Meet Jira! A two year old French Bulldog from Redondo Beach, CA has joined our Two Week Board and Train Program to work on a few behaviors such as Greeting Manners, pulling on the leash, barking at and playing a bit too rough with other pups, as well as overall obedience when in new environments. Over these next two weeks, Jira and I will be working on a solid foundation for her training to help her be the best pup she can possibly be! Stay tuned for her Two Week Transformation!
Pupdate 3/12/2023
Jira and I spent the day getting familiar with each other as we got her settled in to her new temporary home. We took a stroll around the neighborhood as well as the park before working on her crate training when we got home. After a few tries, she did well with following the path of the leash pressure I provided as I guided her into the kennel. We will work on introducing her to some new commands tomorrow!
Pupdate 3/13/2023
Jira and I made a trip to the park where we worked on introducing her to a few communication tools such as the slip lead and e collar. Before I released Jira from the crate, she attempted to bulldoze her way out. I closed the door on her and body blocked her with my arm. She then attempted to bite at me which I corrected with a firm no as I closed the door on her until she sat. This was Jira’s way of demanding what she wanted. Due to this I had her decompress and Sit for a minute before I released her with the cue Break. The door opens when she waits, and closes on her when she tries to jump out.
After working on crate manners, I then utilized a slip lead to guide Jira with directional changes of the leash. I apply leash pressure in the direction I want her to go and the second she follows the path created for her, I turn that pressure off. Any time I apply leash pressure, I apply stimulation from the e collar as well. Jira resisted leash pressure a few times at first, but after a few repetitions, she followed my lead quite nicely. Once I marked and rewarded the few steps she took in the direction I wanted her to go, she began to understand how to turn the pressure off.
I introduced her to Come to Sit which is the action of Jira coming around behind me to Sit on my left hand side ready to Heel. She was a natural at this and learned quickly that all of the good stuff came to her when she Sat on my left side. This is how I begin to build value with Jira in a specific position. I Cued Jira’s name frequently, rewarding her when she offered me her attention. This is called the name game and is a great game to practice around distractions to build engagement during training. A focused dog is a dog that is ready to work!
Pupdate 3/14/2023
Jira and I went on a walk around the neighborhood as we worked on her Come to Sit, Extended Sit and Heel. Heel is the action of Jira walking by my left hand side, checking in with me frequently, turning when I turn, and sitting when I stop walking. She did well with following my lead, and is learning to stay more engaged when I call her name. I mark her eye contact and good behavior with the marker word Yes following a treat or affection.
We have been working on building duration with her Extended Sit. I reward her in increments of about 15 seconds as she holds her Sit. If she releases herself before I cue Break, I pop the leash upwards along with stimulation of the e collar. We are starting with a shorter duration then will work our way up to our goal which is 2 minutes. Towards the end of the session, Jira held her Sit for up to 30 seconds. Good job Jira!
Pupdate 3/15/2023
Jira and I went on a trip to the mall where we worked on proofing her commands as well as introduced her to Extended Place with Down! Place is a great command to use to create a calm state of mind for Jira as well as prevent unwanted behaviors like jumping on guests, or begging for food. It can redirect her away from anything you desire!
Jira did not need much encouragement to work up the confidence to jump onto a couple of new surfaces! I did notice she is a bit selective as to what she jumps on, preferring more of a solid surface. I then lured her into the Down position with my palms facing the floor which she followed quite well. Now that she knows Place paired with Down, we will work on building duration. As of now, she is consistently holding her Down with Place for up to a minute and a half. That is almost to our goal! We will also begin to add distance between us for all her commands utilizing a 15ft leash.
Pupdate 3/16/2023
Jira and I took a trip to The Block of Orange today as we worked on building duration with her Extended Down and Place command. She practiced jumping onto multiple new surfaces, not needing much of my help to build the courage to do so. She received plenty of attention from friendly new people that wanted to say hi. We practiced her Greeting Manners which we will continue to work on. She does seem to love the attention!
Crate manners has been a big part of what we have worked on at home. Jira has had a habit of bulldozing her way out of the crate and attempting to bite if the door begins to close on her or I block her with my body from running out. We have been working on having her Sit or Down before I open the door. I then tell her to Wait as I slowly open the door. The door opens if she waits but closes if she tries to escape. This is a work in progress but Jira is learning patience throughout this process!
Pupdate 3/17/2023
Jira and I took a trip to The Outlets as we worked on proofing her Come to Sit, Down, Extended Place and Heel. There were plenty of distractions to practice around. We worked on building duration with her Extended Down, and Place which she has improved with. We utilized a 15 ft leash for the first time today which allowed us to add distance between us. She is learning to stay seated even while I am at a distance.
Her crate training has improved significantly! She goes in on cue now without needing to see a treat inside the kennel to enter. She then gets rewarded when she enters on cue or even all on her own. She does not attempt to bite when in the kennel anymore and being released which is a big improvement for her as well.
