Lucy | German Shepherd | San Pedro, CA. | In Training.
- heatheroffleashsoc
- Aug 1
- 19 min read
Updated: 21 hours ago
Meet Lucy!
Lucy is a 5-year-old German Shepherd from San Pedro, California, who has just joined us for our Three Week Reactive Board and Train Program!
Lucy has been known to struggle with reactivity toward other dogs, as well as noises in the backyard. Her reactions can become so intense that she has even jumped fences in an attempt to investigate whatever is on the other side. Along with her reactivity, Lucy also tends to pull on the leash and lunge at passing cars and motorcycles, making walks stressful for both her and her family.
Lucy also has difficulty when people come into her home. She can be very wary of unfamiliar visitors and has been known to lunge at them and attempt to bite, making it difficult for her family to comfortably welcome guests. Lucy shares her home with her housemate, Gunter, and the two often feed off one another’s energy when they become reactive, making it even more challenging for their family to manage these behaviors.
It’s safe to say Lucy is ready for some guidance! Over the next three weeks, we will be working closely with her on her basic obedience, leash manners, impulse control, and house manners. Our goal is to help Lucy learn healthier ways to process and channel these big emotions while building her confidence and strengthening her communication with her handlers.
We’re excited to be a part of Lucy’s journey and can’t wait to watch her grow over the coming weeks. With consistency, structure, and clear communication, we’re confident Lucy can make great progress and enjoy many more calm, stress-free adventures with her family. Stay tuned for her transformation!
8/1/2026
Today Lucy and I kicked things off with an introductory walk at the park! This gave us the opportunity to get better acquainted while also allowing me to assess what she may already know. It turns out Lucy definitely knows her sit and down commands, which is a fantastic starting point! Now our goal is to make those commands more reliable so they become something she responds to every time she’s asked, rather than only when she feels like it.
We also got to work on establishing the heel command because Miss Lucy had absolutely no qualms about taking me for the walk! To help her understand where I wanted her, I would give a quick pop on the leash and simply change directions whenever she forged ahead. We repeated this until Lucy chose to walk politely at my side. It didn’t take long before she started to understand what was being asked of her, and soon she was walking much more nicely beside me. There were even a few moments where I caught her checking herself and matching my pace without any prompting. What a smart girl!
Next, we introduced Lucy’s come to sit command. While I know she already has a pretty solid recall, this command adds a bit more structure by asking her to come around my left side and finish in a nice sit at my right. She responded well to the leash guidance, and I think she’ll have the entire motion down in no time.
During our walk, a couple of dogs passed by us. Lucy did fixate on them, but I’m happy to report that she didn’t bark. As soon as I noticed her locking onto the other dogs, I gave her the command “off,” and we continued on with our work. “Off” is a universal command we use for any behavior we don’t want, rather than saying “no” or “stop,” and so far Lucy seems to be responding to it very well.
Once we finished up at the park, we loaded into the car and headed off to check out her home away from home for the next three weeks. Lucy hopped right into her crate without hesitation and handled the car ride like a pro. Once we arrived at my house, she was eager to explore everything alongside her housemate, Gunter. As expected, both pups fed off each other’s excitement while investigating all the new sights and smells. Lucy especially became excited when she caught wind of my cats and my dog. She did attempt to lunge toward the cats, but she was still on leash, so I was able to immediately interrupt the behavior with the “off” command before anything came of it.
All in all, Lucy had a wonderful first day of introductions and is already beginning to make progress with her training. I’m looking forward to watching her confidence and obedience continue to grow over the next three weeks, and I’m excited to share her journey with all of you!
8/2/2026
Today Lucy and I decided to work around my neighborhood. This gave us the opportunity to focus on her commands one-on-one while introducing the e-collar in a quieter environment without overwhelming distractions. Even so, we were still able to work around some of Lucy’s key reactivity triggers, including passing dogs and moving vehicles.
We started our session with a nice walk while focusing on her heel command and introducing the e-collar. Anytime I needed to correct her walking position, I used a combination of a gentle leash correction and low-level stimulation from the e-collar. Lucy handled this introduction very well and seemed to genuinely enjoy our walk together.
As we walked, we also practiced her sit, down, and come to sit commands. Her sit command is really starting to show improvement! Each time I asked for it, she responded promptly, which is wonderful to see.
Her down command proved to be a bit more challenging at first. She looked at me as if she’d never heard the command in her life! However, with a little encouragement and consistency, she began responding reliably. Great job, Lucy!
