Huey | Goldendoodle | Los Angeles, CA

Meet Huey! He is a three year old Goldendoodle who has joined us for our Two Week Board and Train Program. Huey is here for basic obedience, leash pulling, jumping to greet, barking at guests entering the home, and leash reactivity towards other dogs and people. Huey comes to us knowing some commands but needs a little more structure in following through. His leash reactivity and barking is not aggressive, but more so of seeking attention and wanting to interact. He does have some separation anxiety and can not be left alone. Over the next fourteen days, Huey will be working on his behavior and be set up for success, with the hopes of becoming a well mannered pup. Check in to see his progress!

Huey and I spent the evening getting to know each other by going on a walk around the park. Throughout our walk, Huey was pulling on his leash, and would walk ahead of me swaying left and right. To keep him from doing so, I introduced Huey to Heel. This consists of having Huey walk next to me on my left side. Anytime he would pull away from me, I turned, walked in the opposite direction, and guided him back towards me with leash tension. Huey would occasionally try to move towards my right side while walking as well, but I am conditioning him into remaining on my left by making u-turns as needed whenever that happens. I will continue to work on Heel with Huey, as it will now be applied on every walk we go on from here on out.

Huey and I met up with other trainers and their pups at a local park today who assisted us by serving as a distraction. We worked on conditioning his reactivity towards other dogs as well as people, and he did great. He only reacted to one dog from a distance, but with a verbal “Off,” and redirecting him towards me, Huey did not react anymore. The same dog he reacted to, was also the same dog that wanted to interact with Huey towards the end of this clip, and as you can see, Huey remained in a Sit and ignored the other pup. Huey and I will continue to work around people and dog distractions as he continues to improve on his reactivity.

Huey was introduced to Place today. This technique consists of having Huey getting onto an elevated object and remaining there in a Sit or a Down. It can serve a great purpose when guests are over or if there is a knock on your door, and it can also build confidence in a dog. To teach Huey, I introduce him to the object by walking him to it, and applying slight leash tension to guide him onto it. Huey is a very confident pup, and followed through within the first few reps of our session. Throughout his Program, I will be working on Place with Huey by challenging him on objects of different textures and surfaces. He is doing well in his crate and does not whine or cry in the car, and he has also been doing great overnight in his crate as well.

Huey and I drove out to a local shopping center and worked him around people distractions. We began with a walk throughout the mall to have him adjust to his surroundings in which he quickly acclimated. His Heel continues to improve thanks to our morning and evening walks, and although there are times he slightly veers off to the left a little more, I am able to correct him with leash tension and get him back on track. He did really well during our time there and did not react to any person passing us by.

Huey and I worked on Down today. This can be one of the most difficult behaviors to teach a dog considering it being a submissive position, which can also make a dog feel vulnerable being down on all fours. Huey does have some knowledge of the behavior, but needed more conditioning to have a better understanding. He is very food motivated, so I used his kibble as a lure to have him go into a Down. While working on it, I remember being told on the day of pickup, that he would try and “Shake” instead of going Down, which he did do a few times in the initial parts of our session. To keep him from doing so, I used the kibble and applied leash tension as guidance towards the ground. Anytime Huey made an intent to go down, I rewarded him with praise and released him with a “Break.” Working on this technique requires time and patience, and you may also need to take breaks in between to avoid frustration. After a few repetitions, Huey was able to follow through and accomplish his Down.

Huey and I have been working on his recall which is known as Come to Sit. It is a valuable behavior to learn as it keeps your pup safe from dangerous situations, and under your control to prevent unwanted behaviors. This technique consists of having Huey come towards my right, going around behind me, and sitting on my left. Teaching recall this way is very helpful, reason being once your pup is sitting on your left, it is in position to begin a Heel. Huey had difficulty learning this technique as he had trouble going around behind me, and would stop and sit on my right. To help Huey follow through, I lured him with his kibble around me, and took a step forward to guide him towards my left. He sometimes sits off to the side, but he is progressing, and I am using walls as barriers to have Huey in a straighter Sit.

