Milo | Golden Retriever | Los Angeles, CA | In Training
- Alex Kruse
- Jul 17
- 13 min read
Updated: Jul 30
Meet Milo! He's a 5-month-old Golden Retriever from Los Angeles, California, and he's here for our Two Week Urban Board and Train Program. Milo is a typical puppy with all the typical puppy problems. He gets a little mouthy when he's excited, he jumps on people to greet them, he pulls on the leash and doesn't often come when he's called, and he needs to learn to stay off the bed. Over the next two weeks we'll teach him all his basic commands so he has a good training foundation, show him some proper puppy manners both in and out of the home, and we'll be starting the process of getting him accustomed to being home alone so he doesn't develop separation anxiety issues. Stay tuned for Milo's two-week transformation!
7/17/26
Milo and I spent some time at the park before heading home just to get to know each other a little bit, and so I could see what he might already know. He does clearly know how to Sit, so for that one we'll work on refining it so he can hold it longer, as well as moving into position faster when told. He sort of came when I called him, but it was definitely on his own time, so we'll make sure he learns to come over with a bit more speed and enthusiasm! And then we'll of course be working on that Heel command and teaching him how to lay down. Outside of that he was just being a silly, happy, curious puppy, wanting to go say hi to every person and dog we passed, and generally just acting happy to be out and about! I think he may have actually liked being in the crate in the car as he only barked a couple times early in the trip, then quieted right down and slept the rest of the way home. I introduced him to the play yard and my dogs once he got out and he took to playing with them right away! He did only a little bit of barking here and there, but mostly just hung out with the pack in the shade like he's been here all his life! Inside the house he made sure to sniff every corner then made himself right at home. He ate without any issues and seems to be acclimating very well! I think he's going to get along just fine here and I can't wait to see how fast he'll catch on to his training!
7/18/26
To get things started, Milo and I headed out to just a local neighborhood park that I know is generally not very busy. I wanted low distractions so Milo could really focus up on me while he was learning the new process. I began with the Sit, making sure he knew he had to follow through after the first time I asked, and that he had to hold it until I gave him a release word. For our program we use "Break!" for the release word, which will be the same for every command moving forward. I also worked on establishing a marker word, which is just a sound that is made as soon as Milo gives me what I'm asking for. I use the word "Yes!", which comes before any treat rewards. That way Milo starts to listen for that marker sound to let him know he's doing things correctly instead of relying on the treats as much. So all together, I give him the command "Sit" and as soon as his rear touches the ground, I say "Yes!" then give him a treat, and then I release him with the word "Break!" If he gets up before I give him the release word, I simply give him a correction and put him back in his sit. For right now I'm only counting a few seconds before releasing him, and I'll gradually build up to longer durations and practice adding distance away from him. We did the same thing working with his Down (lay down) command, and I began teaching him his Heel using a treat lure at first and his marker word any time he was in the correct Heel position (on the left side close to my leg without any leash pressure). We only worked on it a few minutes before I was already starting to fade out the lure, which tells me he's a quick learner and eager to please! I also worked on his recall, adding in a step at the end where not only does he need to come when he's called, but he needs to come and sit on the Heel side. That way he's already ready to roll if you need to start walking with him. Overall he did really well with everything, and isn't overly sensitive to the e-collar. He does have his little stubborn moments, but it doesn't take much at all to get him back on track. We're off to a great start with Milo!
7/19/26
Milo and I went out to Pamela Park today, which is sort of hit and miss on how heavy the distractions are but it definitely has a lot more room to work. There were a few kids on the playground but foot traffic was pretty light today, so we didn't have too much chaos around us. That allowed Milo to focus up on me still, and I drilled him more on his Heel, getting him used to moving towards the right position at the end of his Recall, and adding some more distance and duration to his Sit and Down. I also introduced Place today using the picnic table so I could also get him used to climbing up onto things (which is helping him learn to get into the car). It started with me having to climb up onto the table with him, then I was able to fade that all the way out to just gestures and verbal commands. He caught on pretty fast, and when we left the park he did get into the car all by himself! At home he's sleeping and eating just fine, and he's getting along great with the other dogs. He is doing a little barking during play here and there so we're working on correcting that. Some barking is fine, of course (he is a dog!), but it's when he keeps going that it becomes an issue. He's often doing it to pester the other dogs when they aren't in the mood to play with him, so for his safety he's learning what 'Hush' means so he'll quiet down when told. No one likes a kid screaming in their ear when they're trying to rest! Overall though, he's doing fantastic for such a short time being here already!
