Meet Logan! A loving 3 month old French Bulldog from Monrovia, California. Logan has joined us for our Three Week Puppy Board and Train Program to work on his potty training, leash manners, and greeting manners as well. Stay tuned for his 21 day transformation!
Pupdate 03/27/2022
Since today was mine and Logan’s first day together, I got him all settled in at my house. He said hi to my dog Bear through the gate and they already began to play! I then began to work with him and introduced him to the Prong collar. The prong collar is a communication cool that teaches him to follow where the leash leads him through directional changes. He began to follow my pressure path as I rewarded him each time he did. Initially he did not want to follow it and fought it, but with some words of encouragement and rewards he did great! Whenever I reward him I mark his good behaviors with the word “Yes”. This is how he knows he is doing good and will be rewarded. I played the name game with him which is the action of me calling his name and marking it with a ”Yes” when he looks my way. We then worked on his Heel which is him staying on my left side as we walked together. I also introduced him to Place on my dog cot. Place provides a calm state of mind for a dog. When he is in Place he should stay there until I release him with the word “Break”! That is when he knows he is free to go. He was able to hold his Extended Sit while in Place for about 30 seconds..That is not bad for his first day. Great job Logan!
Pupdate 03/28/2022
Logan and I took a field trip today to The Wilderness Park! There were a lot of different things Logan was exposed to like ducks, dogs, and bicyclists. He did great with all of these distractions and although was curious, he wasn’t over stimulated by any of it. While we worked on our Heel, at times he resists the leash pressure by not walking at all or scratching excessively. I had him work through it by rewarding him more and encouraging him to follow the direction of the leash. Towards the end of our walk he wasn’t stopping as much and was following me more. I am conditioning him to look at me whenever I say his name. It was quite difficult for him to check in with me in this new environment but he did do it a few times! Last but not least I introduced him to his Come to Sit which is the action of him coming behind me from my right side to sit on my left side before we begin to Heel. He is performing the behavior from a close distance and we will build off that by adding more distance as he is more consistent.
Pupdate 03/29/2022
Today Logan and I ventured out to the Rio San Gabriel Dog Park. There were a few dogs there while we were training and construction workers making a lot of different loud noises which is good for Logan to be exposed to. We walked around the park together then began to work on his Heel and Come to Sit. Logan’s Heel is improving and he is beginning to follow leash pressure more easily. At times he fights it still but definitely not as much as before! He Comes to Sit by my left side frequently, now we are working on getting him to do it more quickly and closer to my side. Last but not least, I introduced him to the Down command. I applied leash pressure towards the floor as I signaled my palm towards the floor which is his Cue to perform Down. He picked up on this Cue rather quickly, now we will keep building more consistency. Once Logan sees that I am about to open his Kennel he can get impatient and tries to open it before I release him. We have been working on having him wait until he is released with “Break!” and his patience is growing more.
Pupdate 03/30/2022
Logan and I worked on proofing all of his commands at Cheviot Hills park. There were plenty of dogs for Logan to practice around and build impulse control. His Heel is looking great. I always make sure to give him frequent breaks since he gets tired quickly. He can hold his Extended Sit and Extended Down at about one minute. We are working on his Down since at times he struggles with doing it on cue but once he is in the position he waits for my release. His potty training is improving since he is having less accidents in the crate. He goes potty on command easily, but struggles with going poop on command. I will exercise him more when it is time to go so that the movement can help him want to go faster. He prefers going on concrete, so I have been walking him to a designated area on the grass to help him target the grass more. Overall he has been doing great with working around distractions!
Pupdate 03/31/2022
Today Logan and I worked on proofing his commands at the local Petco store. There were a lot of distractions like dogs, smells from food bags, treats, and even small animals! This was a lot to soak in for Logan so we took a stroll around the store to get him acclimated. We then focused most of our work today getting Logan comfortable with Come to Sit. I noticed luring him is the most effective way for him to perform this. I didn’t have any treats in my hand when luring him after the first couple of tries and only rewarded him when he performed it efficiently. He caught on quickly to this and was happy to Come to Sit by my side. After building confidence with this we worked on his Heel and Extended Sit. He was able to hold it for about 45 seconds. The Down command has been a little more difficult for him to hold but he has gotten more consistent with doing it the first time I ask. Any time he gets up I reposition him back into the position he was in. We will keep building duration around these distractions!
