Lyra | Doberman/Rottweiler Mix| Palos Verdes, CA| In-Training
- Reine Melnick
- Jun 19
- 26 min read
Updated: Jul 10
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!
Pupdate 6/20/26
Today was all about building engagement and confidence with Lyra.
She is still a little uneasy about me getting her out of the crate, which is completely normal given that she's still adjusting to a new environment and a new person. Because of that, we spent about 15 minutes using some high-value treats to help encourage her to come out on her own terms and continue building positive associations with me. Rather than rushing the process, I wanted to make sure Lyra felt comfortable making the decision herself.
Once she came out, her body language showed that she was still feeling unsure. Her body was a bit stiff, her head was low, her tail was tucked, and she was constantly scanning her surroundings. All of these are normal signs of a dog who is still trying to process a lot of change and figure out if their new environment is safe.
Because of this, we decided to keep things simple and work in the yard, focusing primarily on engagement. As you'll see in the video, I allowed Lyra plenty of freedom to explore and investigate her surroundings. Anytime I made a clicking sound and she chose to look at me or move in my direction, I immediately marked the behavior with a "Yes!" and rewarded her with a treat.
This exercise may seem simple, but it serves a very important purpose. Over time, it helps create a natural desire for Lyra to check in with me on her own and builds value in returning to me. Rather than forcing interaction, we're teaching her that good things happen when she chooses to engage.
Another reason I chose this approach today is because nervous dogs who remain stationary and sit in their emotions often either escalate their stress or completely shut down. By encouraging movement and exploration, we help get their bodies and brains working together, which often leads to them relaxing and becoming more comfortable in their environment.
Overall, Lyra made some great steps in the right direction today. While they may seem like small victories, they are actually huge building blocks for the relationship we're creating together. I am very proud of her for working through her nerves and continuing to make progress. Good job, Lyra!
Pupdate 6/21/26
Today was all about building Lyra’s confidence and allowing her to work through her uneasiness at her own pace. We started the morning slowly by focusing on getting her comfortable coming out of her crate on her own rather than using force to push her through something she wasn’t ready for. Lyra responded very well to this approach. I simply opened her crate door and walked away, giving her the space to make the decision herself. This helped create a positive experience and encouraged her confidence to grow.
Once she came out into the family room, we worked on getting her comfortable with me approaching her with a slip lead. This took about 15–20 minutes, but by remaining patient and allowing her to process things, she eventually felt comfortable enough to accept being leashed.
After that, we headed to Lake Balboa for Lyra’s first outing! The goal of this trip was exposure to a new environment while also introducing the foundation of the heel command. There was quite a bit of walking ahead of me and some nervousness throughout the outing, but Lyra very slowly worked through it and continued making progress.
While practicing her sit command, she became a little uneasy when people walked past and got up from her position. However, with gentle guidance, she was able to return to the command she had originally been given. Moments like these are important learning opportunities and help build her confidence in distracting environments.
Overall, I am very proud of the baby steps Lyra is taking. Confidence-building is a process, and today she showed that she is willing to keep trying even when things feel new or uncomfortable. Every small win is adding up, and she is moving in the right direction!
Pupdate 6/22/26
Today we took Lyra on her first trip to Home Depot to begin exposing her to louder noises, moving carts, and a busier environment. Even though she is still a bit nervous in new places, I wanted to start introducing these types of distractions sooner rather than later so we can continue building her confidence in a positive way.
We started our session in the garden section since it tends to be one of the quieter areas of the store. My goal was to ease Lyra into the environment and get her more willing to work through new experiences rather than becoming overwhelmed and shutting down. We focused primarily on a structured Heel, helping her learn to stay connected with me while navigating an unfamiliar place.
Lyra did fairly well staying by my side and only needed a few reminders whenever something caught her attention. Rather than simply walking laps around the store, I decided to mix in some Sit commands throughout our Heel work to keep her brain engaged and encourage her to think through what was being asked of her. Since she is still learning and building confidence, I occasionally used my hand to help guide her rear end into position so she could better understand the command.
