Meet Koda! He is a five year old Husky who has joined us for our Three Week Board and Train Program. He is here for basic obedience, jumping to greet, and leash pulling. The goal is to have Koda walk well on and off leash, and not zig zag during his walks. He does well with people and other dogs, but needs some structure to have him socialize better. Over the next twenty one days, Koda will work on his behavior amd be set up for success, with the hopes of becoming a well behaved dog. Check in to see his progress!
Koda and I spent the day getting to know each other and went for a walk at a local park to establish a bond. He was pulling heavily on his leash so I introduced him to Heel. Heel is a technique that consists of having Koda walk next to me on my left. Anytime he would pull ahead of me, I would turn around and walk in the opposite direction. There were a few instances during our walk that he would try to cut in front of me, so I would move him with leash tension to get him back into position. It is still a work in progress, but Heel will now be implied on every walk we go on from here on out.
Koda and I continued to work on his Heel today by going out for an early morning walk around my neighborhood. He is showing very good signs of improvement by not pulling like he used to the day before. I introduced him to the E-Collar as well, and he responds very well to it at a low level. He can be stubborn at times and not want to Sit when I ask him to, but I am working him through it with the stimulation of the E-Collar. Koda is adjusting to his new home for the next three weeks, and did great overnight in his kennel with no whining or crying.
Koda was introduced to Place today. It is a technique that consists of having Koda getting onto an elevated object and remaining there in a Sit or a Down. It can be of great use when there is a knock on your door, or whenever guests are over. It also builds confidence in a dog in which Koda already has, considering that he was able to Place with no hesitation whenever we approached an object. The trouble he was having was remaining on the object in a Sit. As soon as he would Place, he would almost immediately try and come out of it. I worked him through it by reminding him to Sit, and correcting his behavior whenever he sat up. He began to understand the concept and is now following through with what I am asking.
Koda was introduced to his recall today which is also known as Come to Sit. It consists of having Koda come towards my right side, going around behind me, and sitting on my left. To teach Koda, I used leash tension to have him come towards me. To have Koda go around behind me, I used his treats to lure him all the way around, and rewarding him when he sat on my left. He was having some trouble going around behind me during our first few sessions, but with consistency and patience, I was able to work Koda through it.
Koda was introduced to Down today. Down can be a difficult technique to teach considering it being a submissive position to a dog. To teach Koda, I asked him to Sit, and then used leash tension and some treats to lure him towards the ground. He sat up during our first attempts so I placed my hand over his back and kept him from getting up by applying slight pressure whenever he made an intent. It took time and patience, with breaks in between to avoid frustration, but Koda was able to accomplish his Down.
Koda and I drove out to the beach today and had him work around different distractions such as people, other dogs, bicycles, and even a few gophers. He did react towards the gophers initially, but I corrected his behavior by telling him “Off” and reminding him to Heel as we continued on our walk down the pedestrian path. Koda has made such a big improvement with his Heel and is no longer pulling on his leash. I will continue to expose him to more public areas as we move further along in his training.
Koda was introduced to Under today which is a technique that can be of great use for outdoor dining and even park tables. It is the opposite of Place, so instead of getting onto an object, Koda will go Under an object. He had a little trouble distinguishing Place from Under due to him already knowing Place, but with a few sessions and repetition, Koda is understanding what I am asking and gets better the more we practice.
Koda and I drove out to a local shopping center and worked on everything he has learned so far. We are now loose leash walking every time we are out on a walk. He stays by my side and does not pull or fall behind. He is a very confident dog and will Place on any objects he is introduced to. His Come to Sit is looking pretty good, but there are instances in which he still sits just a bit behind me. Koda is still working on his Under, but with repetition during our sessions, he is making progress.
Koda and I drove out to a local park today and introduced him to Come to Heel. This technique consists of me calling Koda to a Heel while having him in a stationary position, whether it be Place, Sit, or Down. He tends to tire out after twenty minutes on average but he is still able to get his reps in during that timeframe. To teach Koda, I asked him to Sit, and as I walked away from him, I asked him to Heel before getting to the end of the leash. He caught on pretty quick and although he still needs more practice, Koda is doing really good and following through every time.
Koda and I worked on some leash dragging exercises today and he did very well staying by my side throughout our walk. It was also the first time working on his Extended Sit with a good amount of distance without me having to hold onto a long lead. Koda did great and will continue working with his leash dragging every now and then until he has learned all of his commands. He still tries to randomly interact with people as they are passing us by, but once I correct his behavior by telling him “Off,” Koda will continue to stroll along with me and begin to ignore them.
