Millie | Corgi | Los Angeles, CA. | In Training.
- heatheroffleashsoc
- Jun 21
- 27 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
This sweet little lady is a five-year-old Corgi from Los Angeles, CA, who has just joined us for our Three Week Reactive Board and Train Program. Millie has been described as a loving and excitable girl who enjoys getting out and exploring the world around her. However, during those adventures, Millie has found herself struggling to navigate certain situations, especially when encountering children and other dogs in public. These moments can lead to barking, snapping, and difficulty staying calm.
Millie has also developed a habit of barking at people who approach her home, making it clear that she is looking for some guidance on how to better handle these everyday experiences. While she has plenty of personality and enthusiasm, we believe Millie is ready to learn new ways to communicate and build confidence.
Over the next three weeks, we’ll be working closely with Millie on her basic obedience, impulse control, and house manners, giving her the tools she needs to approach her adventures with more calmness and ease. We’re excited to watch her progress and see the transformation she’s capable of making.
Stay tuned to follow along with Millie’s journey!
6/21/2026
Today was Millie’s first day with me, so we started things off with a walk at Lake Balboa Park. This gave us the perfect opportunity to get better acquainted with one another while also allowing me to assess what she already knows and where we can begin building from there.
It looks like Millie has a good understanding of her sit and down commands, but she currently treats them more as suggestions rather than something she needs to follow every time. That’s completely okay, and we will work on making those commands more reliable and something she understands as an expectation.
We also took some time to introduce the concept of heel and continue working on her sit command. For heel, we focused on helping Millie understand that she should stay connected with me rather than veering away. Anytime she tried to wander off, I would turn in the opposite direction and apply a gentle correction to help guide her back. Millie wasn’t a huge fan of this at first and did try to put the brakes on a bit in protest, but we simply encouraged her to keep moving forward rather than allowing her to avoid the exercise. By the end of our walk, she was already starting to walk a little nicer with me, which was great to see!
For her sit command, we worked on creating a clearer understanding of the cue by applying gentle upward pressure with the leash behind her ears and releasing that pressure the moment she made the choice to sit. We then praised her for making the right decision. We also made an attempt at her come to sit command, but for right now that was a bit too much for her, so we will revisit that once she has a stronger foundation.
After our walk, we headed back to the car to load up and make the trip to her home away from home for the next few weeks. Millie handled the car ride really well! She was very quiet and relaxed, which was wonderful to see. Once we arrived, I gave her some time to explore both inside and outside, and she seemed to settle in nicely. She was understandably a little nervous with all of the new changes happening around her, but that’s completely normal, and I’m confident she will become more comfortable as she gets into a routine.
All in all, it was a great first day of introductions! Millie did a wonderful job adjusting to all the new experiences, and I’m excited to continue building her confidence and helping her grow over the next few weeks.
6/22/2026
Today Millie and I headed out to Home Depot to work on her distraction training and see how she would handle a busier environment. I wanted to give her the opportunity to experience a place where there is always some kind of commotion happening — machines running, forklifts moving around, shoppers pushing loaded carts, and all sorts of unexpected sounds and movements.
As expected, Millie found the environment a bit overwhelming at first. She was nervous and unsure, even flinching at some of the louder noises and sudden movements around her. Instead of immediately asking her to work through it, we took a moment to simply sit and observe. This gave Millie the chance to take everything in at her own pace and learn that even though big things were happening around her, none of those things were meant to harm her. This helped her start to settle and gain a little more confidence in the environment.
Once she had some time to process everything, we began working on her heel command throughout the store. Due to her uncertainty, Millie stayed next to me but kept some distance between us. This was completely understandable, as she is still getting comfortable with me and learning that I am someone she can trust. As our visit continued, it was wonderful to see her slowly begin to relax and close that gap, moving a little closer to me as we walked. Those small changes are important steps in building her confidence and connection with her handler.
We also spent some time working on her sit command. Millie is starting to understand that sit is not just an option, but something she is expected to follow through with. It was great to see her beginning to offer the behavior with less hesitation and less fuss. We also continued practicing her come to sit command, and today’s attempts went much smoother than yesterday’s, which was a great improvement!
Along with everything else, we also introduced Millie to the e-collar today. Like many of the new things she has experienced so far, she was a little unsure of it at first. However, as she continues to relax and build confidence, I’m sure she will become more comfortable with it and understand it as another tool to help guide her.
