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Kobe | Maltipoo | Torrance, CA | In - Training

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Meet Kobe, a 3 year old Maltipoo from Torrance, CA has joined us for our Two Week Board and Train Program! Kobe has come to us to work on a few behaviors such as reactivity towards other dogs, confidence building (especially when in new environments), leash manners, and greeting manners as he tends to jump when overly excited. Over these next two weeks Kobe and I will work on exposing him to new places, while we implement plenty of structure utilizing clear communication to help him be a well mannered pup. Stay tuned for his Two Week Transformation!

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Kobe and I had the opportunity to become more familiar with each other today as we strolled around the neighborhood together, allowing him to explore his new surroundings. He appeared unsure of me at first, so we will primarily focus on building a bond together to build engagement, and confidence as well. We will work on introducing him to new commands tomorrow!Ā 


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Kobe and IĀ started our day by introducing him to a few communication tools such as the slip lead and e collar. The slip lead is used to guide Kobe Ā with directional changes of the leash. I apply leash pressure in the direction I want him to go and the second he follows the path created for him, I turn that pressure off. Any time I apply leash pressure, I apply stimulation from the e collar as well. Kobe at first resisted the leash pressure, and at times would attempt to jump on me as a form of protest. I cued Off and popped the leash towards the floor which he followed. Once I marked and rewarded the few steps he took in the direction I wanted him to go, he began to understand how to turn the pressure off. Since Kobe is not very food motivated at the moment, I utilized praise and affection when he offered the behaviors requested of him. He still resists every now and then but is learning to follow my lead.Ā 

I introduced him to Come to Sit which is the action of Kobe coming around behind me to Sit on my left hand side ready to Heel. He was a natural at this and learned quickly that all of the good stuff came to him when he Sat on my left side. This is how I begin to build value with Kobe in a specific position. We then Heeled together around the park, as I made frequent turns with him. I cue Heel before I move forward from a stationary position as I lead with my left foot. If I change direction, I give Kobe the heads up to turn with me by cuing Heel right before turning. If I stop walking he is expected to Sit, which he began to voluntarily offer, all on his own!Ā 


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Kobe and I ventured out to the local park which was busier than usual. There were many dogs of all sizes, packs of squirrels, ducks and construction workers with loud machines near us as we proofed his commands that he has learned so far. We Heeled around the park making frequent turns, changing our pace. He is beginning to offer more eye contact and although is still hesitant at times, he works through it. Any time we move forward from a stationary position or cross a threshold, I ask for his attention by calling his name which conditions him to seek my guidance before making decisions.

After he demonstrated fluency he appeared more confident and ready to work. We then worked on introducing him to Extended Place & Down. Place is a great command to use to build confidence in a dog, create a calm state of mind, as well as prevent unwanted behaviors from happening. It can be used essentially on any elevated surface. I recommend purchasing a dog cot to be able to send him to Place at home and work on house training. It can also be transported wherever you take him for added safety. Having something familiar to him in an unfamiliar place helps him acclimate to his surroundings much quicker.


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Today Kobe and I worked on building fluency with his Come to Sit and Heel as well as introduced him to a new command, Down. At times Kobe stops halfway while performing his Come to Sit and seeks affection right in front of my legs, or jumps on me to seek attention. It is important to not pet him when he does this, and instead work him through it. Once he follows through with what is requested of him, he then may be rewarded with affection.Ā 

After brushing up his recall as well as Heel, we then worked on his Place command paired with Down. By chaining these two commands together repetitively, he will begin to naturally offer a Down once on top of an elevated surface. This will help promote calmness, and teach him to naturally offer great behaviors all on his own with minimal guidance. After he performed Place, I signaled Down with my palms facing the floor. I applied light leash pressure downwards, which after some time, he began to follow. We will now work on building fluency with this command, as well as increase the duration of his Extended Down & Place. As for now he is able to hold his Down for a minimum of 45 seconds which is a good start!Ā 


