Hugo | Standard Poodle | Studio City, CA | In-Training
- meganoffleashsocal
- Apr 6
- 26 min read
Updated: Apr 20
Meet Hugo, a two year old Standard Poodle from Studio City, California! This sweet and playful pup is here with us for our Two Week Board and Train Program. He comes to us with knowledge of some basic obedience commands, though he is easily distracted and can be selective with his listening. While he's generally a very good boy, he has some poor habits, such as pulling on the leash while walking and jumping all over people to say hello. He also comes to us with some other common issues, including an aversion to being inside of a kennel, a habit of barking excessively, and some separation anxiety. Hugo can also be a bit mischievous, and will play with household items he's not supposed to, such as toilet paper, shoes, and pillows. Over the next fourteen days, we will be working on improving his obedience, discipline, confidence, and manners to set him on the right track to becoming a well-behaved pup both on and off leash. Stay tuned for his transformation!
Pupdate 4/6/2025
Today Hugo and I spent the day bonding and getting to know each other at the park after he was dropped off with me. He warmed up to me very quickly and we became fast friends, though once the initial excitement of meeting me wore off he was generally much more interested in our surroundings rather than focusing on me.
While at the park, I tested his current knowledge of commands to get an idea of where his starting point is and what areas may need some extra focus going forward. We tested basic commands such as Come, Heel, Sit, Down, and Place. He would usually Come to me when called, but it sometimes took several asks before he responded, and once he got to me he was typically quick to wander back off again. When asked to Heel, he didn't seem to have a ton of interest in the command and would usually walk around wherever he pleased rather than following alongside me in a Heel. Hugo would sometimes walk without pulling, though if something caught his interest he would definitely pull quite hard in an attempt to get to where he wanted to go. He appears to understand the Sit and Down commands, though he was not always reliable about following through with them and would sometimes opt to ignore the command asked of him or do something else entirely. I also asked him to Place on some low, easy to reach objects, but he didn't seem to understand what was being asked of him. He would sometimes jump onto objects when asked, though he would often hop right back down without pausing to remain stationary. Throughout our visit at the park, Hugo also loved to jump all over me, and often did so while I was asking him for commands or whenever he felt excited about something.
After our time at the park, it was time to head home and get him settled into my home. He was able to jump into my car, though was a bit hesitant initially and needed a bit of encouragement to get him to jump up. He wasn't a big fan of entering the kennel, however with some patience and treats to lure him in, he was able to enter it eventually. Anytime Hugo is to ride in a car with me, he will be secured in a kennel for his utmost safety. He will also be in a kennel at home during nighttime or any other time he is unsupervised. As such, helping him to build a positive association with the kennel will be important during his stay with me to ensure he sees it as a safe and comfortable space. We spent some time working on this when we got home, by tossing treats and toys in to entice him to enter it, and rewarding him heavily each time he did so. Once he was comfortable entering the kennel, we practiced gradually increasing the duration which he remained inside it, so that come bedtime he would be comfortable sleeping in it. He did whine and bark a bit at first, especially if I left his sight, though with some more practice throughout the day, he appears to be having an easier time settling down now. During mealtime, Hugo was a bit excited, and he barked and jumped on me as I made his bowl, so we'll need to work on his Food Manners as well. He didn't end up eating all of the food offered to him, though this is not unusual for him, and he also ate lots of treats during our kennel training which might have affected his appetite a bit as well. We also went out for a walk around my neighborhood today to help him become familiar with the area where we will be taking regular walks each day. When exiting the house to start our walk, Hugo was a bit impatient and kept trying to run out the door as soon as it was opened, so we will also be working to improve his Door Manners to make sure he can respect the boundary a doorway creates, as this will help keep him safe. Overall, he seems to be settling in nicely, and we are so excited to begin this training journey together!
Pupdate 4/7/2025
Today Hugo and I visited a park, where we met up with some other OffLeash SoCal trainers and their pups! This provided a great opportunity to practice some training in close proximity to other dogs and people in a controlled environment. Hugo was a bit excited to be around the other dogs at first, though he quickly seemed to understand that they were all focused on their own training, which encouraged him to do the same. Today's goals for training included improving his understanding of leash pressure, introducing the e-collar, and beginning our work with the Heel command.