We still have plenty of work ahead of us, but so far Millie is making good progress. Today was a big step for her, and I’m very proud of the effort she put in despite being in an environment that was outside of her comfort zone.
I did discover quite a bit of fleas and flea dirt on her while giving Millie some extra love today, but no need to worry — I got her all taken care of and sorted out with a quick trip to the groomer. She handled the trip well just did not enjoy getting her nails clipped. She has some irritation on the skin around her chest and back side because of the fleas, but I will continue to monitor this closely.
All in all, Millie had a great day. Watching her slowly gain confidence, trust, and understanding has been wonderful, and I’m excited to continue helping her grow into the confident pup I know she can become!
6/23/2026
Today Millie and I headed back to Home Depot to continue working on the commands she has learned so far while adding in the challenge of distractions. Overall, she did well! Of course, she is still feeling a bit unsure about our outings and is still taking some time to fully warm up to me, but that is completely understandable. Millie is a sensitive little lady, and building that trust and confidence is an important part of her journey.
Her heel is starting to come along nicely. Right now, she is still a little hesitant about staying close, but I know as she becomes more comfortable and confident with me, she will be more willing to close that gap and engage more during our walks. We also saw some improvement with her come to sit command, and her sit command is becoming more reliable and closer to being truly on cue rather than something she chooses when she feels like it.
Today we also began adding some distance and duration to her sit command. Millie did fairly well with this, although I kept the distance limited for now. My goal is to slowly build her up while also allowing her confidence to grow. As the days go on and she becomes more comfortable, we will continue increasing the difficulty and helping her understand that she is capable of more.
After our Home Depot trip, we came back to the house and gave Millie some time to decompress before working on her down command. I know she understands the command, but just like her sit, she has been treating it more as a suggestion rather than something she needs to follow through with. When I asked for her down today, she decided she wasn’t quite ready to cooperate. With some gentle leash guidance downward, I encouraged her to make the choice herself rather than forcing the position. It took some time, but eventually Millie made the decision to lay down, and as soon as she did, she received lots of praise and encouragement for making the right choice.
After a few more repetitions, she began offering the behavior a little more willingly, which was wonderful to see! Those small moments of confidence and willingness are exactly what we are looking for.
All in all, Millie is making good progress. While her biggest challenge right now is simply feeling comfortable and trusting her environment, she is trying, and that effort is something to be proud of. With a little more time and consistency, I’m confident she will continue to come out of her shell. She’s just a sensitive little lady with some big opinions, and we’re working on showing her that the world isn’t quite as intimidating as she thinks. 🐶
6/24/2026
Today Millie and I headed out to a local park to continue building on the progress she has made so far, and she did pretty well overall! Though, of course, Millie had to be a little bit of a diva at first. She seems to find any sort of direction or guidance slightly offensive and would much rather do things her own way. But once we worked through the initial drama, Millie really showed up and put in some great effort!
Her heel is coming along nicely. There is still a bit of a gap between us, but that space continues to get smaller with each day. As Millie becomes more comfortable and understands what is expected of her, I’m confident that connection will continue to improve.
Her sit command is also becoming more reliable and more on command. The main challenge now is getting her to understand that the command doesn’t end once she sits — she also needs to remain seated until released. With a few reminders, she was able to start understanding that expectation a little better.
Her down command went very well today! She offered the behavior when asked and did a great job staying put as I added more distance and duration between us. Way to go, Millie!
Her come-to-sit is continuing to come along nicely as well. The biggest thing we are working through now is distractions. Millie is naturally curious and if something catches her attention, she may decide it needs to be investigated first. With continued practice, she will learn that even when the world gets interesting, she still needs to follow through with her handler.
We also introduced Millie to the place command using my place cot. Considering I’m not entirely sure how much “hop” Millie has in her, we started by simply encouraging her to hop up onto the cot and either sit or lay down. The position itself doesn’t matter as much as the important part — staying put. At first, that was definitely the challenging part for her, but with repetition and guidance, she started to get the hang of it!
All in all, Millie is making great progress. She may have a little attitude about the process sometimes, but she continues to show that she is capable of learning and improving every day. I’m very proud of the effort she is putting in!
6/25/2026
Today we kept things a little closer to home and worked around my neighborhood. This gave us the opportunity to slow things down a bit and really focus on Millie’s commands while building her confidence in a familiar environment. And as you’ll see in her video, she did a wonderful job!