As expected, there were a few moments where Lyra became startled when people walked too close or when carts rolled by unexpectedly. Instead of pushing through those moments, I allowed her time to process what she was seeing and helped her work through it at a pace she was comfortable with. Each new experience is another opportunity for her to learn that the world isn't as scary as it may seem.
Overall, Lyra did a great job for her first hardware store outing. While confidence building can sometimes feel like a slow process, she continues to make progress and is becoming more comfortable with new environments each day. I am very proud of her for stepping outside of her comfort zone and giving her best effort today. Good girl, Lyra!
Pupdate 6/23/26
Lyra Pupdate
Today we decided to do some training around the neighborhood to continue building Lyra's confidence while strengthening the commands she has been learning. During our session, we focused primarily on her Heel, Come to Sit, and Extended Down.
We started out by working on her Heel, and Lyra did a wonderful job staying by my side. She remained focused and had very little trouble maintaining position as we walked through the neighborhood. It was great to see her settling into the exercise and understanding what was being asked of her.
Since she was doing so well with her Heel, we began adding in some additional commands throughout the session. We spent time working on her Extended Down, and Lyra has made a lot of progress with this command. Even when something around her caught her attention, she was much more willing to remain in position instead of immediately getting up. This shows that her confidence and understanding are continuing to grow.
We also spent some time practicing her Come to Sit. Lyra occasionally likes to take her time once she comes around to my side before getting fully into position. Whenever she made an effort toward the correct behavior, even if it wasn't perfect, I made sure to praise her. Building confidence is all about rewarding those small successes and showing her that each step in the right direction matters.
Overall, Lyra is doing very well. While she still gets a little uneasy at times, I am incredibly proud of how hard she is working through her nerves and continuing to complete her commands. She is making steady progress every day, and it's been wonderful watching her confidence grow.
Good job, Lyra!
Pupdate 6/24/26
Lyra Pupdate
Today we took a trip to a local park to continue working on some of the commands Lyra has been learning so far! Since the temperatures were starting to climb, we decided to keep the session short and sweet while still making the most of our time together.
When we arrived, we started with a structured Heel to help Lyra get into the right mindset for training. She did a fantastic job staying by my side during our walk and was very eager to work. Throughout the session, she remained engaged and barely veered away from position, which was great to see.
Once Lyra was calm and focused, we began incorporating some of her other commands, including Extended Down and Extended Sit. One of the biggest highlights of today's session was seeing how much more comfortable she has become with her Down command. In just a day, Lyra has made tremendous progress and now goes into position with little to no guidance. This is a huge accomplishment for her and shows just how much her confidence is growing.
We also spent some time working on her Come to Sit. Since Lyra has occasionally preferred doing her own thing rather than coming back when called, I wanted to continue building her reliability with the command. To my surprise, she performed her recall almost consistently throughout the session and showed a much stronger understanding of what was being asked of her.
Since Lyra was doing such an amazing job and giving me her full effort, we decided to wrap up the session on a positive note. I am incredibly proud of the progress she is making and the confidence she continues to build every day.
Good job, Lyra!
Pupdate 6/25/26
Today Lyra and I headed to the park to continue strengthening all of the commands she has been learning! We started our session with a structured **Heel** while walking to the park, and I am so impressed with how much her leash manners have improved. She has gotten so much better at staying by my side instead of letting everything around her steal her attention. I also had another dog with me during our walk, and Lyra stayed focused on the task at hand without getting overly excited or fixated on the other dog. I am incredibly proud of how quickly she has learned to remain calm and composed around both dogs and people!
Once we arrived at the park, we spent some time working on her duration commands, focusing mainly on **Extended Down** and **Extended Sit**. Lyra continues to show great progress with remaining in her commands, even while other dogs walked nearby and practiced their own training. She is becoming much more confident and patient, which is wonderful to see!
