Hershey | Labrador Retriever Mix | Cerritos, Ca. | In-Training
- wendyoffleashsocal
- Apr 5
- 9 min read
Updated: Apr 11
Meet Hershey, a cute and adorable Chocolate Lab mix from Cerritos, CA, who is definitely living up to her sweet name! She has officially joined us for our one-week Board and Train Program, where we’ll be focusing on helping her become a more well-mannered and well-rounded pup.
Hershey is here to work on improving a few important behaviors such as leash manners, play biting, counter surfing, and overall obedience/listening skills.
Over the next 7 days, we’ll be building structure, obedience, and confidence through consistent training and clear communication.
Throughout her program, Hershey will be working on:
Loose leash walking
Impulse control (especially around distractions)
Basic obedience commands
Improved focus and engagement
Better manners in new environments
With the right structure and consistency, Hershey is going to make amazing progress and show just how great of a companion she can be. We can’t wait to see her transformation!
Stay tuned for Hershey’s one-week journey! 🐾🍫
Pupdate 4/5/26
Pupdate 4/6/26
Today Hershey and I took a trip to Whittier Narrows, where we met up with the other Off Leash trainers and their pups. This was a great experience for Hershey, as she had the opportunity to be around dogs that are also in training, and fully trained pups. I was very happy to see that she is not reactive toward other dogs and is simply curious about them.
During our time at the park, I introduced the e-collar and determined Hershey’s working level, which is between 9–14. While working with her, I also noticed that when she doesn’t get her way, she tends to shut down and drop to the ground. This is fairly common for puppies adjusting to a new environment and testing boundaries. Her stubborn little personality definitely came out today, but we worked through it using clear guidance and encouragement.
With some positive repetitions, we were able to get her moving again and help her understand that following commands leads to praise, affection, and rewards. This was a big win for her today! I built on that momentum by introducing the “place” command using a cot (as seen in the video). She was hesitant at first, but with patience, positive reinforcement, and treats, she was able to get on it—woo hoo!
Hershey is still a very young pup, and we are introducing her to structured obedience and training that is completely new to her. As I mentioned to Chris during pickup, one week is a short amount of time for a puppy to fully absorb and retain so much information. Today was definitely a challenging day for Hershey as she’s learning a lot all at once. Since this is only Day 1, I am still evaluating whether one week will be enough time for her. I’ll continue to monitor her progress and keep you updated with my recommendations.
At home, Hershey was very timid and initially hesitant to enter the crate. She wasn’t too happy about it, but she eventually settled in. She ate well and is slowly beginning to adjust to her new environment.
See attached E-collar tutorial to familiarize yourself with the device.
Pupdate 4/7/26
Today was a very productive day for Hershey! 🐾✨
Today we continued practicing “Place”, which she was introduced to yesterday, and we also introduced “Heel” and Recall (Come-to-Sit).
During our time outside, I reinforced “Place” a few times and noticed that Hershey is already starting to understand the command. Yay Hershey! Because she was showing good progress, I took the opportunity to introduce “Heel” on our walk by using treats to encourage her to stay at my side. For now, I’m using a combination of back pressure and treats to help her stay in position, and she did very well with it.
After that, we introduced recall. I began calling her to me, and with a little leash guidance, I was able to guide her into my left side where she finished the recall command in a sitting position. Having her finish on my left sets her up perfectly to transition right into heel.
Once I noticed she was understanding all three commands, I started combining them. With treats and leash guidance, we were able to put the command combos together successfully. She is such a smart little girl!
Once inside the house, I brought the cot we’ve been using for “Place” indoors to help designate a calm resting area for her. It didn’t take long at all for her to comply, and she even got to share the place cot with Dottie—sweet girl loves to share! 🥰
So far, she is understanding the commands well. I believe the hardest part was yesterday when she was challenged not to shut down. Today she needed a little enticement, but she did not give up, and that is a great sign.
I’m looking forward to our next session to see what other surprises she gives me! Now that she has a solid understanding of her commands, I’ll begin taking her into more public spaces so we can start practicing them around real-life distractions. I’m excited to see her manners continue to improve! 💛🐶
Pupdate 4/8/26
For today’s Pupdate, Hershey and I took a trip to the park where we focused on reviewing her recall command—this is currently the one she finds most challenging. We used high-value rewards to help guide her into the correct position and build motivation.
During our session, Hershey showed a bit of her sassy side. When she starts to feel done, she tends to pout and shut down. While she’s successfully following through about half the time, there are definitely moments where she tests the waters. We’re staying consistent and not allowing her to opt out, as it’s important she learns that following through leads to a reward.
Despite some distractions from other dogs, Hershey did a great job maintaining her composure and showed no desire to run off to them—huge win! She’s learning self-control, and that’s something to celebrate.
After training, we spent some time on a bench working on her “chill button.” The goal here is to teach her how to relax and settle while we sit and observe the environment. During this time, I called her name occasionally to check in. Soon enough, she began offering that check-in on her own. Each time she chose to engage with me instead of distractions, I marked it with a “yes” and rewarded her. What a smart girl! This is a big step toward becoming a well-mannered pup.
One thing I’ve noticed about Miss Hershey is that she’s much happier and more relaxed when she’s out of the crate—she learns quickly and seems more at ease. However, when it’s time to rest in her crate, she shows clear signs of discomfort and resistance. She tends to pull away, and I often have to guide her inside. It’s clear the crate brings her some anxiety, so we’re continuing to work on making it a positive, safe space for her. With time and consistency, I’m confident she’ll begin to see it as her place to relax and unwind.
