Meet Kingsley, he's a four-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from Los Angeles, California! This friendly and playful pup is here with us for our Three Week Puppy Board and Train Program, where we will work on teaching him basic obedience and manners, as well as provide potty training. He doesn't have knowledge of any basic commands yet, and has a short attention span which causes him to be easily distracted. He comes to us with some undesirable behaviors that are common with puppies, such as barking for attention, pulling on the leash, jumping up on people, and chewing on furniture and other items around the house. Over the next twenty-one days, we will be working on improving his obedience, discipline, and manners to set him on the right path to becoming a well-behaved pup. Stay tuned for his transformation!
Pupdate 4/30/2023
Today Kingsley and I spent the day bonding and getting to know each other at the park after he was dropped off with me. He was very excited to meet me, and gave me lots of kisses but did jump up on me sometimes which is something we will be working on as time goes on as polite greeting manners will be one of our goals for his training. He was also very trusting and had no trouble being picked up and held by me as well, which is great to see! He seemed to be very brave and confident about his surroundings, and was very curious and eager to explore the area. There were some other dogs at the park also, and he was curious about them and wanted to move closer to look at them, but he didn't react by barking or lunging which was a good sign. Over time he will learn to ignore other dogs nearby, and not get too distracted by them. Mainly he was focused on the various smells around the trees and grass, and was determined to investigate them any chance he had.
While at the park, I tested his current knowledge of commands to see if he's had any prior training, and what areas may need some extra focus on going forward. I asked him basic commands such as sit, come, and heel, but he didn't seem to know any of them and was more focused on sniffing around and exploring the park rather than paying attention to me or listening to what was being asked of him. He would sometimes come over to me when called with lots of excitement and encouragement, though he would rarely come all the way to me, and mostly ignored whenever he was called. He didn't seem to know how to sit on command either, but with some light pressure on his rear he was able to sit down without any protest. He couldn't hold this position for very long however, and would stand back up and start walking away after a second or two. He didn't seem to have any understanding of heel or leash pressure either, and was constantly trying to pull on the leash in an attempt to get where he wanted to go, regardless of the leash preventing his movement when he reached the end of it. As we begin his training journey, he will start to understand the meaning of leash pressure, and be able to respond accordingly and perform commands from the communication delivered through the leash.
After our time at the park, it was time to head home and get him settled into the area he will be staying in during his time with me. He's too small to jump into my car on his own, but was comfortable with being picked up and placed into the car. He also didn't have any issue with going into the kennel within the car, and happily went inside and settled in for the ride home. Upon arriving home, he was a bit nervous about going up the stairs at first, but after some encouragement, he was able to climb up them on his own. He explored the room and seemed excited and comfortable to be there, and later happily ate most of his dinner and settled into the kennel for a nap. When I left the room he did whine a bit at first, but it quickly stopped and he was able to relax after a few minutes. Now that he is settled in and has begun developing a bond with me, our training journey will be off to a good start!
Pupdate 5/1/2023
Kingsley and I visited a local park today, where we met up with several other OffLeash SoCal trainers and their pups! Kingsley was very excited to see all the other people and dogs, and did pull on the leash a bit when he wanted to go over and say hello, but he did manage to calm down after a while and eventually understood that he was not going to be able to pull towards them. Similar to yesterday, he was very distracted by the grass and various smells around the park, but after he had a chance to walk around and become familiar with the area, he did settle down and was able to concentrate as we began his training.
We worked on introducing him to the sit command today, which will be a good first step in his training journey as it will be a foundational command needed for his training going forward. At first, he needed some physical guidance with gentle pressure on his rear to encourage him to sit, though he would quickly pop back up once my hand was away. We made many repetitions of this, and eventually he began to understand what I was asking of him when the sit command was given when combined with light leash pressure. He was able to consistently hold the sit position for about ten to fifteen seconds today, and while this may seem short, it's a great start and shows he is making progress! With time, we will be gradually increasing the duration of this command, so that he can learn to hold a sit for multiple minutes at a time. This command is great for teaching patience and concentration, and will be important for him to understand as it will be useful for other commands he will be learning soon, like come to sit and place.
Also, Kingsley's potty training is going well so far, and he hasn't had any major accidents in his kennel or in the house. He did get a bit too excited to see me this morning though and urinated a tiny amount in his kennel before I could bring him outside, though it was only a few drops and didn't seem intentional. So far he has been able to wait at least four hours in between potty breaks, and is comfortable with going potty in the yard. He did need some encouragement at first by placing a potty pad in the yard to help him understand that he could go there, but after a few times I was able to remove it and he had no issue going on the grass by itself. On another note, he did seem to have a bit of an upset stomach today, and would vomit a small amount shortly after eating. There are many possible causes for this, such as eating too much or too quickly, or too much activity with a full stomach. I will see if splitting his meals into smaller amounts throughout the day will improve this issue, as well as limit his activity after meals while he is digesting. I will continue to monitor this and provide updates as they come.
Pupdate 5/2/2023
Kingsley and I spent today working on his sit command, building engagement, and introducing come to sit. He is starting to get the hang of sit, and is beginning to understand what I am asking of him when the verbal command is paired with light leash pressure. If he is very focused and paying close attention to me, he can sometimes perform sit with just the verbal command and a hand signal, though more often than not he does need some leash pressure to guide him into a sit, especially if there are any kinds of distractions nearby. While at home or in quiet areas of my neighborhood, he was able to hold a sit for about thirty seconds, which is great progress! However, the duration for which he could reliably hold the sit position decreased considerably when we were in more distracting areas, and he was only able to hold a sit for about ten seconds or so before wanting to get up and explore his surroundings.
We took a walk to a nearby park, and along the way, we worked on building up his engagement with me which will be important for him to learn as being able to focus on his handler is a foundational skill he will need for training going forward. As we walked, I made lots of stops and sudden turns, which encouraged him to pay closer attention to me. Whenever he wasn't paying attention, he would keep going and hit the end of the leash, which would momentarily apply pressure until he stopped pulling and followed the direction the leash was guiding him in, at which point he would be praised and rewarded. He was able to figure this out this concept pretty quickly, and began checking in with me more often and staying closer to me as we walked. I'm not looking for a perfect heel just yet, but today's training is a good first step for setting up the foundations for teaching him the heel command.
While at the park, I introduced Kingsley to the come to sit command. The goal for this command is to be able to call him from a distance, have him come over to me, and finish with a sit on my left side facing forwards. If done properly, he will then be in a perfect position to begin walking in a heel. For today, we started off teaching him this command by having him hold a sit, taking a step or two away, and then calling him to me. He did need constant leash pressure at first to get him to come toward me, though after some more repetitions, he began to understand what was being asked of him when told to come. Once he got to me, I would guide him around to my left side, and have him perform a sit. With many repetitions of this he began to grasp the concept of it, though did still often need leash pressure to guide him to the right position at my left side, and to guide him into a sit. There were quite a few distractions at the park today, so he wasn't able to hold a sit for very long. Whenever he did break command and get up, I would immediately ask for a sit again and make him wait to be released or given a new command. This helps teach obedience, patience, and focus!