Since the temperature started climbing pretty quickly, we decided to end our session on a positive note and head back home before the heat became too much. Lyra worked so hard today, and I couldn't be happier with the progress she's making. Good job, Lyra!
Pupdate 6/26/26
Today Lyra and I took a trip to the Santa Monica Pier to continue building her confidence while exposing her to a busy environment full of distractions! Since I knew this would be a big challenge for her, we decided to take things nice and slow. Rather than jumping right into training, we spent some time simply walking around and allowing Lyra to settle into the environment before asking anything of her. To my surprise, she was incredibly well behaved and stayed right by my side with little to no reminders. Seeing how much more confident she has become in such a short amount of time was amazing, especially compared to how nervous she was when she first arrived!
Once Lyra had a chance to decompress, we began working through all of the commands she has learned this week. We started with a structured **Heel** through the busy crowds, and she absolutely blew me away. Even with large groups of people walking by, loud entertainers performing, and all of the excitement around us, Lyra stayed focused and happily worked by my side. I couldn't be prouder of the confidence she has built in such a short time.
After she settled into a great working mindset, we moved on to her **Extended Sit** right in the middle of the walkway. I decided to challenge her a bit by dropping the leash to see if she would make the right choice. She remained sitting perfectly and only got up when someone pushing a cart came a little too close. I simply used a bit of body pressure to remind her to return to her Sit, and after that she held her position beautifully despite everything happening around her.
From there, we practiced several **Come to Sit** repetitions, and once again Lyra exceeded my expectations. She didn't let the crowds or all of the activity overwhelm her and came right back into position at my side without any reminders or guidance. Because she was doing such an incredible job working without me needing to manage the leash, I continued the remainder of our session with her dragging it to begin preparing her for future off-leash reliability. We wrapped up by practicing her **Extended Down**, where she remained calm and committed to her command despite all of the chaos that comes with being at the Pier.
Today was such a huge milestone in Lyra's training journey. Watching her work confidently through one of the busiest environments we've visited so far made me incredibly proud. She continues to prove just how much she's growing every single day. Great job, Lyra!
Pupdate 6/27/26
Today we headed back to the Santa Monica Pier to continue building Lyra's confidence around busy environments while also strengthening all of her commands! Since we had visited yesterday, Lyra came in much more confident and didn't need nearly as much time to adjust to the crowds and all the excitement around her. It was so rewarding to see how much more comfortable she was in such a short amount of time!
We started our session by working on her **Heel**, and for the first time I began letting her drag the leash to start building trust as we work toward off-leash reliability. Lyra did an amazing job staying right by my side, even with large crowds of people walking past us. She stayed focused, checked in with me often, and made some really great choices throughout our walk.
After spending some time heeling, we moved on to practicing her **Extended Sit** and **Extended Down**. Lyra was such a good girl and remained respectful of every command that was asked of her, despite all the distractions surrounding us. She continues to impress me with her willingness to learn and how much more confident she is becoming each day.
I am beyond proud of Lyra and the progress she's made in such a short amount of time. Watching her confidence grow day by day has been incredibly rewarding, and I can't wait to see what she accomplishes next!
Pupdate 6/28/26
Today we headed to Lake Balboa to continue building on all of the commands Lyra has been learning! I decided it was time to really test her progress by attaching only a very short leash to her collar instead of having her drag a full-length leash. This helps begin teaching her command reliability without me needing to stay right next to her at all times, while still giving me a safe way to guide her if needed.
We started our session with a structured Heel, and I was absolutely blown away by how respectful Lyra was during our walk. Even with lots of people passing by, she stayed right by my side and didn't allow the distractions to break her focus. It was amazing to see just how much her confidence has grown.
Once she showed a great understanding of her Heel, we moved on to her Extended Sit. I had Lyra perform the command right in the middle of the pathway so people would have to walk close by her. She handled it beautifully! I couldn't be prouder of her confidence and determination to stay committed to the command she was given.