Pressure is a fundamental tool used in teaching basic obedience commands. The idea is that whenever pressure is applied, be it from a leash or e-collar, it is paired with a command. The pressure then remains present until Hugo follows the pressure and performs the behavior or command being asked of him. The moment he follows through, the pressure immediately turns off and a reward is given. We spent some time doing basic exercises with leash pressure only to ensure he understood how this concept works, as leash pressure is the most simple form of pressure due to the clear directional guidance it provides. Once it was clear that he understood leash pressure, we began adding in a new form of pressure from the e-collar. By pairing these two forms of pressure simultaneously, he will come to understand that each pressure has the same meaning. With time and practice, the goal is for this to allow the leash and e-collar to be used interchangeably, and eventually create the opportunity to begin training with the e-collar only, without the need for a leash! For his first day, he did a great job and seems to be catching onto it quickly. Be sure to check out today's video for an in-depth e-collar tutorial.
Heel is an important concept for Hugo to begin developing early on in his training. The goal for the Heel command is for Hugo to be able to follow directly alongside me on my left side, and maintain that position while walking unless released or given a new command. This precise positioning takes a lot of practice to master, but it will effectively eliminate pulling on the leash or veering off in different directions, and allow his handler to take the lead on walks instead of him trying to pull them around wherever he pleases. To introduce this command, I kept the leash short but loose, and ensured he stayed on my left side in roughly the Heel position as we walked. If he began to veer off, pull ahead, fall behind, or otherwise create tension on the leash, he was given some guidance with the leash, stimulation from the e-collar, and the verbal command "Heel" command was given until he returned to the desired position. During Heel, his sole focus should be following his handler's lead, and as such he needs to remain neutral to and ignore his environment, which will take some practice to accomplish. As he gets better with this command, he will have an easier time staying in the Heel position without as much guidance needed, and will need to be given reminders less frequently. Overall he did a good job today and seemed to catch on pretty quickly!
Pupdate 4/8/2025
Today Hugo and I visited a local park, where we trained around distractions. The park wasn't overly busy, but did have a variety of distractions including people, children, dogs, and small animals such as birds and squirrels. During today's training, we focused on introducing the Off command and the Come to Sit command.
Hugo is often easily distracted, as he tends to focus on his surroundings even when asked to perform commands. Moments like this are a great opportunity to implement the Off command. The goal for the Off command is for Hugo to stop whatever he is doing, and focus on his handler. This is a very versatile command, similar to "no" or "leave it", and can be used in various situations, such as to interrupt fixation on distractions, jumping on people, barking, eating or sniffing things he's not supposed to, or any other behaviors that are undesirable or inappropriate at that time. The verbal Off command when paired with leash pressure and/or the e-collar allows us to quickly interrupt the behavior and help him to refocus so that he is in a better mindset to listen for upcoming instructions. Once the Off command is given, it's beneficial to immediately follow it with another command such as Sit, Come, Heel, etc. Once he stops whatever behavior he was doing, asking him to set his focus on a task will help keep his attention away from what initially distracted him or caused the undesirable behavior. Hugo has shown good progress in understanding the Off command so far, and with each repetition, he seems to be quicker to respond and refocus when prompted.
Come to Sit is an important command to begin practicing early on in Hugo's training journey, as it will be our main form of recall. The goal for Come to Sit is for Hugo to come directly to me when called, and circle around to perform a Sit on my left side. The Come to Sit command when performed in its entirety, ensures that he not only comes when called, but also requires him to sit beside his handler and not leave that spot unless released or given a new command. By having him Sit on the left side facing forward, we are setting him up for success to begin walking in a Heel, as he is already in the desired position for it. We introduced Come to Sit today by combining the verbal command "Come" with some other visual cues to grab his attention and encourage him to move towards me. If he failed to begin coming to me on the first ask, leash pressure and e-collar stimulation were added to provide clear communication and guidance. Once he approached me, he was guided around to my left side, where he was then asked to perform a Sit. As we practiced more, he began to rely a bit less on the leash pressure to grab his attention and guide him, which is a good sign of progress! With each successful repetition, I made sure to reward him with lots of praise and affection, to build up a positive association with the command and coming to me when called. He'll need some more work with this command before he is consistent with it, though for his first day with this command, he did a good job! His most common mistake was sitting sideways facing me, instead of facing forward. This is a pretty minor mistake overall, though will be something we'll work to correct and clean up over the coming days.
