Marshmallow | St. Bernard | Altadena, Ca | In-Training
- wendyoffleashsocal
- Jul 6
- 13 min read
Updated: Jul 19
Meet Marshmallow, a lovable 5-month-old St. Bernard from Altadena, California. He’s joining us for our two-week Board and Train Program. With his infectious energy and adorable puppy charm, Marshmallow is learning to manage some typical puppy behaviors — like leash pulling, curiosity about other dogs, and plenty of nipping.
Over the next 14 days, Marshmallow will focus on becoming a well-mannered and obedient companion. Through consistent guidance, clear communication, and balanced training, he’ll work on his behavior both at home and in new environments—meeting people, exploring places, and navigating different experiences. With structure and consistency, Marshmallow will show just how amazing of a pup he can be!
Stay tuned for Marshmallow’s two-week transformation!
Pupdate 7/6/25
Today, after you left, we stayed at the park for a bit to see which commands Marshmallow was already familiar with. As we noticed together, he responds nicely to “sit,” but the other commands still need some work — no worries, that’s exactly what we’re here for! On the ride home, Marshmallow did wonderfully in the crate. He was calm, quiet, and didn’t cry or whine at all — such a great start!
Once we arrived, Marshmallow got to meet Dottie, my one-year-old Golden Retriever, as well as Henry, our other board and train pup who is heading home tomorrow. They all got along beautifully and enjoyed each other’s company. We then went for a pack walk so they could get to know each other even more.
For today, our main focus was helping Marshmallow acclimate to his new environment and making sure he feels safe and comfortable. He explored his new crate, got introduced to my home and family, and even had some fun playtime with Dottie.
Oh! And I can’t forget to mention — Marshmallow was a total superstar. In less than five minutes on our walk, we were stopped multiple times by people admiring his cuteness. He’s definitely going to be a popular pup wherever he goes!
We’re off to a great start, and I’m so excited to watch Marshmallow learn and grow over the next couple of weeks.
Pupdate 7/7/25
Today, we introduced Marshmallow to the E-collar by having him wear it around his neck without any stimulation — just to get him comfortable with the feeling. We also introduced the cot as his “place” and reinforced the “sit” command, which he’s already familiar with.
During training, Marshmallow was very curious about the leash and kept trying to bite it, so I consistently used the “off” command to correct this behavior. When he wasn’t focused on the leash, he did a fantastic job responding to “place,” especially with the help of treats as initial motivation. As we continued practicing, I gradually phased out the treats, and he began responding to “place” happily with just my verbal praise — such great progress for day one!
We also began pairing “place” with “sit,” and Marshmallow caught on quickly. He’s showing himself to be a fast learner!
Not shown in the video, we also worked on his “heel” during walks around the neighborhood. Even though it’s only the first day, I could already feel him pulling less on the leash. With consistency and patience, I’m confident we’ll get him exactly where he needs to be. I truly believe in him!
On his first night, Marshmallow did wonderfully in his crate. He got along beautifully with my family, as well as with Dottie and Henry. Since it was Henry’s last night with us, I was able to capture an adorable farewell photo of all three pups together — it was such a sweet moment.
Marshmallow slept well, ate all his meals, and had all his potty breaks without any issues. Rest assured, we’re taking care of him as if he were part of our own family.
Pupdate 7/8/25
Today we focused on finding the appropriate e-collar stimulus level for Marshmallow. We started at level 0 and gradually increased in small increments until he gave us a clear response, which turned out to be between levels 3–7. Once we identified his working level, we jumped right into training mode, using level 3 to communicate what I needed from him — starting with the “place” command.
To keep things positive, we initially paired the stim with treats. Once Marshmallow understood that the stim was simply a way for me to communicate (and not something to be afraid of), we gradually reduced the treats. In no time at all, he was confidently responding to the command with just my praise. Yay, Marshy!
Next, we introduced “come-to-sit,” which is an essential recall command. Having a strong recall is so important because it teaches a pup to return quickly and safely when called, helping to avoid potential accidents or unwanted encounters. Today was Marshmallow’s first introduction to this skill. He needed some extra encouragement (and a few treats) to find the right position, but with more practice and consistency, I know he’ll master it like a pro.