Her come to sit also needed a little polishing, particularly with following through and finishing in the correct position. By the end of our session, though, she was beginning to understand exactly what was being asked of her, and I’m confident she’ll have this command mastered in no time.
Once our walk was finished, we moved on to the placecommand. This involved asking Lucy to hop onto her place cot and lie down. This exercise was a piece of cake for her and probably felt like a well-earned break after our walk! She only got up once without being released after a couple of nearby cars started up, causing her to scurry toward me. I calmly guided her back to her place cot, asked her to lie back down, and she settled right back in. She was then able to hold her place command for an extended period, even as dogs and cars passed by.
Lucy also did a nice job working around other dogs. Anytime I noticed her beginning to fixate, I gave her the off command and redirected her attention back to the task at hand. It’s perfectly okay for her to acknowledge the dogs around her, but once that attention begins turning into fixation and she starts preparing to react, I interrupt that thought process with the off command and remind her of the command she’s currently working on.
One thing I noticed today was that without Gunter by her side, Lucy was much less likely to react to her surroundings. This leads me to believe that when she’s working independently, she would benefit from continued confidence-building exercises, especially around louder noises and unfamiliar situations. Since Lucy and Gunter tend to feed off each other’s energy, helping Lucy become more confident on her own will be an important part of her overall progress.
All in all, Lucy continues to make great progress with her commands, and I’m really enjoying getting to learn what makes her tick. She’s a very smart girl, and I’m proud of the effort she put in today. Keep up the great work, Lucy!
8/3/2026
Today’s training was a big step forward for Lucy as we headed out to Rosemead to meet up with some fellow trainers and their pups so we could continue building her confidence while working around new dogs and real-world distractions. I was honestly very impressed with how she handled herself! Based on her history, I was expecting to see much more reactivity toward the unfamiliar dogs, but instead Lucy showed that her emotions were rooted more in uncertainty than a desire to react. A few times when we walked a little too close to another dog, she chose to tuck in behind me rather than lunge or bark. While confidence is ultimately our goal, this was actually a wonderful training opportunity because Lucy was looking to me for guidance instead of making decisions on her own. That trust is exactly what we want to continue building.
Lucy did an excellent job with her extended Sit and Down, allowing me to gradually increase both the distance and duration while she remained calm and committed to her commands. These extended exercises are so important because they teach dogs patience, impulse control, and how to remain composed even when the environment around them is changing. Her Heel is coming along very nicely as well. Aside from tucking in close to me when passing dogs she was unsure about, she maintained great position and stayed attentive throughout our walk. Her Come to Sit still requires a bit of extra guidance, but she’s beginning to understand exactly what I’m asking of her, and with continued repetition I expect it to become much smoother. As for her Place command, she absolutely nailed it! She’s becoming very confident hopping onto elevated objects and remaining there until released.
One of my favorite moments from today’s session came after we had spent some time simply existing around the other dogs. At first, Lucy was too uneasy to accept treats, which is a common sign that a dog is feeling stressed or overwhelmed. However, as she realized nothing bad was happening and continued looking to me for direction, she gradually relaxed enough to begin taking rewards again. That may seem like a small detail, but it’s actually a great indicator that her stress level was decreasing and that she was becoming more comfortable in the environment. I also want to acknowledge that Lucy has shown some sensitivity around men, and with several male trainers present today, that likely contributed to some of her initial uneasiness. Even so, she continued working through her emotions, stayed engaged with me, and successfully performed her commands despite the challenge.
I am incredibly proud of Lucy today. Rather than allowing her uncertainty to turn into reactive behavior, she chose to trust me and work through it. Experiences like today’s are exactly how we help change a dog’s emotional response over time. By exposing her to distractions at a level she can successfully handle and rewarding calm, thoughtful decisions, we’re helping her learn that she doesn’t have to react to every unfamiliar situation. Overall, I think we made some truly meaningful progress today, and I’m excited to continue building on this success!
8/4/2026
Today Lucy and I headed to Home Depot to continue building her confidence while working around a much more challenging environment filled with distractions. We were also joined by a couple of fellow trainers and their pups that weren’t with us yesterday, so the combination of unfamiliar dogs, loud noises, shopping carts, forklifts, and the constant flow of people made today’s outing significantly more difficult.
When we first arrived, Lucy was understandably very nervous. She wanted to tuck herself behind me and had a difficult time focusing on her commands, which is completely normal when a dog is feeling overwhelmed. Rather than asking too much of her too soon, we slowed things down and focused primarily on her Heel command both outside and inside the store. Allowing her to calmly walk beside me helped her settle into the environment while learning that she could rely on me for guidance instead of feeling like she needed to handle everything herself.