Pupdate 4/9/2025
Today Hugo and I spent the day working in various areas around my neighborhood. My neighborhood tends to be pretty quiet overall, though some common distractions are often present including people out for walks, other dogs, and the occasional bird or squirrel. Lawns, trees, bushes, and other foliage also served as a good distraction, as Hugo's love for exploring scents was a good challenge to work with during training. During today's training, we focused on introducing and working with the Place and Down commands.
The goal for the Place command is for Hugo to jump or climb onto a designated object, such as a bench, a bed, or another object with defined borders, and hold a stationary command while remaining on the Place object until released or given a new command. We first introduced this command at home using a familiar object, a dog cot. He is comfortable climbing onto and relaxing on the cot in his own time, so this was a good object to use and help set him up for success. We used some leash pressure to guide him onto the cot while giving a hand signal and the verbal Place cue, which he quickly picked up on. Once he seemed to understand the behavior, we began pairing the leash pressure with e-collar stimulation as additional reinforcement and communication when needed. Once he was successfully performing Place with familiar objects, we moved on to practice with other types of objects such as tree stumps, rocks, low walls, and other types of objects we found around my neighborhood. He did well with this overall, and while he was sometimes a bit hesitant with new objects, just a bit of motivation and encouragement helped build his confidence and willingness to Place on cue. We will continue practicing this command with different objects in a variety of environments to improve Hugo's skills with this command!
The goal for the Down command is for Hugo to lay down completely when asked, and remain in that position until released or given a new command. He seems to understand this command already, though before today was generally unreliable about actually performing it when asked, let alone remaining in the position until released. So today we worked to improve his reliability by always holding him accountable, and worked to further his understanding of the implied stay when asked to perform commands. If he didn't Down when asked the first time, leash pressure and e-collar stimulation were added to reinforce it, and he quickly understood this and was much better at listening on the first ask. If he broke the command by standing or sitting up unprompted, he was asked to return back into the position and encouraged to hold it until released. We kept the duration on the shorter side to set him up for success today, though as we continue to practice this we will be increasing the duration gradually so he can learn to remain in this position for extended periods of time. We will also continue adding in more distractions so he can be reliable with the command in any situation or environment.
Pupdate 4/10/2025
Today Hugo and I visited an outdoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The mall had a decent amount of distractions present, including small groups of people, other dogs, food, music, and birds. There was also a busy street nearby, which added some additional noise distractions such as car honks and loud engines.
Hugo did seem a bit excited when we first arrived and was keen on wanting to explore around the new area, though the longer we spent here the easier time he had staying focused on me. One main distraction for him was groups of people, as Hugo loves people and has a tendency to want to say hello to them. Hugo is of course naturally adorable, so many people who see him will to baby talk or make noises at him, which tends to make ignoring them even more difficult for him. One focus of today's training was working around people and focusing on using the Off command whenever he began to take too much interest in a person nearby. Doing this helps to prevent unwanted behaviors before they happen, because if left unchecked Hugo would likely choose to run over and jump on everyone he sees!
Hugo was able to Heel well overall, and was generally very good about sticking right beside me as we walked, matching my pace, and following my lead. If a person walked by near us, he would sometimes try to veer off slightly, though as we worked to discourage this by using the Off command it became less and less common. He responded very well to leash pressure for Heel, and proving just a small amount of leash pressure was often enough to help him correct himself if he made an error. Ideally, we want him to Heel without any leash pressure needed at all, though this will be a gradual process and the fact that he is no longer pulling against the leash pressure is a great step towards this goal! Hugo's recall for Come to Sit was solid, and he always came right to me whenever I called him. Sometimes he would Sit slightly out of position, though this was easily adjusted with some light leash pressure. He was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place each with good reliability, and didn't have any notable issues with them today. We practiced adding in some longer durations for these positions as well as having him perform them around more distractions, and he ended up doing a good job!
