Jack | Sheepadoodle | Glendora, CA | In Training
- Tanner Strong
- Jul 12
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 25
Meet Jack! He's a seven year old Sheepadoodle from Lakewood, California, here for our Two-Week Urban Board and Train Program! Jack is a sweet, friendly, and energetic boy who loves being around people, but he can be very strong on the leash and has a difficult time staying focused on his obedience commands, especially when distractions are present. Over the next fourteen days, we'll be helping Jack improve his obedience, leash manners, and overall manners both in and out of the house while building his confidence and reliability in any environment. We're excited to watch his progress, so stay tuned for Jack's two-week transformation!
7/12/2026
After picking up Jack, we spent some time hanging out together and getting to know each other. He is extremely friendly and has a big personality! One thing that became obvious right away is that he is a very strong dog who loves to pull on the leash. After arriving home, we went for a walk together, and Jack enthusiastically pulled for most of the walk.
Even with all that excitement, Jack showed some encouraging moments. He was willing to sit for a few seconds at a time when asked, which gives us a good starting point for building better leash manners and focus.
Once we got back home, Jack settled in very well. He has been comfortable in the house and has already been a pleasure to have around. Despite his strong pulling and even stronger personality, he’s proving to be a fun, social dog who’s eager to be involved in everything going on around him. I’m looking forward to helping him channel all that energy into good manners and productive training over the coming days!
7/13/2026
Jack and I spent our day at the park, where we began building the foundation for his training! He still loves to pull on the leash, so today's focus was getting his attention back on me instead of all the exciting smells, sounds, and distractions around us. As he learns to check in with me more often, walking politely and responding to commands will become much easier.
Today we also introduced the Come To Sit command. For this exercise, I ask Jack to come to me, walk around behind me, and sit neatly at my left side with his ears lined up by my leg. He's already starting to understand the motion, but even more importantly, he's beginning to realize that paying close attention to me is an important part of training. We also slowly introduced the e-collar today, making sure he was comfortable and understood it as a communication tool while we worked. Jack had a great first full day, and I'm looking forward to seeing his progress continue!
7/14/2026
Jack and I had another productive day together! Today I spent more time going in depth with his Come To Sit command and demonstrating how to properly work on it using his e-collar. The goal of this command is for Jack to come when called, walk around behind me, and sit neatly at my left side with his ears lined up by my leg. This exercise helps build responsiveness, focus, and a clear understanding of where I want him to be.
Jack is still very much in the learning phase, so we're taking everything one step at a time. He's beginning to understand how to follow the guidance from the e-collar and is making better choices by paying more attention to me instead of everything happening around him. He still has plenty of work ahead of him, but I'm very happy with the progress he's made so far. He's off to a great start, and I'm excited to continue building on it!
7/15/2026
Jack and I spent the morning exploring the park together and making the most of the cooler weather! We continued working on his Come To Sit command while also spending extra time on Heel, which is the command we use to ask him to walk politely at our side. Heel is definitely one of Jack's biggest challenges since he naturally loves to pull on the leash, but he's already making encouraging progress. Today he was beginning to slow himself down, stay more patient, and pay closer attention to where I was as we walked. He still has plenty of practice ahead of him, but it's great to see him starting to understand that walking calmly gets him much farther than pulling. I'm very happy with the progress he's making, and I'm looking forward to building on it again tomorrow!
7/16/2026
Jack and I spent today working specifically on his Heel command! Heel means walking politely at my left side with his ears lined up with my leg instead of pulling ahead on the leash. Jack is making good progress, but as a big, strong dog, this command still takes plenty of practice and consistency.
Unfortunately, my microphone gave out while I was filming today, so some of the clips may show me talking or using hand gestures without any audio. We'll go over the verbal instructions and training details another day, but for now you'll be able to see Jack putting his new skills to work.
I'm happy with the progress he's making so far. He's becoming more attentive, responding more consistently, and starting to understand that staying in position is much more rewarding than pulling. We'll continue building on today's work and adding more distractions as his confidence and reliability improve. Great job today, Jack!
7/17/2026
Today Jack had another great day of training! We headed back to the park where we continued building on all of his obedience commands around distractions. Jack is becoming much more consistent with his Heel and is staying by my side for longer periods without needing reminders. We also spent time practicing his Come To Sit, and while it's still a work in progress, he's beginning to understand exactly where I want him to finish. His confidence and focus continue to improve each day, and he's doing a much better job ignoring everything going on around him. Overall, I'm very happy with Jack's progress, and I'm looking forward to seeing him continue to improve!
