Millie | German Shepherd | Monrovia, CA | In-Training
- shannonoffleashsoc
- Jan 14
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 16
Meet Millie! Millie is a nine-year-old long-haired German Shepherd from Monrovia, California, who is here for our Two-Week Board & Train Program.
Millie is a sweet older dog who already knows basic obedience but needs to brush up on her commands. Millie has a high prey drive and gets easily distracted by squirrels and pretty much everything else that moves. lol Millie demonstrates reactive behavior when encountering other dogs. She typically presents barking, lunging, or heightened arousal. This is often rooted in over-excitement, frustration, or lack of impulse control rather than aggression. Millie also becomes overexcited and may jump on guests when they visit her home.
Over the next 14 days, we'll brush her up on her heeling and other basic commands, teaching her impulse control. Having a structured environment and implementing the Place command, Millie will have to learn when it is appropriate to meet her house guests. At the end of this program, Millie will demonstrate that "old dogs can learn new tricks."
Stay tuned to Millie's transformation!!!
Pupdate 1/16/2026
Today we introduced the down and place commands during our training session. Your dog showed curiosity and a willingness to learn as we broke each behavior down into small, manageable steps. For the down command, we focused on guiding her into position calmly and rewarding her for holding it. With the place command, she began to understand that stepping onto a designated mat or platform and remaining there earns praise and treats. She responded well to clear guidance and is already starting to make the connection.
We also trained in a new location to help build her confidence and generalize the behaviors. The unfamiliar environment naturally brought new sights, sounds, and smells, but she adapted nicely once we settled into the session. She took a few minutes to explore and sniff around, which is normal, and then was able to shift into working mode. Overall, she handled the change of scenery well and made solid progress with both commands.
Date: | 1/16/2026 | |||||||||||
Morning Feeding Amount: | 2 - Scoop | Amount Consumed: | Ate it all | |||||||||
Evening Feeding Amount: | 2 - Scoop | Amount Consumed: | Ate it all | |||||||||
Trained in the backyard added the down command. | ||||||||||||
Pupdate 01/17/2026
During today’s training session at the park, we focused on helping your dog work through various distractions in a busy outdoor environment. There were plenty of new smells, sounds, and activity around us, which provided a great opportunity to build engagement. She was very interested in exploring the area and did quite a bit of sniffing, especially when we first arrived. I allowed some structured sniff breaks so she could take in her surroundings, and then we shifted back into training to reinforce focus and responsiveness.
As the session went on, she began checking in with me more consistently and was able to redirect from the environment with gentle guidance. We practiced engagement exercises, basic cues, and rewarding eye contact to strengthen her ability to tune out distractions. Even with all the interesting scents around, she showed nice progress in settling into the work and staying connected. Overall, it was a productive session, and she handled the park environment well for a dog who enjoys sniffing and exploring.
Date: | 1/17/2026 | |||||||||||
Morning Feeding Amount: | 2 - Scoop | Amount Consumed: | Ate it all | |||||||||
Evening Feeding Amount: | 2 - Scoop | Amount Consumed: | Ate it all | |||||||||
Trained at Monrovia Library Park | ||||||||||||
Pupdate 01/17/2026
Millie and I spent today’s session working in the backyard, where she showed a lot of interest in sniffing and exploring rather than focusing on training. She wasn’t as enthusiastic as usual, which can happen when there are a lot of outdoor distractions or when a dog is feeling a bit less motivated. I allowed her a brief moment to take in the environment, then redirected her back to the task so she could settle into the session.
We continued to work on her heeling, specifically reinforcing walking without stopping to sniff. With consistent guidance and rewards for staying engaged, she showed moments of nice focus and responsiveness. While today wasn’t her most driven day, she still made progress, and with continued practice she’ll become more reliable even in distracting outdoor environments.
Date: | 1/18/2026 | |||||||||||
Morning Feeding Amount: | 2 - Scoop | Amount Consumed: | Ate it all | |||||||||
Evening Feeding Amount: | 2 - Scoop | Amount Consumed: | Ate it all | |||||||||
Trained in the backyard. Worked on focus and sniffing. | ||||||||||||
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