After working on “come-to-sit,” we returned to “place” and started focusing on building his impulse control and ability to handle distractions. Marshmallow initially struggled to stay settled on the cot, especially when some leaves blew by (thanks, Mother Nature!). With the help of the stim, I was able to communicate to him that leaving “place” was not the desired behavior. After a few attempts, he started to understand and settled nicely. Once he held it calmly and gave me great focus, I gave him the “break” command and celebrated his small but important victory. Huge step forward for Marshmallow today!
Potty training update: Marshmallow is doing fantastic! Despite the heat, he’s staying hydrated, and we’re making sure he gets breaks every 45 minutes to an hour to avoid any accidents. As we get closer to bedtime, we reduce his water intake and take him for a final walk to set him up for a restful night. So far, he’s doing great!
Dottie is really enjoying having Marshmallow around. She loves his puppy energy — even though he’s already a bit bigger than her! He’s such a sweet, lovable boy, and it’s been a joy watching them bond.
I’m so proud of Marshmallow’s progress so far. Way to go, Marshy!
Pupdate 7/9/25
Today we continued working on the “come-to-sit” command. Right now, Mr. Marshmallow isn’t too interested in this exercise — he finds just about everything else more exciting! The treats I’ve been using aren’t quite motivating enough for him, so I’ll be trying out different treats and techniques to find what really captures his attention and helps him stay focused.
Because of the heat, we’re keeping our daytime sessions shorter and will be doing additional training in the evenings when it’s cooler and more comfortable for him.
We also went for a walk using the Heather Halo leash to work on his “heel” and overall walking manners. This leash helps discourage pulling and keeps him close by my side. At first, Marshmallow wasn’t too thrilled about it — he definitely wanted to explore on his own! But after some time and gentle, consistent guidance, he realized I wasn’t going to let him pull. He finally settled in and walked nicely beside me. Good job, Marshy! You’re learning and making great progress!
Potty training update: Marshmallow is doing excellent. He’s going out for potty breaks every hour on the hour, staying well-hydrated in this heat, and has been doing a fantastic job with no accidents at night. We make sure he has plenty of time on his evening walks to take all the breaks he needs before bedtime.
Overall, he’s doing great, and I’m so proud of all his progress so far. Keep it up, Marshy!
Pupdate 7/10/25
Today we took Marshy to Mar Vista Park to work on socialization and help him get used to various distractions—all while fitting in some focused training. We practiced key commands like come-to-sit, heel, place, extended sit, and down.
After a bit of extra practice last night (with the help of some delicious treats I found that Marshy loves), he really started to understand come-to-sit and followed through beautifully. Way to go, Marshy!
We also focused on down in place to help him improve his balance and body awareness. Since he's still a big, growing puppy, he’s figuring out how to manage his size and stay steady—and he’s doing an awesome job! Every session, he’s putting the pieces together.
Little by little, it’s all coming together. Big baby steps in the right direction. Great job today, Marshy!
Pupdate 7/11/25
Today we focused on manners: food, door, and car manners. Since Marshy had already started practicing food manners at home with you, he’s way ahead of the game! We continue to reinforce these daily, and he’s doing wonderfully.
Door Manners:
We’ve been working on these since day one. There are two main types we practiced:
The first is for everyday use when exiting or entering a room. We start by having Marshy sit and make eye contact, calmly waiting for the next command. Once he’s settled, I give him an enthusiastic “OK” to move forward with me.
The second type is for situations like greeting guests or stepping out to get the mail. For this, Marshy is placed in a “sit,” “place,” or “down” position a few feet from the door and must remain there until released. Today we practiced this using a 15-foot leash. We started by placing him just a foot away from the door, but he decided to get up and move back a little bit. We reset, moved him a few feet back, and he did great staying in place until released. Way to go, Marshy!
Car Manners:
Marshy had no trouble here at all. You can definitely tell he loves car rides — there was absolutely no hesitation when asked to “load up.” With a “sit” and then the “load up” command, he hopped right in, just as he’s done in the past.
Marshmallow is doing fantastic in the manners department and is well on his way to becoming a polite, well-behaved pup!