Once Lucy was able to walk calmly without trying to hide behind me, I began asking for her Sit and Down commands near busier areas of the store. From there, I slowly increased the distance between us while she held her position. Initially, every time I tried to step away she would get up and attempt to follow, which told me she still wasn’t feeling entirely secure. Rather than correcting harshly, I simply guided her back into position, reassured her, and tried again. Before long, I was able to walk all the way to the end of my long line while Lucy confidently remained in place for an extended period, quietly observing everything happening around her.
This exercise wasn’t really about obedience as much as it was about changing Lucy’s emotional response to her surroundings. By remaining calmly in one spot and simply watching the world go by, she was learning that loud noises, unfamiliar dogs, busy shoppers, and all of the excitement around her were not threats. Instead of reacting, she was given the opportunity to process her environment and realize that nothing around her was there to cause her harm. This type of structured exposure is an incredibly important part of helping reactive or anxious dogs build confidence because it teaches them that they don’t have to respond to every sight or sound they encounter.
It was incredibly rewarding to watch that understanding begin to click for Lucy. While today wasn’t focused on learning new commands, it was a huge step forward in helping her become more comfortable navigating busy public environments. She left Home Depot noticeably more confident than when she arrived, and seeing this sweet girl begin to trust both the process and herself was truly wonderful. I’m very proud of her progress today, and I’m confident that with continued positive exposure like this, Lucy’s confidence will continue to grow.
8/5/2026
Today Lucy and I headed back to the park to continue building on everything she’s been learning, and she did an amazing job! She is really starting to show a strong understanding of her work, and it’s been so rewarding to watch her confidence grow each day.
Her heel command is looking fantastic. At this point I’m barely having to hold the leash, and she’s choosing to stay right by my side while regularly checking in with me for direction. Those check-ins are a huge milestone because they show that Lucy is beginning to look to her handler for guidance instead of making decisions on her own. That’s exactly the kind of engagement we want, as it creates a dog that is attentive, responsive, and easier to communicate with in any environment.
Her sit and down commands continue to be very reliable, and she’s doing an excellent job holding those positions until she’s released. The same can be said for her place command, where she’s becoming much more comfortable remaining calm and patient despite the distractions around her.
My favorite part of today’s session, though, was watching Lucy really start to understand her come to sit command. Before I even turned the camera on, she was having a little bit of trouble with it, so we decided to make it the main focus of the beginning of our session. With each repetition you could almost see everything start to click. Once I started recording, all of her hard work began coming together, and I was so happy we were able to capture that progress for you to see. When she finally completed the entire command and came all the way around into a beautiful sit at my side for the first time, I couldn’t help but get excited and give her a big hug! It was such a rewarding moment for both of us.
Overall, Lucy continues to make wonderful progress with all of her commands, and I’m so proud of the effort she’s putting in every day. She’s proving that with consistency, patience, and clear communication, she’s capable of accomplishing so much. Keep up the amazing work, sweet lady!
8/6/2026
Today Lucy and I headed out to Lake Balboa Park to continue her training, and she had a fantastic outing! This park offered much more activity than the local park we visited yesterday, making it the perfect place to continue building her confidence and reliability around real-world distractions. There were plenty of people, other dogs, geese, squirrels, and small birds throughout the park, and we even met up with some fellow trainers and their pups to add another layer of controlled distractions.
Lucy handled herself very well in this new environment. She was a little unsure at first with everything happening around us, but rather than letting it overwhelm her, she worked through it beautifully and proved to be a magnificent listener. As we walked past the geese and squirrels, I honestly expected her to be tempted to chase them. While she definitely noticed they were there, she made the right choice by keeping her focus on me instead. Moments like these are exactly what we’re looking for, as they show Lucy is learning that checking in with her handler is far more rewarding than reacting to every distraction around her.
She also made great progress with her obedience today. Her heel continues to look very nice, and her extended sit and down commands are becoming increasingly reliable despite all the excitement around us. Her come to sit was especially impressive today. Occasionally she lingered behind me a little longer than I would have liked to keep an eye on everything happening around us, but with a quick reminder she happily finished the command correctly. This is a normal part of the learning process, and with continued repetition she’ll become even quicker and more confident in completing the exercise.
The highlight of the day was watching Lucy make a very polite introduction with another pup. She greeted appropriately, took a few sniffs, and once her curiosity was satisfied, she was perfectly content to move along. That’s exactly the type of calm, respectful interaction we want to encourage, as it teaches her that she doesn’t need to become overly excited or fixated on every dog she meets.
