Missy | Golden Retriever | San Diego, CA | In-Training
- Reine Melnick
- Jul 22
- 9 min read
Updated: Aug 4
Missy is a 6-month-old Golden Retriever from San Diego, California, joining OffLeash SoCal for our 2-Week Urban Board & Train Program! Missy is a sweet, happy-go-lucky puppy who loves being around people and is always ready to make new friends. Like many puppies her age, she can get a little carried away by all the exciting sights, sounds, and smells around her, making it difficult for her to stay focused on what is being asked of her.
Over the next two weeks, we'll be helping Missy build a strong foundation by focusing on basic obedience, improving her leash manners, and teaching her proper house manners. Our goal is to help her develop the self-control and confidence she needs to become a well-mannered companion both at home and out in public. We're excited to watch Missy's progress throughout her training journey—stay tuned!
Pupdate 7/22/26
Today was Missy's first day with me, so we kept things nice and relaxed by spending some time training in my backyard! I wanted to get a feel for what she already knew, so we went through a few of her basic commands. Missy showed me that she has a good understanding of Sit, Place, and Come, and she was eager to learn throughout our session. With that solid foundation, we began building on her skills by introducing Extended Sit and Extended Place/Down. Missy did a wonderful job staying engaged and was always trying her best to make the right choices. She has a sweet personality and a great willingness to learn, which made today's session a lot of fun.
I'm looking forward to continuing her training over the next two weeks as we work on her leash manners, house manners, and overall obedience. Great first day, Missy!
Pupdate 7/23/26
Today Missy and I took a trip to Lake Balboa to continue building on all of the commands she has been learning! We started our session with a structured Heel on my left side, and she did a wonderful job staying close and engaged with me throughout our walk. Even with plenty of people, ducks, and other distractions around us, Missy remained focused and worked hard to make good choices.
Since Missy is still a young pup and the warm weather can be tiring, we kept today's training session short and enjoyable. After our walk, we found a shady area where we practiced her Extended Sit and Extended Down. She showed great patience and put in a lot of effort to remain in her commands until she was released. Missy has such a sweet attitude toward training and is always eager to learn and please. Overall, today was another great training session, and I'm very proud of the progress she's making. Great job, Missy!
Pupdate 7/24/26
Today Missy and I headed back to Lake Balboa to continue strengthening all of the commands she has been learning! Missy continues to do well with her training, but I've started to notice that, unlike her brother Moose, she has a much more reserved personality. She likes to take her time while walking and working through her commands, especially when Moose isn't nearby.
This tells me that Missy may have developed a little bit of dependence on having her brother around and is still building confidence in herself when working independently. This is very common for siblings, and it's something we'll be focusing on over the next several training sessions. By spending more one-on-one time with her, we'll help Missy gain the confidence to make good decisions and work happily on her own. Despite being a little more cautious, she has been trying her best and continues to make steady progress. I'm excited to watch her confidence grow as she realizes just how capable she is. Great job today, Missy!
Pupdate 7/25/26
Today Missy joined her brother for a short training session around the neighborhood. With temperatures reaching around 90 degrees, we kept our outing nice and short, focusing on just a few important exercises while making sure both pups stayed comfortable in the heat.
We began with a structured Heel for a few blocks to help get Missy into a working mindset. Although having Moose alongside her was a big distraction, she did a nice job staying with me and putting in the effort to focus on what was being asked. We also spent some time practicing her Extended Down. Missy did fairly well, though she occasionally wanted to check in on what her brother was doing instead of remaining fully committed to the command.
Training the siblings together is a great way to reinforce that, even when they're around each other, they still need to listen and follow through with their commands. It teaches them that exciting distractions—even a brother or sister—don't mean it's okay to ignore what they're being asked to do. Overall, Missy had a nice training session today and continues making steady progress with her focus and obedience!
Pupdate 7/26/26
Today Missy and I headed to Home Depot to continue strengthening all of the commands she has been learning in a busier environment filled with new sights, sounds, and distractions. She did a wonderful job throughout our outing and showed some great progress!
We started with a structured Heel, and Missy stayed nicely by my side throughout our walk through the store. She remained engaged with me and did a great job ignoring the many distractions around her, showing more confidence and focus as we moved through the aisles.
We also spent time practicing duration with her Sit and Down while on Place. Missy remained calm and patient, and I was even able to drop the leash while she held her commands without any reminders. She stayed exactly where she was supposed to until I released her, showing excellent impulse control and growing confidence.
I am so proud of Missy and the progress she's making each day. She continues to become more confident in her work, and it's been so rewarding to watch her understanding and reliability improve with every training session!
Pupdate 7/27/26
Today Missy and I headed to **Home Depot** to continue working on her commands in a slightly more distracting environment. We started with a structured **Heel**, and wow has she improved! She did an amazing job staying by my side and consistently checking in with me, showing so much more engagement than when we first started.
We also spent time practicing her **Extended Sit** and **Extended Down** both on **Place** and on the ground. I want Missy to understand that remaining in a command is expected no matter where she is, whether she's on an elevated object or simply sitting or lying on the floor. She handled both exercises beautifully and showed excellent patience throughout the session.
