Meet Kaia! She is a ten month old Doberman, German Shepherd, Husky mix who has joined us for our Two Week Board and Train Program. Kaia is here for basic obedience, jumping to greet, and not listening in distracting environments. Over the next fourteen days, Kaia will work on her behavior with the hopes of becoming a well mannered pup. Check in to see her progress!
Kaia and I spent the afternoon getting to know each other. We went for a walk at a local park and I introduced Kaia to Heel. Heel consists of having Kaia walking next to me on my left side. During our session, Kaia would walk ahead of me, so I would turn around and walk in the opposite direction. I would then guide her towards me with leash tension until she ends up next to me. It is a work in progress which will be implemented on every walk we go on from now on.
Kaia continues working on her Heel and is doing very well on our walks. Today we met up with other trainers and their dogs who assisted Kaia by serving as distractions while we walked through. She was also introduced to her recall which is Come to Sit. This technique consists of having Kaia coming towards my right side, going around behind me, and Sit on my left. Kaia would stop behind me, so I would take a step forward and guide her with leash tension to have her Sit on my left. She is understanding the concept of what I am asking, and is starting to follow through!
Kaia was introduced to Place today at a local park. It consists of having Kaia getting onto an elevated object where she is to remain in a Sit or a Down until I ask her to Break which is her release word. Place is also a confidence builder for a dog in general, and it serves great purpose whenever guests are over, or when someone knocks on your door or rings the doorbell. Kaia was great placing on different objects and remaining on them until I asked her to Break which is her release word. I assisted her one time by using her leash as guidance to help her up. After that, Kaia began placing on her own throughout our session!
Kaia and I took a trip to Home Depot today to work on what she knows in a more distracting environment. I began with her Come to Sit and then took a walk throughout the store practicing her Heel. We came to a stop in one of the aisles in which I asked her to Down while I increased distance. She did come out of it the first time, but we reset, tried it again, and concluded Kaia’s session with great results!
Kaia worked on her Extended Down today. She knows what Down means but could not hold it for very long. We have been practicing at home with five second increments for every foot I step back and she has been doing really well. Kaia is up to a minute remaining in her Down and is getting close to her two minute goal!
Kaia worked on her Come to Sit and her Extended Place today. She was having a little trouble with her Come to Sit so we worked on it by using a wall as a boundary for a closer Sit. She did really good with her Extended Place and is getting better at not coming out of it with distractions all around her. Kaia is almost ready to begin working off leash, so the next few days will consist of her working with her leash dragging.
Kaia and I went for a walk around my neighborhood today. She has learned all of her commands and today we began working on her Heel with her leash dragging. She also practiced her Come to Sit and she did really good for her first time with no leash pressure. Kaia continues to excel in her training and I am looking forward to progress more with her as this week comes to a close.
Today we took a trip back to Home Depot to have Kaia Place onto different objects. We worked on paint buckets, a flatbed cart, and a valve box. I was even able to push Kaia through the aisles while she sat on the cart! During our session, I assisted Kaia with the paint buckets by giving her back legs a boost. Once Kaia began to understand the concept of what I was asking, she was able to Place successfully on her own!
Kaia is in preparation for her Final. Today she began her off leash conditioning at a local park to start piecing everything she has learned together. She worked around distractions such as dogs, people, and a few ducks in the area. Kaia did well for her first off leash session, and will continue to practice without one for the remainder of her program.
Kaia and I continued her off leash training at a local park today. During our walk from the parking lot to one of the baseball fields, we came across bikers and a few dogs that were on a walk coming in our direction. By keeping her focused on me, Kaia remained at my side and ignored the other pups as they passed us by. She also did great on her Sit and Down with a little more distance which concluded our session and led to some playtime!
Kaia and I took a drive to a local mall today and worked on an off leash Heel and Extended Sit. The difference this time is that Kaia worked on it with another dog walking right along her side. As we came to a stop and I asked Kaia to Sit, the other pup continued serving as a distraction by walking around her a couple of times and then sitting next to her. Kaia did a great job and is ready for her Final!
Kaia and I have been working on her Door Manners. As soon as I would open any door when she first arrived, Kaia would want to be the first one to go through. To condition Kaia into not doing that, I ask her to Sit before I open the door, and if she sits up, the door will close. We worked on it throughout the time she has been in training and has effectively reached her two minute mark!
Kaia and I drove out to the Outlets in Orange today to work on her Final. We took a lap around the shopping center to have her adjust to the environment around her and worked on a few practice runs to warm her up and get her ready. After a water break and a little rest, we began filming and Kaia put on a great performance and was even complimented for being very well behaved!
Kaia has completed her Two Week Board and Train and is ready to go home! It was a pleasure working with her and I want to thank you for trusting me with her these past fourteen days. Kaia can be capable of much more and I am looking forward to showing you everything that she has learned. Her Final video will be up soon, but in the meantime, here is a peek at her Food Manners!