7/20/26
It was group training day so Milo got to work around the other Off Leash trainers and their dogs. He was a little distracted and wanted to go say hi to everyone, but he was able to focus up pretty quickly despite that and performed all his commands without too many issues. It's clear he understands everything already, so at this point we'll start working on really refining everything, getting all of it nice and sharp, and adding more and more distractions to work around. He really seems to like his Place command now too and was almost eager to hop up on any of the cots that were laying around, so I think he's going to be fine going into his Place on the couch when told. He's also having no issues at home doing his Place in the dog bed. As long as he's comfortable and knows where he should be, he does just fine!
7/21/26
I took Milo out to Library Park today where there's typically dogs, kids, bikes and picnickers hanging around. It was a little warm even in the morning so there weren't as many people out as normal, but there were still enough to be distracting, and more than enough to want to stop and pet him while he was having his down time! Milo's such a fast learner, he was giving me most of his commands without me having to do much. He was Heeling on his own without being told, and his Sit and Recall are getting cleaner and cleaner. He can still be a little bit stubborn with the Down so we're still working on getting that one more sharp, but he's getting there! We also worked a bit on his greeting manners since so many people wanted to stop and say hello, which just means he needs to go into a Sit before anyone can touch him. That helps to stop him from trying to jump up before he even has a chance to start, and lets him know that he isn't going to get that attention he wants unless he's sitting. He did really good today despite all the distractions. We love a puppy who loves learning and is eager to please!
7/22/26
For today's adventure Milo and I headed over to Old Town Monrovia just to walk up and down the historical main shopping street. There were plenty of people out enjoying the small shops, and a few sitting down for lunch outside the diners, plus some other people walking their dogs. Milo was a perfect gentleman going through all of it! He didn't try to nose at anybody who was eating, he was interested in saying hi to other dogs but I was able to divert him easily to continue on our way, he stayed at his Heel the entire time, and he moved into all his positions without any problems. He got a little jumpy when a big delivery truck dropped its ramp, but nothing a little bit of ear scritches, verbal encouragement, and a treat couldn't calm him down from. He basically acted like he's been a regular city dog his whole short life! He's also doing great with his manners at home. He's sitting before we go through doors or gates, he doesn't pull anymore as we're shuffling him between the house and play yard, and he'll hold his Sit with no issues when I'm making him wait before I release him to eat. He's also fantastic playing with the other dogs. He's social, not too rough, and listens when they give him cues to stop. He's really turning into an amazing little pup!
7/23/26
It was super hot today even in the morning so I took Milo over to the Home Depot to work inside the air conditioning. For the first time we've been out he was actually a little anxious! It is big and echoey and there's forklifts cruising around, so I don't blame him, but he's normally so confident I didn't expect it! That being said, mostly we just walked around on his Heel to let him get comfortable. I had him do a few Sits and Downs just for practice, but the exposure is what I wanted most today. I had the leash clipped to my belt so I could be more hands-off with him (and I needed to hold the selfie stick!), which meant he was working mostly on verbals alone. He's pretty good at staying where he needs to be without relying on that leash pressure, even with being nervous like he was. He wasn't quite as sharp on his Down as he typically is, but it's a very vulnerable position for a dog to be in, so all things considered I think he did pretty good today! What it does tell me is that I need to get him doing more indoor shopping center practice so he knows he doesn't have to be anxious in those environments. We'll get him there!
7/24/26
It was another super hot day so we sought out more indoor space to work in. This time I brought Milo to PetSmart knowing it would be far less scary than Home Depot, plus there's treats! He was still a little nervous about going inside, but then very quickly realized there were other dogs to say hello to, all the nice staff members wanted to pet him, and he got free biscuits! He was far more willing to work for me today than yesterday and gave me all his commands without any difficulties. Even better, he didn't try to steal any toys, treats or bones off any of the shelves! Everyone was very impressed with how behaved he was, especially for his age. Gold stars all around today!
7/25/26
Milo and I went over to the Santa Anita Mall for practice today. I brought him up to where the movie theater is just because it's a little less overwhelming than the main shopping parts of the mall. It's Saturday so there were still plenty of people cruising around to act as distractions, and I was impressed by how easily he was able to ignore them. He is just barely starting to show his teenager stubborn side a little bit here and there now. Today he kept wanting to lay down, most likely because of how cool the tile is in there, so I had to get on him a couple times about that. He's been having some small moments thinking about not listening at home as well, but he's very quick to respond with corrections. It's just something to be aware of, though, because there may be a backslide in his behavior for the next few months after he goes home. He just needs to get through his rebellious teen months, and as long as people stay on him to remind him that he has to listen, he'll come out the other side being back to his obedient little self!