Pupdate 4/11/2025
Today Hugo and I visited an indoor mall, where we continued to practice each of his commands around distractions. The mall was pretty busy, and had some crowds of people, other dogs, food, and music to serve as distractions.
Hugo started our session here off strong, and maintained a focused mindset throughout our entire visit! He did occasionally get slightly distracted from time to time, though he never let a lapse in focus affect his commands and was always able to shift his attention right back to me each time he was prompted.
He was able to Heel with great consistency here, and was able to remain in a Heel with ease even as we passed by major distractions such as big groups of people, food on tables, and other dogs. His Come to Sit was reliable, and his recall was always immediate without the need to ask him again. He sometimes would Sit ever so slightly crooked, though this was a minor flaw and did improve with more repetitions during the course of the session. He was able to Sit, Down, and Place each with good reliability, though every now and then he would need to be asked a second time to perform these commands if he was a bit distracted. After the second ask with some added reinforcement, he was always quick to dial in his focus and enter the position asked of him. He was also able to remain in these stationary positions for a good period of time, and was often able to hold positions for a minimum duration of at least one minute, even with plentiful distractions around tempting him!
I also wanted to touch briefly on Hugo's kennel training journey thus far with me. He sometimes is still a bit hesitant to enter the kennel when asked to, though at this point he will always enter willingly when a treat is tossed inside. We've been working to gradually fade out the need for this food lure by doing repetitions of him entering it and rewarding him after he enters it instead of before. This still needs some work, though this practice does seem to be improving his feelings about entering the kennel. Feeding him in his kennel also seems to be helping him build a positive association with being inside of it. During his first day with me, he was prone to whining, barking, and vocalizing while in the kennel, seemingly in hopes that doing so would lead to him being let out. It's important to not reward this behavior in any way, and to ignore him when he is doing this. If he is let out while vocalizing, he may associate the behavior with getting what he wants, so to avoid this he should only be released while he is calm and quiet. With consistent practice of this, he has quickly caught on that doing this would only delay or prevent him from exiting the kennel, so the behavior has naturally become discouraged. For the past several days now, he has come to understand that the kennel is a quiet, safe space for him to relax and sleep in, and has been treating it as such. He will sometimes whine a bit if I leave the room or exit the house while he is in the kennel, though this tends to be very brief and cease after a minute or two.
Pupdate 4/12/2025
Today Hugo and I visited a park, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The park was quite busy throughout our visit, and had lots of distractions present including people, children, ball games, and lots of other dogs. The grassy fields and the various scents contained within also served as a good distraction during training.
Hugo was actually pretty excited when we first arrived, and did need some time to settle down before he could focus reliably. He seemed very eager to explore around, and was generally pretty easily distracted, especially by the smells in the grass. We had to spend some time practicing walking over and practicing commands on the grass while encouraging him to keep his focus on me rather than become invested in scents. Some of the other dogs also were running around playing fetch nearby which did sometimes catch his attention, though he understood not to chase after them and was able to divert his attention away easily enough.
Hugo was able to Heel pretty well overall, though he did sometimes need a bit of leash pressure to guide him when he made a mistake. When he was distracted by something and began to drift away, the e-collar would tend to catch him off guard and cause him to startle a bit and move away further, often resulting in the leash needing to be used to guide him back to position. This hasn't been much of an issue in previous days, so hopefully it won't be a reoccurring theme, however if it does become a trend we will need to focus on resolving it quickly so we can successfully transition him to being off leash, as leash pressure won't be available then. Hugo did pretty well with his Come to Sit overall, though there were a few times when he would try to run past me to go sniff the grass if I was standing in or near the field, though after another reminder he understood to complete the recall correctly. He also sometimes would try to shove himself through my legs instead of moving around me to Sit on my left, which was kind of funny at first, though did need to be corrected as this is not the desired outcome for Come to Sit. Hugo was able to Sit, Down, and Place consistently, and didn't have much issue with any of these stationary positions. He would sometimes try to offer his paw as if asked to "shake" when given the Down command, though by repeating the command and holding him accountable for what was actually being asked of him, he was able to follow through without further issue.