Missy has made tremendous progress with her impulse control and is doing such a great job ignoring the distractions around her to stay focused on her work. I couldn't be more proud of how far she's come—keep up the great work, Missy!
Pupdate 7/28/26
Today Missy and I stayed home to focus on her door manners, helping her learn that a doorway is a boundary that should be respected until she’s given permission to move through it. Overall, she did a great job and is starting to understand that patience is just as important as the command itself.
There was one point where I walked through the doorway and remained on the other side for a short time. Missy decided she wanted to follow me and got up from her Down. When that happened, I calmly guided her back to her original spot and placed her back into the command. Repeating this consistently helps her understand that getting up on her own never earns her what she wants and that she needs to wait until she’s released.
Door manners are a wonderful way to build Missy’s impulse control and teach her to make thoughtful decisions instead of acting on excitement. Just because I walk through a doorway doesn’t mean she should automatically come with me. With more repetition, she’ll continue to build confidence and patience, making this behavior second nature. Overall, Missy had a really nice session today and continues making steady progress!
Pupdate 7/29/26
Today Missy and I headed to the mall to continue practicing all of her commands in a much more distracting environment. She did an amazing job staying focused on her work and executed each command with little to no issues! We started our session with a structured Heel around the mall, and Missy did a fantastic job staying right by my side without letting the busy crowds or passing shoppers distract her from the task at hand. Her engagement has continued to improve, and it's been wonderful watching her confidence grow with each outing.
During our session, we found a bench to practice her Extended Place and Down. The slippery surface made it a little challenging at first, so I gave her a bit of help getting up onto the bench. Once she was in position, however, she held the command beautifully without any issues. We also spent some time practicing her Extended Sit while people walked by, and she remained calm and focused throughout. I am so proud of the effort Missy is putting into her training sessions. She continues to make steady progress every day, and it is such a joy to watch her confidence and understanding grow!
Pupdate 7/30/26
Today Missy and I headed back to the mall to continue building her confidence and practicing all of her commands in a busier environment. She did such a wonderful job staying engaged throughout our session! Her Heel has improved so much, and she stayed right by my side even with shoppers walking past and plenty of distractions around us. We also worked on her Extended Sit and Extended Down in a busy aisle, where she remained calm and focused despite the constant movement of people nearby. It has been so rewarding to watch Missy grow more confident with each outing, and she continues to put so much effort into her training. I am incredibly proud of the progress she is making and can't wait to see how much more she accomplishes!
Pupdate 7/31/26
Today Missy and I headed to the Oaks Mall to continue polishing all of the commands she has been learning! We began our outing with a structured Heel around the mall, and I was so proud of how well she stayed by my side despite all of the people, noises, and activity around us. Missy has come such a long way with her confidence, and it really showed today. Even as people smiled at her and tried to get her attention, she stayed focused on me and continued working without letting the distractions pull her away.
After spending some time walking, we practiced her Extended Sit on a fountain. Missy did an amazing job remaining calm and patient, even as families and children walked nearby. She has developed such great impulse control and is becoming much more comfortable simply relaxing and observing the world around her. We finished our outing with an Extended Down in front of Starbucks, where people were constantly walking in and out. Missy held her position beautifully and showed just how much her confidence and obedience have grown over the past couple of weeks. I am incredibly proud of all the progress she has made, and it has been so rewarding to watch her blossom into such a well-mannered young pup!
Pupdate 8/1/26
Today Missy and I headed back to the mall to continue strengthening all of the commands she has been learning. She came into the session with a great attitude and was eager to work, showing much more confidence and focus than when we first started training. Even with people stopping to compliment her and trying to get her attention, Missy stayed engaged with me and continued working through each exercise without letting the distractions pull her away.
We also practiced her Extended Sit and Extended Down, and she did a wonderful job remaining patient and committed to her commands. It was great to see her ignore the busy environment and confidently hold her positions until she was released. Missy has made so much progress with her focus, impulse control, and overall confidence, and I couldn't be prouder of the effort she's putting into every training session. Great job today, Missy!
Pupdate 8/3/26
Today we took another trip to the mall to continue building on all of the commands Missy has been learning. We started with a structured heel around the mall, giving her the opportunity to experience the busy environment while remaining focused on staying by my side. It’s so important for dogs to learn that they can take in everything happening around them without forgetting the job they’ve been asked to do, and Missy handled it beautifully.
After spending some time walking, we worked on her extended Sit and Down. Missy did a wonderful job remaining patient and composed, even as people stopped to watch her train or walked by. She stayed committed to the command she was given and didn’t let the extra attention distract her. We also spent some time practicing Place, and she has become much more confident about getting up onto different objects. She’s really starting to understand that once she’s on the object, she should wait for the next instruction—whether that’s a Sit or a Down—and she performed each exercise very well.
I am so proud of how far Missy has come over the past couple of weeks. Her confidence and understanding of her commands continue to grow with every outing. Great work today, Missy!
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