There was one funny moment when I was walking back toward her and she decided she would rather lay down and ask for belly rubs instead! Instead of adding unnecessary pressure, I simply picked up the short leash and used gentle leash guidance to help her back into the correct Sit position. What made me the happiest wasn't that she made a mistake—it was how she responded afterward. She didn't shut down or become nervous. Instead, she stayed positive, accepted the guidance, and immediately got back to work. That is such an important part of the learning process.
After successfully completing her Sit, we worked on her Come to Sit, and WOW... Lyra absolutely amazed me! She consistently came into the correct position instead of trying to avoid the task like she had in the past. Seeing that improvement in just one week was incredibly rewarding.
We then moved on to her Extended Down, which she performed flawlessly with little to no guidance. Since Lyra was having such an incredible session, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to introduce her Place command. Just like everything else, she caught on almost immediately! She hopped right into position and didn't need any reminders to remain there.
I am beyond proud of how far Lyra has come in just a week's time. Watching her confidence blossom and seeing her trust the training process more each day has been so rewarding. She is proving just how smart and resilient she truly is, and I can't wait to see what she accomplishes next.
Great job, Lyra!
Pupdate 6/29/26
Today we headed to a local park and met up with some of the other trainers to continue building Lyra's confidence while working around even more distractions! Training around multiple people and dogs is a great way to challenge her in a controlled environment and continue strengthening everything she has been learning.
We started the session with a structured Heel, weaving around the other trainers and their dogs before settling into an Extended Down. Lyra was incredibly well behaved and did a fantastic job staying focused on me, even while other dogs were actively being trained nearby. One of the biggest highlights of today was seeing just how much more confident she has become. Even as people walked close to her, she remained committed to the command and didn't let the distractions get the better of her.
Once she demonstrated a solid Extended Down, we moved on to practicing her Extended Place on a picnic bench. At first, Lyra was a little unsure about jumping up onto the bench, but instead of giving up, she worked through her hesitation. With a little encouragement and patience, her confidence continued to grow, and before long she was comfortably getting onto the bench and remaining calm in the command. Watching her overcome that uncertainty was one of my favorite moments of the day.
I truly cannot emphasize enough how proud I am of Lyra. Her confidence has grown tremendously, and she continues to surprise me with how quickly she learns and how willing she is to work through new challenges. She is becoming more comfortable in different environments every day, and it has been incredibly rewarding to watch her progress.
Good job, Lyra!
Pupdate 6/30/26
Today Lyra and I headed to Century City to continue strengthening all of the commands she has learned while working around a busy environment full of distractions! We started our session with our usual structured **Heel** through the crowds, and Lyra did an amazing job staying right by my side. She didn't let the loud noises, busy atmosphere, or people walking all around us take her focus away from the task at hand. It has been incredible watching her confidence continue to grow, and she is becoming so much more comfortable and relaxed in crowded environments!
After spending some time walking around, we found a quieter area to begin introducing two new concepts. Today, Lyra started learning the **"Under"** command, which teaches her to crawl underneath an object—such as a bench, table, or chair—and lie down. This is an incredibly useful command for busy public places, allowing her to settle comfortably out of the way when needed.
To help her understand the difference between commands, we mixed **Under** with her **Place** command throughout the session. A few times when I asked for **Place**, Lyra automatically tried to crawl underneath the table instead, which is completely understandable since both commands were brand new together. Whenever she got a little confused, I simply reset her and used my hand to guide her to the correct position. She picked up on the difference surprisingly quickly and began making much better choices as the session went on.
To finish things off, I added some distance while Lyra remained on **Place** to continue teaching her that she is expected to hold her command even when I'm farther away. She did a fantastic job staying put and showed great patience and self-control throughout the exercise.
I am beyond proud of Lyra and the confidence she continues to build with every outing. She is learning so quickly, and it's been amazing watching her grow into such a focused and well-mannered girl. Great job, Lyra!