Pupdate 4/01/2022
Logan and I ventured out to the Citadel Outlets today! We Heeled around the Outlets where there were plenty of distractions. He was able to practice his Greeting Manners and didn’t jump on anyone. I reminded him to sit and told anyone that pet him to only pet him if he was sitting. If he were to get up, the petting would stop. We have been focusing our work on his Come to Sits and Downs. He needs help with leash pressure to perform the Down, and can hold it for about 45 seconds. His Sit is a lot more consistent, even around distractions. Due to his breed and age, I gave him frequent breaks. After each break he came back with more energy ready to work! We will continue to add more duration and distance to each cue.
Pupdate 4/02/2022
Logan and I took a trip to the Santa Monica Pier today. It was a big trip for him with a lot of distractions! After practicing Heel, we began to work on Place. He knows Place when we practice on the cot, now we are testing his limits with Place on different surfaces. Place provides a calm state of mind and he knows to stay there until he is released with “Break!”. He was putting an effort to jump on different surfaces. I made sure to help him up to boost his confidence with jumping. We then worked on his Come to Sit. He is learning to follow leash pressure when coming to Sit by my side. At times he fights it, but I work him through it with words of encouragement and continually guiding him with the leash. This is how he learns to follow the pressure path I create for him. Once we got home, I practiced Food Manners with him. He is gaining patience with it and waits for my release.
Pupdate 4/03/2022
Logan and I took our trip to Rosie’s Dog Beach today! Since it is a Sunday there was definitely a lot going on. The biggest distraction for Logan today was the skateboards that passed by him very quickly. He is unsure of it and wants to chase after it. I added a few leash pops whenever he tried to chase it, then reminded him to sit. After he sat I waited for him to offer me his attention all on his own. Once he looked up to me I marked it with a “Yes” and rewarded him. This teaches him to look to me in questionable scenarios. After he became more attentive we began to work on Place. We practiced Place on different surfaces like rocks and anything elevated that he could reach. I guided him to Place by luring him with my hand and a gentle leash pressure towards the surface. After a few tries he successfully jumped on and became more confident! I rewarded him and gave him a lot of praise. We then Heeled around the beach and I made frequent turns to keep him engaged. Anytime he offered me his attention, especially around crowded areas, I rewarded him. If I felt like he hadn’t checked in with me for a while I stopped walking and only continued to walk after he looked at me. He caught on to this and began to look up to me more frequently. He is consistently at about a minute with his Extended Sits and Place. We are getting closer to our goal!
Pupdate 4/04/2022
Logan and I began our work at the La Mirada Regional Park. I kept this session very short for him due to the long walk it took to get there. He performed Place on multiple surfaces and his confidence is improving with it! We then worked on Heel which is coming along nicely. Whenever he pulls I change direction and add a leash pop in the direction I want him to go. He is checking in with me during walks more often which is exactly what I am looking for. We then had a second session in front of my house where we added duration to his commands. He made it to a minute and a half which is our goal! Now the next step is getting him to do it everywhere we go. We are working on his down since that is one command he is struggling with. When he struggles with it I add leash pressure towards the ground which helps him get into position.
Logan’s potty training has been improving. He can now hold his poop for up to 5 hours and hasn’t pooped in his crate since his second day here. Pee is something he needs to do more frequently so whenever I see him drink a lot of water I take him out on his leash to go potty and he does it on command in one designated area on the grass. He gets freedom to play and run around after he has already gone. Great job Logan!
Pupdate 4/05/2022
Logan and I focused our work on Place and Heeling together upstairs at a local park. He initially did not want to go upstairs but after some leash pressure in the right direction, he worked through it. Practicing Heel up and down stairs is a great confidence booster for him. We then Heeled around the other trainer’s dogs. Logan stuck by my side. As a puppy he naturally likes to pick up things off the ground. I make sure to keep a close eye on him as we Heel to remind him with “Off” around objects that catch his attention. He responds well to that cue and if he ignores it, I add a leash pop which helps him drop it immediately. Logan is now able to hold his Extended Sit for a minute and a half around distractions. We will keep building this command around more distractions.
