Kingston | Cane Corso | Palmdale, CA | In Training
- Tanner Strong
- Jun 22
- 11 min read
Updated: 22 hours ago
Meet Kingston! He's a six month old Cane Corso from Palmdale, California here for our Three-Week Board and Train Program. Kingston is extremely friendly and sweet, however he often takes his affection too far by jumping on everyone he can. He's also very pushy, and loves to pull on his leash to go say hi to people! While he is familiar with some commands, he will often decide whether or not to listen! Over the next twenty one days, we'll be working on his obedience skills, help set boundaries and work on his manners in and out of the house, and show him how to be the best pup he can possibly be! Stay tuned for Kingston's three week transformation!
Pupdate: 6/22/2025
After picking up Kingston, we headed straight to the park to spend some time getting to know each other. He’s incredibly friendly and already seems to be warming up to me! While we practiced a few basic commands during our time at the park, Kingston was pretty distracted by all the people around us and had a hard time following through consistently — which is totally normal for a first day in a new environment.
After our park outing, we went home so Kingston could settle in and get familiar with his new space. He explored a bit and already seems to be enjoying himself here! I’ve really enjoyed having him so far and am looking forward to the progress we’ll make together in the coming weeks.
Pupdate: 6/23/2025
Kingston had a good day at the park today! We met up with several other dogs and their trainers, which gave us the perfect opportunity to work on his Place command and practice staying focused in a more social environment.
For the most part, Kingston did really well! He was definitely interested in the other dogs, but he stayed engaged with me and another trainer, even when distractions popped up. There were a few moments when sudden noises or movements startled him a bit, but he recovered quickly and got back to work.
I was happy to see him thinking through these moments and choosing to stay in the game with us. He's showing a lot of potential, and with continued practice around other dogs and new environments, he's going to keep building that confidence and focus. Proud of him today!
Pupdate: 6/24/2025
Today we focused on Kingston’s Come To Sit command, which will serve as his formal recall. The goal is for Kingston to respond to this cue reliably—whether he's playing, resting, or distracted by something exciting. It's a more advanced version of a typical recall because it involves multiple steps: not just coming when called, but walking around behind me and sitting neatly at my left side, with his ears lined up with my leg.
This position sets us up perfectly to transition straight into a Heel, which we’re also continuing to refine. Kingston is doing a great job learning the motion and is starting to grasp both where I want him and that he should automatically sit once he gets there. With consistent practice, he's building the muscle memory needed to make this a smooth, reliable response.
He’s making great progress, and I’m proud of how well he’s engaging with this challenge!
Pupdate: 6/25/2025
Today’s training was all about building confidence, and Kingston took some great steps forward—literally! We focused on his Place command using a variety of challenging objects, which is a great way to help him feel more capable and secure in unfamiliar environments.
We revisited benches that Kingston had previously been hesitant to hop onto. With practice and encouragement, those same benches are now turning into more consistent wins for him. We also worked with bleachers, which added a whole new layer of difficulty due to their odd texture and the balance required to move across them. These exercises definitely pushed him out of his comfort zone, but little by little, Kingston started to realize that he can take on these challenges.
Though he's still not confident enough to use his back legs to hop into the car, confidence-building sessions like today are a great stepping stone toward that goal. It’s been rewarding to see his mindset begin to shift—Kingston is learning that he’s capable of more than he thinks!
Pupdate: 6/26/2025
Today, Kingston and I focused on building his reliability with some of his commands by working with the leash dragging. Letting the leash drag is a great way to start gauging how he might perform off leash while still giving me the ability to step in if needed.
There were moments when Kingston was just as responsive and reliable with the leash dragging as he is when it’s in hand, which was great to see! However, he did get distracted at times—especially when another dog passed by. These moments gave us good opportunities to reinforce his focus and responsiveness under mild distraction.
Overall, today was a positive step forward. He’s not quite off-leash ready just yet, but we’re heading in the right direction. I’m proud of the progress he’s making and looking forward to helping him continue building up that consistency!
Pupdate: 6/27/2025
Kingston took a field trip to Home Depot today for some exposure and command practice in a busy, noisy environment! Overall, he did fairly well with his commands, even with plenty of distractions going on around us.