Pupdate 5/3/2023
Kingsley was introduced to the place command today! The goal for the place command is to have him be able to jump or climb onto an object and hold a stationary command such as sit or down, and be able to remain there until released or given a new command. Due to Kingsley's small size, most common place objects typically used like average-sized benches or other seating areas are out of his reach. As such, he will be limited to low place objects that he can physically reach to. Today we began by using a small dog bed as the place object, which is something he has become familiar with over the past few days as he likes to take naps on it. Introducing the place command using something he is comfortable with helps his chances of success, which will help build up his understanding of the command over time. It also helped to introduce this command at home, as there were no distractions to take his focus away from the training. He didn't quite understand what I was asking of him at first when given the place command, though after being guided onto it with light leash pressure, he was able to climb onto it and perform a sit. After a few repetitions, he had no trouble going onto the bed and sitting down when asked with no leash pressure needed. He was able to hold a sit here for about thirty seconds, but would sometimes break command to get up or lay down, and needed to be reminded to return to a sit.
After many successful repetitions at home with the dog bed, I then introduced him to the dog cot. The cot is low enough for him to climb onto easily, and is transportable which allows me to bring it to places outside of the home for place training. He was a bit unsure of the cot at first, and needed some leash pressure and extra encouragement to get him to jump onto it. Though similar to the dog bed, after a few repetitions he began to understand the verbal command and hand signal, and was able to jump onto the object without any leash pressure needed. We then took the dog cot with us and visited a local park, where we could test his new skills with some added distractions nearby. He did a good job with place here as well, and after a few repetitions with leash pressure, he was able to perform place on command while at the park. The benches here were a bit too tall for him to jump on normally, but by positioning the place cot directly beside one, he was able to jump onto the place cot and then onto the bench. He did need some leash pressure and extra encouragement for this though, as he was a bit hesitant about the additional height.
While at the park, we also practiced more with come to sit and extended sit. He seems to be getting the hang of come to sit, and is starting to become a bit more reliable about coming to me when called. When there were little or no distractions nearby, he was able to come over to me when called with little to no leash pressure needed, and had no issue following the leash pressure and hand signals for guidance to my left side for a sit. However when there were distractions that he was focused on, he wasn't quite as consistent and would sometimes try to ignore the come command, at which point he would need constant leash pressure to get him to come over to me. He was able to perform sit with little to no leash pressure needed, and was able to hold the position for a little over thirty seconds today, but would quickly break command if I took more than a step or two away. The goal is to have him be able to hold stationary commands for at least two minutes, and while I am at a distance of about fifteen feet away, so we still have lots of work to do! As an update, his stomach problem seems to have cleared up, and he hasn't been vomiting after meals anymore. It seems that feeding him smaller portions throughout the day as well as limiting his activity after meals to ensure he fully digests is helping this issue. Also, his potty training is going well, and he has consistently been able to hold it for a period of about four hours. As he gets older and gains a better understanding of potty manners, he will be able to hold it for longer periods of time. As for right now, at around the four-hour mark I've noticed he will start sniffing around his kennel or the room, and will begin looking for a place to go potty at. I've been able to catch it before any accidents happen, and he's able to hold it until I bring him to the grass in the yard.
Pupdate 5/4/2023
Today brought some rainfall to the area, so Kingsley and I took a trip to a dog-friendly indoor mall where we could work on his training while staying out of the rain. This was a good opportunity to practice his commands while around an increased amount of distractions, as there were some crowds of people, other dogs, and many new sights and smells present to test his focus around.
Due to Kingsley's friendly and curious nature, he was very distracted by people that passed by us, and would often try to pull towards anyone that walked by in an attempt to greet them. This was a good opportunity to practice some more with the "off" command. This command is used to communicate to Kingsley that he is being asked to stop whatever behavior he is doing, and to return his focus back to me and any commands that may be asked of him. It is used in a similar way as how some may use "leave it" or "no". The off command can be used in a variety of situations, such as when he is distracted by something or someone, excessively sniffing the ground, trying to eat something he's not supposed to, or when he is jumping up on someone. He has a good understanding of what this command means, and is usually able to quickly stop what he is doing and check back in with me to listen to what I am asking of him. As we continue to practice his commands around distractions, over time he will have an easier time keeping his focus on me, and not need to be reminded as often of the off command. We did a lot of walking around the mall, working on building his engagement with me and encouraging him to walk nicely beside me instead of pulling. Any time he strayed too far or started to veer off, he was guided back to me with leash pressure. Whenever he was able to stay close by me on my left side without leash pressure used to keep him there, he was given lots of praise and encouragement. Doing this helps build up his understanding of the heel command, and builds up a positive association with walking nicely, encouraging him to walk in a heel whenever asked. The goal is to eventually be able to have a loose leash while walking, and have him walk beside me in a heel position without needing to constantly apply leash pressure. Today while walking through quieter areas of the mall, he was able to stay in a heel with little to no leash pressure to remind him where to be, which was great to see! Though as soon as distractions were present, such as people walking by, he was prone to pulling on the leash again and needed to be regularly reminded of the proper position.
We also spent some time practicing with the place command, as there were several place objects here low enough for Kingsley to jump onto. It's important to practice with a variety of objects and surfaces, as it builds his confidence and skill with the command. Overall he did a great job with this today, and quickly understood what was being asked of him when given the place command. He was a bit hesitant at first, though after a few repetitions with leash pressure to guide him, he was able to eventually jump onto any place object I asked him to without any extra help from the leash. Similarly, he was a bit nervous about jumping down from these place objects, and needed lots of extra encouragement and light leash pressure to get him to hop down, though after a few repetitions, he seemed to conquer this fear and was confident in jumping down and coming to me when called or given the release command.
Pupdate 5/5/2023
Today Kingsley was introduced to the down command. Down can be a tricky position for some dogs to perform on command, as it is an instinctually vulnerable position. To increase his chances of success with learning this command, we introduced the command while at home where we could train without distractions. He has no prior understanding of the down command, so he needed lots of physical guidance to help him into position. He was only able to hold the position for a couple of moments at first, but with many more repetitions, he began to understand what I was asking of him and was able to hold it for about thirty seconds. We also practiced down while on a comfortable place object, such as the dog bed and cot. He was more willing to perform down here as he is familiar with lying down on them on his own time, and was sometimes able to perform the command with little to no leash pressure needed. After many successful repetitions on the place objects, we moved back to the floor and continued practicing there, and after a while, he was able to lie down on command with minimal leash pressure or physical guidance needed.