Pupdate 7/1/26
Today we headed to Santa Monica to continue working on Lyra's off-leash commands in a much busier environment. Compared to yesterday, I did notice she was feeling a bit more stressed due to the large crowds and constant distractions. That's completely okay, as every new environment presents its own challenges, and days like today help us identify exactly where we need to continue building her confidence.
Since she was a little more nervous when we arrived, we started our session with a structured Heel and Place to help her settle into a working mindset. I was very happy to see that her Heel has continued to improve. Even while walking through crowds of people, Lyra stayed close by my side and remained very respectful throughout our walk.
Place was a bit more challenging today. When Lyra starts to feel overwhelmed, her natural response is to avoid the object or area we're working on rather than confidently engaging with it. Instead of allowing her to practice that avoidance, I simply picked up her short leash and used gentle guidance to help her onto the Place. Once she was there, she had no trouble remaining in the command and quickly realized that she was capable of succeeding.
We also spent some time practicing her Come to Sit. With so many people walking around, Lyra became a little hesitant and tried to avoid coming back into position. Since I was able to recognize that behavior early, I used the short leash to calmly guide her into the correct position. She responded very well and was able to finish the command successfully.
Although today was more challenging than some of our previous outings, it was still a very productive session. Training isn't always about everything going perfectly—it's about learning where your dog needs more support and continuing to build confidence through those moments. I will continue exposing Lyra to busier environments so she becomes more comfortable working through distractions. Overall, today gave us valuable information, and I'm proud of Lyra for continuing to work through her nerves instead of shutting down.
Good job, Lyra!
Pupdate 7/2/26
Today Lyra and I headed to Home Depot to continue building her confidence after the minor stress she experienced yesterday at the Santa Monica Pier. I wanted to bring her somewhere that still offered plenty of distractions with loud noises and people but wasn't quite as overwhelming. This allowed her to continue gaining confidence while setting her up for success.
Throughout today's session, I kept Lyra on a shorter leash to continue progressing toward the off-leash portion of her training while still giving myself a safe way to guide her if she became nervous or tried to avoid something. We started with a structured **Heel** to help ease her into the busy atmosphere of the store. Lyra did an amazing job staying by my side! The only moment she became a little uneasy was when my camera woman was walking behind us filming. I simply reminded her with the command **"Off,"** and she responded beautifully, immediately redirecting her focus back to me.
Once she settled into a calm working mindset, we began practicing her **Extended Sit** and **Extended Down** while customers walked by. Lyra held both commands extremely well and didn't require any reminders. No matter where I moved, she stayed engaged and kept her attention on me instead of the distractions around her.
From there, we worked on her **Come to Sit**, and I noticed she performed the command with much more confidence today. With fewer crowds and less environmental pressure than the Pier, she was able to focus more on the task and showed a much better understanding of the position.
After spending a little more time reinforcing her **Heel**, we found a small kids' picnic table to practice **Place** along with an **Extended Sit**. Once again, Lyra demonstrated a great understanding of both commands, climbing onto the table confidently and holding her position without needing any guidance or reminders.
I am so proud of how much Lyra continues to grow each day. Her confidence has increased tremendously, and it's been amazing watching her become more comfortable working through new environments while staying focused and engaged. Great job, Lyra!
Pupdate 7/3/26
Due to the temperatures being relatively high today and the ground becoming a bit too hot for a longer outing, we decided to keep our training around the house and focus on building Lyra's in-home manners. Today's main goal was introducing proper door manners, which is an important skill for safety and impulse control.
Lyra found this exercise a bit challenging at first. She really wanted to follow me anytime I stepped outside, and she had a hard time understanding that she needed to remain where she was until given permission. With lots of patience, consistency, and gentle reminders using body pressure, Lyra gradually began to understand what was being asked of her. By the end of our session, she was showing much better self-control and was starting to remain patiently in position instead of trying to push her way through the doorway.
We'll continue practicing this over the next few days to really solidify the behavior and help Lyra understand that an open door is not an invitation to rush outside. Overall, she made good progress today, and I'm proud of the effort she put into learning a brand-new skill. Great job, Lyra!