Of course, Millie had to start things off by reminding me that she is still a bit of a diva and making sure I knew exactly how she felt about my corrections. She definitely has opinions and she isn’t afraid to share them! But today she learned an important lesson: when she chooses to listen and follow through, there’s no need for extra pressure and everything becomes much smoother. It was really great to see that moment click for her and watch her begin making those better choices on her own.
Her heel continues to improve, and she is slowly but surely closing the gap between us. While she still has some room to grow with her positioning, it’s been great seeing her become more comfortable staying connected and working alongside me.
Her extended sit and down commands also went very well today. I was able to add more distance and duration, and Millie patiently held her position until she was given another cue. This is a big step for her because it shows she is beginning to understand that the command isn’t just about the initial action, but about maintaining that position until she is released.
Her come to sit is still a work in progress. She is starting to understand the flow and mechanics of the command, but her follow-through still needs some polishing. Right now, she tends to complete the movement while leaving quite a bit of space between us. As she continues building confidence and understanding the purpose of the command, I’m sure we will see that gap continue to close.
Millie also did very well with her place command today. She was able to patiently hold her position and remain there until she was given another cue, showing great improvement with her impulse control and ability to settle.
All in all, Millie is making wonderful progress. She has come a long way from where she started, and it has been so rewarding watching her gain confidence and learn how to navigate these new expectations. I’m incredibly proud of this little loaf and all the hard work she continues to put in! 🐶
6/26/2026
Today Millie and I hit the road and headed out to Santa Monica to continue building her confidence and working on her commands around distractions. And I’m happy to say that Millie did well!
As expected, being in a brand-new environment was a bit overwhelming for her at first. There were lots of new sights, sounds, people, and movement happening around us, and Millie was definitely feeling unsure.
However, what made me really proud was that even while feeling nervous, she was still able to trust in me and follow my direction. That trust is such an important piece of her progress, and it shows that she is starting to understand that she can look to me for guidance when things feel unfamiliar.
Millie showed some nice improvement with her commands today, though her extended stays are still something we will continue to work on. Staying put in a busy environment is a big ask for her right now, especially when her nerves start to take over. A lot of this comes from the fact that public environments can feel unpredictable to her, and that unpredictability is not exactly her favorite thing. With continued confidence building and more exposure, I’m confident she will begin to navigate these situations with much more ease.
One thing I focus on with Millie is keeping my own energy calm and neutral. If I react like something happening around us is a big deal, she’s much more likely to feel that way too. Our energy as handlers has a huge impact on how our dogs perceive the world. Along with that, it’s important that we provide praise for the right behaviors and avoid accidentally rewarding nervous reactions, because attention during those moments can unintentionally reinforce the very thing we’re trying to help them overcome.
Overall, Millie is showing a great understanding of her commands and continues to make progress. She just needs more practice, consistency, and confidence-building experiences. With time, I’m confident this sweet girl will continue coming out of her shell and learn that the world isn’t such a scary place after all!
6/27/2026
Today Millie and I headed out to Santa Monica to continue building on the progress she has made so far while working her commands around distractions, and she did pretty well! Every outing continues to be another opportunity for her to build confidence, practice her skills, and learn that the world around her isn’t something she needs to worry about.
When it comes to her extended commands, Millie is still working through some of the difficulty with staying put. She would much rather run back to me the moment I step away, but with a reminder or two, she is starting to understand what is being asked of her. Once she realizes that she is safe and that I’m still there, she is able to settle for a bit longer. With continued confidence building, I believe this will continue to improve.
Her heel is also starting to look better! I think I may finally be growing on her because she is slowly closing the gap between us more and more. We have reached a point where she no longer feels like she needs to keep quite as much distance between us, and that is a huge step forward for her. Seeing her become more comfortable around me has been incredibly rewarding.
During our outing, we had a few instances where dogs and children passed by, and I could see that she was still unsure about those situations. However, what made me happy was that she did not react. There was no lunging or overreaction—she simply wanted to come back to me for guidance. As I’ve mentioned before, Millie isn’t a huge fan of unpredictability, but she is learning that not every new thing needs to be a big deal.
I think some of this progress has also come from the additional outings we’ve done with other trainers and their dogs. She has had the opportunity to walk around with other pups in close proximity, experience different environments, and practice staying calm around them. She has handled those situations very well, and it’s been great to see her confidence continue to grow.
