Kiwi | Golden Retriever | Irvine, CA | In Training
- Tanner Strong
- May 18
- 8 min read
Updated: Jun 1
Meet Kiwi! She's an eighteen month old Golden Retriever from Irvine, California here for our Two-Week Board and Train Program! She can be very sweet but she sometimes likes to bark at other dogs. She loves to jump when she meets someone and likes to run out of the door if it's open. She is a huge leash puller and has very little obedience skills, especially when it comes to her recall! Over the next fourteen days, we will work on Kiwi's obedience skills, show her proper manners in and out of the house, and help her become the best pup she can possibly be! Stay tuned for Kiwi's two week transformation!
Pupdate: 5/18/2025
Today was Kiwi’s first day, and we started things off by heading home so she could get familiar with her new environment. After giving her some time to settle in, we made our way to the park for a little training and bonding time.
Kiwi is definitely a strong leash puller and gets distracted easily, but she’s already starting to warm up to me! I asked her for a few basic commands, and she was able to give me a Sit about half the time—a solid starting point for our first day together. She’s curious, energetic, and seems eager to explore. Back at home, she’s settling in well and starting to get comfortable. Looking forward to seeing how she progresses!
Pupdate: 5/19/2025
Today was Kiwi’s first full day of training, and she did really well! We kicked things off by introducing one of her biggest areas for improvement: recall. We're using the Come To Sit command as our recall foundation. For this, I want Kiwi to come to my right side when called, loop around behind me, and finish in a seated position on my left side with her ears lined up at my knee. It’s a complex move, but Kiwi is catching on quickly and showing great promise!
She’s also doing better with holding her Sit for longer durations, especially in the quieter areas of the park. When we moved closer to the pond, however, she found it much harder to stay focused—those ducks and geese were just a little too fascinating! Despite the distractions, Kiwi kept trying and made great progress overall.
For her first full day of training, Kiwi impressed me. With more practice and consistency, she’s only going to get better from here!
Pupdate: 5/20/2025
Kiwi and I focused on her Place command today, and she did a great job! For this exercise, I’m asking Kiwi to hop onto a raised object and stay there until I release her or give her another command. Not only is this a great confidence booster, but it’s also super practical—especially at home when I need Kiwi to settle while I cook, clean, or answer the door.
At first, she was a bit skeptical of the new command, but she caught on quickly and showed some nice progress. The biggest challenge right now is helping her stay put when I take a step away—she gets a little eager and wants to follow. With more practice and patience, I’m confident she’ll learn that Place means stay until told otherwise. She’s well on her way!
Pupdate: 5/21/2025
Today’s training focused on helping Kiwi improve her ability to ignore distractions—one of her biggest challenges. To work on this, we spent time right next to the ponds at the park, where she was exposed to plenty of ducks and geese. In the past, even walking by the pond would trigger a strong reaction from her, and she would try to pull toward the birds.
True to form, Kiwi started off the session with some of the same excitement. However, we made solid progress using her Off command, which we use to tell her “don’t do that.” She responded to it much more consistently today, especially as we repeated the exercise around the birds.
While she was still easily distracted at the beginning, she ended up doing pretty well by the end of the session. Kiwi is showing clear improvement, and I’m confident she’s heading in the right direction!
Pupdate: 5/22/2025
Today, Kiwi began working on her commands with the leash dragging, which is a great step toward off-leash readiness. This setup allows me to assess how well she follows through when she thinks the leash isn’t in play—while still giving me quick access to it if needed.
To start, this was a bit of a challenge for her. With commands like Come To Sit, she occasionally ignored me, came halfway, or even walked in the opposite direction. However, the moment my fingers touched the end of the leash—without applying any tension—she completed the command perfectly. This tells me she clearly understands what I'm asking, but assumes she doesn’t have to follow through unless the leash is in my hand.
Thankfully, after some repetition and encouragement, she began responding more consistently without needing that reminder. While we’ve still got a ways to go—particularly with her recall—I’m optimistic about her progress!
Pupdate: 5/23/2025
Kiwi took a trip to the mall today! She started off a bit nervous, especially with some of the unexpected distractions, but she adjusted fairly quickly. Within just a few minutes of arriving, she was mostly focused—though you could tell she was excited to be there!
We spent time both inside the mall and out on the promenade. The indoor environment, especially the upper floor where she could see down to the lower level, made her a little more uneasy, but she held it together and stayed with me.
By the end of the visit, Kiwi was being polite, responsive, and showing nice progress in her ability to settle and work in new environments. It was a successful outing, and a great step forward for her!
Pupdate: 5/24/2025
Kiwi was back at the mall today and had another productive session! We arrived early, which gave us plenty of time to work on her commands and behavior before the crowds rolled in. By the time things got busier, Kiwi was already settled and comfortable in the environment. She seemed to enjoy the outing more than yesterday and moved through the space with a bit more confidence. It’s great to see her making progress and becoming more at ease with the distractions around her!
