This morning I took Henry and Hunter for a offleash walk together around the neighborhood. Henry did well doing commands at the same time as Hunter, even going to the restroom at the same time. After I took Henry to a park to work on his offleash obedience. I played with Henry first before starting his training. Henry is really smart on returning the ball when we use two balls to play. After we worked on Henry's extended down, also creating distance away from Henry to be more confident. Henry did really well letting me go anywhere I want at the park going as far to the playground and back.
When I told Henry break he almost drifted away from me from the smells off the grass but quickly caught his attention back to me.
I took Henry to my brother's school to pick him up but this time no leash, just the e-collar. We waited across the street and I had Henry down as we waited and parents passed by. As we waited we had a mother and her child who wanted to say hi to Henry but I told them he was in training and to not be bothered. As the bell rang, we had a lot of people passing by giving Henry comments such as he's such a calm and cute dog waiting by his owner. When I saw my brother I gave Henry his break command to stand up and we walked back to my car.
Henry had quality play time with Hunter most of the day and we continued more training at night.
Pupdate 3/1/2023
This morning I had Henry continue his door manners but at farther distances inside the house. I place Henry far away from the door to see if this challenges him but even from the start Henry is very aware of what his tasks are without breaking his position like before. I walk entirely out and around the house while Henry waits for me. As I come close to him he keeps his down and lets me outside the house again without getting up. After we worked on his recall in the backyard, but this time I'm not bending over to catch his attention. I'm verbally asking Henry for his come to sit without moving and Henry acknowledges what to do. Henry and Hunter played as usual, even when going back into the house I'll have both sit and wait until I get to the door to my room so I can break them and they'll come running to get water.
I took some time to teach Henry a funny obedience trick which is spin. I have Henry spin in a circle to get a treat but shortly after I weaned him off the treats and got him to do it without the use of food.I ran out of the wet food I have been feeding Henry, I will see if he will eat his kibble alone, but if not I will buy some more wet food for him.
Pupdate 3/2/2023
This morning I took Henry to walk around downtown Fullerton for some offleash walking. In the morning the Main Street Harbor is usually stacked with traffic, even walking by all the cars stopped or passing by Henry seemed unbothered. As we pass by some people Henry keeps his pace and tries to stay as close to me when passing by a person on a small side street. We also walked by Fullerton high school as kids were going to school. Shortly after we found an open area to practice all of his commands for about 10 minutes before walking around the downtown area. Henry continued to stay by my side until we walked all the way back to my car. I let him have a break in a grass area in front of my car and Henry started to roll over and have fun getting dirty. He went into a down I watched him from afar as he just watched cars pass by and people walk by.
I noticed yesterday when I left with Hunter outside of the house while Henry was in the crate he started to cry. I worked on leaving the house without having Henry cry once me and hunter left his sights. He settled but I will continue to do this and monitor how he does.
Pupdate 3/3/2023
This morning I took Henry to Huntington Beach, CA to work more on his offleash obedience. When we first arrived we walked by all the stores and restaurants until we got to the beach. We practiced heeling along the walkway next to the beach, as well as extended sits while people passed by. Henry had two older gentlemen come and greet him while we visited. Each time the men said hi to Henry I was next to him to keep Henry from breaking, but even as they said hi I walked away to give Henry space and Henry was fine getting petted by the men. There was also another man singing on his guitar who saw Henry and was able to greet him without any issue. When I was training Henry by the entrance of the pier Henry did everything I asked for. By the end of the visit I had Henry in a down resting position while watching all the traffic of people pass by back and forth until we left.
Pupdate 3/4/2023
Today I took Henry and Hunter to Hillcrest in the morning to walk together offleash. They had no issues walking together or using the restroom at the same time. I was able to recall both of them at any distance regardless how far they were. Once we got back home I had Hunter go into his crate and had Henry learn some new obedience commands that we've been working on for a while. I've been teaching Henry paw, spin and drop it. Henry loves to always bite any toy when I first introduced it to him. As we walk around if he tries to jump on me to get to the toy I will tell him off and he will understand not to jump in the moment.
In the video this is the progress of him today, doing spins for the toy and letting go as well. When Henry plays with tennis balls he will bring it back and drop it with no issue. With the tug of war toy he's more territorial and loves to play chase or pull heavily. Since I've been playing with him he's more gentle with my hands and will wait for the toy when he's being told his commands to perform. Henry also got to play with Hunter extra today since it's his last day for his training.
Henry has completed his 3 Week Board & Train program and has shown his abilities to perform under most situations. He has been a joy to have for my dog to play with and for my family to spend time with as well. He was never timid by them and enjoyed their presence as much as we enjoyed his. Henry has shown confidence each time we've gone outside to adventure and his ability to learn something new each day. Henry is now a well behaved dog to his peers.
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