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Kobe and I took a trip to the beach today! This was an excellent opportunity to expose him to new stimuli. He was unsure of pot holes and bicycles while we were Heeling with the other trainerā€™s dogs under the pier. With some guidance of the leash to position him back in his Sit or Place whenever he was nervous, he began to seek guidance from me instead of breaking position. With some encouragement, slight leash pressure, and patience, we were then able to Heel a few times over the potholes. These potholes were very loud when walking on top of, which may have been what triggered his uncertainty.Ā 

Ā After building some confidence, we began to work on Kobeā€™s Down command while in Place. At first he was not comfortable enough to offer a Down position when near bicyclists or jumping onto a new surface.Ā  After many repetitions, his fluency improved even when near bicycles, Ā as I praised him for improving. We will keep working on exposing him to these triggers of his, utilizing a 15 ft leash, to help desensitize him as well as build his confidence in different environments. I will begin to add distance between us, as he performs all of the commands he has learned over this past week.


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Kobe and I ventured out to Venice Beach to further expose him to a highly distracting environment as well as proof his commands utilizing a 15 ft leash to build distance and duration. Kobe has become much more fluent with his Down, not testing it nearly as much as before. He voluntarily enters the Down position when cued to Place. Kobe enjoys jumping onto new surfaces, he has quite the springs on his legs!Ā 

We worked on his Come to Sit from a distance of 15 ft. At times he struggles with distance between us, due to a lack of confidence he is working through. After a few repetitions, I gradually was able to work my way to the end of the leash. By the end of the session, he was able to hold his Sit, Down & Place consistently while I was 15 ft away from him. Now we will begin to drag the leash only using the leash when necessary, while we works towards our Off Leash goal!Ā 


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Kobe and I spent the day Heeling together at the local park where there were plenty of distractions to work near.Ā  We began to Heel around the outskirts of the park with the leash dragging. I stimulated him every time we changed direction together to help condition him to check in with me. This stimulation while Heeling, Ā is used as a communication tool and not a correction. Kobe is praised and released after a few consistent repetitions of Heel.Ā  Breaks can be used as a reward with Kobe which works very well for him.Ā 

Kobe has been able to hold his Extended Sit and Down for two minutes consistently. If there are loud noises that may startle him nearby, I step forward and remind him to hold his position, which helps him work through the questionable scenarios.Ā 

Once we got back home, Kobe had the opportunity to meet my dad who he was uncertain of at first. He barked at him. I cued Off and popped the leash upwards which deterred him from barking again. After spending some time near him, Kobe stopped avoiding him and approached to say hi. Greeting Manners as well as working towards our Off leash goal will be our main focus moving forward into this week. I included our pictures from the beach trip yesterday as well!Ā 

As a side note, I have noticed that Kobe is not eating much of his food. I have added in a couple of freeze dried bits with water which he took well to.Ā 


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Kobe and I worked towards our Off Leash goal today, dragging the leash for all of the commands that he has learned so far. He did well with this, and followed my lead. At times if he trailed behind me, I applied leash pressure along with stimulation of the e collar to encourage him to Heel.Ā 

Kobeā€™s favorite command is Place. At times he anticipates me cuing Place beforehand. I correct this by calling him to Come to Sit, reminding him to Sit so he doesnā€™t perform the commands before they are cued. Once he is in position, he does well with added distance, reaching the duration goal of two minutes.Ā 

We then had the opportunity to introduce Kobe to new faces today since it is Motherā€™s Day. He received attention yet only approached when he felt comfortable. I always communicate to whoever is saying hi to him, to ignore him and let him approach when he is ready. No barking took place today which is an improvement for him!Ā 

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Today Kobe and I had the opportunity to train near other trainerā€™s and their dogs.Ā  It was his first time meeting most of them, as we worked on proofing his commands with the leash dragging. He remained consistent despite all of the distractions, and stayed by my side until released with the cue Break.Ā  The couple of times he did veer off track, I stopped walking and stimulated him, tapping my left hand side to help him reposition himself back into the Heel position. While Heeling, he is expected to Sit when I stop. At times he tends to Sit ahead of me when I stop walking, which we are working on cleaning up by applying leash pressure to help him when we are in a stationary position.

