Meet Maya! She is a sweet and energetic 9 year old Pitbull Boxer mix from Los Angeles, CA. She has joined Off Leash So Cal for our Two Week Board and Train program to work on introducing her to new commands with the goal of being Off Leash. We will also be further proofing any commands that she already knows but does not remain consistent with. She knows how to Play Dead, Shake, and Sit. She also is quite confident when jumping on top of new surfaces!
When Maya comes across another dog she tends to become over stimulated and can be quite reactive which is what we will be working on over these next two weeks. We will also expose her to new environments and build a strong foundation for her training. Stay tuned for her Two Week transformation!
Pupdate 11/7/2022
Maya and I spent the day together hanging out at her new temporary home. We got her all settled in and she met the pack through the fence. They all seemed to get along well so she will be interacting with them very soon, once we got some obedience down. Training begins tomorrow!
Pupdate 11/8/2022
Maya and I took a trip to The Home Depot together where we introduced her to the e collar along with leash pressure. When I guide Maya it is with the directional changes of the leash. When she follows the direction of the leash, I then release that pressure quickly so she can learn how to turn that pressure off. Every time I applied leash pressure, e collar stimulation was applied simultaneously. She caught on quickly and did not resist at all.
We worked on her Extended Sit and Heel. The goal is for Maya to hold her Extended Sit for two minutes until being released with the cue Break. For it being her first day, she did great with holding her Sit when in a new environment like Home Depot. She naturally Heels quite nicely on my left hand side. If she did pull ahead, I popped the leash and turned the opposite way along with stimulation of the e collar. Frequent turns helps keep her engaged. Home Depot was a great place to train at with Maya. Since she is a bit skiddish when loud noises, big objects, or men approach her, exposure is going to be our primary focus for these next two weeks. She barked at one of the other male trainers today and appeared defensive yet was fearful. Her tail was tucked in yet she did not avoid him and stood her ground. I corrected her bark with stimulation of the e collar then approached the trainer with encouragement. I gave the other trainer a treat and at first Maya was hesitant to take it from his palm. After she saw me approach him and put another treat in his hand, she felt comfortable enough to then approach and eat the treat. After a few repetitions with all the male trainers in our team, she let them pet her and even gave them kisses! We will keep building her confidence in these questionable scenarios.
Pupdate 11/8/2022
Maya and I ventured out to the mall today to expose her to a more distracting environment. When first arriving somewhere, Maya is a bit unsure of her environment and displays signs of stress. She cowers and tucks in her tail. I encourage Maya to continue to work through it and reward her for checking in with me, which is something she has been doing much more often. It is great for Maya to seek her handler for leadership and reassurance. She Heeled nicely and began to hold her Extended Sit for a longer period of time today while crowds of people passed by her.
Pupdate 11/9/2022
Maya and I ventured out to the outlets today to further proof her commands, work on proper socialization with new people, and introduce her to the Place command. The Place command is great to use to build confidence with Maya, as well as prevent unwanted behaviors such as jumping on guests when greeting them at home or using a familiar cot in an unfamiliar environment to help acclimate her to her surroundings.
Maya at first was a little hesitant to jump onto a small surface. After some encouragement and guidance with the leash she worked up the courage to jump and perform a Down until released with the cue Break! We will now work on building duration and keeping distance between us for her commands.
Pupdate 11/10/2022
Maya and I went to The Citadel Outlets today to further expose her and socialize her in a new setting. After taking a lap to expose her to her new environment, we worked on her Come to Sit which she is beginning to improve on. She struggled initially with following leash pressure at times. With extra hand signals to guide her to my left hand side, she is gravitating more and more to my left side now. We then worked on Place to continue to build a calm state of mind for Maya. She even had the opportunity to practice this with another male trainer as well. At first she was hesitant to go with him on leash away from me. After she received some high value treats from the male trainer, she performed her cues more confidently and even showed him love with kisses!
While Heeling together we came across a couple that wanted to say hi to her. At first she seemed alert by these curious couples looking at her. I then worked her through it and approached the couple with her, encouraging her to say hi. She then looked to me for reassurance and walked up to say hi. I rewarded her for the interaction and will continue to have these positive interactions with new people to help her build confidence.
Pupdate 11/11/2022
Maya and I went to Santa Monica Pier today to work on exposing her to a very distracting environment with crowds of people, dogs, unfamiliar roller coaster noises, entertainers playing music, etc. At first Maya needed a few laps around her new environment to become comfortable. Once she appeared more comfortable and confident in her environment, her tail came out completely, held high and wagging. She was happy to say hi to many new people, men included. I communicate to new people to approach her from the side and let her approach to sniff on her terms. She was such a sweet girl, offering plenty of kisses!