As far as her nervousness surrounding the leash goes, we haven’t had any accidents, and part of that is because we have been thoughtful about how we introduce it. The goal is not to have her on leash constantly, but rather to help her understand that the leash is just another normal part of everyday life.
We’ve been incorporating it into things like meal times, potty breaks, and other routine moments to help her create a more positive association with it.
The other important piece has been keeping our energy calm and matter-of-fact when putting on her collar and leash. No big excitement or pressure—just calmly showing her, “this is what we’re doing.” So far, that approach seems to be working well for her.
All in all, Millie is making great progress, and it has been so rewarding watching her little personality come out more and more each day. She is learning to trust, gaining confidence, and showing us more of who she really is. I’m so proud of this little lady!
6/28/2026
Today Millie and I headed out to Topanga Village Mall to continue building on her progress with her commands, and she did a wonderful job!
There were lots of different surfaces available for us to practice her place command, so we made that our priority for the day. We worked on adding more distance and duration while asking Millie to hold either a sit or down once she was up on each surface. To my surprise, Millie had very little trouble staying put, which was great to see! She is starting to truly understand the objective of the command and what is being asked of her.
Even better, Millie showed very little hesitation when it came to hopping up onto the different surfaces. Seeing her confidence grow with this command has been such a pleasure, especially knowing how unsure she was in the beginning. She is learning to trust the process and make better choices on her own.
Millie also did well with the rest of her commands today. Her heel continues to improve as she walked nicely at my side, and she showed a good understanding of her come to sit command. We even took some time to venture closer to the children’s play area and simply walk around while taking in the environment.
As expected, the loud noises and excitement from the kids playing were a bit overwhelming for Millie. She wasn’t a fan and tried to convince me that we should go in a different direction! However, with a reminder to stay the course, Millie was able to work through it and continue walking with me, even if she did so with a little reluctance. That’s okay! These moments are exactly where confidence is built. Once she settled down and realized everything was okay, we moved on and continued our session.
All in all, Millie continues to make great progress. She is becoming more confident, more willing to follow through, and is showing a much better understanding of her commands in new environments. I’m very proud of this little lady and all the work she continues to put in! 🐶👏
6/29/2026
Today Millie and I headed out to a park in Rosemead to meet up with fellow trainers and their pups. This gave us another great opportunity to continue building on the progress we’ve been making with her commands while adding in the challenge of working around other dogs.
Today’s objective was to expose Millie to a group of pups and show her that she can still engage with her handler and focus on her work even with exciting and stressful distractions nearby. I asked her to hold her place command and settle into a down while other dogs moved around her and practiced their own commands.
Of course, Millie was nervous at first, and that made staying put a challenge. Each time she got up, I calmly redirected her back into position and continued observing her reactions. After some time, Millie began to settle and her attention started shifting back toward me. This was exactly what I was looking for. I would much rather have Millie looking to her handler for guidance than fixating on the things around her that have previously caused a negative reaction.
One of the biggest moments today was when another dog came over and even hopped onto the place cot with her. Millie did get up and tried to create some space, but there was no nipping, lunging, or escalation toward the other dog. The only time she showed her teeth was when another pup came directly nose-to-nose with her and entered her personal space. This was a warning communication, which is a normal part of dog interaction. In that moment, I simply called her attention back to me, gave her direction, and we continued on with our work.
Overall, today was a great exercise in exposure, confidence building, and focus. Millie continues to do well with her commands, and with more opportunities to practice around other dogs, I’m hopeful she will become more comfortable and less likely to feel the need to react.
Progress like this takes time, and every dog moves at their own pace. Millie is continuing to make improvements, and seeing her learn to navigate these situations with more confidence is something to be proud of!
6/30/2026
Today Millie and I headed out to Century City Mall to continue building on her progress with her commands around distractions. And she did pretty well! As expected, when we first arrived, Millie was a bit anxious about the new environment. A busy mall can be a lot for any dog, especially with all the new sights, sounds, people, and movement happening around her. So instead of immediately asking too much of her, we took some time to walk around, let her observe her surroundings, and allow her to process everything at her own pace.
As we continued walking, Millie gradually started to relax and became more comfortable in the environment. She began to close the gap between us during her heel and showed that she was becoming more willing to trust my direction even while navigating a place that was unfamiliar to her. Once she settled in a bit, we decided to work on her place command and test just how many “hops” this little potato has in her!