After working on all of his commands together, I then had him work with another trainer to help him generalize his obedience with new handlers. Since he can be weary of new people, this is good for him to practice. We will keep working on proper socialization and exposure to new places!Ā 


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Kobe and I went on a trip to the beach todayĀ as we strolled around Motherā€™s Beach , working on everything he has learned over this past week, with the leash dragging. We have primarily been focusing our work on his Extended Sit from a Heel position, to prevent him from circling around me to Sit slightly ahead of me. He has gradually been improving with this, however still needs extra guidance from the leash at times for his Sit by my side.Ā Ā 

He then demonstrated fluency with all of his commands, Coming when called the first time I gave him the cue, and checking in with me frequently. The distance between us has gradually increased, while he holds her Extended Sit, Down and Place for a minimum of two minutes. He has even been able to perform a Send Away to Place from a distance. Excellent job Kobe!

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Kobe and I ventured out to Huntington Beach today to proof all of his commands with the slip lead dragging as we worked near plenty of distractions such as bicyclists, skateboards, birds, dogs, etc. Kobe appeared much more confident during our trip today compared to our trip here last week. The loud noises from the potholes no longer startled him, as we Heeled underneath the pier with the other trainers and their pups. He then had an opportunity to work with another trainer today which he did well with. Confidence building and constant exposure to new places has been our focus this week to prepare him for his final video coming up!Ā 


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Today Kobe and I began filming content for his final video while practicing everything he has learned over these past two weeks, Off Leash. There was a large volleyball tournament going on, which attracted crowds of people and gave us the perfect opportunity to further proof his commands.Ā 

We worked on his Extended Sit, Place, Down, Heel, and Come to Sit. His Extended Sit, Place and Down has remained consistent Off Leash, even while receiving attention. Kobe has improved with his Greeting manners, not straying away or barking at new people anymore when outside in public areas. It is best to tell anyone who wants to say hi, to have a slow approach. Give Kobe some time to hang out near the new person before saying hi. Then allow Kobe to say hi on his terms, which helps him feel more comfortable. If he has a good encounter, give him lots of praise for working through it.


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Kobe and I had an eventful day of training, working on all of his commands both on and off leash. He has improved with his Heel, not seeking attention from others anymore while out and about together. He has opened up with people, and although will naturally be skeptical at first, he does well as long as itā€™s a slow introduction.Ā 

We then worked on proofing all of his commands, and emphasized our work on his Come to Sit as well as Extended Sit. He no longer Sits in front of me as he did before. Since Kobe has received plenty of exposure, his confidence has improved as well which was the primary goal!Ā 


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Kobe and I spent our day together working on all of his commands as we strolled around the neighborhood. We emphasize our work on distance away from each other, which I recommend keeping up with to prevent his separation anxiety from escalating. It is best to never make it a big deal when you come and go so Kobe doesnā€™t see it is a big deal either. Crate training also greatly helps with separation anxiety, especially when at home with Kobe. Periods of time alone throughout the day helps prepare him for time apart.Ā 

After our morning training session, I gave Kobe a bath. He was such a good boy during this process, allowing me to handle him as I scrubbed him down.Ā 

Overall Kobe has become much more confident, can hold his Place and Extended Sit for a minimum of two minutes, and can Come to Sit from about 15 ft away. I recommend constantly taking Kobe to new environments. Since he can be a nervous boy at times, desensitization to new places will only further improve his training. He is a loving boy who needs a lot of guidance, structure and leadership to thrive and follow instructions. He has come a long way and we can not wait to show you what he has learned. Thank you for trusting me with Kobe!Ā 


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