Overall, Lucy had a wonderful outing, and I couldn’t have been happier with how she worked through each potential trigger. Every successful experience like today’s helps build her confidence and reinforces that staying calm, listening, and looking to her handler are the best choices she can make. I’m very proud of the progress she continues to show!
8/7/2026
Today Lucy and I took a trip to The Oaks Mall to continue building her confidence and progress in a brand-new environment, and she did a fantastic job! New environments are an important part of training because we want our pups to understand that their commands and expectations don’t change just because the scenery does.
Lucy is making some really nice progress with all of her commands, especially her come to sit! Today, she didn’t need a single reminder to follow through, which is a huge step forward in making this command more reliable and automatic. Her extended commands also went very well. She did briefly try to check out a nice lady sitting nearby, but with a quick reminder, Lucy was able to leave her alone and immediately tune back into her work. This is exactly the kind of real-world impulse control we want to see from her.
We also put her place command to the test on a fountain, which gave her the opportunity to work on a completely new surface. Lucy had no problem hopping up onto the fountain, but she did show a little hesitation when I asked her to lay down. This could have simply been because she wasn’t quite sure about the unfamiliar surface underneath her. With some encouragement and guidance, however, Lucy worked through that uncertainty and was ultimately able to settle into a nice down and hold the position.
One of the bigger challenges today came when we introduced Lucy to an elevator. She was definitely a little nervous at first and wasn’t quite sure what to make of all the movement and unfamiliar surroundings. Instead of avoiding it, we used this as an opportunity for some controlled exposure. We took several rides up and down while having Lucy lay calmly next to me. After a few trips, she began to realize that the elevator wasn’t something she needed to worry about and was able to relax more and more.
This is a great example of why exposure and working through new experiences are such an important part of training. We don’t want to overwhelm our pups, but we do want to calmly show them that unfamiliar things can be safe and manageable. By giving Lucy the opportunity to experience something new while providing clear guidance and structure, she was able to work through that initial uncertainty and come out the other side more confident.
All in all, this was another fantastic outing for Lucy! Not only did she continue to show great progress with her commands, but she also proved that she can work through those little moments of uncertainty and adapt to new environments. I’m so proud of her for trusting the process and continuing to push through!
Way to go, Lucy! Keep up the great work, girl! 🐾❤️
8/8/2026
Today Lucy and I kept things close to home and worked around my neighborhood, but this time we had her brother Gunter come along for the adventure! This was my first time working with both of them together, so I wanted to set them up for success by starting in a familiar environment with manageable distractions. We had neighbors out walking their pups, people coming and going, and all of the usual sights and sounds you can expect from a neighborhood walk.
Lucy handled the outing wonderfully! She seemed to really enjoy being able to get out and about with Gunter and remained attentive to me throughout our walk. Her heel was looking great as she matched my pace and stayed nicely by my side, and she did very well listening whenever she was given a command. Being able to maintain that level of focus while walking alongside Gunter is a big step, especially because dogs can easily feed off of each other’s excitement or reactions.
As we made our way through the neighborhood, I decided to take the pups over to a nearby little league field so we could practice our place command. Lucy did a fantastic job! She was able to hop up onto benches and tables with much less hesitation today, which was really nice to see. Building confidence with place is important because it teaches her that she can calmly settle on different surfaces and in different environments rather than feeling like she always needs to investigate everything around her.
As far as her reactivity goes, I noticed something really encouraging today: Lucy primarily reacted when Gunter reacted to another dog. This gave us a great opportunity to work on her ability to disengage from that reaction. Whenever she was reminded to “off,” Lucy was able to quickly reset herself, return her attention to me, and relax at my side. This is exactly the type of response we want to continue building. The goal isn’t simply to prevent a reaction, but to teach Lucy that even when something exciting or triggering happens around her, she can disengage and look to her handler instead.
All in all, I would absolutely call our first group session a success! It was so nice to see Lucy and Gunter walking together on loose leashes and, even more importantly, to see just how attentive Lucy can be with her handler while her brother is right beside her. Today was a great reminder of how much progress this sweet girl has made with her focus, obedience, and ability to manage her reactions.
Way to go, sweet lady! 🐾💗 You’re doing such a wonderful job!
8/9/2026
Today, Lucy and I headed out to Lake Balboa Park to continue building on the progress we made yesterday as a group. I wanted to see how Lucy and her brother would handle working together in a more public setting with plenty of real-world distractions, and Lucy handled it very well!