Huey and I went for a walk around the neighborhood today and worked on Heel with his leash dragging. For safety purposes, I always begin with a few sessions in my backyard since it is an enclosed area to reassure the off leash capability in a pup. Once I am comfortable enough and I see consistency, I then go out for a walk. Huey did really well and although he was a little distracted by the smells around him, I was able to have him walk by my side with a verbal “Heel” and keep him on track. I also worked on his recall which still needs some practice since he is used to the leash tension. I will fade this out as Huey will now be working with his leash dragging as he prepares for his off leash experience.

Huey and I drove out to a local park and began working on distance and duration with a longer leash. He does well remaining in his stationary position as I walk away, but will only hold it for a short amount of time. To help Huey maintain it, I began working with him in increments of five for every foot I stepped back. One foot is five seconds, two feet is ten seconds, three feet is fifteen, and so on. If I am three feet back and he gets up, I reset Huey, go back to two feet, and rewarding him with praise when he follows through. The goal is to have him hold his Sit or Down for two minutes, and he is just about close to one minute. Now that he is being a little more consistent, I will begin to gradually expose him to more distractions as he continues to progress in his training.

Huey and I worked on what he has learned with his leash dragging today at a local park. He was having a little trouble with his Heel as he would walk a little sideways, but it was due to the leash on the floor beside him. Once I moved it to the other side of him, he was able to walk much better. He has made a big improvement with his Down, and no longer anticipates “Shake” when I ask him to Down. He is just about ready to begin working fully off leash, but we will first have him drag his leash around different distractions in a more public setting.

Huey and I worked on some off leash exercises at home today. His Heel is much better without him having to work with it dragging, and he does well walking next to me. While working on Place, he still needed a little guidance from me initially, but followed through without my assistance the second time I asked him to Place. He did well walking around the neighborhood and ignored dogs barking at him from their front doors, as well as a few dogs being walked across the street. Huey did fall behind a few times, but by walking a little faster and with some verbal encouragement, he was able to stroll along with me. Remember to always encourage Huey to follow through with behaviors in a positive manner. This gives him the motivation to want to perform it more, and always keep it fun and consistent.

Huey and I have been working on his Food Manners. He did have an understanding of the concept when he began his Program, but had trouble remaining in position for a longer period of time. Huey would just wait for about thirty to forty five seconds before getting up and going for his food. By gradually increasing his time day by day and having him hold his Sit or Down, Huey began to make progress. Anytime he sat up, I would pick up his bowl, reset him, and restart our session. Once we reached our goal for the day, I then released him with a “Break” so he can enjoy his meal. Huey is doing great and can now wait patiently for breakfast and dinner.

Happy Thanksgiving! Huey and I have been working on his Final. Everything he has learned was pieced together and he did really well. He has come a long way from being the reactive pup that he was when I first picked him up. I am proud of how far he has come along in the short amount of time that he has spent with me throughout his Program. He has learned a lot and is capable of so much more with consistency and repetition. I have also been working on his separation anxiety by making his crate a safe space and gradually increasing the time he spends in there as I let Huey and my other pup out on rotation. He has adjusted to sleeping in his crate, and knowing that he has his own safe space at home with you, he can also become accustomed to sleeping there as well.

Huey continues to thrive in his training and he is doing great with his stationary positions. There are times in which Huey may need more exercise than usual to calm his excited state, so I usually go out on longer walks with him, especially in the morning to get some of that pent up energy out of him. Before we go out, I have taught Huey to go into a Sit or a Down before crossing any doorway. In case he does try and come out of it, I reset him, close the door, and repeat the process as needed. He has done very well and can now wait by an open door until I cue him to come out.

Huey has completed his Two Week Board and Train Program and is ready to come home. It was a pleasure working with him, and I want to thank you for trusting me with Huey while he was under my care, as well as giving me the opportunity in being his trainer. Huey is such a smart boy and can continue to learn new behaviors with patience and consistency. He was a great pup to be around, and he will truly be missed. Thank you Huey!

Huey | Goldendoodle | Los Angeles, CA | In-Training

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