Pupdate 7/4/26
Before heading to busier public locations again, I wanted to see how Lyra handled her commands in a neighborhood setting with passing cars and a handful of people walking by. She impressed me right from the start! We began with a structured Heel, and she stayed right by my side with little to no reminders, even as cars drove past and a family with children walked nearby. It has been so rewarding to watch Lyra come out of her shell over the past week. She's becoming much more animated, engaged, and confident while working, which is wonderful to see!
After our walk, we found a nice shady spot along the sidewalk to work on her Extended Down. I continued increasing the distance between us during her duration commands to help reinforce that she needs to remain in position no matter how far away I am. Lyra handled this beautifully and stayed committed to her command the entire time without any issues.
We wrapped up the session by practicing her Come to Sit from a distance. Lyra got a little overly excited about closing the gap between us and ended up running just a bit too far behind me before realizing her mistake and turning around to finish the command. Rather than correcting her for a simple misjudgment, I asked her to Down for a moment, then reissued the command. She performed it perfectly the second time! Mistakes are a normal part of the learning process, and moments like this help me determine whether a dog truly understands the command or is simply making an excited error. Lyra clearly understands what is being asked of her, and I couldn't be happier with her progress. Great job today, Lyra!
Pupdate 7/5/26
Today we kept things a bit shorter due to the high temperatures and headed over to a local dog park for a fun training session! Since there were only about four dogs in the large enclosed area, I took the opportunity to work on some of Lyra's commands while the other dogs wandered around and played. We started with a structured Heel, and Lyra did an amazing job staying right by my side without letting the excitement of the other dogs pull her attention away from her work. She showed fantastic focus and self-control!
The park also had a few agility obstacles, including ramps and platforms, so we decided to switch things up and introduce her to each one. Rather than making it a highly structured lesson, I wanted to keep it fun and let her enjoy exploring and learning at her own pace. Lyra absolutely loved trying out the different obstacles and was so eager to figure them out! It was great to see her confidence shine while having fun. Overall, it was a fantastic outing, and I'm so proud of how well she handled herself today!
Pupdate 7/6/26
Today we met up with a few other trainers at the park to continue building Lyra's off-leash reliability around distractions. She was a little rebellious during parts of today's session, which is actually a very normal part of the learning process! Dogs will often make great progress and then go through a phase where they "test" whether we truly mean what we ask of them. Rather than getting frustrated, it's important to stay calm, consistent, and help them work through those moments.
Because Lyra was in one of those testing moods, I decided to begin our session with a long line attached. We started with her Heel, and she continues to be very consistent with this command. She stayed nicely by my side and showed a great understanding of what was expected of her.
After warming up, we moved on to Come to Sit. Lyra absolutely knows this command, but when she starts to feel a little overwhelmed, she has a tendency to run to the person closest to her instead of coming to me. With the long line attached, I was able to give her a few gentle corrections and redirect her back toward me, showing her that avoiding the task wasn't an option. After about 30 seconds of trying to test the boundaries, she regrouped, came right into position at my side, and completed the command beautifully without any further issues.
We then worked on her Extended Down, Extended Sit, and Place. Lyra did a fantastic job holding each command, even as I added more distance between us. We also spent some time practicing Under using a picnic bench. She has gotten much better at watching where my hand is directing her instead of getting overly excited and automatically jumping onto the bench for Place. It was great to see her slowing down, thinking through the command, and making better decisions.
Since she was doing so well, I decided it was time to remove the long line and continue everything completely off leash. She came out very strong and performed several commands perfectly. When we returned to Under, however, she became a little stubborn and tried to avoid the command again. Instead of moving on, we spent a little extra time working through it until she realized I was going to remain firm and consistent with what I had asked. The moment she completed the command correctly, I made sure to give her lots of enthusiastic verbal praise for making the right choice!