Pupdate 4/13/2025
Today Hugo and I spent some time training at a local shopping strip, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. This location had a variety of distractions present, including groups of people, lots of other dogs, and loud noises such as car engines, honks, and sirens from the busy street nearby.
Since this location is close to my neighborhood, we took a couple of different trips here today. During one of the sessions, we brought along Fitz, a Goldendoodle puppy who is also staying with us for a board and train program. Fitz absolutely adores Hugo, and he has lots of puppy energy meaning he is super excitable and always ready to play! Hugo seems to enjoy Fitz's company too, and in their free time they love to goof off and play together, so having him around during training was a good distraction to test his focus with! Even with all of Fitz's attempts to distract Hugo, he did a fantastic job of keeping his attention on me and following commands despite the temptation to play. They of course had their time to be their silly selves during break times, though Hugo understood to save this for breaks only and not let it interfere with his focus when it was time to work.
Hugo did a great job with his commands today, and was able to perform each of them with good reliability and consistency. Despite the busy and noisy environment and the various types of distractions present around us, Hugo did a great job staying focused and didn't let his surroundings distract him too much. He was able to Heel with a completely loose leash nearly the entire time we trained here, and he was able to Heel past major distractions such as groups of people without issue. His Come to Sit was solid as well, and he experienced no issues with this command today. His Sit, Down, and Place commands were all great too, and we spent some extra time focusing on improving his duration by asking him to hold it for longer periods of time. He was successfully able to hold his positions for at least a minute and a half easily, and sometimes for even longer. We also stopped by a restaurant patio for a quick bite to eat, and Hugo happily laid by my table for over five minutes without ever breaking his Down, which was super impressive as there were plentiful distractions around.
Pupdate 4/14/2025
Today Hugo and I visited a busy park, where there were tons of people, dogs, strollers, bikes, toys, and other distractions around! Hugo was a bit excited when we first arrived, though quickly settled into a focused and neutral mindset. Even when faced with major distractions around us, Hugo did a great job keeping his attention centered and following instructions!
We are officially past the one week mark into Hugo's board and train program, meaning we are halfway through it already! During this final week together, we will be shifting gears a bit to focus on helping to prepare Hugo for the transition to off leash training. In order for Hugo to be reliable with his commands while off leash, he first needs to master his performance with them on leash, without the leash needing to be used to guide or reinforce. This is done by focusing more on the verbal cues and hand signals for the commands, and using only the e-collar as reinforcement whenever possible. By reserving the use of the leash only for when he truly needs it, we can wean him off the concept of always needing guidance from this tool, and instead teach him to problem solve and use his knowledge of commands to follow instructions given to him. We have been gradually working up to this over the past few days, though today we specifically avoided using the leash unless it was necessary.
We utilized a long leash during today's training, which helps us work towards our off leash goals by providing Hugo with additional physical freedom to make choices and perform commands without interference from the leash. By holding onto just the very end of the long leash, Hugo had up to fifteen feet of leeway which helps us get an idea of how he might behave while off leash while still having him tethered should the leash be needed for any reason. Even with all the physical freedom provided, Hugo understood to stick close to me during Heel and generally did very well with this command. He would sometimes make small mistakes such as trying to squeeze through my legs or switch over to the right side, though any mistakes made were typically able to be corrected without needing to use the leash. He did struggle slightly with his Come to Sit when no leash pressure was provided to guide him, particularly with his positioning. His recall was always reliable, however he would tend to try to sit in front of me, behind me, sideways, or otherwise in an incorrect position. He often needed a nudge in the right direction with my hands, or needed to be asked to repeat the maneuver again to reposition himself properly. We will spend some more time focusing on cleaning this command up in the coming days. His stationary commands of Sit, Down, and Place were all great today, and he didn't need any leash guidance for them.
