Lyra | Doberman/Rottweiler Mix| Palos Verdes, CA| In-Training
- Reine Melnick
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Meet Lyra! Lyra is a 2-year-old Doberman/Rottweiler mix from Palos Verdes, California, joining us for our 3-Week Old School Board & Train Program.
Lyra is an incredibly sweet and intelligent girl who genuinely wants to do the right thing. Like many dogs, she sometimes allows the world around her to be more interesting than listening to her handler. Whether it's a new smell, movement, or distraction nearby, Lyra can occasionally lose focus when it's time to work.
On walks, Lyra loves to pull her owners along and can become overly excited when she spots other dogs while on leash. At home, she has developed a few habits we'd like to improve, including counter surfing for food and barking at dogs passing by the house.
Over the next three weeks, we'll be focusing on building reliable basic obedience both on and off leash, improving her leash manners, teaching her how to remain calm and neutral around other dogs, and helping her develop better in-home manners. We'll also work on teaching Lyra how to relax indoors and ignore outside distractions instead of reacting to them.
We can't wait to show you her progress. Stay tuned as Lyra begins her journey toward becoming a calmer, more well-mannered companion!
Pupdate 6/19/26
Today was Lyra's first day with me! After picking her up from home, she did an awesome job during the car ride back. She stayed calm the entire trip without any barking or whining. Unfortunately, she did get a little carsick and ended up getting sick in her crate, which isn't uncommon for dogs experiencing a lot of change and excitement.
Once we arrived home, I took her out and gave her a quick rinse to get her cleaned up. Lyra was understandably a bit nervous with all the new sights, smells, and sounds around her, but she handled everything very well. She went into her new crate without much fuss and settled down surprisingly quickly.
I then gave her about two hours of uninterrupted decompression time. This is something I like to do with new dogs because it allows them to relax, process their new environment, and explore the smells around them without any pressure or expectations. It gives them a chance to start feeling safe and comfortable at their own pace.
After I finished some chores around the house, I planned on doing a few short training sessions. However, Lyra had other ideas. When I opened her crate door to take her out, she gave me a small growl. Having met Lyra in her home environment and seeing what a sweet, happy-go-lucky girl she is, I wasn't concerned that this was an aggressive response. Instead, it appeared to be a nervous response from a dog who was still adjusting to a brand-new situation.
Rather than simply putting a slip lead on her and moving forward, I decided to slow things down and work through the moment with her. I removed the crate door and attempted to put the slip lead on her again, but each time I approached, she scooted farther and farther toward the back of the crate. At that point, I knew forcing the interaction would only make her more uncomfortable.
Instead, I chose to completely step away and give Lyra the opportunity to come out on her own terms. By allowing her to make that choice herself, we begin building trust and confidence rather than creating unnecessary pressure. It didn't take long before she decided to come out, and once she did, she walked right over to me for some affection. Even though her tail was still tucked, she accepted some gentle praise and pets for working through her nervous moment.
I was very proud of Lyra today. While it may not have looked like a traditional training session, moments like these are incredibly important. Building trust and confidence is the foundation for everything we will do moving forward, and today Lyra took a big first step in that process. Good girl, Lyra!
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