He wasn’t too fazed by being in close proximity to people—he mostly ignored them aside from a couple curious sniffs. What threw him off more were the unpredictable sounds in the store. Squeaky carts and beeping forklifts definitely got his attention, especially at the beginning of our visit. But after a few laps around the store, Kingston began adjusting to the environment. By the end of the outing, we were walking by carts with much less reaction. The louder, high-pitched beeps still made him pause, but he did a great job recovering quickly and sticking with me.
The Down command was especially difficult for him in this setting, which is completely understandable—lying down can feel quite vulnerable in a new and overwhelming place. We’ll keep working on helping him feel safe and confident enough to hold his Down, even in high-distraction areas like this.
This was an excellent training and socialization opportunity for Kingston, and I’m really happy with how he handled himself. He showed great resilience, followed through on what I asked, and bounced back quickly when startled. He’s making steady progress and building the kind of confidence that will carry over into everyday life!
Pupdate: 6/28/2025
Kingston had a nice split day today—starting with a morning trip to the park, then heading to Home Depot to stay cool during the hottest hours. The change in timing worked out well for him. By the time we arrived at the store, it was less busy, and Kingston seemed noticeably more comfortable in the environment.
He gave me his Down commands with more consistency today and showed improvement in holding the position, even with some mild distractions. We didn’t encounter any moving forklifts this time, which likely contributed to his ability to stay relaxed throughout our visit.
The most interesting moment came when we walked by a pallet of tiki torches. For whatever reason, Kingston was unsure about them and hesitated to get too close. We took some time to circle around the display, and I even moved the torches a bit to help him see there was nothing to worry about. Once he had a chance to investigate, he was totally fine walking past them. It was a great reminder that sometimes the most unexpected things can cause hesitation—but with a little patience and guidance, Kingston is learning to work through those moments.
Pupdate: 6/29/2025
Today we continued working on Kingston’s leash-dragging exercises to build up his reliability without physical guidance. His Heel command was excellent, even with the extra challenge of working next to a loud dance class—complete with music, shouting, and lots of movement. While the distractions did make his recall a bit weaker, Kingston still responded well to light corrections and consistently returned when prompted, which I was happy to see. Long-term, I’d like him to become more neutral to distractions like these, but for today’s environment, he handled things well!
We also introduced a new command: Come To Heel—which asks Kingston to join me on my left side and fall into the Heel position while I'm already walking. He actually found this easier than the more structured Come To Sit, which has him walk behind me and sit at my left side. I’ll continue reinforcing Come To Sit as the default, but Come To Heel is already proving to be a useful addition to his repertoire.
Overall, Kingston made some great progress today, especially considering the strange distraction. Looking forward to building on this!
Pupdate: 6/30/2025
Kingston got to enjoy some off-leash time at the park today! With minimal distractions, he did quite well overall. We passed fairly close to other people walking their dogs and some folks playing tennis, and Kingston stayed neutral while walking by—great progress! He did seem to feel a bit more empowered without the leash and was more eager to initiate play, which is totally fine during a break, but I’m working on making sure he stays just as responsive to commands off leash as he is with the leash on. After a bit of a warm-up, he started to get the picture. This was a good step forward for Kingston today!
Pupdate: 7/1/2025
Today was a productive day for Kingston, with a few clear training goals in mind! First on the list was improving his recall—specifically extending the distance at which he responds reliably. Kingston has been consistent when within 5–10 feet, but tends to get overly excited or playful when farther out, sometimes avoiding the recall altogether by circling wide or treating it like a game. This morning, we made noticeable progress: his responses became more direct, and when we went back out later to film a quick video, he responded much quicker and with more focus. A big win!
We also worked on balancing his playful energy with responsiveness. While it’s important that Kingston feels free to enjoy himself, the goal is for him to settle down and come under control the moment he's asked—and he’s starting to get the hang of that. He still gets a little too revved up at times, but today was a definite improvement over yesterday.
Lastly, we focused on his Send Away To Place command, which asks him to go to a Place object from a distance. At home, Kingston’s doing quite well with this, but in public settings, he isn’t as eager to approach the object unless he's right next to it. To build more motivation, I’ve been rewarding him heavily each time he makes the effort to hop on the cot. It’s still a work in progress, but we’re heading in the right direction.
Overall, a productive day with solid steps forward—and still plenty of room to grow!
