Meet our newest Puppy Board and Train recruit Luna! This little Schnauzer is just about 4 months old and is ready to begin her training journey. Luna is very sweet and cuddly but has some reservations when meeting new people and dogs. After a few minutes of interacting she becomes their new best friend. She has some work to do building her confidence out in public around unfamiliar sounds and learning all of her obedience commands. Luna will also be working on her potty training over these next few weeks. Check in daily to follow along with her training journey!
Pupdate 3/17/2024
We kept today as simple as possible to give Luna time to adjust to her temporary home. She did well on the drive home, only letting out a few little barks. When arriving at my home she immediately walked right in as if it was already hers! Luna spent some time familiarizing herself before going in to take a nap. When she was given nap opportunities in the crate Luna let out a few small barks. It doesn’t take very long for her to settle and start snoozing away. During the afternoon she was quite consumed with adventuring around that she did have a potty accident during her 1-hour nap time. We will work on her potty training and find a schedule that best fits her.
Pupdate 3/18/2024
Today Luna was introduced to her Sit and Down command. To teach Luna we used a combination of verbal command, leash tension, training clicker, and treats. It took some time for Luna to comprehend what we were asking her to do, but she eventually got the hang of it. We didn’t start filming her practice right away, so you will see at the beginning of the video she does quite well. Luna then hits a wall of stubbornness and feeling like she doesn’t want to keep working. Which results in her not following through and throwing little tantrums. When this happens, we keep calm and simply keep practicing for a few good command completions before taking a break. This is not uncommon for canines to feel this way after repetitions, especially puppies. However, it is important that we always end on a positive note with the appropriate completion of the command. Rather than giving into the tantrums and ending right then and there.
Last night Luna was taken out around 4am to potty. Unfortunately, by 7am she had an accident. Although before that she comfortably made it just over 4 hours without an accident. Also, we noticed that if anyone or anything else is around she will be too distracted to go to the restroom.
Pupdate 3/19/2024
Place was the new command Luna learned today. Place is when we have Luna get up onto a specified object. This can be a dog cot, bed, blanket, towel, etc. She is to remain there in a sit/down until being released or asked to do something else. (Luna’s release word is Break!) Whatever the object is, it must have defined borders for her to understand where we want her to stay put. For any command where we want Luna to hold a stationary position we do Not use “stay”.
Please listen to the audio for today’s video with more information about the Place command.
Yesterday her feeding routine was adjusted in hopes of helping her overnight potty habits. Her dinner was taken away at 5:45. She still had access to water up until 8pm. Around 1:30am was her midnight potty break and then again at 6am. With this routine she was able to successfully make it without any potty accidents!
Pupdate 3/20/2024
During our trip to a park in Downey today, Luna was very consumed with her environment, and all the distractions around us. There were a few people walking around and/or walking their dogs. This park also has geese and ducks roaming around. (She did try to chase the birds) Every time someone or something was in line-of-sight Luna would stop and stare.
If the other dogs were close enough to us, Luna would want to approach and say hello. It is great that she has confidence around other dogs of all sizes, but we still want her to learn and understand that she can’t greet everyone she comes across. If we were to allow that it would only promote more pulling.
There wasn’t anything here that seemed to make her nervous or react with barking. As we continue to work with her, we will be able to determine what particular things may or may not make her nervous. Luna does try to eat just about everything she comes across on the floor. We keep a diligent eye on her to ensure she doesn’t consume anything she’s not supposed to.
Keeping the same feeding/potty schedule as yesterday gave us a night without potty accidents again!
Pupdate 3/21/2024
Our new command for today was teaching the Come to Sit command (also known as her recall). For this command when we ask Luna to Come, we want her to come to us, to end in a seated position on our lefthand side. Once she is seated on our left, then we can begin our Heel if needed. Every time we ask Luna to Come, we want her to follow the same exact motion. Allowing her to take short cuts or end up in a seated position elsewhere will begin to diminish the command and become less reliable in times of need.
Having a solidified recall is extremely important as it can keep Luna safe in any/all situations in the home and out in public. Please listen to the audio for today’s video with more information about the Come to Sit command.
Pupdate 3/22/2024
Our outing for today took us to our local Starbucks and Home Depot. On the walk to Starbucks Luna did fairly well walking through the neighborhood but not too well walking along the major street. Every time a loud car or truck passed by Luna would jump away from the sounds, looking around anxiously. Once we got to Starbucks she enjoyed a quick taste of the pup cup. Throughout our time there Luna wouldn’t settle enough to drink water or simply lie down. She was on relatively high alert, constantly looking around.
