Mali | German Shepherd | Santa Monica, CA
- Tanner Strong
- Oct 9
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 20
Mali is back with me for boarding! I'm happy to have her back again! Stay tuned here to see what we're up to each day!
Pupdate: 10/9/2025
After picking up Mali, we headed to the park together! We went through all of her commands, and for the most part, she did really well. It seems like she remembers her training! She’s been very well behaved for me so far and adjusted pretty quickly to being back in a training setting. I’m excited to have her back and help her continue building on these good habits!
Pupdate: 10/10/2025
Mali and I went to the mall today! While she was a little nervous at first, especially around the fountains with the running water, she quickly settled in and handled herself well. She followed all her commands nicely and stayed mostly focused throughout our visit. Mali was well-behaved the entire time, and I was really happy with how she adjusted to the environment!
Pupdate: 10/11/2025
Mali and I went back to the mall today, this time with a bit more of a crowd around. She did quite well overall, maintaining good behavior and responsiveness throughout our outing. While she seemed a little less confident with the extra activity and noise, she still handled everything nicely and continued to follow her commands well. It was another really good day for Mali, and she’s showing steady progress each time we go out!
Pupdate: 10/12/2025
We went back to the park today! Mali had a good day overall and performed very well with her commands. She’s continuing to show her sweet, affectionate personality. Whenever she had the chance, she’d come back to me and snuggle against my legs for comfort. While it’s always nice to see how loving she is, I still noticed a bit of nervousness whenever she wasn’t directly beside me.
To help with that, we spent some time practicing her Sit and Down commands at various distances and on different objects to keep building her confidence and independence!
Pupdate: 10/13/2025
We went to the park today with several other trainers and their dogs! It was a great opportunity for Mali to get more exposure around other dogs and practice her focus in a busier environment. She did really well — staying engaged and following through with her commands while maintaining good composure throughout the session. Really good day for Mali!
Pupdate: 10/14/2025
It was a rainy day today, so we mostly stayed inside and took advantage of the breaks in-between showers to get a little outdoor time. Mali had a calm, relaxing day and handled the slower pace really well. She was well-behaved throughout the day and enjoyed the cozy indoor time — a nice change of pace from our usual outings!
Pupdate: 10/15/2025
Mali and I got some cardio in today! The rules for jogging are about the same as walking in a Heel position, so this was a fun way to switch things up while still trying to keep her focus. Admittedly, I’m not the best runner, so while I was jogging, Mali was doing more of a fast walk—but I think she enjoyed it all the same!
The toughest part for her was probably holding back from breaking into a full run to match my slower pace. Every now and then, she’d get a little excited or want to go ahead of me, but overall she stayed right with me and did well.
If you decide to run with her, remember not to do so right after she eats to help prevent bloat, and watch for signs of exhaustion such as her tongue hanging fully out of her mouth. It was nice to see her enjoy this extra exercise, especially after such a slow and cozy rainy day yesterday!
Pupdate: 10/16/2025
We went to a different park today that had some new, fun objects for Place! Mali did really well and seemed to enjoy exploring the new environment. She hopped onto different objects with confidence, showing great focus and enthusiasm throughout our session. It was a fun outing for both of us, and she seemed proud of herself by the end!
Pupdate: 10/17/2025
We had some off-leash sessions today at the park, and Mali did really well! She stayed engaged, followed commands nicely, and showed great focus even with plenty of distractions around. It was a good balance of fun and productive work — she enjoyed having the freedom to move around a bit while still checking in with me and listening closely. We mixed in plenty of play between training sessions, and Mali seemed to really enjoy the day. She got a lot of good work in and had a great time doing it!
Pupdate: 10/18/2025
Mali and I had a fun and productive day at the park! There was a lot going on — soccer, baseball, and basketball games all happening at once — which made for a great opportunity to work around plenty of distractions. Despite all the activity, Mali stayed focused and responsive, handling everything really well.
We practiced all of her commands and continued building her confidence in the busy environment. She was attentive, happy, and did a great job staying engaged with me throughout the day. Overall, Mali had an awesome session and continues to show great progress!
Pupdate: 10/19/2025
Mali and I went out a couple of times today and even caught a volleyball game in the evening! Surprisingly, she seemed to be less of a fan of volleyball than some of the other games we’ve watched. Still, she adjusted well and stayed polite throughout. Aside from being a little weirded out by the game, Mali had an enjoyable day overall and was well-behaved for me the entire time!
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