After the training session at home, we took a trip to a local shopping center, where we visited a Petco. There was a good amount of distractions around here, such as other dogs, toys and treats, and groups of people. We worked on each of his commands while at the store, including heel, come to sit, and place. Overall he did a good job with each of his commands, but did sometimes struggle to pay attention and needed to be reminded often to focus back on me. He tried to pull toward other dogs, people, and toys in the aisles, but was able to listen when told the off command. I also tested his ability to perform down while in a distracting environment, though understandably he had a harder time with the command here, as he was very excited to explore and had a hard time sitting still or staying focused. He needed some additional guidance to perform down while in the store, and he was only able to hold the command for a couple of seconds at a time. With more practice, his patience, obedience, and focus will improve, allowing him to hold his stationary commands for longer periods of time even while around distractions.
After Petco, we took a walk down the street to a dog-friendly cafe. While at the cafe, we sat on the patio and I helped him up onto a chair. He wasn't quite big enough to jump onto it on his own, but he did give it a good try when asked, and was comfortable being picked up and placed onto it. He was able to hold a sit there for about a minute straight, though he did sometimes bark at other dogs as they walked by. After a while, he started to settle down a bit and was able to perform a down while on the chair without physical guidance, and was comfortable laying there and holding his position for about a minute. He was also able to jump down from the chair on his own with some encouragement and was much more confident about jumping down from objects than he was yesterday. While at the cafe, there were lots of people who wanted to say hi to him, and since he was calm and holding his stationary positions nicely, it was a good opportunity to work on his greeting manners. The goal for greeting manners is to have him be able to hold a sit or down when greeting someone, and not jump up on them or otherwise behave impolitely. Before allowing anyone to come up and greet him, I let them know that he is in training, and that they can help by petting him and giving him affection only when he is sitting or laying down, and to stop praising him if he tries to jump up. This teaches him that jumping does not lead to the desired outcome, and that holding his position is much more rewarding. The people at the cafe were happy to help, and after meeting a couple of people he quickly understood that the only way to get the attention he wanted was by being calm and holding his stationary position. He had a great time getting to meet all the nice people, and knew not to jump up on anyone. Instead, he chose to express his happiness with tail wagging instead. He is a smart pup, and is very motivated by praise and affection, so great progress was made with his greeting manners today!
Pupdate 5/6/2023
Today Kingsley and I took a trip to a dog-friendly outdoor mall, where we continued to work on each of his commands around distractions. There were various distractions around the mall, such as other dogs, groups of people, and smells of food from nearby restaurants. We spent some time walking around different areas of the mall, and focusing on improving his heel positioning. While passing through quieter areas, Kingsley had no trouble focusing on me, and was showing lots of engagement with me which allowed him to walk in a heel position with a loose leash. We practiced making lots of unpredictable turns and sudden stops, which further sharpens his focus and ensures he is paying close attention to where we are going. He understands that when he is given the heel command, he is to walk on my left side right at my heels, and knows that he can't pull on the leash or stray too far. He does start to veer slightly out of position on occasion, but when he is focused he is usually able to correct his positioning when asked without any leash pressure needed. Though when it comes to working this command around distractions, Kingsley does have a harder time staying focused and needs extra guidance. He will often stop to sniff things, walk too far ahead of me, or try to pull toward nearby distractions as we pass by. As a result, he relies on leash pressure more frequently to help him stay focused and in the correct position when in distracting areas.
We also had an opportunity to work some more on his greeting manners while at the mall, and Kingsley did a good job overall but he did get a bit excited with one group of people, and did jump up on them once. Despite this, he quickly responded when given the off command, returned to the sit position, and didn't try to jump up again. As we continue to practice these manners with every greeting, he will have an easier time remembering what behavior is polite and desirable. We also worked some more on come to sit, and extended sit, and he is showing good progress in both of these commands! He was often able to come to me when called, and needed little to no leash pressure to guide him towards me, and sometimes when he got to me he would even come to my left side and sit automatically without me having to guide him or ask, which shows he is starting to get the hang of the positioning. He was able to hold a sit for about a minute here, and was comfortable with me taking several steps away and standing at a distance of about four to five feet away from him as he held the position. He also did a much better job about holding his sit position as people walked by, and though he was tempted to break command due to his excitement, he knew he had to stay in his position until released or given a new command and was able to stay sitting more often than not. He did a good job with place as well, and showed no hesitation towards any of the objects we practiced with, and was comfortable holding a sit on them. He was able to perform down a couple of times while at the mall today, though he did often need physical guidance, as he was too distracted and excited to be able to perform and hold a down on command. Once in a down he was typically only able to hold the position for about thirty seconds before he would get antsy and want to stand back up. As we continue to work on this command in different environments he will learn to be more relaxed and hold any position that is asked of him.
Pupdate 5/7/2023
Kingsley and I took a walk to a local shopping strip, where we could work on each of his commands around the various distractions. This location had some crowds of people, other dogs, and loud cars passing by, which provided good opportunities to test Kingsley's concentration. He did a good job of ignoring most people as they passed by, and was able to remain in heel or stationary commands as people walked by him, and he knew not to break position in an attempt to approach or greet them. He was a bit more distracted by the other dogs though, and did get up from a sit or down a couple of times when a dog would pass by, though he was good about staying in a heel when we were walking by other dogs. He did a good job of refocusing on me when given the off command, and was usually able to leave distractions alone when asked.
He did a good job with heel today, and was able to stay by me in the proper position with little to no leash pressure for a majority of the time as we walked around the sidewalks and past various stores. He seems to have a good understanding of the heel command, and is often able to correct and maintain his positioning with the verbal command and hand signal given. He did get a bit distracted as we passed by a restaurant though, and was very tempted to smell the floor whenever we walked close to it. He is showing great progress with the sit command, and was able to sit immediately whenever asked, and never needed any leash pressure to guide him. He was able to hold a sit for over a minute while at the shopping strip today, and was able to remain in position around most distractions. When in quieter areas such as at home, he is able to hold a sit for nearly two minutes straight, which shows he is gaining skills in obedience and patience. He also did a great job with place again today, and was able to jump onto any object I asked him to with little to no hesitation.
He was able to perform come to sit today, but he still needed some leash pressure to guide him into position more often than not, which means we will need to spend some more time working with this command to help him get a better understanding of it. He's showing improvement about coming to me when called, though once he gets to me he will sometimes sit in front of me or behind me, and needs some extra assistance to direct him to the left side for a sit. The goal is to not need any leash pressure to guide him, and to have him be consistent with following the verbal command and hand signals instead. He also will still sometimes try to ignore the command if being recalled while he is focused on a distraction, and will sometimes need a bit of leash pressure to get his attention.