Millie surprised me by confidently hopping up onto pretty much every surface I asked her to try. This was a huge win for her because building confidence is such an important part of her training journey. She was able to hold her place command well on each surface, which was wonderful to see. Even though she wasn’t completely comfortable in the environment yet, she was still willing to listen, follow direction, and work through those uncomfortable moments, which shows how much progress she has made.
We also had some other trainers and their pups join us for part of the outing, giving Millie another opportunity to practice around dogs and distractions.
She handled walking amongst them nicely overall. There was one moment where one of the other pups got a little too close for her comfort, and Millie let out a growl to communicate that she was uncomfortable. I gave her an “off” and she immediately made the better choice by coming back to me and sitting beside me. Good choice, Millie! Being able to communicate with her while also redirecting her toward the appropriate behavior is exactly what we want to continue building.
All in all, Millie handled today’s outing very well. She may not have felt completely confident the entire time, but she showed that she can work through those feelings and still make good decisions. Every new environment is another opportunity for her to build confidence, and I am very proud of the effort she put in today!
7/1/2026
Today Millie and I headed back out to the Century City Mall to continue building on her progress with her commands around distractions, and she did a wonderful job!
Of course, when we first arrived, Millie had a little bit of anxiety as she took in the busy environment around her. However, with some guidance and reassurance, she was quickly able to settle in and focus on the task at hand. Once she relaxed, Millie showed off how much progress she has made by performing her commands very well.
Her extended commands are continuing to improve, and today she did a great job staying put when asked, even with all the activity happening around her. Her heel is also coming along nicely as she continues learning to stay by my side and move through new environments with confidence.
Her come to sit is improving as well. We are currently working on encouraging her to follow through with the entire movement, as sometimes Millie would rather take the shortcut instead of making the full trip around to my left side. But with continued practice, she is getting better and better each day.
One of the biggest wins today was seeing Millie remain focused on me even with other pups nearby. Instead of fixating on what they were doing, she was able to stay engaged and continue working through her commands.
All in all, Millie continues to do a fantastic job. She is working through her challenges, building her confidence little by little, and proving that with each new outing she is becoming a more confident and well-rounded companion.
7/2/2026
Today Millie and I headed out to Santa Monica to continue building on her commands around distractions, and she did a great job! While her anxiety still tends to take center stage in new environments, we’re continuing to work on building her confidence in these busy settings, and she’s making steady progress.
I also brought another pup along with us today named Brioche to help Millie become more comfortable around other dogs. She handled having a canine companion very well and even hopped up onto a place object alongside Brioche so we could snap an adorable picture together! It was wonderful to see her remain calm and coexist so nicely.
As our outing went on, Millie began to relax, which was really nice to see. She’s truly starting to understand her commands, although she still gives me those classic little side-eyes every now and then, as if she’s asking, “Are you actually serious?” Once she realizes I am, she gets right to work and follows through beautifully.
Overall, Millie is making wonderful progress at her own pace, and that’s exactly what I want to see. Every outing has helped build her confidence a little more, and I’m so proud of how hard she’s working through each new challenge. Way to go, little potato!
7/3/2026
Today Millie and I headed out to Santa Monica to continue building on the progress she’s been making with her commands around distractions, and she did a great job! She’s really starting to show a solid understanding of what is being asked of her. During an extended sit, she only broke position once when a friendly lady stopped to take her picture. Millie, being the silly little goose she is, decided that meant it was time to go with her! I quickly reset her back into position, and on our second attempt she was much more successful.
Although Millie had a bit of initial anxiety at the start of our outing, she settled in nicely and finished the day feeling much more confident. I was so proud of her for working through those nerves and continuing to make good choices. She really is such a smart little bean!
We did have one moment where Millie gave a small growl as a particularly rowdy child passed by. She was immediately given an “Off” and responded appropriately. Aside from that brief moment, she handled everyone else we encountered very well and stayed focused on me throughout the outing.
Overall, Millie continues to make wonderful progress, and it’s been so rewarding to watch her confidence grow with each adventure!
7/4/2026
Happy Fourth of July!
Today Millie and I kept things close to home, spending the day working on all of her commands around my neighborhood. After last night’s pre-holiday fireworks, Millie was feeling a bit anxious, so we started with a relaxing heel walk, allowing her to take in her surroundings as long as she stayed close by my side.
This seemed to help her settle in, and before long she was much more relaxed.
Once she was comfortable, we began practicing her commands, and she did a great job! Her understanding of what is being asked of her continues to grow each day. Her extended sits and downs came easily today, and her heel is steadily becoming more polished. Her come to sit is still a little inconsistent at times, as she can get distracted if something interesting is happening nearby, but after a quick reminder she refocuses and finishes the command nicely.