Koda worked on Send Away to Place today. It is a technique that consists of having Koda Place on an object from a distance between him, the object, and myself. We began with a short distance using a six foot lead, and began to increase distance after he followed through on multiple occasions. We then moved on to a longer lead, and it is taking him a little longer, but he is working through it. Initially he would come to me instead of the object, but with leash guidance and pointing him in the right direction, Koda understands the concept.
Koda and I worked on some off leash conditioning. We have been working on it in my backyard for a few days and has done very well in an enclosed area. Today we went out in public and he did very well throughout our session. We also worked on door thresholds, where Koda is to wait in a Sit or a Down whenever I walk through a door. His Come to Sit still needs a little work off leash, so I will continue to use walls as barriers like I did when we first started on leash. Koda is doing great with Under and it looks like it is one of his favorite techniques.
Koda and I worked around more dog and people distractions while working on a few of his stationary positions. He does well maintaining them, but at times he struggles quite a bit with remaining in a Sit as he tends to go into a Down. It is not about Koda being tired, but more along the lines of him being lazy on some occasions and not wanting to complete his tasks. I correct his behavior anytime it happens, and Koda is able to follow through.
Koda and I worked on some leash dragging exercises. I feel confident enough to continue working with him like this based on the fact of him running off when it was mentioned during his pickup. Koda does great at adjusting to new surroundings, and does very well anywhere that I take him. He is learning not to approach other dogs unless it is ok to do so, and does great around other people. I have been working on his recall a little more with no leash tension to have him Sit closer to me, and he is showing improvement. His Send Away to Place is coming along very well, and even though he tries to come towards me at times, I correct his behavior and Koda follows through.
Koda and I spent most of the day at home while I did some cleaning up in my backyard. We went out for a walk around my neighborhood and worked on some final leash dragging exercises. I also had guests over and had Koda enjoy some playtime with my son and nephew. With Week Two coming to a close, Koda has shown that he is ready and capable of working fully off leash. It will be the main focus for the remainder of his Program as we begin preparation for his Final video.
Koda and I worked on distinguishing Under from Send Away to Place. He is still having some difficulty understanding the concept, but he is practicing at getting better at it. We initially worked on it with his leash on and he did pretty well with my guidance and some leash tension. When it came time to work on it off leash, that’s when Koda had the most trouble. It took him about three attempts as you can see in the video, but eventually Koda was able to follow through.
Koda and I have been working on his Greeting Manners. He has learned that he is to remain in a Sit whenever he is approached by someone that wants to say hello. It was difficult for him to do so in the beginning of his training, since he would come out of his Sit whenever I stepped away and would want to approach people on his own. With repetition and consistency, Koda has managed to successfully be greeted without coming out of his Sit. He has ran out of his wet food, so I will continue to feed him his kibble for dinner.
Koda and I have been practicing for his Final video and he is doing well. His Heel and Under are looking great, and his Send Away to Place is coming along. His Come to Sit is good, but still needs a little cleaning up. What he needed work on the most today was his Extended Down. When I asked him to Down, I would begin to walk away, Koda would then come out of it, and begin walking towards me. I corrected his behavior by continuing to reset him in the same spot a few times, until he was able to follow through. Consistency is key from us humans!
Koda and I began working on his Final today and he did very well. Everything he has learned was put together and came out very nicely. He did very well with distractions around him, and received many compliments on his good behavior. Koda is a very confident pup that has great potential, and with practice and consistency, he can be capable of so much more with our guidance. He has come a long way, and it is great to see the progress he continues to make.
Koda and I spent some time in Santa Monica today and had him working off leash for most of the time we spent there. He was a little thrown off by the flooring on the Pier when we first arrived, but he quickly adapted to it as we continued on our walk. He did very well walking alongside other dogs as well as other distractions such as people and loud music. Koda has made a complete turn-around these past three weeks and I am proud of the progress he has made.
Koda and I have been working on Door Manners since the day I brought him home. Anytime I opened a door, Koda would always want to be the first one to go through. To help him into not doing so, I would ask him to Down when we approached a door. Once in a Down position, I proceeded to open the door, and made sure Koda remained in his position. When I opened the door, every time he sat up meant the door would close, and the process would repeat itself. Once Koda understood what I was asking, I began to increase time and distance to keep him in a Down longer, and even though he still tested me throughout our sessions by getting up, he began to follow through, which led to Koda achieving his two minute goal.
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