Pupdate 4/06/2022
Logan and I began our day by practicing Heel around my neighborhood. There were distractions like reactive dogs that we had to pass by during our walk. Logan is doing well with staying by my side even around distractions like barking dogs. If I see that he is getting overly stimulated, I call his name to get his attention. When Logan looks at me I give him a lot of praise and continue walking. If he doesn’t look at me during these moments, I create distance away from the distraction and add a few leash pops to help grab his attention. Frequent turns help Logan stay engaged as well. Once we got to my house, I had Logan play in the back with my other board and train dog Maui. I practiced calling him to Come to Sit by my left side. He was distracted at first with Maui being there but with some leash pressure applied in the right direction, he was able to follow it and Come to Sit next to me. We have been working on his Car Manners as well. This video is from yesterday’s trip to the park. Great work Logan!
Pupdate 4/07/2022
Logan and I practiced everything he has learned this far, at shoreline village in Long Beach. There were different surfaces for us to practice Place on. He is able to hold it for a minute and half consistently now. If I ever see him start to get distracted, I walk back up to him and remind him to sit. I will begin to add more distance by using the 15 ft leash with him and practice these commands with more distance. As of now he can perform them while I am about 8 ft away. We are now focusing our work on his Down and Place with more distance and distractions.
I have noticed that Logan does not feel comfortable pooping in public places. Due to this, he pooped in his crate after we came back home because he was not comfortable with doing it outside in an unfamiliar environment. I will keep this in mind and make sure he goes in his designated area every time I am about to put him in his crate. I am also beginning to feed him at an earlier time than usual so he won’t have the urge to poop in his crate over night. He now eats at 7 am and 3 pm instead of 5 pm.
Pupdate 4/08/2022
Logan and I began all of our work today with the 15 ft leash. The 15ft leash is used to create distance between him and I with all of his commands such as Extended Sit and Down. Logan at times doesn’t feel like sitting and begins to lay Down in the middle of his Extended Sit. When he does this I help him up with the leash to create consistency with his Extended Sit. He worked through this even while other dogs were in close proximity to him. His Down is improving with duration. At times he doesn’t want to perform Down so I will begin to reward him at random times when he performs the Down quickly to increase his drive.
Pupdate 4/09/2022
Logan and I ventured out to the Santa Monica promenade today. There were a lot of loud noises he was exposed to today and he did quite well with it! He was curious of the noises, one of the loudest being nearby drummers. Although he was curious he was not anxious and continued to work by it. We practiced his Heel which he is improving with. Whenever I turn I remind him to Heel so he knows to turn with me. He turns with me consistently for his left turns. During his right turns he tends to take his time and wants to walk forward. I remind to Heel, giving him a chance to turn with me. If he doesn’t respond then I add a leash pop in the direction I am going. We then worked on his Extended Sit. He was able to hold it for a minute and a half around all of these distractions which is what I am looking for! His Extended Sit is more difficult for him to perform when he has his food in front of him which is why we have been working on his Food Manners as well. After a few tries, he succeeds at waiting patiently for his food.His Greeting Manners are great. He can now hold his Sit while being pet. Great job Logan!
Pupdate 4/10/2022
Today Logan and I focused our work on his Downs. The Down is a command that he takes his time with. We started with Puppy push ups which is the action of him going from a sit to a down, consistently. I rewarded him continuously the first 2 times he offered the behavior right away. Once he became more consistent I rewarded him every other push up. I offer him praise every time he does it himself without help from me. We then worked on his Extended Down. I used fixed time interval reinforcement with him while he was in the Down, which is the action of rewarding him Every 20 seconds while he is in position. After working on his Downs we worked on his Heel with a walk around the neighborhood. Logan is improving with his right turns, offering it more quickly when I remind him to Heel.