After our walk, Millie enjoyed some well-deserved downtime before we headed back outside for a little play session with her favorite blue bone. She had a great time! Today’s activities weren’t just about reinforcing her training—they were also meant to help burn off some extra energy in hopes that she’ll be nice and tired when the fireworks begin this evening.
After playtime, we came back inside to enjoy the air conditioning, and Millie certainly had no complaints about that! She happily soaked up the cool air and even spent some time giving me plenty of sweet cuddles.
To help keep her as comfortable as possible tonight, I’ve set up a cozy space for her in her crate with a blanket draped over it and some calming music playing to help muffle the sounds of the fireworks outside. Hopefully this will make the evening a little less stressful for her.
Overall, Millie is making wonderful progress with her commands, and I’m so proud of how far she’s come. Keep up the great work, Miss Millie!
We hope you enjoy today’s festivities if you’re celebrating. Have a fun and safe Fourth of July!
7/5/2026
Today Millie and I headed out to Home Depot to continue building on her progress with her commands in a distracting environment. It wasn’t especially busy today, but there was still plenty of noise around us, which was exactly what we were looking for since Millie is particularly sensitive to loud sounds.
When we first got started, Millie had an especially difficult time holding her extended sit and down commands. The noises around her made it hard for her to settle and remain in position. However, as we continued practicing, she began to understand what I was asking of her and was able to hold her positions with much more confidence. She kept her eyes locked on me the entire time, eagerly waiting for her next cue, which certainly isn’t a bad habit to have!
For her extended place command, Millie did very well until something very loud crashed behind her. She popped up in surprise, but before I could even fully reset her, she corrected herself and returned to place on her own. Moments like that are always rewarding because they show she’s beginning to understand the concept of the command rather than simply relying on my guidance.
Her heel is continuing to look very nice as well. When she’s feeling especially nervous, she still has a tendency to create a little extra space between us, pulling slightly as if she’s trying to lead us away from whatever startled her. With a little encouragement, though, she settles back into position and continues working.
Millie’s come to sit is looking lovely! She’s really getting the hang of it. Every now and then, though, I swear she’s just checking to see if I’m paying attention because she’ll decide to improvise by walking right past me or stopping behind me instead of finishing the command. Silly little lady!
Overall, Millie handled today’s outing very well. While she still struggles with anxiety, I’m confident that with continued exposure, patience, and confidence-building exercises, she’ll continue making steady progress. These are not things we can rush, but she is showing improvement every day. Keep up the great work, Millie!
7/6/2026
Today’s outing was all about continuing to build Millie’s confidence around other dogs! We headed to a park in Rosemead to meet up with some fellow trainers and their pups, giving us the perfect opportunity to work specifically on her dog reactivity. Millie has been doing very well with all of her commands, so it felt like the right time to put more focus on this area. From what I’ve observed, her reactivity is primarily triggered by high-energy dogs that get a little too close for her comfort, so today we intentionally gave her some controlled opportunities to practice staying calm.
I’m happy to report that Millie handled herself very well! Rather than growling or showing her teeth, she simply chose to move away when another dog got too close or occasionally tried to remove herself from the interaction altogether. Honestly, that’s exactly what we’d like to see. Choosing avoidance over confrontation is a much healthier response, and it’s something we can continue to build upon. One of today’s biggest wins was seeing Millie comfortably share a place cot with another dog without any issues!
That was fantastic progress and a great indication that she’s becoming more comfortable being in close proximity to other dogs. I don’t expect her to become a social butterfly or start playing with other pups anytime soon, but with continued positive, structured interactions like these, I have no doubt we’ll continue seeing improvement.
We’ve also been working on similar exercises at home. While we’re relaxing in the living room, I’ll occasionally bring my dog Quinn out to help create some real-life training opportunities. Quinn is a very energetic dog and isn’t shy about getting into Millie’s personal space. When that happens, Millie will sometimes show her teeth, growl, and even position herself between Quinn and me, almost as if she’s saying, “This human is mine.” Whenever she does this, I calmly correct her with the Off command and immediately give Quinn attention instead. This helps communicate that I don’t belong to Millie and that everyone is safe and welcome around me. After a few moments, she begins to settle and relax, which is great to see.