Days like today are incredibly valuable. The biggest breakthroughs often happen when we work through moments of resistance instead of avoiding them. It's so important to celebrate the wins while also helping our dogs push through the difficult moments. Overall, Lyra worked hard, learned a lot, and ended the session on a fantastic note. Very good job, Lyra!
Pupdate 7/7/26
Today, Lyra and I headed back to the Santa Monica Pier to continue polishing everything she has learned and put the finishing touches on all of her commands!
We started our session with a relaxed walk through the pier, giving Lyra plenty of time to adjust to the busy crowds without any pressure or expectations. She did an excellent job naturally staying in a heel, even though I never asked for it! Once we reached the end of the pier, we took a few minutes to relax in the shade so she could cool off before jumping into our training.
We kicked things off with our structured heel, and once again, Lyra was fantastic! She stayed right by my side as people and large crowds passed us without losing focus. It has been incredible watching her confidence grow around busy environments. She is finally showing just how much progress she has made, staying calm and composed instead of letting all the activity overwhelm her.
After some walking, we found a bench to work on her extended Place and Sit commands. Lyra remained exactly where she was asked, even as countless people walked by. She understood that her job was to stay put until I released her and asked her to move into another Heel. This time, I challenged her by asking her to Heel from a distance, meaning she had to come directly to me and immediately line up at my side. She did an awesome job completing the command confidently and staying in position!
I am beyond proud of Lyra for not allowing all the distractions around her to break her concentration or overwhelm her. She stayed engaged, thoughtful, and eager to work throughout the entire session.
We wrapped up our day by practicing Under and an extended Down. Lyra has come such a long way in understanding each of her commands and executing them with confidence and consistency. Watching all of her hard work come together has been so rewarding!
Great job today, Lyra! You should be so proud of yourself! 🐶💙
Pupdate 7/8/26
Today Lyra and I took a short trip to the Santa Monica Pier for a relaxing day of exposure training, mixed with just a little bit of obedience work. Every time we visit, she becomes a little more comfortable and confident with the busy environment, and it's been amazing to watch her progress over the past couple of weeks.
When we first arrived, I decided not to ask too much of her. Instead of jumping straight into structured training, we simply walked around the pier together and let her enjoy the outing. It's so important to give dogs opportunities to just be dogs and experience the world without constantly feeling like they're working. Rather than asking for a formal Heel, I gave Lyra the freedom to make her own choices—whether that meant choosing to stay by my side or walking a little farther ahead on a loose leash.
To my surprise, Lyra chose to stay close to me almost the entire time. Moments like these are incredibly rewarding because they show that she's beginning to make good decisions on her own rather than simply responding because she's being told what to do. Independent choices like this are a huge sign that she's understanding the behaviors we've been working so hard to teach.
After spending some time strolling around and enjoying the ocean breeze on a warm afternoon, we made our way to the end of the pier where we found a bench and took a few minutes to simply sit and watch the crowds pass by. This type of exposure is just as valuable as practicing commands. It allows Lyra to observe everything happening around her without the added pressure of constantly performing. She did a wonderful job staying relaxed, taking everything in, and not allowing the busy crowds to overwhelm or stress her.
Since it was a hot day and Lyra had done such an excellent job, we decided to end the outing on a high note. We headed back home so she could cool off, relax in the air conditioning, and enjoy the rest of her afternoon. I'm so proud of the confidence she continues to build with every adventure. Good job, Lyra!
Pupdate 7/9/26
For Lyra's last day of training, we headed to the park to put all of her hard work together and practice each of her commands one final time! Lyra was so eager to train and spend time outside, and it was wonderful to see her so happy, energetic, and full of confidence.
For most of today's session, I had Lyra fully off leash, giving her some time to run around in the grass and get some of her zoomies out. After she had a chance to have some fun, we got right back to work and practiced her Heel, Extended Down, Extended Sit, and Come to Sit around the park. Lyra did an amazing job executing every command without any issues and stayed engaged the entire session.
I couldn't be more proud of how far Lyra has come over the past few weeks. She has worked so hard and has made incredible progress. Amazing job, Lyra!
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