Pupdate 4/11/2022
Logan and I took a field trip to the Citadel Outlets today! We worked on everything he has learned over the past few weeks. His downs improved greatly after we worked on the puppy push ups. Today he went Down the first time I asked him consistently. I rewarded him at random times to keep him guessing when he would be rewarded and increase his drive. I chained the command Down with Sit and that seemed to help him with the Downs as well. Chaining helps Logan link two commands together which helps him perform it with his muscle memory. He was able to hold his Sit and Down for a minute and a half around moderate distractions. This shows me he has met the goal we have set for him! Now we will continue to build off that with even more distractions.
Pupdate 4/12/2022
Logan and I worked on everything he has learned at the local skate park today. Logan did great with the various distractions. The only thing that seemed to catch his attention was a group of people playing basketball. I brought him closer to the distractions that caught his attention and worked him there. Logan performed all of his commands consistently and met his goal of holding his Extended Sit, Down, and Place at a minute and a half. We worked on his down multiple times. He no longer fights the Down and does it the first time I request it. I reward Logan periodically when he offers me his attention and when he performs the down in a timely manner. We keep his sessions to about 15 minutes each. Short but multiple sessions throughout the day is the best way Logan stays engaged and learns!
Pupdate 4/13/2022
Today Logan and I ventured out to the Block of Orange. There were crowds of people, other dogs, and new smells for him to soak in. His Heel was consistent. He held his Extended Sits, Downs and Place for a total of 1 minute and 30 seconds each. We came across some friendly people who wanted to say hi to Logan. I used this as an opportunity to practice his Greeting Manners. Logan fought the urge to jump on the new people, even exciteable kids! Great impulse control Logan!
Pupdate 4/14/2022
Logan and I took a trip to the Citadel Outlets today. We practiced everything he has learned so far with duration, distractions and distance. Logan has held all of his Extended Sits and Downs consistently. He has been practicing his Greeting Manners with many people and has learned to not jump when saying hi. We have built a consistent schedule for him to eat and go potty. He goes potty first thing in the morning at 7 a.m. After he goes potty I feed him at about 7:15 a.m. After eating, Logan goes out for potty breaks every 30 minutes. Once I see that he has gone potty and poop, he can be left in the crate for a few hours. The longest I leave him in there is 3 hours at a time unless it is overnight. I then feed him again at 3 p.m. I don’t feed him later than this because if he eats late he will poop later. He usually poops twice at night time after dinner. After he eats at 3 p.m. I let him out at 3:30 and every 30 minutes until I see that he has gone. When I take him outside to go potty I take him out with his leash on and tell him “Go Potty”. If he goes on command I praise him and give him a treat. He has done well with going on command. If he takes his time, I walk him around in circles until he goes. After he goes he can run around and play. We worked on Logan’s Door Manners as well. A door is a threshold for Logan. He understands it is a boundary that he can’t cross until he is given permission to with “Break” or Heel. Amazing progress Logan!
Pupdate 4/15/2022
Logan and I ventured out to the Home Depot today. It was great exposure to new loud noises from machines, and large moving objects. Logan was not phased by anything loud, staying consistent with his Heel the whole way through. He performed all of his commands for a minimum of a minute and a half. We practiced his greeting manners as usual with all of the attention he gets! He is doing great at holding his Sit and not jumping on new people. I always remind him to Sit and tell everyone to only pet him if he is Sitting. After working on everything, he ran around and played with Sarang, my other board and train dog. They love playing chase together and keep away with toys.
Pupdate 4/16/2022
Logan and I took a field trip to Homerun Dog Park! There were plenty of dogs running around off leash in the dog park, while we were practicing our Heel and other commands on the outskirts of it. Initially Logan was very interested in the other dogs. I began to practice frequent turns with him and rewarded him when he checked in with me all on his own. Once I saw that he was settled into his new environment, we began to work on everything he has learned. Logan is very consistent with holding his commands until I release him. There was a reactive dog that passed by Logan during one of his Sits, and he stayed in position! This was very difficult for him so I gave him a break afterwards and a lot of praise. We then came home and practiced all of his manners. Logan waits for his food until I release him to eat. He also waits at all of the doors even if they are open. Logan now understands boundaries and has resisted the urge to jump when being pet. Excellent work Logan!
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