Lucy performed each command asked of her right alongside her brother and did a wonderful job staying focused on her work. Her heel looked especially nice today, as she walked alongside me without needing many reminders to maintain her position. Her extended commands also looked great! Lucy was able to patiently hold her sit and down until she was given her release cue, showing that she is really beginning to understand that the command isn’t finished until I tell her she’s free to move.
Those same efforts carried over into our solo session as well. Her come to sit is looking lovely, with zero hesitation in following through and coming directly into position. Her place command is also becoming a strong point for her, as she is doing a great job remaining in place and waiting patiently for her cue before getting up.
While we were all out together, we had a few dogs pass by, giving Lucy another opportunity to practice staying focused around distractions. With a quick “off,” Lucy immediately shifted her attention away from the other pups and back onto me, which is exactly what we want to see. Rather than allowing the distraction to take over, she was able to listen to the command and redirect her focus.
All in all, we had another fantastic outing! Lucy continues to show that she is not only understanding her commands but also learning how to apply them in increasingly distracting environments. I’m so proud of the progress she continues to make, and I’m excited to keep building on it! 🐾
8/10/2026
Today Lucy and I headed out to the Oaks Mall to continue working on her progress with her commands around distractions, and she did a fantastic job! 🥰 She’s really starting to show a wonderful understanding of her work, and I’m loving the progress she continues to make.
Her heel is looking great! I love how nicely she walks with me and how frequently she checks in to see what I’m asking of her. Lucy did show some nervousness throughout our outing, but I was so proud to see that she didn’t allow her uneasiness to interfere with her work. She did very well with her extended commandsand place, remaining in position until she was given a release cue. This was especially great to see in a busy environment like the mall!
With her come to sit, Lucy did start to stop behind me again rather than following all the way through to her finish position. We worked through it together until she gave me a nice, solid follow-through with a strong finish right at my side. Once she got it, we made sure to give her lots of praise so she could understand that staying consistent and following through all the way can lead to wonderful things! ❤️
I also had Gunter join us for a bit, and we spent some time walking around the mall together while continuing to practice our extended commands. Both pups handled being together in the mall very well! Lucy definitely seems to gain a little extra confidence when her brother is around, which is wonderful to see. At the same time, we’re continuing to actively build her confidence independently so that she can feel just as comfortable and successful on her own during each outing.
All in all, Lucy made great progress today! I’m especially proud of her for working through her nervousness and continuing to focus on her job despite feeling a little uneasy. She’s showing us more and more each day just how much she’s capable of! 🐾💕
8/11/2026
Today, Lucy and I headed back to Home Depot, and we decided to bring Gunter along with us to continue working on their commands together! Having the two of them work side-by-side gives us a great opportunity to practice their skills around distractions while also helping them learn to focus on their handlers rather than relying on each other.
Today, Lucy was feeling a little more on the nervous side. Home Depot can be quite the noisy and stimulating environment, and she wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of all the hustle and bustle around her. Because of this, holding her commands was a bit more challenging for her today, even with Gunter there for some extra reassurance. But that’s okay! This gave us the perfect opportunity to remind Lucy that no matter what is happening around her, she is safe, she can trust her handler, and most importantly, she needs to remain in her command until she is given permission to move.
There was actually one moment where Lucy anticipated what I was going to ask her next, which was a pretty cool little glimpse into how much she is beginning to understand the routine and what is expected of her! While it’s wonderful to see her putting the pieces together, we still want her to wait patiently for her cue rather than making the decision herself. After a few reminders, she began doing much better about holding her commands and waiting for that release, which was lovely to see!
Aside from that, Lucy did a great job navigating the store with Gunter and me. Her heel looked very nice as she worked her way through the different aisles and distractions, and she is also beginning to get the hang of her come to sit! This can be a little trickier when Gunter is involved and moving around with her, but she is starting to understand what we’re asking. It’s not perfect yet, and that’s completely okay! With more practice, I’m confident both of them will have this one figured out in no time.
One of the cutest parts of today’s outing was seeing Lucy receive a little reassurance from her brother throughout our session. Whether it was a gentle nudge or a sweet little kiss to the face, Gunter seemed to have his own way of telling his sister, “It’s okay, I’ve got you!” 🥹❤️ It was adorable to watch the two of them support one another while still learning how to work independently with their handlers.
All in all, today was another great session for Lucy! I’m so proud of her for working through her uneasiness and continuing to push forward, even when the environment felt a little overwhelming. We may have hit a few snags today, but that’s all part of the learning process. What matters is that Lucy worked through those moments and came out the other side a little more confident than when we started.
Way to go, brave girl! Keep up the great work, Lucy! 🐾💕
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