7/18/2026
Jack and I headed to the park early this morning, and it was a bit busier than usual, which made for a great training opportunity! With more people, dogs, and sports going on around us, there were plenty of distractions to work through. He was actually a little more nervous than I expected with all the extra activity, but he handled himself well.
Whenever something caught his attention, Jack stayed by my side and only needed a few reminders to return to his Heel position. He did a nice job choosing to focus back on me instead of getting overwhelmed by everything happening around him. Experiences like this are great for building his confidence while reinforcing his obedience in more challenging environments.
Overall, Jack was a great companion during our park outing, and I'm happy with the progress he continues to make each day!
7/19/2026
Jack had another good day today! With the afternoon temperatures climbing, we made the most of the cooler morning hours by getting in plenty of training and play before heading home to relax. Even with the lighter schedule, Jack continued making progress with his obedience. He is becoming more attentive during Heel and is starting to understand that staying close to my side is the easiest and most rewarding choice. We mixed in plenty of fun throughout the day as well, helping keep training enjoyable while building our relationship. Overall, it was another successful day, and Jack continues moving in the right direction!
7/20/2026
Jack spent today working on his Door Manners! The goal of this exercise is to teach him to calmly wait at open doors until he's invited through, rather than rushing ahead. It's a simple skill that goes a long way toward making everyday life safer and more enjoyable.
Jack started the day excited to get moving, but with repetition he became much more patient and attentive. He learned that staying calm and waiting for permission is what earns him the opportunity to go through the doorway. We practiced at multiple doors throughout the day to help him understand that the same rules apply everywhere. He continues to make great progress, and I'm very happy with how well he's responding to his training!
7/21/2026
Today Jack and I headed to Downtown Alhambra to experience a more urban environment with plenty of new sights, sounds, and distractions. It was a fun adventure, but it definitely challenged him! He started the outing feeling a bit nervous as he took in all the unfamiliar activity. His biggest obstacle was the loud fountains and all of the moving water, which startled him at first.
Rather than avoiding those areas, we spent some extra time nearby, allowing Jack to observe everything at his own pace while continuing to work on his obedience. As the session went on, his confidence grew, and he became much more comfortable with the environment. It wasn't an easy day for him, but these types of outings are exactly what help build confidence. Overall, it was a tough but very productive day, and I'm proud of the progress Jack made!
7/22/2026
Jack had another great training day! Our main focus was on the Place command, building his understanding of staying on a raised object until he's given his release. It was a little difficult for him in the beginning, but as we continued practicing, he settled in nicely and held the position much better.
We also spent time working on his Come To Sit recall while using as little leash assistance as possible. It wasn't easy at first, but Jack became more confident and started completing the command with less help as we progressed. He's still not quite ready for dependable off-leash recalls, but he's heading in the right direction. Overall, we made a lot of progress with his commands today, and I'm very happy with how he did!
7/23/2026
Today we spent more time working on Jack's off-leash recall. We practiced with the leash off, but it's important to remember that this is only appropriate in safe, secure, fenced-in environments or at home. Safety always comes first.
Jack was able to complete the full Come To Sit sequence, but he still needed guidance through each step and worked at a very slow pace. While I'm happy that he understands the overall pattern, we're now at the stage where he needs to become more confident, more responsive, and much smoother with the command.
After today, we need to get Jack back out into more challenging environments like Downtown Alhambra and the mall. Those higher-distraction locations will help strengthen his obedience and teach him to respond reliably even when there's a lot going on around him. He's making progress, but this is definitely a skill to keep practicing at home in safe environments.
7/24/2026
Today's Pupdate is all about a big new adventure at the mall! Jack started the outing feeling a bit skeptical and nervous about the unfamiliar environment. With so many new sights, sounds, and people around, it took him some time to settle in, but we stayed patient and gave him the opportunity to work through it at his own pace.
As the day went on, I was really happy to see his confidence grow. Once he realized there was nothing to worry about, he became much more comfortable and started performing his commands much more consistently. By the end of the trip, he was walking nicely with me and making much better decisions despite the busy surroundings. It took a while to get there, but I'm very pleased with the progress he made today and I'm looking forward to heading back tomorrow to continue building on his confidence and success!
7/25/2026
Today Jack and I headed back to the mall for another training adventure! I was really happy with the progress he showed compared to our last visit. He settled into the environment much more quickly this time, which let us spend more of the outing building his confidence instead of just helping him adjust.
Once he was comfortable, we took several long breaks sitting together on benches, simply watching the crowds and letting him observe everything happening around us. It was great to see him go from feeling a little nervous to becoming calm and relaxed as he realized there was nothing to worry about. Experiences like these are a big part of building confidence, and Jack handled them very well today. I'm proud of the progress he's made over the past couple of mall visits, and I'm excited to continue building on this success!
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