Meet Millie! She is a fifteen month old English Bulldog who has joined us for our One Week Board and Train Program. Millie is here for basic obedience, leash pulling, nipping, and growling and biting at times when she is being picked up. Millie has a mind of her own and will only listen when she wants to. She also lunges at cars and runners, which makes it difficult to take her on a walk. Over the next seven days, Millie will be working on her obedience as well as better leash control and be set up for success, with the hopes of becoming a well behaved pup. Check in to see her progress!
Millie and I spent the afternoon getting to know each other by going out for a walk at a local park to establish a bond. Millie was a little shy at first, but eventually warmed up to me the more we walked. She was pulling away from me, and she would also fall behind at times. To keep her from doing so, I introduced Millie to Heel. Heel is a technique that consists of having her walk next to me on my left side, which is useful to keep her from lunging or pulling towards things and people. Anytime Mille pulled away from me, I turned, walked in the opposite direction, and guided her back towards me with leash tension. When she fell behind, I would walk a little faster and give her some verbal encouragement to have her catch up. We are working with a slip lead in which she is responding very well to as I steer her in the right direction. Millie is making progress, but I will continue to work on her Heel, as it will now be applied on every walk that we go on.
Millie and I drove out to a local park and worked on her recall which is known as Come to Sit. Come to Sit is a valuable behavior to learn as it keeps Millie safe from dangerous situations, and under your control to prevent unwanted behaviors. This behavior consists of having Millie come towards my right, going around behind me, and sitting on my left. Teaching her recall this way makes it easier to begin a walk, as she will come into position when she sits, and be ready to “Heel” when you ask her to. Millie had trouble coming towards my right, so I worked her through it with leash tension. She would also stop and sit behind me a few times, so I would take a few steps forward, and guide her towards my left with leash tension. It is a work in progress since I do keep her sessions shorter than most given her breed, but Millie is understanding the concept and following through.
Millie and I worked on Place today. This technique consists of having Millie getting onto an elevated object and remaining there in a Sit or a Down. Place builds confidence in a dog, and it can be of great use when guests are over or if there is a knock on your door. Considering Millie’s size, we worked with low level objects. I began by introducing her to the steps in my front yard, starting with the lowest one, and eventually work our way one more step up. She did very well with the steps, and had no problem getting onto them. When we began working with a place box, Millie was quite hesitant and did not want to follow through. To work her through it, I used slight leash tension to guide her on, and once she was able to place at least one paw on the object, I released her with a “Break,” and rewarded her with praise. During our next rep, she was able to place both of her front legs, which led to another Break and more praise. Once I saw consistency in her placing both front paws, I then used leash tension to assist her in getting her back legs on. Millie was a little stubborn about it, but she was able to follow through with what I was asking. It does take time to teach new behaviors, so remember to always remain patient, as it is key when it comes to training.
Millie and I have been working on Down. This technique can be one of the most difficult to teach a dog considering it being a submissive position, which can also make them feel vulnerable being down on all fours. To teach Millie, I used some of her treats and some leash tension to guide her towards the ground. She did have an idea of the behavior but needed a little reconditioning to have her understand it more. She was a little stubborn initially and would stiffen up her front legs, but by remaining patient and releasing her with a “Break” anytime she made an intent to go into a Down, Millie was able to follow through. She is doing well with it, and she has even learned how to remain in a Down while working on her Door Manners, as you can see in this clip.
Happy Thanksgiving! Millie and I have been going out to public settings and she has been doing great. She remains next to me throughout our walks, and does not pull or lunge as people are passing us by. During our walks from a parking structure or parking lot, depending on where we go, Millie has been exceptional and is not lunging or trying to chase cars driving by, which was one of the main concerns for her. She adjusts very well to her surroundings, and she has also been letting me pick her up without any kind of reactivity towards me. Millie is a big sweetheart and I really enjoy the compliments we receive on her good behavior anytime we are out.
Millie and I have been working on her Final by piecing everything that she has learned together. In just a matter of days, Millie has done an exceptional job with her behaviors. She may be a little stubborn at times, which is normal in dogs, as they will challenge us as owners. It is up to us to remain patient and work our pups through it. I am proud of Millie’s ability to learn quick, and it is great to see her results. Enjoy this clip of Millie working on some behaviors around people serving as a distraction.
Millie has completed her One Week Board and Train Program and is ready to come home. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity in being her trainer, and for also trusting me with Millie while she was under my care. It was really fun to work with her and I enjoyed the time spent together. She was a great co-pilot and she will be missed. I look forward to showing you what she has learned, and remember to always stay consistent with her, so she can become the best pup that she can be. Thank you Millie!