He also needs more work with the down command when around distractions. When around quiet areas such as at home or around my neighborhood streets, he is able to perform down willingly without any guidance or pressure needed, and is able to hold the position for over a minute at a time. He also seems to be more consistent with following through with the command while on a place object, rather than somewhere like the floor or a sidewalk. When in busier areas he also struggles to perform the command when asked, and often needs to be physically guided into a down. Once in a down he is prone to popping back up quickly if around distractions, as he easily gets excited or nervous if something distracting is nearby. As we continue to work on this command, he will become more confident and understand that he needs to hold his position no matter where he is or what distractions may be present.
Pupdate 5/8/2023
Kingsley and I visited a park today, where we met up with some other OffLeash SoCal trainers and their pups! The other dogs were a great distraction for Kingsley to practice his commands and focus around. The grass was another big distraction for him, as he was very interested in smelling it, so it was a good opportunity to continue working with the "off" command and increasing his ability to redirect his focus when asked.
He was able to perform down at the park today with only a small amount of leash pressure needed, though he sometimes struggled to hold the position when another dog was close by, as he would often try to get up due to his excitement. When he was away from the dogs or other major distractions, he was able to hold a down easily for over a minute. He also did a great job with sit today even while around distractions, and was able to hold the position consistently for nearly two minutes. He showed some more progress with come to sit today also, and was more consistent about coming to me when called and following my hand signals to guide him into position.
We spent a good amount of time practicing heel, and walking around various areas of the park. He had an easier time remaining in heel with little to no leash pressure when we were walking along the concrete path, and was usually able to correct his positioning with just the verbal command. He was able to pay attention to where I was going, and was easily able to walk alongside me as we made various turns in different directions past people and around objects. Though he did struggle slightly to keep his focus when we walked next to or on the grass or dirt, as he would sometimes stop or veer off a bit to try to sniff around, causing him to move out of position. He also was more prone to leaving the heel position when passing by another dog, but would quickly return his focus to me when asked. He was sometimes able to listen and return to heel without leash pressure during these distracted moments, but he often needed a bit of leash pressure to recapture his attention and bring him to the heel position again.
We also introduced him to various place objects at the park. We started off with some easy objects that were low to the ground, like small rocks along the pathway. He had no trouble climbing onto them and was able to perform both sit and down without issue. He was then introduced to a slightly more challenging place object, a small bench. The bench was higher than he was used to, and he wasn't quite sure how to get onto it at first. After helping him up a few times and giving him some extra encouragement, his confidence improved a lot and he was able to jump all the way up onto it without any leash pressure or physical help needed! I made sure to give him lots of praise for the job well done, and he quickly understood what he was supposed to do any time I brought him to it and asked for the place command. We practiced place here next to other dogs as well, and he was able to hold a sit nicely though he did have a harder time holding down which was expected since he is still rather new to the command.
On another note, he did have a potty accident in his crate last night. I fed him his dinner at a slightly different time than I usually would, which may have thrown off his schedule a bit. Going forward I will be more diligent about sticking to the same schedule, to help improve his chances of success and lower the chances of any more accidents going forward. Besides last night, he has been doing a great job with his potty training so far, and has consistently been able to hold his potty for four hours each time. I will begin gradually increasing the time in between potty breaks, and keeping a close eye on him, to help him be able to wait for longer durations over time. This is something that will also increase as he gets older and has better control over his body.
Pupdate 5/9/2023
Today Kingsley and I spent the day working on each of his commands around various areas of my city. We began the training session around a residential area in my neighborhood, where he could warm up and get into a good mindset for focusing and learning, then we made our way to more busy areas of the city, where we could work around an increased amount of distractions. We worked on cleaning up his positioning for various commands, such as come to sit and heel, as well as working on each command with as little leash pressure as possible. We spent a good amount of time practicing with come to sit, to help him become more reliable with his recall, and improve the consistency with his positioning. He was very confident with place today, and was able to jump onto just about any object I asked him to on the first try. He did sometimes need a bit of leash pressure to guide him into a down when in distracting areas, though he did much better about holding his positions today and was comfortable holding a down for about a minute and a half. He was also able to hold a sit for two minutes today, which means he has reached his duration goal for this command!
Since he is getting the hang of holding sit, down, and place for longer periods of time, we began adding some extra distance between us as he holds these stationary positions so we can eventually work up to the goal of fifteen feet. We used the long leash in his training today, allowing me to add distance between us while still having him safely on the leash. In recent days, he has been comfortable with me standing at a distance of about five feet away, so today we tested his confidence and ability to hold positions while I gradually worked up to be about eight feet away. He could sometimes hold positions when I was a bit further at about ten feet, but he was more prone to breaking commands at that distance, especially if there were distractions nearby. So to improve his chances of success, we kept the maximum distance at eight feet for today, and we will continue adding distance gradually over the coming days.
He has been doing a good job with heel so far, so we have continued raising the standards for his positioning by encouraging him to stay even tighter in the heel position, and discouraging him from walking too far away from me. During the first couple of days when learning how to heel, he was rewarded for simply walking on my left side in my general vicinity. Over time, we have gradually been raising the standards by giving praise and reward only when he was walking closer to me, and giving guidance with the leash when needed to bring him closer whenever he moves out of the ideal positioning. Over time he has developed a good understanding of what it means to heel, and has become less prone to wandering and veering off after being asked to heel, though he could still use more work before he is at the point where he is super consistent with it. We have also been working on walking with a loose leash, and only applying leash pressure when necessary. This allows him to problem solve and allows him the chance to correct his position with only the verbal command. If he ignores the verbal command or is otherwise too distracted to follow through with it, then the leash pressure is added to guide him back into position. He has been doing a good job with this, and is getting better about not needing leash pressure nearly as often, which is a great sign of progress!
Pupdate 5/10/2023
Today Kingsley and I visited a local park, where we continued to work on each of his commands around distractions. He showed great progress with heel today, and was able to stay in the heel position for the majority of the time as we walked around the park. We were able to pass by people, children, and other dogs, and he knew to stick right by me despite those distractions. He did sometimes need to be reminded to keep his nose off the ground when we walked over the grass, as he would get distracted by various smells and veer out of position. Though after practicing heel on the grass for a while he was eventually able to keep his focus and not get too distracted by the grass. He also did a good job with come to sit today, and was consistently able to come right to me and sit on my left side without any leash pressure needed, and was able to pay close attention to my hand signals to help guide him. There weren't many place objects at this park that Kingsley could physically jump onto, so we practiced the place command today with the transportable dog cot.