Bonus Pupdate 4/8/26
In this clip, Hershey is clearly expressing through her body language and vocalizations just how much she dislikes the crate. I’m using chicken as a high-value reward to help entice her, which has been somewhat effective. However, I was honestly surprised by this behavior, especially since she has previously been crate trained.
In the second clip, I had just placed Hershey in her crate to give another pup some one-on-one training time, and she made her feelings very clear. She vocalized her frustration and let me know that the crate is currently a point of discomfort for her.
What I’m noticing is that during these higher-stress moments, Hershey tends to shut down, and it takes her some time to process and follow through with commands. Because of this, I’m giving her the space she needs to settle before continuing. Moving forward, I’m adjusting my approach by incorporating more training sessions inside the home to build her confidence and also prevent her from getting into anything she shouldn’t.
We’re currently halfway through her training program, and Hershey is being introduced to a lot of new information. Given her young age, she’s doing her best to retain it all but still needs consistent guidance. Hershey absolutely has the potential to learn everything that’s being asked of her within a week, but that may not be enough time to make those behaviors solid due to her age. While she may understand the commands, she would benefit from additional time and consistency to truly build a strong, reliable foundation.
Our end goal is for her to perform commands confidently with minimal to no guidance while on leash. At this stage, she is still resisting the recall command, so I will continue using high-value rewards to motivate her and help build a more reliable response.
Pupdate 4/9/26
Today we focused on door manners with Hershey.
Dog door manners are extremely important because they help create a safe, calm, and respectful dog both inside and outside the home. A dog that has good door manners understands that they do not control the doorway—the handler does.
Good door manners help with:
Safety: Prevents your dog from bolting out the door and running into the street or dangerous areas.
Impulse control: Teaching a dog to wait at the door builds self-control and patience.
Respect and structure: The doorway becomes a clear boundary, showing the dog they must look to you for direction.
Reduced reactivity: Dogs that rush the door often become over-aroused and reactive. Waiting calmly helps keep their mindset stable.
Better guest interactions: Prevents jumping, barking, or rushing visitors when someone enters the home.
Prevents escaping: Especially important for dogs that are curious, fearful, or easily distracted.
Overall, door manners are one of the best everyday exercises for teaching a dog calm behavior and obedience in real-life situations.
During today’s training session, Hershey has been continuing to work on self-control and impulse control. She is learning how to remain in a sit or down position for a few seconds at a time. When she breaks the command, we simply reset her and restart the sequence again.
It did take her some time to settle and hold her sit/down for a longer duration, but in typical Hershey style—once she starts getting tired of training, she tries to shut down. At that point, I use treats to encourage her and bring her back into training mode. Oh Hershey! We can’t let her give up, so we continue to push her through the session. She doesn’t always like being challenged, but she does follow through, and that is exactly what we want to see.
We also reviewed car manners today. She was able to work through this sequence much faster compared to door manners, which shows she is starting to understand structure and expectations.
Little by little she is getting there. With Hershey, it’s all about repeat, repeat, repeat, and although she is progressing slowly, she is progressing!
Pupdate 4/10/26
For today, our focus with Hershey was to continue working on the recall command, but Hershey is refusing to comply on her own. I have been enticing her with treats, and for the first few minutes she is happily lured and engaged in training. However, after a short period of work, she gives up and no longer wants to participate.
She is doing well with her non-motion commands, but when it comes to motion commands such as recall and heeling, she is willfully refusing to participate in training. Because of this, I am strongly recommending at least one additional week with her so she has more time to fully understand what is being asked of her. Hershey is showing that she learns at a slower pace than other pups, but she will eventually learn it with consistency and repetition.
At this point, she is still not complying with the recall command even after hundreds of attempts. I know it will eventually click for her, but right now she is fighting it for some reason. I will continue working with her and figuring out what else can better motivate her to stay engaged and learn these commands.
On a positive note, Hershey is doing very well with the other pups at home and is behaving nicely. We went on a walk with another dog I am currently training, and she did great walking alongside them. She is also behaving well inside my home—she does not get into things she shouldn’t, and when she is not in her crate, she relaxes calmly in a space of her choosing.
Overall, she is showing great progress in her manners and home behavior, but she will need more time to build reliability with her motion commands.
Pupdate 4/11/26
For Hershey’s final pupdate, we continued practicing her recall command, which I’ve mentioned she continues to resist—but she is slowly learning and getting there.
What I have learned about Hershey this week is that she does not like being told what to do, and she tends to pout when she is held accountable for not completing her task. Her feelings get hurt, but that’s okay. We need to continue holding her accountable and maintaining a structured training plan when she goes back home. She is not motivated to train for long periods of time, but it is important to keep pushing her through. She will resist, but eventually she will comply.
As you can see in the video, Hershey is getting along well with other pups and is not being reactive to the ones passing by. The key will be to keep her busy and redirect her attention back to you when needed.
Overall, Hershey did a good job for her age. She still has a lot of growing and maturing to do, but with continued and consistent training, she will become a much more well-mannered pup as she grows.
What we accomplished this week was building strong foundational work. The real work will need to be continued at home. Remember to always hold her accountable and do not allow her to continue bad behaviors. She is still a puppy and has that sporadic energy where she may act up, but with proper redirection, she will settle down.
It has been a pleasure working with Hershey this week. She definitely challenged me in many ways, but we were still able to follow through with her training. 🐾💛
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