She behaved similarly at Home Depot as well. As we walked around her head was on a constant swivel, casing her environment. Luna couldn’t hold her sit for very long, wouldn’t down, and frequently looking backwards at the sounds happening around her. She did decently well walking past the carts and flatbeds being pushed around. Those frequently are items that canines have trouble being around.
It is understandable for Luna to have some bumps in the road as she wasn’t exposed to the outside world prior to coming to training. She has many more outings ahead of her to continue to make progress!
Pupdate 3/23/2024
Due to the rain, we spent a little extra time refining Luna’s down command without the use of treats inside. We would like Luna to fully understand the command without the extra lure as we don’t want her to become dependent on them. We still utilize a verbal command, hand signal, and leash pressure. At first it was troublesome for her to complete the command even though she understood what we were asking of her. When we practiced on a place spot, she started to get the hang of it again. Once we moved to just the ground, she took a few steps back in the progress. That is okay! In moments like these we remain patient and keep practicing for a few good completions of the command. She is continuing to make progress!
Unfortunately, Luna did have a couple of accidents during the day today, despite being let out to potty. The issue is she becomes so distracted with the leaves blowing on the ground, people walking down the street, especially with other dogs. To the point where she can't focus on going potty. She made it through the night just fine.
Pupdate 3/24/2024
Luna’s time with us is not all work and no play! She absolutley adores Oso and would play with him nonstop all day if she could. Luna loves him so much that she even tries to use him as a bed! It is very sweet to see them playing and napping together. With Luna being so young, it is great that she is learning how to appropriately play with other dogs.
While she is playing with other dogs, or us, we always want to ensure it remains appropriate. Meaning no biting, no pulling on the other dogs (could be their leash or collar), not being too pushy and no stealing things. If any of these happen or anything else you don’t like, it is important that you intervene and end the play time immediately. This will help her understand those behaviors aren’t allowed and mitigate them down the line.
For overnight potty, she has continued to do well. She can make it 8 hours as long as she goes potty right before bedtime and right when she wakes up. Her routine of going #2 has been tricky to narrow down. If she doesn’t go shortly after each feeding, we try again approximately 1 hour later. We've noticed that if Luna has a #2 accidnet she will basically go and hide to do her buisness.
Pupdate 3/25/2024
In our video we worked on Luna’s Heel command. Heel is the action of having Luna walk with us on our lefthand side. Luna is to match our pace, turn when we turn, and stop (in a seated position) when we stop walking. Keeping all our walks structured helps prevent pulling, eating things off the ground, veering off to a potentially dangerous situation, and decreases the chances of her getting stepped on (because she is so small) by us or anyone else.
We spend a lot of time talking to Luna, especially while working on heel. The consistent structure and verbal communication aid in her learning ability and understanding that she needs to follow our lead throughout the duration of our walk. Even if that walk is from the front door to the car. The consistent communication is also in part due to the fact that she is so young and very much has a puppy brain.
Please listen to the audio for today’s video with more information about the Heel command.
Pupdate 3/26/2024
Today we took a visit to an outdoor shopping area. With some kids on spring break, it provided a good number of distractions with other patrons. Luna was very consumed with everything going on around her. She was frequently bumping into us and veering off because she just wasn’t paying attention. One of her weaknesses was small children; she wanted to greet each one of them. Which makes sense as she has a small human at home. Another one of her weaknesses was other canines, she still has the urge to go up to them and greet them.
She’s getting better at not picking up things off the ground as long as we keep consistent communication with her and remind her “off”. Without reminders her puppy brain will get the best of her, and she will pick it up. Even if that happens, we use leash tension and tell her “Off” again. Luna is pretty good at dropping what she has at that point.
Luna can generally follow her sit, down, place, and come to sit command in the distraction environments which is great! Again, we simply provide her with plenty of guidance and reminders to help her out. There is still needed room for improvement, but it is good to see her attention can be focused back on us.
Pupdate 3/27/2024
One of the many manners we have been working on is Food Manners. This is where Luna is learning to sit and wait for her meals. Rather than jumping, barking, whining, rushing her food bowl, etc. She has made considerable progress with this even though she is excited to eat and jumps a little! This is practiced every time we feed her, even if we give her treats. Should she release herself from the sit/down position before we do, the process starts over again. After she has eaten a meal, Luna does stay inside the crate to give her body time to digest her food. After a canine eats and is active with running around, it will risk them throwing up or getting bloat.