Even my cat Loki occasionally joins the training sessions! Millie usually has something to say when Loki wanders into the room, but I handle it the same way by using the Off command and giving Loki attention as well. Millie is beginning to understand that if she leaves the cats alone, they’ll leave her alone too, making for a much more peaceful environment.
Overall, Millie continues to make steady progress every day. Her obedience skills are becoming more reliable, and her confidence around other animals is slowly but surely growing through consistent, positive exposure. She’s an incredibly smart little potato who simply needed someone to show her a different way of handling these situations, and she’s proving every day that she’s more than capable of learning. I’m very proud of the progress she’s making!
7/7/2026
Today’s adventure took Millie and me out to Santa Monica to continue building on her commands around distractions. Today, however, Millie showed up ready to test a few boundaries! I intentionally chose a busy street to work on. While there wasn’t a ton of foot traffic, there was plenty of noise from passing cars, and at one point a group of motorcycles came roaring through. The extra commotion definitely made Millie a bit nervous, but it also gave us a great opportunity to work through it and show her that even when the world feels chaotic, she can still focus and take direction.
Millie’s heel command went fairly well overall, though she had a few moments where she tried creating a little extra space between us. We also spent time working on her extended sit and down commands, and this was where she really decided to test me. Every time I stepped away, she wanted to get up and follow. Rather than letting it slide, we simply reset and tried again until she understood exactly what was being asked of her. After a few repetitions, everything started to click, and we were able to finish with some solid victories—even if she had to be a little sassy about it first!
Days like today are completely normal, and they’re an important part of the training process. Since I know Millie understands these commands, it’s important that I hold her accountable. Dogs don’t get to pick and choose when they feel like listening, and working through these moments is what builds reliability. Despite a few bumps along the way, Millie finished our outing on a high note. I’m proud of her for working through her mood, pushing past her hesitation, and ultimately showing me that she knows exactly what to do.
7/8/2026
Today Millie and I headed out to Home Depot to continue building on her obedience around real-world distractions. Overall, she did a great job with her commands! Our main challenge today was her extended commands, as Millie decided she had some concerns regarding the amount of time she was expected to remain in one place. Unfortunately for her, the complaint department was closed, so we made patience our focus for the day.
It took some time, consistency, and a few heartfelt protests from Millie, but eventually it started to click that no matter how cute, dramatic, or impatient she may be, waiting calmly for her release cue is the key to success. At first, she seemed convinced that if she sighed loudly enough or looked sufficiently inconvenienced, the rules might change. To her surprise, they did not.
Once she accepted that negotiations were over, Millie settled in and got back to work. She practiced her commands just as we’ve been doing and showed that she is more than capable of making good choices when she puts her mind to it. Like any true professional boundary tester, she simply wanted to confirm that the expectations were still the same as yesterday.
Despite the occasional moment of corgi commentary, Millie handled the Home Depot environment very well and worked through the distractions nicely. By the end of our outing, she was much more successful with her extended commands and showed some great progress.
All in all, it was a productive day. There was a little sass, a little drama, a brief attempt at labor negotiations, and plenty of learning. In other words, a perfectly normal training day with Millie. Great work today, little corn dog!
7/9/2026
Today Millie and I headed back out to Century City Mall to continue building on her commands around plenty of real-world distractions, and she did a fantastic job! After spending the last couple of days testing some boundaries, Millie really turned things around today. She did a great job holding her extended sit and down commands, just as we’ve been practicing, and she continues to show a much better understanding of what is being asked of her.
We also spent time working on her come to sit. Overall she did very well, though she still has moments where stopping to sniff something on the way seems a bit more important than coming straight in. That’s perfectly normal and something that will continue to improve with consistent practice and clear expectations.
Millie’s heel is also looking very nice! When she’s feeling confident, she walks right alongside me, but when she gets a little nervous she still has a tendency to create a little extra space between us. As she continues gaining confidence through regular practice and exposure to the big world around her, this will become more consistent as well.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a typical day of training if Millie didn’t add a little of her own flair to the session—but that’s okay! At the end of the day, she’s a dog, and dogs are going to have their moments where they just have to do what dogs do. The important part is that her handlers remain consistent, continue holding her accountable, and follow through with her commands when she decides to test the rules. With consistency and clear expectations, she’ll continue making great progress.
Overall, Millie continues to make steady progress at her own pace and is showing a great understanding of all of her commands. I’m very happy with how far she’s come, and I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next. Way to go, Millie!
Comments