We also spent a lot of time working on his extended sit and down while at the park, and worked on adding additional distance and duration to the commands. Today he was comfortable with me being a little over ten feet away as he held his stationary commands, and was consistent with holding them at that distance until given a break or a new command. When there were minimal distractions nearby he was able to hold sit and down for about two minutes, which was great to see! However, he did break command a couple of times when a person or dog walked a bit too close. He was fine with them being several feet away, though he would often get a bit excited and stand up if they walked too close. Whenever he broke command, he was immediately asked to return to position, and he was usually able to stay there until asked without having to be reminded again. With more practice around these types of distractions, he will come to understand that he needs to hold these positions regardless of people or dogs passing by.
Another thing to note is that Kingsley has had a recent name change, per his owner's request. To help him learn his new name, I've been using it frequently when talking to him and to get his attention, and so far he seems to be catching onto it quickly! We spent some time playing the "name game" where I call his name and reward him each time he looks at me, comes to me, or directs his attention to me. This builds up a positive association with the name, and encourages him to listen and respond whenever it is used. Also per his owner's request, we have begun working on indoor potty training, using a grass potty pad within the home. The grass used for the indoor potty pad is identical to the grass in the outdoor potty area, making the transition easier for Kingsley to adapt to, as it's a familiar surface and texture. The goal is for him to be able to use the indoor potty area on his own when his owners are unable to be home to bring him outside for potty time. To help him learn where to go and adjust to this change, whenever it's time for him to go potty I will bring him to the grass potty pad and encourage him to go there. I will need to keep a close eye on him in between potty breaks as well, to ensure he doesn't have any accidents.
Pupdate 5/11/2023
Today Kingsley and I visited the Santa Monica Pier, where we could work on each of his commands around the high amount of distractions that this location provides. There were big crowds of people, other dogs, birds, loud music, and many new smells. He was a bit overwhelmed by the busy environment at first, and was very excited to explore and check everything out. He was pulling on the leash at times, and sometimes struggled to listen to commands, though after he had a chance to walk around and explore, he was able to calm down slightly and maintain his focus enough to follow through with what I asked of him most of the time.
He did a good job with heel today, though there was a major difference between today and his usual performance with this command. With the loud music around he wasn't typically able to hear the verbal command clearly, and as a result often needed clear leash pressure to communicate the command. He was more prone to veering off and pulling ahead than usual as well, as there were a large number of distractions constantly interrupting his focus. He is usually able to respond and correct his positioning with very light leash pressure, though today he did need slightly more prominent pressure to grab his focus away from the distractions. After we had a chance to walk around a bit though, he did improve slightly and began to have an easier time staying in the heel position on his own for longer periods of time.
Despite the many distractions on the pier, Kingsley was solid with his recall today and was reliable about coming to me when called, and was able to follow my hand signals to guide him into a sit each time. He sometimes couldn't hear the verbal command over the music in certain areas, though he was quick to direct his attention to me when given brief leash pressure to grab his attention. Once I had his attention, he was able to figure out what was being asked of him, and was then able to perform the command without any further leash pressure. He did a good job with place today as well, and after being introduced to some of the suitable place objects here, he was comfortable with jumping onto and jumping down from them, even if they were on the higher side. He wasn't quite as consistent with holding his stationary commands today though, and was only able to hold sit or down for about a minute before he would get distracted or restless and break the command. When in a quieter area of the pier he was able to hold them for the full two minutes, though his reliable duration was shortened significantly when we were in the busier areas.
During our time together so far he has shown massive improvement with his confidence, focus, and obedience, and he now has a solid understanding of each of his commands. Going forward, our focus will be on practicing his learned skills while around distractions, and working on getting him used to them so that they aren't as distracting to him anymore. This will happen naturally the more he is exposed to different types of distractions over time, as well as by rewarding him each time he is able to ignore them successfully. It's important that as his handler, I make myself more rewarding and interesting than anything else in the environment, as it will encourage him to maintain his focus on me rather than give in to the temptation of distractions.
Pupdate 5/12/2023
Today Kingsley and I made a visit to Home Depot, where we could practice each of his commands around a variety of distractions. As usual when first entering a busy environment, he was very eager to explore the area, and had some trouble maintaining focus. After he had a chance to familiarize himself with the store and calm down a bit, he was able to bring his attention away from the distractions and focus back on me and what was being asked of him. After warming up, he was able to ignore people for the most part, and even ignored another dog as it walked past us in an aisle. There were a few distractions that were harder for him to ignore however, such as the big shopping carts and loud machine noises within the store. He was a bit nervous of them at first, and did break commands a few times due to them, such as when practicing heel or stationary commands. Though after having some more exposure to them, he seemed to be more confident and was able to maintain his positions more often than not even when around the bigger distractions.
He did a good job with heel, and for the most part was able to stick in position as we walked around the store. We made lots of sudden turns and stops, and Kingsley was able to pay close attention so that he could turn and stop with me. He's pretty good about not pulling on the leash anymore, and understands that he needs to walk beside me instead of out in front of me. He could use some more work with staying directly beside me though, as when around distractions he sometimes tends to veer off slightly towards them and needs to be brought closer to my heel. When in quieter areas of the store he had no problem adjusting his heel positioning when given just the verbal command, though when nearby distractions he did need occasional leash pressure to guide him into place.
We were able to practice place on a few different platforms within the store, and Kingsley had no hesitation about jumping onto any of them. He was tempted to sniff around on some of the place objects in the garden area though, and needed to be reminded to hold his stationary positions on them rather than get up to sniff or walk around on them. After practicing with his stationary commands for a while both on place objects and on the floor, he was able to hold both sit and down for about two minutes, even with some distractions nearby. He was also reliably able to hold these positions as I stood nearly fifteen feet away, which means he's just about reached the distance goal we have set! He was also able to ignore groups of people and other distractions near him that were a couple of feet away, though he did sometimes break position early if something distracting got a bit too close, such as a person or shopping cart passing directly by him. Previously in his training journey, when he would often get distracted by something like a person or dog, he would break his position and then try to walk away from me in an attempt to follow or chase after them. Though as he has progressed in his training, this behavior has been occurring less frequently. Now when he does make a mistake and break his position, he usually makes better decisions and comes back to me instead of trying to walk away. While ideally we don't want him breaking commands at all, when it does happen, it's better that he comes back to his handler rather than wander off or chase after something else.
Also to update on his potty pad training, he does seem to be struggling with this a bit, and will sometimes miss the potty pad and end up having an accident near it if not closely monitored while he has access to it. For now, I'm keeping the potty pad separate from his free roam area indoors to prevent any further accidents. When he does not have access to the potty pad, he knows to hold it until he is brought outside for walks or is brought to the potty pad. Though when he does have access to it unsupervised, he will go potty much more frequently, and will often miss the pad entirely if I am not there to direct him to it. It appears he is not at the stage yet where he can be left alone with the potty pad indoors and reliably be able to go on it, so it needs to be kept separately from him, and he needs to be brought there each time and asked to use it when it's time to go potty. Good news is despite the couple of accidents he has had with the potty pad training, he has been doing a great job with pottying outside or on the potty pad when supervised. He is also getting better about holding his potty in between breaks, and seems to be consistent with holding it for about four and a half hours each time. We will continue gradually increasing the time to get him accustomed to holding it throughout the day, though it does need to be done slowly as waiting too long in between could lead to an accident which would set back his training progress.