Pupdate: 5/25/2025
Kiwi had a great day today—we went back to the park, and it was clear she much preferred it over the mall! I used a shorter, lighter leash to better replicate the sensation of being off-leash, and she handled it like a champ. Even with soccer games and other distractions going on, I rarely had to pick up the leash to guide her. She stayed tuned in and responsive nearly the whole time.
While the mall might not have been her favorite place, I truly believe those more challenging outings paid off. Today felt like a big step forward for Kiwi, and it’s exciting to see that progress in action. Great job, Kiwi!
Pupdate: 5/26/2025
Kiwi was back at the park today, and we took a big step forward—starting to work fully off leash! We began with a warm-up using the leash to get her focused, and once she was locked in, I felt confident removing it. We stayed mostly in the center of a track where plenty of people and other dogs were moving around us at a distance. This added some challenge, but Kiwi handled it well.
Her focus remained steady, and most importantly, her recall was fairly strong even without the leash. For her first fully off-leash session, she did a great job! This was a nice milestone for Kiwi, and I’m proud of how she stepped up today.
Pupdate: 5/27/2025
Kiwi had a great day at the park today! We met up with some other trainers and their dogs, which gave her a fun mix of social exposure and training practice. While there were a few moments where she got a tad excited, she did a fantastic job staying calm and collected overall.
Kiwi responded well to her commands and stayed right with me, even with the added distractions of other dogs and activity around us. The highlight of the outing was when she earned some off-leash time—and she handled it beautifully! She stuck close, listened well, and showed that she's starting to understand how to manage her impulses even with freedom.
Very proud of Kiwi’s progress today!
Pupdate: 5/28/2025
Kiwi had a great day at the park today, spending more time off-leash and showing solid progress! Aside from a few distracted moments caused by tempting squirrels and birds, she did really well staying focused and responsive. We also worked on refining her Down command. While Kiwi is usually quick to respond, she has a habit of scooting in for cuddles before laying all the way down—very sweet, but not exactly what we're going for! Today, we practiced getting her to lay down calmly and in place when asked, and she's definitely improving. Great job, Kiwi!
Pupdate: 5/29/2024
Kiwi had a big adventure today—we went to Home Depot! She was excited the moment we walked through the sliding doors, curious about everything from the lumber section to the garden center. Despite all the activity and distractions, Kiwi did an excellent job staying focused and showing off her manners. She responded well to her commands, remained mostly calm around other shoppers, and navigated the store with confidence.
To challenge her a bit more, we incorporated some off-leash practice throughout the visit. For a few minutes at a time, Kiwi was allowed off leash, and she really impressed! She stayed attentive, returned quickly when called, and kept a close eye on me even amidst carts, forklifts, and passing customers. It was a great step in proofing her training in a real-world setting.
Overall, Kiwi did a good job today. Her ability to stay composed, listen, and stay connected off-leash in a busy environment shows just how far she’s come. We’re proud of her progress and excited for what’s next!
Pupdate: 5/30/2025
Kiwi had a big training day today at Santa Monica Pier! The crowds were heavier than what she's used to, and she was a bit more nervous than usual at first—but she really impressed me with how well she stuck with me and responded to her commands, even in such a stimulating environment.
Thanks to her undeniable cuteness, we had plenty of chances to work on her greeting manners. Tons of people wanted to say hi, and over the course of the outing, Kiwi received about a dozen compliments on her good behavior! Our goal with greeting manners is for Kiwi to stay calm and grounded while being pet—no jumping, even though she really loves to jump. This has been one of her bigger challenges, but today she showed just how much progress she’s making. She greeted people politely and with much more control than before.
Overall, it was a great day for Kiwi’s confidence and training. She’s proving that she can handle busy environments with grace, and her manners are really starting to shine!
Pupdate: 5/31/2025
Kiwi had a great start to her day with a fun workout at the park this morning! She got to stretch her legs, explore, and enjoy some fresh air before we shifted focus to practicing her indoor manners. For today’s video, I wanted to showcase the progress she’s been making with these everyday routines.
We’ve been working on her food manners, teaching her to sit patiently while her food is placed in front of her and wait for permission before eating. This helps create a calm, controlled mealtime routine and is also a helpful safety measure in case anything drops on the floor that she shouldn’t get into.
She’s also practicing her door manners. The goal is for Kiwi to wait calmly when a door opens, rather than rushing through or getting too excited. This kind of impulse control is important for safety, especially in a busy household or when heading outside.
Lastly, we’ve been reinforcing her car manners. When it’s time to go for a ride, I want her to wait while I open the doors, then hop in calmly and go straight into her crate when asked. She’s been doing really well with this, and it makes car trips much easier and safer for everyone.
Kiwi is picking up on all of these routines beautifully and seems to enjoy the structure. She’s doing a great job!
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