Potty Training Update:
We’ve now extended his potty breaks to every 1.5 hours, unless he’s had a lot of water. He’s doing great with all his breaks and has had no accidents to report.
I’m so proud of Marshmallow’s progress. He’s such a sweet boy and is learning so much every day!
Pupdate 7/12/25
Today our main focus was working on Marshy’s “heel.” We started by holding the leash loosely while he walked in the heel position, and eventually, I let go of the leash entirely, letting it drag behind him. I don’t think he even realized I had let go — such great focus!
We practiced long walks up and down the driveway, including several turns. Marshy did a great job staying right by my side during the turns. In the video, you’ll notice he had a few fumbles and threw a couple of little puppy tantrums — totally normal for his age! He’s still a puppy and naturally wants to do things his own way, but he recovered well each time and continued training like a champ.
I’ve noticed he does much better when it’s cooler, so we’ll continue to get more video footage during our evening sessions.
For a pup his age, he is learning so much so quickly! All he really wants to do is play, so adding structure to his big little life is an adjustment — but he’s adapting beautifully.
Puppy update: Last night, Marshy lost a little molar. We’re keeping it for you! He’s growing so fast and is gaining weight quickly. He is such a fun, sweet boy to have around and gets so much attention wherever he goes.
I’m so proud of him and can’t wait to see him continue to blossom. Way to go, Marshy!
Pupdate 7/13/25
Today we took a trip to Home Depot, giving Marshy a chance to experience a new environment full of different sights, sounds, and smells beyond what he’s used to at home or in the park. Right away, Marshy attracted a lot of attention! He was very curious about all the items in the store, but what really drew his focus were the people walking by. He tried to pull toward the guests in the store several times, but I successfully redirected his attention back to me and to the task at hand, HEEL.
At first, he ignored the correction, so we raised the level slightly to get through to him. He didn’t like it, but it was effective. After a few repetitions, he stopped pulling toward shoppers and began to focus better.
Overall, Marshy handled the busy store environment well. He wasn’t scared at all and actually seemed to enjoy the experience — especially the giant fans, which probably felt great in the hot weather.
Potty Training Update: Marshy is doing fantastic! He’s holding strong with potty breaks every 1 to 1.5 hours and has had no accidents. When let out, he consistently urinates a little right away and then goes again before heading back inside. He’s reliably going twice per potty break and showing excellent progress.
Pupdate 7/14/25
Today we took a trip to breezy Long Beach, where Marshy enjoyed the cool air while being exposed to all the different distractions a beach city has to offer. He was immediately greeted by many onlookers and showed curiosity toward pigeons and skateboarders as we walked past the restaurants and harbor.
We allowed Marshy some time to take in the new sights, sounds, and smells before beginning our training session. Our main focus today was for Marshy to walk comfortably in a heel position. Since it was a Monday, the area was less crowded—making it the perfect opportunity to test him.
During our walk, he showed some interest in people, but I was able to easily redirect him back into heel. He recovered beautifully each time. We started the session on leash, and he did very well. I then had my daughter walk him in heel to see how he responded to someone else handling him—hooray, Marshy!
Finally came the big test: off-leash heel work. After a short break, we put him to the test, and Marshy did great!
We will continue taking him to high-traffic areas to expose him to different distractions and strengthen his heel. Marshy is making fantastic progress!
Pupdate 7/15/25
Today we took Marshy on an adventure to the Westfield Mall in Century City to expose him to the busy shopping crowds and lively environment. Marshy wasn’t at all fazed by the surroundings — he was more interested in the people around him, who were equally fascinated by him. He definitely turned heads as he heeled confidently around the mall during his training session.
As I’ve mentioned before, Marshy does show some curiosity about people, but with gentle redirection, he quickly refocuses on his task. Since he’s still a young pup, continued exposure to bustling areas and different people will help this curiosity fade and become neutral over time.
The great news is that Marshy doesn’t pull; he heels beautifully and is well on his way to becoming a true “professional Heeler”!