Pupdate 5/13/2023
Kingsley and I visited an outdoor mall today, where we continued to practice his commands around distractions. He has proven to be able to hold his stationary positions for the goal duration when in areas with minimal distractions, so the next step is increasing his tolerance for distractions as he holds his positions. So today we focused on practicing his stationary commands when nearby highly distracting areas such as walkways with lots of foot traffic, next to storefronts, and in the main plaza. Whenever he was able to hold his position until released or given a new command, he was rewarded with lots of praise to communicate that he did a great job! Whenever the distractions got the best of him and he got up from his position, he was immediately asked to return to position, and the reward was withheld until he was able to hold the position until asked. This encourages him to follow through with what is asked of him, as he is smart and very motivated by affection. Through many repetitions, it teaches him that the only way to get the reward he wants is by displaying patience and obedience to stay in position.
He is showing improvement with ignoring most common distractions, such as other dogs and people walking by. He does still have some trouble ignoring distractions that get really close to him though. He's usually able to ignore other dogs so long as they are not in his immediate space, and the same goes for people. Though he especially loves people, and tends to get very excited when he thinks someone is going to come pet him or give him attention, which sometimes makes it difficult for him to hold positions for the full duration. He has shown a lot of progress with this though, and will make an effort to listen and follow instructions even when he is excited, though sometimes he can't control his excitement and will break the position. Once he is reminded to return to position, he typically remembers what he is supposed to do, and is able to hold it until asked. He will also sometimes get distracted by random objects or smells on the floor, though he is usually quick to leave them alone once given the off command, and knows that he needs to focus back on his training until he is allowed to explore while on a break.
We continued to practice his greeting manners some more today also, as training for this can come naturally as we work on stationary commands in public places. Kingsley is very popular anywhere we go, and there's always people coming to us asking to say hi to him! Before anyone is allowed to approach him or pet him, I always make sure to let them know that he is in training, and that they can help by only giving him praise or attention when he is sitting or laying down nicely, and not trying to jump up on them. Most people are happy to help, and with this, Kingsley is able to understand what he needs to do in order to receive praise. He knows he is not supposed to jump on anyone by now, but sometimes does still get a bit excited and is tempted to, especially if the person greeting him is also very excited. If he does make a mistake and jump up on someone, the sudden halt of praise being given to him is usually enough on its own to remind him that he needs to return to the position that was asked of him. At this point, it's not common for him to jump up when being greeted anymore, but with continued practice this behavior will become even less frequent and even stop completely as long as the training is consistent.
Pupdate 5/14/2023
Today Kingsley and I made another trip to an outdoor mall, where we continued training around distractions. We practiced similar to yesterday where we worked on his ability to ignore distractions while holding stationary commands, and he did a good job with it today! There were also lots of accessible place objects for him to practice with, and as usual he showed no hesitation about jumping onto any of them, even the ones that were high up. He did still break commands every now and then when he lost focus due to a distraction or loss of patience, though it was less frequent than it has been lately, and for the most part he had no issue holding positions until asked. Each day I have been seeing great improvement with him, and he's really starting to get the hang of all of his commands even when there are distractions present.
He did a good job with heel and come to sit today also. He did sometimes veer off from heel slightly as we walked around and passed by various distractions, though he was able to correct his positioning quickly when reminded to heel with little to no leash pressure needed. He was able to ignore distractions for the most part, and was able to focus on me as we made turns and stops. He even stuck right by me in a heel as we passed a group of people and their dogs who were walking by, and apart from a quick glance in their direction, Kingsley was not tempted by the distraction. He also did very well with come to sit today, and rarely needed any leash pressure to guide him towards me when called or to guide him into position for a sit. We practiced with the long leash by letting him wander off a bit to explore, then tested his skills by recalling him back to me while he is distracted. Whenever the command was given, Kingsley was quick with redirecting his focus back on me, and was able to leave the distraction and come running over to me. He seems to have gotten the hang of this command, and is generally very reliable with his recall, even from a distance or around distractions.
We also worked a lot on his greeting manners, as he was very popular and lots of people wanted to meet him! He even got to meet a nice family today, and got to say hello to and practice his manners with all of them. When meeting the parents he did stand up from his sit a few times and needed to be reminded to return to the position, though he didn't jump on them at all which was good to see! He knew to be very gentle around the kid, and was able to hold a sit nicely as he was greeted and shown affection. The baby in the stroller loved getting to see him also, and Kingsley's infinite tail wags showed that he loved it too! It was a beautiful moment that brightened this family's afternoon this Mother's Day. I hope that all the mothers today have a great day today! (Including all the dog moms! <3)
Pupdate 5/15/2023
Today Kingsley and I visited a park, where we met up with some other OffLeash SoCal trainers and their pups! We practiced each of his commands with the added distractions of the grassy field and the nearby dogs. Overall he did a good job ignoring distractions for the most part, and knew to pay attention when asked to do something. He did struggle with his focus when the other dogs got a bit too close though, and would sometimes break commands or try to pull towards them to try to greet them as we walked by. He's usually pretty good about ignoring other dogs, though today he seemed to be more distracted by them than usual, which may be because they were the only major distraction around. We practiced working on his stationary commands while the other trainers walked in circles around him with their pups, and Kingsley was very persistent about wanting to stare at the dogs the entire time and would sometimes stand up and spin around to reposition himself so that he was facing the dog before sitting back down. Once the dog moved away a bit, he didn't seem as distracted and wasn't constantly trying to look at them though. He was able to walk beside, behind, or past the other dogs while in a heel, though he did sometimes try to pull towards them, and needed to be reminded to focus and return to the heel position.
Once we got home, we spent some extra time working on his door manners and food manners. House manners are something we have been practicing little by little each day since he arrived, and he has improved massively with his overall manners since then! The goal for door manners is to be able to open any door, such as a front door or bedroom door, and have him wait there and not go through the doorway unless invited to. This teaches him boundaries, and removes the issue of him running through doors when they are open, or trying to push through people's legs when walking through doorways. We have been practicing this by putting him into a stationary position such as sit or down near a door, and asking him to remain there as I open the door. He is then made to wait until given a new command that will invite him through the doorway, such as the release command, heel, or come. He is also expected to hold his position by the door even if I walk through it without him or go out of his sight, and not get up from that spot or try to follow me until he is asked to. Kingsley did struggle with this concept a bit at first, though by practicing this every day he is now showing great progress and is typically able to wait at doorways for about two minutes. He has already hit the duration goal for door manners, though with continued practice he will be able to hold his position for even longer amounts of time.