We emphasized our work on her Come to Sit. She resists the e collar stimulation at times when paired with leash pressure. I guide her with my body language to come towards me by stepping back while cuing her to Come. I utilized a wall to help keep her closer to me to perform a proper Come to Sit. After utilizing the wall, she positioned herself right next to me, not resisting the leash pressure or stimulation of the collar. We had frequent breaks which helped keep her motivated to work more. Great job Maya!
Pupdate 11/12/2022
Maya and I have been focusing our work primarily on exposure to new environments. She has improved with her Extended Sit and Down while crowds of people pass by and can hold it for up to two minutes. I give her extra guidance when triggers are near, like men. I cue Off and call her name then reward when she offers me her attention. This name game helps keep Maya focused on me and less on her environment. This video is from our trip to the Pier yesterday.
Pupdate 11/13/2022
Maya had the opportunity to work in different environments this weekend which has helped improve her confidence. It doesn’t take Maya as long as it once did to acclimate to her new surroundings. We have been working on proofing and increasing duration for her Extended Sit and Down. She checks in with me much more frequently, which is exactly what I am looking for, especially during her Heel. We will keep working on building her confidence by providing constant exposure to new people and environments
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Pupdate 11/14/2022
Maya and I worked on proofing her commands some more with added distance between us utilizing a 15 ft leash. She is able to hold her Extended Sit for up to a minute before going into a Down which is understandable due to her age. She is also able to hold her Extended Down for two minutes minimum while in Place near distractions like other pups. Maya has not vocalized towards people or other dogs all week! I make sure not to overlook her good behavior and mark it with a Yes whenever she allows a crowd to pass by her.
Pupdate 11/15/2022
Maya and I had a fun day of training together at the park where we had the opportunity to proof all of her commands near her biggest triggers like men, dogs and even packs of squirrels. Maya was consistent with her commands as a few men passed by her. These men were wearing shades and a hat which I thought might make her uneasy. She glanced at the men, then checked back in with me which I reinforced with a Yes and rewarded with a treat. Rewarding her for engagement near these triggers are the best way to prevent reactivity and also increases her trust with her handler. We will keep working near these triggers and practice more proper introductions. c
Pupdate 11/16/2022
Maya and I ventured out to The Citadel Outlets today where we had the opportunity to prepare for her Final video. There was quite a lot going on at the Outlets for a Wednesday afternoon which was great! We had plenty of opportunities to work near many triggers of hers. Maya has improved with remaining engaged while crowds of people pass her. She does become overstimulated when she sees a reactive dog. Maya does not vocalize but will tend to become distracted and tuck in her tail. If I see a reactive dog I make a 180 turn towards the opposite direction with her to regain her attention. If the dog is not provoking her she is much more calm and works with ease.
We worked together with the leash dragging to see if she can follow through with more visual cues instead. With extra guidance through body language, she did well with her recall and following my lead!
Pupdate 11/17/2022
Maya and I visited the Outlets once again to begin filming for her final video. We had the opportunity to proof her commands around a ton of distractions which Maya did great with! She confidently held her Extended Sit and Place as many people passed by her, offering eye contact. There were several reactive dogs lunging and pulling towards Maya. Maya continued to Heel with me past these dogs, as I Cued Off. Excellent work Maya!
Pupdate 11/18/2022
Maya and I spent our day of training at The Bella Terrace Outlets. She passed by a few dogs and has appeared a lot less stimulated when seeing one. She has remained consistent with her Extended Sit and Place as there’s added distance between us.
Maya and I then worked on her Food Manners. She is expected to hold her Sit or Down while being fed. After the food bowl is placed on the floor, that is not her cue to get up. Her cue to eat is when I release her with the Cue Break. Although tempted, Maya was able to hold her sit while I eventually went out of sight.
Pupdate 11/19/2022
Maya and I spent the day filming the rest of her content for her Final video. She practiced Greeting Manners with friendly people that wanted to say hi and sat politely for being pet.
Maya has overall become more confident, can hold her Place and Extended Sit for a minimum of two minutes, and can Come to Sit from about 15 ft away. I recommend constantly taking Maya to new environments. Since she can be a nervous girl at times, desensitization to new places will only further improve her training. She is a loving girl who needs a lot of guidance, structure and leadership to thrive and follow instructions. She has come a long way and we can not wait to show you what she has learned. Thank you for trusting me with Maya!
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