Because Luna is still so young, she needs reminders throughout this process. Always be mindful of her mental age and keep expectations realistic. Just like with anything else we are working on, consistency is key. The more consistent we are the better she gets, then it becomes more of a habit/routine. Becoming even easier down the line.
With Luna becoming so distracted when let out to potty, we altered our method just a bit. Her overnight/bedtime potty routine remains the same. When she is given the opportunity to potty during the day, we give her about 5 minutes to go. If she doesn’t potty, she doesn’t get free-roam of the home. Luna either goes in a crate or stays on a leash that someone is holding. It stays like this until she goes both poop and pee outside.
Pupdate 3/28/2024
We had a big adventure out to the Santa Monica Pier today. Environments such as these pose a variety of unique distractions for Luna. Which is great because desensitizing young puppies to as much as possible will benefit them in the long run. Mostly when it comes to their confidence and demeanor out in public spaces.
One thing about the pier and the beach is that it provides plenty of distractions with birds flying around. This, oddly enough, was one of Luna’s weaknesses as she found herself focusing on them and trying to resist the urge to play chase. Even if this happens, we just tell her off and again remind her of the task at hand. We also met with other trainers and their dogs in training. Luna tries hard to not immediately engage in play but once she is reminded, she does well resisting. If the other canines are within reach she does struggle a bit more. Just because she really wants to say hi to someone or another canine, we can’t allow her to engage with everyone. That would cause her to start pulling more at each person and dog she passes. It also helps keep her safe so she doesn’t get into someone’s way (who might step on her) or risk going up to a canine who isn’t friendly.
Pupdate 3/29/2024
Luna took another trip to the outlet mall with another trainer before it rains over the weekend. Even if Luna may not feel comfortable or be focused enough on going potty in busy places, we always provide her with an opportunity every time we arrive somewhere. We also let her out potty right before we leave as well.
During her time there we practiced all of the commands in any random order we choose. Ultimately providing more real-life scenarios with the work she’s learned and how it is applicable throughout our everyday routine. When it comes to working with new/higher place objects Luna can be a bit hesitant to fully jump up. After just a couple of practice tries, she figures out she can leap right up with no issues! Luna very much is a confident little pup all around.
Communication is a huge key factor to Luna’s development. We can’t expect her to just know what we want from without verbally saying and physically showing her (via hand signals or with the leash). One thing to consider is not only the environmental distractions but how loud that environment is. If she can’t hear us asking for a Heel command or Sit, there is no way of her knowing that we are talking to her. Just like how we need to speak with another human slightly louder than. If we were whispering, then we likely aren’t going to hear that person speaking.
Pupdate 3/30/2024
Today we took some time to visit some family members for the holiday. Luna practiced proper greetings for numerous people and canines. Overall, she has been doing quite well greeting all humans big or small. Always ask Luna to ‘sit’ before the greeting begins to initiate a calmer greeting right off the bat, and it helps you keep control of the situation. Remember, you do not need to let everyone say hi to her. Once Luna is seated, she then can be greeted by the stranger. Even when they make baby noises at her, she manages to keep herself composed.
As you can see in one of the photos, she even got to meet a piggy named Benji! Luna was quite intrigued by this new animal. She was given time to observe then when asked to move on, she did so with ease. Luna played well with all the other dogs who happened to be schnauzers as well! When allowed freedom to run around and play Luna does not have an off switch. Which is normal for puppies. So whenever this type of opportunity presents itself step in whenever you feel necessary and hook her to a leash or put her in bed. This is to allow her time to drink water, go potty, and take a break from constantly running around.
Pupdate 3/31/2024
On our rainy Sunday, Luna spent some extra time at home and indoors until the skies cleared up. We had just a few family members come to visit today, and Luna did well with everybody coming and going. Once everyone went home, she enjoyed a nice long nap. Afterward she enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood, practicing her place command on box covers. As you can see in the video, she does well with walking by our side. This is a great video to reference so you can see how long I should be positioned from our point of view.
Even though we didn’t go out for training there’s always training to be taken place at home. In a puppy’s life there is always some rules and boundaries to be upheld regardless of where you are at. Similar to a toddler there are rules to follow outside of the home and inside of the home. It is up to us humans to continue to uphold those rules and boundaries throughout our every day routine.