The goal for food manners is to have him be able to wait quietly and patiently while his food is prepared, and not rush in to eat it the moment it is placed in front of him. The idea is for him to be able to hold a stationary command, and wait there until given the release command before he can go to the bowl and start eating. This concept was a bit harder for Kingsley to grasp, as he tends to get very excited during meal times. He would often bark, jump up on me, and run around the room any time he knew food was coming. When starting off we kept the command durations short, and have gradually been asking him to hold that position for slightly longer periods each time before he is released to eat. It was very important to keep a close eye on him to make sure he didn't break position and improperly reward himself with the food before being given the release command, as that would set back his progress. With lots of practice, he is now able to sit and wait nicely for about two minutes with his food in front of him, and knows to wait until given the release command to eat it. He can usually be trusted to hold his position, though he does still need to be kept an eye on to make sure he doesn't break the command and start eating on his own accord. He also does sometimes bark a bit and run around excitedly while I'm preparing his food, though he no longer tries to jump up on me, and knows to quickly follow the command to sit or lie down once asked.
Pupdate 5/16/2023
Kingsley and I spent the day cleaning up his position for come to sit, and continued to work on all commands around distractions. He is getting better each day when training around distractions, and is showing an increased amount of focus and is getting better about ignoring distractions when asked. The biggest distraction for him is still people, but he is doing much better about holding his positions despite his excitement. He did a good job about ignoring other dogs today, and was not as interested in them as he was yesterday. He did a good job about holding his stationary commands, even as groups of people and dogs walked past him.
We spent some extra time practicing come to sit, and working to perfect his positioning for his sit on my left side. He is very good about coming to me when called and knows to sit on my left side, though he does sometimes sit a bit too far ahead or behind me, or sometimes sits facing backwards or sideways instead of straight forward. The goal is for him to consistently finish the command in a front-facing sit, that way he is ready to begin walking in a heel if asked. To encourage this, I made sure to provide some extra guidance with my hand signals, and waited to reward him until he was in the proper position each time. He did catch onto this quickly, and after some more repetitions, he was more consistent with sitting in the right position without needing to be adjusted. He was more prone to making mistakes when in distracting areas though, and would sometimes sit correctly at first, then scoot around to face in a different direction so he could watch nearby distractions. When this happened, I would guide him back to the proper position, and ensure he remained there until giving praise.
In today's video, I decided to showcase some of Kingsley's skills in house manners so far! One of the goals specified for Kingsley's house manners is for him to be able to go into his kennel when asked, so this is something we have been working on little by little since day one. During the first few days with me, he would sometimes try to run around the room and avoid having to go into the kennel when asked, and would need to be picked up and placed inside. He would also sometimes protest by barking, whining, or scratching at the door once he was inside. We began working on helping him build a positive association with the kennel, and learn to see it as an enjoyable and safe place for him to go. Every day, we practiced going in and out of the kennel many times, and he would be rewarded for each time he went into the kennel willingly. This encouraged him to want to go in when asked, as he knew he would be praised and rewarded for it, and that trying to run away, bark, or otherwise protest would not work in his favor. We began adding a verbal cue and hand gesture recently, and he is quickly catching on and is learning to be able to go into the kennel on his own without any physical guidance needed. It's also important that before letting him out of the kennel, he is calm and quiet, as letting him out when he is riled up could reinforce bad behavior. He now understands that barking or scratching within the kennel would not mean he gets to come back out, so that behavior has lessened significantly. He's now very good about being quiet in the kennel for naps, throughout the night, and for car rides. He does sometimes still bark a few times when he first sees me approaching the kennel to let him out, but he is getting better about remembering that he needs to settle back down before he can come out.
The kennel is also a fantastic tool that has helped in his potty training, as most dogs instinctively will not choose to go potty in a place they see as their sleeping or eating area. This encourages him to hold his potty for longer periods of time, and lowers the chances of accidents happening. We have a good routine going, where any time he is let out of the kennel after sleeping or a nap, he is immediately brought to a place to go potty, which is either his potty pad or outside. He is also brought to a potty area directly after meals or exercise, as dogs will usually have the urge to go after these activities. He has been getting better about using the potty pads, but is still not quite ready to be left alone with them. When it's time for him to go potty, I let him have access to the potty pad, though he needs to be kept a close eye on during this time. We've been practicing giving him the chance to think about it on his own, to see if he will choose to go on the potty pad without having to be brought directly over to it and asked to go. He does choose to go on the potty pad on his own about half of the time, which is good progress, though he has a long way to go before he is ready to be left alone with them. Whenever I see him about to make a mistake and is going to go potty on the floor instead of the potty pad, he is immediately interrupted and brought over to the pad and encouraged to go there instead.
Pupdate 5/17/2023
Today Kingsley and I took a walk to a local park, where we focused on practicing his commands around distractions such as grass, other dogs, and small children. He is very good at walking in heel while on pathways or sidewalks, and engages with me a lot by checking in with me often and giving me eye contact. He has a solid understanding of exactly where he needs to be when asked to heel, and rarely needs any leash pressure to guide him even when around moderate levels of distractions. Though he still struggles to hold his focus when walking over grassy areas, as he becomes very interested in the smells. When his nose is glued to the ground as we walk, he isn't able to watch me or where we are going, and it takes his focus away from his positioning which causes him to make mistakes such as veering off, pulling ahead, or lagging behind. When he's not focused or engaging with me, he also has a harder time listening when given verbal commands, and needs some leash pressure to get his attention and ensure he follows through with what is being asked of him.
To help him improve with this, we spent a lot of time walking around the grass practicing heel, and encouraging him to keep his focus on me and engage with me more frequently. Whenever he got too distracted by the grass, he was asked to pay attention again with the off command, and then reminded to remain in heel. At first, he needed to be reminded very often, as shortly after regaining his attention he would go right back to sniffing. With consistent practice, he eventually needed to be reminded less frequently, and showed an increased level of self-control and obedience by choosing to focus on me instead of giving in to the distraction of the grass. He began to understand that sniffing while being asked to heel would not be very rewarding, and that praise and reward would be given whenever he chose to engage with me instead. We used the grass as a reward during breaks as well, which helped him understand that he is allowed to have fun sniffing around and exploring, just not when he is being asked to do something else.