7/26/26
I had to be back at Griffith Park today, so I brought Milo along to do a little photo shoot in one of my favorite places - the Old Los Angeles Zoo! It's where the zoo used to be before they moved it and a lot of the old animal enclosures are still there that you're allowed to crawl around in. There were several other dogs and people milling about, but the only one that caught Milo's eye was the man pushing the ice cream cart! It was like he knew! He didn't get any ice cream, but he got some good treats for being such a good dog for me and being patient as I posed him for all his photos. His Heel was beautiful for me the entire time without me having to even tell him to stick close, he came any time I called him, jumped up on things for his Place without issues, and there were only a couple times he flopped down when he was supposed to be sitting. He's still deciding to be a little stubborn with that one, but thankfully he readjusts pretty quickly with corrections. All in all, it was a great photo shoot at the zoo!
7/27/26
I brought Milo over to Rotary Park today, which is a nearby park that's fully fenced in. I like to use it for when I'm working dogs up to being off-leash, and I wanted to see what Milo would do. I had him on the long line and then simply dropped it so I could still easily pick it back up again as needed. The only times I needed to touch it were for helping him get into his proper spot at the end of the Recall. He did come to me just fine, he's just a little clumsy without leash guidance at getting into that Heel spot on the left side. It's obvious he was a little uncertain about things when he realized I wasn't holding onto the leash during the Heel too, but a little big of hand targeting did the trick just fine! I think with a little more practice he would be a great candidate for being allowed off leash in areas where it's allowed. He's a really good listener!
7/28/26
We're narrowing down on training days we have left, so for today's video I wanted to show off some of his house manners. The most important concept with all of these is the simple need to Wait until he's released, which comes in handy in many situations. It's basically just like hitting the pause button on your dog when you need him to stay where he's at for a moment. For the video, you'll see him wait before getting into to the car, which just prevents them from jumping in there before you're ready. Then there's waiting before he can go through doorways or gates, which is super important. This will prevent him from rushing out when people are trying to come and go. And there's waiting before he's allowed to eat his food, which is especially important for him because he's such a fast eater. This means he can't just dive bomb into that kibble when you aren't ready for him. For the video I just tossed a couple high-value treats into the otherwise empty bowl to show that he can wait even for the really good stuff! Last is just a clip if his Recall while off leash in the yard so you know he doesn't need to rely on that leash when he's at home. He should come when he's called regardless of where he is, with or without that leash. Overall he's gotten really good with his home manners. He sits on his own when he wants attention instead of jumping up, he sleeps in his designated areas, and he responds to 'Off!' really well if he tries to jump up on anything he shouldn't. Just keep up that training through the next few teenage months and he'll be super well-mannered going into adulthood!
7/29/26
Milo's training is almost over, so today I took him back to the mall during busy hours to throw everything he's learned together in the middle of a crowd. He was so good! He adjusted around people easily, stopped to sit when he needed to, didn't jump on people who wanted to pet him, and gave me all his commands without any hiccups. He showed none of the little bit of stubbornness that's been popping up here and there the last couple days and was just generally a perfect gentleman for me! He was looking very hard at any small toddlers we passed, clearly wanting to go say hello, but he kept with me on his Heel with just verbal redirections without issues. I was incredibly impressed with him all around today, it was like he knew he was taking his final exam and was determined to ace it! And he definitely did!
7/30/26
It's our last day in your two week training program! I decided to make it a fun one and took Milo over to the Santa Fe Dam, and was delighted to find out that he totally lives up to his water dog name! He was just a little hesitant stepping into the water at first, then it was like his instincts kicked in and away he went! He didn't want to get out of it! He loved watching the geese and ducks, he was fascinated by all the people having their picnics and parties, and the big peddle cars going by didn't bother him at all. He still Heeled like a total gentleman as I was walking him around, he came when I called him, and had no issues giving me any of his commands when asked. He's really become a great, very obedient little guy, I'm so proud of him! He's been fantastic to have around the house in general. He's well-mannered, he's smart, eager to please, and just plain fun! All the other dogs loved playing with him, and my housemates enjoyed his company as well. He's going to be missed around here! I think he shouldn't be too difficult moving into his teenage months as long as he gets his training practice in, and I really believe he's going to grow into an amazing dog overall. He's one of the good ones, and I'm so happy I was allowed to be part of his learning journey!
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