Pupdate: 7/2/2025
Kingston had a fun and productive day today! We met up with some other trainers and their dogs, giving him a great opportunity to practice his skills around plenty of distractions. Walking in a Heel next to another dog was definitely challenging at first—he was eager to play and sniff—but after a few reminders, he settled in nicely and stayed focused.
We also revisited his back-leg exercises to continue building coordination and confidence. I set up a leash between two trees and had him jump over it, which he handled well! These kinds of exercises are really helping him learn to engage and trust his back end more.
Overall, Kingston had a great time, got some solid training in, and handled the excitement of the day with maturity. Proud of this guy!
Pupdate: 7/3/2025
Kingston had his first visit to Santa Anita Mall today, and he did a great job! The mall wasn't too busy, which made for a smooth introduction to this kind of environment. He stayed fairly focused and worked well through most of our exercises. While holding a Sit, he did try to lean in and sniff someone walking by once—but that’s a big improvement from our trips to Home Depot, where staying still without trying to sniff people was more difficult.
The most surprising challenge of the day? A running fountain! Kingston was very suspicious of it at first and gave it a wide berth each time we passed. But after a few laps, he decided it wasn’t out to get him and was able to walk by with more confidence.
All in all, this was a solid first mall session for Kingston, and a great step forward in his public manners and confidence.
Pupdate: 7/4/2025
Kingston had a more relaxed day today, focusing on his indoor manners, with special attention to door etiquette, which you can see demonstrated in the video above. He's doing a great job learning to respect boundaries and thresholds, which plays a big role in creating a calm and structured home environment.
In the video, you’ll notice he’s positioned right in front of the door, but our everyday goal is for him to remain calm and indifferent—even if he’s across the room—when the door opens. The ultimate aim is for the door opening to be a nonevent, something he doesn’t feel the need to investigate or rush through. This mindset can be carried over to other thresholds too, such as gates, fences, or even room boundaries—like the kitchen, which Kingston knows is off-limits. He’s doing really well with these rules and showing a solid understanding of what’s expected of him.
We also heard a few fireworks last night, and we’re happy to report that Kingston didn’t seem to care at all! Hopefully tonight will go just as smoothly.
Great work today, Kingston!
Pupdate: 7/5/2025
Kingston continued his off-leash training today with a solid session at the park, where there was no shortage of distractions to test his focus. A nearby soccer game caught his attention for a bit, but he stayed composed. Bouncing basketballs also drew a few glances, but he lost interest quickly and returned his focus to me.
The real test came when we stumbled upon a group playing Jianzi—a game similar to hacky sack, but with a feathered birdie. Kingston was fascinated by it. He couldn’t take his eyes off the birdie being kicked back and forth, and every time it dropped to the ground, he looked like he was just about ready to pounce.
Moments like these are perfect for practicing the “Off” command, which we use to interrupt and redirect unwanted attention or behavior. Whether it’s jumping or fixating on distractions, “Off” means “don’t do that,” and Kingston is really starting to get it. Despite how tempting the fluttering birdie was, he responded well when asked, turning his gaze away and re-engaging with me.
His impulse control is getting stronger, and it was great to see his training hold up even with so many exciting things going on around him. Great job today, Kingston!
Pupdate: 7/6/2025
Today’s focus for Kingston was all about building up his hind end awareness and coordination! He’s already shown he’s comfortable using his front paws to hop into the car, but he’s still figuring out how to engage those back legs for a full push-off. In the video above, you’ll see one of the exercises we’ve been using to help him develop that strength and confidence.
I’m not expecting a full leap just yet—instead, I’m watching for those little “pop-up” moments from his back legs that show he’s starting to understand how to use them more effectively. Progress like this doesn’t always look dramatic, but these small wins are exactly what we’re looking for. Great job today, Kingston!
Pupdate: 7/7/2025
Kingston had a proud moment this morning—he jumped into the car all by himself! It was a big step for him (literally), and I was thrilled to see his confidence and strength shine through. We’ve been working consistently on helping him use his hind legs more effectively, and it seems like the effort is paying off.
After our park visit, I tried to capture the moment on video, but Kingston was a little more tired the second time around. Still, he gave it another go and managed to hop up, even if it took a bit more effort. His willingness to try again, even when tired, shows just how much courage and heart this boy has. So proud of him!
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