Pupdate 4/1/2024
Luna took an adventure to a downtown area to simply explore a new environment. With all the cars driving in relatively close proximity Luna was turning her head backward to look at them. This mostly happened with loud cars/trucks or when they drove over bumps or a metal grate. The more time we spent there she better adjusted to the noises. Any time she would turn her head backward to the cars, or she simply became distracted, we always kept focus on the task at hand. So, if we are walking, we just keep walking and not slow down. If she’s holding any stationary position, we immediately ask her to get back into position. All of the commands are frequently paired with “off”. For example, we can say “off heel” or “off sit”. Because she is such a young puppy this is absolutely normal for her.
Ultimately, we act like nothing else is going on and not making a big deal that she became startled or distracted. Luna did well while we spent some time at the coffee shop for refreshments and a snack. She didn’t try to beg for food or disrupt other people. We did have to remind her to lie down as people came through the door. But she didn’t bark or really have any negative reactions. With the exception of her fidgeting around a bit, the way her demeanor was at the café was wonderful!
Pupdate 4/2/2024
Our adventures today took us to a new indoor mall to explore. Luna has small moments here and there of being distracted, but as long as we keep focused on the ask, she will continue to follow our lead. Overall, she will follow the commands given with relative ease! You can see at the end of the video she gets to be a bit lazy and defaults to lying down when asked to sit. While this may not seem like a big deal, little things like this can be a canine’s way of pushing boundaries and getting their way. So we simply reinforce the last ask to ensure appropriate follow-through.
While we were there, we took some time to shop at the furniture store. Miss Luna did well walking around and not trying to get on the various beds/couches as well!
Pupdate 4/3/2024
On this beautiful sunny day, we took Luna out for a nice day at the park. There were plenty of other people and dogs doing the same thing. All the commands Luna has learned have simply come a routine during any point of the day. There isn’t necessarily “training only” time, but rather a new way of living! This is the best practice to uphold to help the training stick. We of course still allow her play time to help burn some energy, let her have fun, and simply still be a puppy! It all comes down to providing her with the appropriate balance. Luna has continued to grow more confident overall and is getting the courage to jump onto new place objects.
Pupdate 4/4/2024
Door manners are one other thing we have been implementing everyday with Luna. The idea behind good door manners (just like all other commands) is safety! Having a canine who gets into the habit of waiting before entering/exiting a threshold will prevent them from potentially running out into the street or any dangerous situation.
Luna can be asked to Sit, Down, or Place before entering/existing a doorway. It doesn’t matter if it is just opened, someone is coming in or out, a noise happens, etc. she must wait until she is released by us. Should she decide to get up on her own, we take her back to the same spot and start the process over again. Consistency is always going to be crucial, so we do this every time we walk in/out of the house. Whether it is the front door, back door, or side door.
Always keep in mind her mental capacity so she will need frequent reminders in what to do and what not to do. As time goes on and this becomes a habit, it will begin to stick and become a bit easier.
Pupdate 4/5/2024
Luna is absolutley loving all of the outings she gets to join in on! Today we went to Shoreline Village to get some exercise in and go to one of our favorite restaurants. The restaurant was quite busy and noisy when we arrived. You could see in Luna’s body language that she was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of people in a smaller space. In these instances, we don’t pick her up and coddle her. Instead, we give her a job to do (holding a command), keep talking with her, and provide her with words of encouragement. This will avoid her feeling like she needs to bark, lunge, hide, or be picked up when she is nervous. We want her to be independent and confident enough to not let these things phase her.
The birds at the beach are still a bit of a distraction for her but she isn’t trying to chase them! Her puppy brain and curiosity get the best of her at times. As long as we continue to provide her with the proper guidance and structure, she can follow through without you feeling like you are playing a battle with her.
Pupdate 4/6/2024
Luna enjoyed one last day of running around with Oso before going back home tomorrow. She absolutley loves him and loves playing with him, they became great pals. Luna has no fear of larger canines which is great to see in a smaller puppy. While running around she did get a bit wet and stinky, so we of course gave her a bath, so she is fresh and clean going home.
During her bathtime she did really well, although you could tell she wasn’t exactly thrilled. To help make bathing dogs easier we kept the leash attached so if needed, we had something to help manage Luna. She does best with a nail trim when she wrapped up in a towel, essentially providing her some comfort.
She came a long way throughout her training journey, especially for being such a young pup. Consistency in the command reinforcement goes a long way with her progression. All the commands should be an everyday practice throughout your normal routine. This will yield the best longterm results and you will find yourseld (and Luna) simply doing things like waiting at the door a habit. We hope you enjoy your adorable well mannered pup!
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