We also worked on improving his heel and other commands around distractions such as other dogs, people, and small children, as these sometimes cause Kingsley to lose focus as he gets excited to see them. We practiced his stationary commands near the playground and nearby other dogs, and worked on keeping his focus on me and his positioning, rather than on the nearby commotion of the kids and dogs playing and walking around nearby. He did a good job about holding his commands for the most part and rarely got up or completely broke position, but did sometimes rotate around if he wanted to look at something behind him. Whenever this happened, I would guide him back to the direction he was originally asked to face, and asked for him to ignore the distraction or focus on me instead. Once he understood he wasn't allowed to spin around when asked to hold a stationary command, that behavior lessened drastically, and he was able to hold a sit or down even while facing in the opposite direction of a nearby distraction. I also practiced walking around him in circles as he held his stationary command, and even though he wanted to be able to see me, he understood he needed to stay where he was and simply turn his head to look at me instead of turning his body all the way around.
Pupdate 5/18/2023
Kingsley and I made a trip out to the Santa Monica Pier today, where we continued working on his commands around high amounts of distractions. We also were able to record some great footage of him performing commands and greeting manners that will be used in putting together his final video!
He did a fantastic job about holding each of his stationary commands, and was able to hold sit, down, and place for as long as was asked of him, even as large groups of people walked past him. He was also able to ignore other dogs for the most part as well, and didn't seem very distracted by them unless they were directly in his space, in which case he mostly just wanted to look at them but knew not to get up unless he was asked. He was also able to jump onto the place objects I asked him to, though he did need a few practice runs first before he could jump up onto the higher objects without any extra assistance.
He sometimes struggled with being able to listen to or hear verbal commands when we were in loud and distracting areas though, so he often needed some leash pressure when asking for commands such as heel or come to sit. He was quick to respond to the leash pressure, and was able to pay attention to my hang signals to understand what was being asked of him. He did a good job with heel for the most part, but did sometimes try to pull towards different distractions now and then when the environment was very busy and overstimulating. As such he did need to be reminded to remain in heel more frequently than he usually would, but after the reminder he was able to focus back on me and return to the heel position when asked. A clear improvement can be seen when compared to how he behaved the last time we visited the pier, and it shows that he has learned a lot and is able to maintain more focus around distractions than previously which is great to see!
Pupdate 5/19/2023
Today Kingsley and I visited a local shopping strip in my neighborhood. This area becomes quite busy on Fridays, so the bustling environment provided plenty of distractions to practice his commands around. He did a very good job about holding each of his stationary commands, and was able to jump onto and place on any object he was asked to. He also did a great job with heel, and was able to stick in the proper positioning majority of the time with only occasional leash pressure needed to remind him.
He was able to ignore dogs, groups of people, and other distractions quite easily, though he did get a bit spooked by some of the loud car noises coming from the busy street nearby. He was especially distracted by a fire truck's sirens at first, and broke a sit to try to run behind me as it passed by trying to get away from the scary noise it made. I asked him to return to the sit, and gave him lots of praise when he followed through with the command. He quickly forgot about the loud noise, and was very happy to be given attention and pets. A short while after, another fire truck with its sirens on passed by, and Kingsley didn't seem bothered by it this time. He was able to keep his focus on me and hold his position as he eagerly awaited more affection. Whenever he encounters something new or scary, he is quick to overcome his fears, and praise and affection is a great tool to help reassure him and encourage focus even around distractions.
His potty training is also coming along very well, and he's now able to consistently hold his potty between breaks for about six hours! He can sometimes even go even longer during the night, and can sleep through the night without having any accidents in his kennel. He does very well with going potty outside, and understands what to do when asked to go potty. He is still learning to use the potty pads, and is not yet ready to be left alone with them, though he is getting better about choosing to go to the potty pad on his own when it is available to him with supervision.
Pupdate 5/20/2023
Today Kingsley and I visited a busy outdoor shopping mall, where we practiced each of his commands around the high amounts of distractions. Despite the bustling environment, Kingsley did a fantastic job and was able to perform each of his commands! He was able to stick by me in a heel with minimal leash pressure needed, but did sometimes lose focus and need to be reminded to correct his positioning. As usual, he did very well with holding his stationary positions, and had no trouble holding sit and down even while various distractions passed by him such as groups of people and other dogs. He did sometimes spin around a bit while holding a sit, but it was much less frequent than it has been in previous days. There were also a couple of suitable objects for him to practice place with today, and he had no issue jumping onto them when asked, and was able to hold stationary commands on them with ease. He also did a good job with come to sit, though did sometimes need some leash pressure to get his attention initially due to the high amounts of distractions and loud noises around.
Kingsley overall did an amazing job today, and his progress in training is very clear to see. He got so many compliments from nice people about how well behaved and trained he is! He was very happy to be at the mall and in the middle of all the excitement, and never displayed any signs of stress or anxiety, which shows his socialization and desensitization to busy environments is paying off!
Pupdate 5/21/2023
Kingsley has completed his Three Week Board and Train Program! He will be boarding with me for one more week, and during this time we will be focusing on spending quality time together and having lots of fun! We will continue our work with his potty training, and practice each of his commands daily to improve and maintain all of the skills he has learned throughout his training journey. Today we took some nice walks around my neighborhood as we practiced his commands, and he had a great time!
Pupdate 5/22/2023
Today Kingsley and I visited a local park, where we had a fun time walking around, exploring, and playing fetch! Playing fetch is not only a fun activity, but it's also a good opportunity to work on his ability to hold stationary commands until released, as well as practice his recall for come to sit. Kingsley had a great day at the park, and took a nice long nap when we got home!
Pupdate 5/23/2023
Kingsley and I visited a park today, where we met up with some other OffLeash SoCal trainers and their pups. They provided a great opportunity to test his focus around distractions as we practiced his commands. Kingsley had a great time exploring the park, playing in the grass, meeting the other trainers, and watching the other dogs practice their training also! He did get a bit muddy though, so he had a quick rinse in the bath once we got home to get cleaned up, and he was very calm and content while being bathed.
Pupdate 5/24/2023
Today Kingsley and I spent some time practicing each of his commands around different areas in my neighborhood. He is used to the distractions this environment has to offer, and was able to ignore people, other dogs, and even loud noises coming from nearby construction. He did a great job staying focused and following through with everything that I asked of him. Afterwards, we stopped by a dog-friendly café to enjoy some snacks! Kingsley was happy to jump onto the chair next to me when invited, and was able to sit there quietly and patiently. He even got some yummy dog treats from the nice employees, and was very polite when greeting them even though he was very excited!
Pupdate 5/25/2023
Today Kingsley and I made another visit to the Santa Monica Pier! He seems to have become more familiar with this location, but the busy environment still provided plenty of great distractions to test his skills and focus around. We also met up with some other OffLeash SoCal trainers and their pups. Overall he did a great job with each of his commands, and had a great time walking around, exploring, and hanging out with his new doggy friends!
Pupdate 5/26/2023