Pupdate 4/15/2025
Today Hugo and I trained along a shopping strip, where we continued working on each of his commands around distractions while using minimal to no leash pressure. This location had a variety of distractions, including other dogs, people, strollers, food, and noises from the nearby street.
Hugo did a great job staying focused while we trained here, and was generally very neutral to everything around us. He was able to train around groups of people and other dogs without any issue, and even walked by tables of food in front of restaurants seemingly without temptation! The street along this location wasn't super busy, but every now and then a particularly loud sound such as a honk or a noisy engine would catch his attention, though he did not let this brief lapse in focus affect his command performance.
We continued to focus on using as little leash pressure as feasibly possible during training as we prepare him for off leash training. We utilized the long leash again today, and had great results overall! He did particularly well with his Heel, and never strayed too far from me even with the physical freedom to do so. The narrow sidewalks of this location also helped set him up for success as it provided a clear path for us to follow along. His Come to Sit saw some improvement today as well, and he was generally less prone to positioning mistakes. We ended up spending some time practicing this command along a wall, which helped encourage proper positioning by reducing the available space for mistakes. After practicing this for a bit, he was much better about positioning himself correctly without leash pressure even while away from the wall! Hugo did a wonderful job with each of his stationary commands, and was able to perform each of them immediately when asked, with good confidence. He was also able to remain in these positions without seeming tempted to break them, even with plentiful distractions around him.
Pupdate 4/16/2025
Today Hugo and I visited a local park, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The park was quite busy, and had lots of distractions to train around, including people, children, other dogs, birds, squirrels, skateboards, scooters, and toys! The grassy fields and all their interesting scents were also a good distraction to work with during our visit here.
Hugo arrived a bit excited and eager to explore around the park, though he understood to settle down and focus on me whenever he was prompted to. While training, he understood not to let anything distract him too much, and he was generally very neutral to everything around us! Even during breaks when he was free to play around and be his silly self, he frequently checked in with me and was always ready to listen for any instruction that might be given to him.
We continued to practice all of his commands without leash pressure using the long leash. He did a fantastic job with this, so we proceeded to the next step of dropping the leash and letting it drag along the ground as we trained. This is the final test of his skills before transitioning to fully off leash work, as it provides the exact same freedom of movement as being off leash would, while still having a tether available should it prove needed for any reason. We are happy to report that during today's training, Hugo passed this test with flying colors! Once the leash was dropped, there was no reason to pick it up for the remainder of our session, as he was able to perform every command asked of him without any help from it! Even with full physical freedom given to him, he always made good choices and followed instructions without any issue, even in distracting situations!
Pupdate 4/17/2025
Today Hugo and I visited an outdoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions! The mall was pretty busy, and had some crowds of people, other dogs, music, and food to serve as distractions. When we first arrived, we took a lap around the mall with Hugo on leash to give him some time to adjust to the new environment and warm up to his training. He quickly entered a focused mindset, and did a great job with his commands without needing the leash to guide him. We proceeded with leash dragging exercises, and he excelled with this as well, so we then took the final leap into training off leash by removing it completely! Hugo didn't seem to notice or mind the lack of the leash, and was able to listen and perform exactly as he normally would, with great consistency and focus! He was able to train successfully around all kinds of distractions, and any mistakes he did make were very minor and easily corrected.
During our visit at the mall, Hugo was a very popular pup! Lots of people stopped to admire him, watch us train, and some even approached us and asked to say hello to him! This created some great opportunities to practice Hugo's Greeting Manners. The goal for Greeting Manners is for Hugo to remain calm, collected, and polite while greeting people in any environment, whether it's with someone he knows or if it's someone new. Hugo came to us with a habit of jumping all over people whenever he went to say hello to them, which despite his friendly intentions, could lead to him accidentally hurting someone! As such, this is an important area of his training and is something we have been working on whenever the opportunity arises, whether it be at home with me or my guests, or out in public with new people. Before allowing someone to approach him, we first have Hugo focus on holding a stationary command, such as Sit or Down, which helps to prevent over-excitement, jumping, or other impolite behaviors from occurring. Before the greeting takes place, it's important to inform any new person or people that Hugo is in training, and that they can help him learn by only giving him attention and affection when he is calm and following instructions. Giving him attention or praise when he is over-excited, jumping up, or otherwise behaving poorly will result in those behaviors becoming encouraged, which would be detrimental to his progress. By ensuring all praise and affection are reserved strictly for when he is behaving well, we can work to encourage good behavior! It's safe to say Hugo has made a massive transformation with his greeting manners by this point, and he was able to greet any person we encountered today without ever seeming tempted to jump on them or even break his position! He definitely enjoyed all the attention, and he understood to maintain a level of composure and politeness, which meant he got to receive lots of love and be a part of a great greeting experience for everyone involved!