Pupdate 3/18/2023
Jira and I primarily focused our work today on working towards her Off Leash commands, especially her recall. We started our session utilizing leash pressure, then gradually weaned off the leash pressure. Although not utilizing leash pressure, we may help Jira with other cues to help her follow through with what is requested of her. Using footwork to guide her in the direction I wanted her to go as well as hand signals, helps her when she is need of a bit of guidance. I also build value with her position on my left hand side by rewarding her frequently there.
The e collar has been paired with leash pressure to help utilize the e collar as a communication tool for Jira. There are 100 levels to it and it is used simultaneously as the cues are given. The levels fluctuate according to what she responds to. Her response may be different as she adapts to a new environment. We will keep working on building duration with her commands as well as add distance between us to help build her confidence while apart from each other.
Pupdate 3/19/2023
Jira and I took a stroll around the neighborhood, Heeling together towards the park. We have been working on all of her commands with the leash dragging which she has improved significantly with! She does not need much guidance of the leash anymore, and has began to learn that she is in control of turning the stimulation from the e collar off through compliance. Every now and then if she performs the behavior without leash pressure or e collar stimulation, I reward her with love, a break, or a a treat.
We have been working a lot on her crate and door manners. Today was the first day that Jira went into the kennel without leash pressure or a treat! Now we will keep working on her Off Leash skills as we proof her commands with more distance, and duration while new distractions are present!
Pupdate 3/20/2023
Jira and I focused our work on working towards her Off Leash skills while at the park today! We had the leash dragging the entire time, even while on break to see what Jira prefers to do on her free time. She apparently loves to chase ducks! I cued Off and stimulated her to Come to Sit on my left hand side, which she responded to. She is expected to stay in my bubble, even while on Break. Jira caught on to this and began to check in on me all on her own.
We then emphasized our work on her Heel, as we changed the pace from fast to slow and slow to fast.
I cue Heel whenever we are about to turn, or when our pace is about to change. This gives Jira a heads up to follow the direction of my left foot.
Jira has remained consistent with her commands while utilizing no leash pressure so we will begin to work on everything she has learned without the leash next!
Pupdate 3/21/2023
Jira and I spent the day at the mall, working on all of her skills both on leash and off leash! She gets a lot of attention anywhere she goes, so she has had plenty of practice on her Greeting Manners. I remind her to Sit every now and then when the person is very excitable around her. It is important to communicate to whoever is petting her, to only pet her if all four paws are on the floor. If she gets up, the petting stops.
We emphasized our work on her Place command as well as Down. It is great to practice on different surfaces so Jira gets lots of exposure with different surfaces. We will begin to film for her Final Video tomorrow!
Pupdate 3/22/2023
Jira and I started our day with working on her Food Manners. She is expected to hold her Sit or Down while being fed. After the food bowl is placed on the floor, that is not her cue to get up. Her cue to eat is when I release her with the Cue Break. Although tempted, Jira was able to hold her sit while I eventually went out of sight.
We then went on a trip to Home Depot today shortly after, where we proofed her Off Leash commands some more. It was very windy and pouring rain outside, which was great exposure for Jira to work through the loud changes of the weather. Initially she was unsure of it but after about 5 mins of Heeling she was fluently performing everything she has learned!
Pupdate 3/23/2023
Jira and I began to film content for her Final Video, practicing her Greeting Manners as well as Heel, Come to Sit, Extended Down & Place. Working in small increments of time is best for Jira, as she tends to tire quickly. We give her frequent breaks and practice sending her to Place frequently. She has improved with her Place command, and automatically goes into the Down position when in Place, which helps her enter a calm state of mind. She consistently held her Sit and Down for two minutes, even as kids ran by her!
I did notice today that when she is off leash, she fights getting her leash put back on. We are working on counter conditioning this by slowly/gently putting her leash on and rewarding her first when I bring the leash close to her, and after I put the leash on her. By having a positive interruptor before and after the event, she has more of a positive association with the leash being put back on. After a few repetitions of this, she allowed me to put the leash back on without attempting to nip me.
Pupdate 3/24/2023
Today Jira and I ventured out to The Block to work on all of her commands Off Leash! She remained consistent with her Heel, Come to Sit, Extended Sit, Down & Place. There were plenty of distractions for her to work near. As you can see in the video, she was interested in the reactive dog next to her, yet worked through it and remained in the Down position. She is expected to hold this until released with the cue Break! She has been very engaged while working, which I always encourage with a Yes. Excellent job Jira!
Jira and I spent our day together working on all of her commands as we strolled around the neighborhood, walking towards the nearest park. We worked on her Off Leash skills as we passed by a few reactive dogs along the way. At times she can become a bit overstimulated when near reactive dogs, so it is important to deescalate the situation by making a 180 turn and have her Sit or Down. This helps redirect her, giving her a job to do which she has been able to work through.
Jira has overall become more confident, can hold her Place and Extended Sit for a minimum of two minutes, and can Come to Sit from about 15 ft away. I recommend constantly taking Jira to new environments. Desensitization to new places will only further improve her training. She is a loving girl who needs a lot of guidance, structure and leadership to thrive and follow instructions. She has come a long way and we can not wait to show you what she has learned. Thank you for trusting me with Jira!