Pupdate 7/16/25
Today’s adventure took us across town to The Citadel in Commerce, where Marshy was exposed to more shoppers and a lively outdoor environment. Our main focus remained on helping him stay neutral around people and crowds—no easy task, considering how much attention Marshy naturally attracts with his adorable looks. We practiced commands in high-traffic areas and worked on both on-leash and off-leash heel walks. As usual, Marshy was the star of the show, confidently showing off his walk and drawing plenty of admiring glances. A few pups seemed a little envious of the spotlight he was stealing, but true to form, Marshy stayed focused and unbothered, just doing his thing. Keep it up, Marshy—you’ve got this, buddy!
Pupdate 7/17/25
Today we took a trip to Petco to expose Marshy to a new environment full of different sights, smells, and sounds. While the store wasn’t overly busy, it still offered plenty of stimulation—from background music to enticing pet scents that could easily overwhelm a young pup. As we explored the aisles, Marshy was naturally curious, taking in his surroundings while also drawing plenty of attention from shoppers.
One highlight of our outing was an adorable interaction with a young girl who reminded Marshy of her own St. Bernard, Michael, when he was a puppy. This turned into a perfect opportunity to work on Marshy's greeting manners. She was gentle and respectful, and Marshy responded beautifully—earning both praise and affection at the end of the session.
After she left, we continued to walk through the store and reinforce his commands. Marshy is such a character—his sweet, goofy puppy behavior always shines through. While he already knows all of his basic commands, his immaturity still shows, which is completely normal at this stage. I’ve noticed that he’ll often give me about 5–10 solid minutes of focus before getting distracted and needing a quick reset. This is where patience and consistency are key.
What’s truly rewarding is seeing his growth: Marshy now understands that when I go quiet or withhold praise, it means he hasn't completed the task correctly. I’ve seen him self-correct more and more—an amazing sign of progress. He may be a bit stubborn at times, but we stay consistent and guide him back to the right behavior each time.
With his big personality, eagerness to learn, and daily reinforcement, Marshy is well on his way to becoming a well-mannered and confident pup!
Pupdate 7/18/25
Today, we concentrated on reinforcing Marshy’s manners while off leash and continued reviewing all his obedience commands. Marshy showed great patience during food work—he waited calmly and even remained focused as I walked around to add a bit of distraction. No issues at all. Great job, Marshy!
Door manners were another highlight today. Dottie decided she wanted to join the fun—she was so stealthy that I didn’t even realize she had followed Marshy and me to the door! Despite the surprise, Marshy stayed perfectly in place as I put Dottie away. He’s really excelling in his "place" command. I’ve been gradually increasing both the duration and the level of difficulty by leaving his line of sight, and he continues to stay put obediently. Bravo, Marsh!
Marshy loves car rides! Although he’s still working on building the confidence and strength to load up into the car on his own, once inside, he’s happy to settle into his crate and enjoy the ride. Loading up is still a bit physically challenging for him, but he always gives it his best effort.
In just the past few days, Marshy has made incredible progress. It’s like something finally clicked—he’s now connecting the dots and performing his commands more consistently. While he can still be a bit stubborn, he’s learning that persistence on my end pays off. His little tantrums are becoming less frequent, and with continued structure and consistency, this smart and strong-willed pup is well on his way to becoming a well-mannered gentle giant. I’m so proud of him!
Potty Training Pupdate:
Marshy is doing really well with potty training at home—he knows exactly where the designated area is and uses it consistently. During outings, however, he’s still figuring out where it’s okay to go, so he needs a few more potty breaks than usual. When you're out in public, be prepared to give him extra opportunities until he becomes more familiar with this routine.
Pupdate 7/19/25
For today’s final Pupdate, we took Marshy to Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade, where he proudly showed off all the skills he’s learned over the past two weeks. Marshy confidently heeled off-leash through the promenade while turning heads with his undeniable cuteness. Even with the sun beating down on us, he pushed through the heat and followed every command like a pro.
It has truly been a pleasure working with Marshy. He’s learned so much in such a short time, and although we faced some challenges—especially during his stubborn moments—he showed great progress and resilience. Marshy is still young and has plenty of growing up to do, but he’s well on his way to becoming a well-mannered, gentle giant. I’m so proud of how far he’s come and can’t wait to show you everything he’s learned!
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