Pupdate 4/18/2025
Today Hugo and I practiced his commands while off leash! We worked around some distractions, and continued working to improve his overall consistency, reliability, and obedience skills. We also spent some time working on his house manners, which will be featured in today's pupdate! These manners include areas such as Food Manners and Door Manners.
The goal for Food Manners is for Hugo to be able to hold a stationary command while his food is prepared and set in front of him. He is then asked to remain in that position until he is released before he can get up and eat his food. Hugo tends to get a bit excited about his food, and in the early stages of his training he was prone to jumping all over me and trying to rush to the food bowl the moment it was set down, even if it meant trying to shove me out of the way to get to it! With daily practice, we have helped him replace these poor habits, and taught him to be polite and patient even when faced with very tempting distractions such as food directly in front of him!
Another area of manners we have been working on is Hugo's Door Manners. The goal of Door Manners is for Hugo to hold a stationary position while near a door and remain there until released or given a new command, such as Come or Heel. He is asked to hold the position at the location asked of him, and not break the command even if the door is left open, if someone is knocking on it, or if people walk in or out of it. This practice teaches important boundaries and the importance of thresholds, and prevents impolite and possibly dangerous behaviors he once displayed, such as trying to escape through open doors, shoving through people's legs when walking through doors, or rushing over to jump on or bark at people who enter through the door. Hugo has made a fantastic transformation with his manners related to doors, and now understands to follow instructions, respect boundaries, and remain calm no matter what distractions the door may present!
Pupdate 4/19/2025
Today was Hugo's last full day with me, so we put all of his learned skills to use to have a fun and productive day together! We put his skills to a final test by visiting the Santa Monica Promenade, where we trained off leash around tons of distractions! As usual, Hugo was a very popular boy and had tons of people coming over to admire him and say hello. He seemed to enjoy all the attention, and was very well mannered in every greeting that took place.
Despite the very busy surroundings, including crowds of people, other dogs, food, birds, and music, Hugo did an excellent job staying focused and following any commands asked of him! He had no trouble with any of them, and performed very well while off leash. He Heeled alongside me beautifully with ease, passing by high amounts of distractions without issue. His Come to Sit was consistent and reliable, and he always understood to come right to me anytime he was called to. His stationary commands were also excellent, and no matter what manner of distractions were present, he fully understood to remain in his positions without seeming tempted to break them. We were able to capture some great footage of Hugo performing his commands today that will be used in putting together his final video, so be sure to check out today's clip for a sneak peek!
Hugo has made such an amazing transformation during these past two weeks, and the differences in him are truly night and day! He came to us with some knowledge of a few basic commands, but he tended to be unreliable and easily distracted, and generally struggled with following instructions. Since then, he has learned to stay calm, focused, and neutral to his surroundings even in the most busy of places! The poor habits he came to us with, such as jumping on people, ignoring commands, and pulling on the leash, have each been addressed and replaced with much better behaviors! His confidence, patience, discipline, and overall manners both in public and at home have all improved so much! Whether we are at home, out in a busy place, or anywhere in between, Hugo now has the skills needed to succeed. While he may seem like a whole new pup, he is still the same sweet, loving pup he always has been, and with his new off leash obedience skills, he is even more of a joy to be around and take with on all sorts of adventures! Hugo has been such a pleasure to train and share my home with, and I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to help this good boy become the best version of himself! With his intelligence and eagerness to please, the sky is the limit for Hugo, and I know he has a very bright future ahead in his continued training journey with his family!
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