Missy | Mini Australian Shepherd | Carson, CA | In- Training

priscillakhoroffle
Jun 14
12 min read

Updated: Jun 28

Meet Missy! She’s a 5-month-old Mini Australian Shepherd from Carson, California, here for our Two-Week Board and Train Program. Missy is a happy, high-energy puppy with a big personality, but like many young pups, she’s still figuring out the rules of the house. Her family is struggling with her potty training, constant jumping, and her tendency to nip and get underfoot—especially during her extra-zoomy mornings! Missy also hasn’t yet learned to respond to “no” and needs help learning how to coexist calmly with the family cats. While she’s affectionate and playful, she’s in need of structure and clear communication.

During her time with us, Missy will be working on her basic obedience commands, building impulse control, learning how to walk politely on leash, and mastering potty training. We’ll also help her understand boundaries, build crate comfort, and develop calmer behaviors around both people and other pets. Stay tuned for Missy’s 2 Week Transformation!

Pupdate 6/14/25

Today was Missy’s first day with me, and she made one thing very clear—she is 100% puppy! She has a basic idea of “sit,” but can only hold it for a second or two before popping up to explore. On walks, her curiosity takes the lead, often pulling ahead to investigate the world around her. She doesn’t seem to know the “down” command yet, but she does love to jump—whether it’s into the back of the car or onto new place objects I’ve introduced.

Her social skills with other dogs are a bit standoffish. She’s tolerant when there’s a barrier and even when another dog sniffs her, but she doesn’t reciprocate or show much interest in engaging. She simply waits it out, a bit unsure of how to interact.

Missy is all puppy brain right now—low impulse control, limited focus, and very little stability in her commands. But she’s sweet, curious, and ready to learn. We’re looking forward to helping her build confidence, structure, and obedience over the next two weeks!

Pupdate 6/15/25

Today we introduced Missy to the e-collar, pairing it with leash pressure to start teaching her obedience commands. She’s already showing progress—commands like “come” and “sit” are starting to click for her. She definitely notices the e-collar sensation, but she’s handling it well—there’s no fear or frustration, just curiosity and a willingness to learn.

On the social side, Missy is beginning to open up around other dogs. She still holds a bit of hesitation, but she’s becoming braver. She’s even initiated a few interactions, though she tends to dart away before the other dog can respond. Still, it’s a big step forward for her.

All in all, Missy’s training is off to a great start, and we’re excited to keep building on this momentum!

Pupdate 6/16/25

Today’s pupdate is about Missy’s sit command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the sit command would look like.

When their butt touches the ground in a sit, I praise with a “good sit!”, throwing the command back at them in the praise.

Once they are in their sit, there are three things we work on:

Duration: how long they stay in their sit
Distance: how far away we can be while they stay in their sit
Distractions: how many things can go around them while they stay in their sit

In the video, I am working on distance and duration. Each time they are in the sit, I walk around them, getting farther away as we progress, and also leaving them in the sit for longer. This teaches them to have stability in their commands rather than breaking it whenever they please.

As we get to practice in busier areas, we will naturally have a higher amount of distractions to train with, and their stability in the sit will increase drastically.

When we are done with the command—or any command—I release them with their word “Break!” which allows them to do whatever they want.

Pupdate 6/17/25

Today’s pupdate is all about Missy’s training trip to the park with other trainers! Getting to work with someone new is a big step for her—it helps reinforce that commands don’t just come from one person, but from any human giving her clear direction.

We introduced the heel command for the first time, using a mix of leash pressure, body blocking, and the e-collar to guide her. Missy picked it up quickly, but her puppy impulses are still a challenge. Like many young dogs, she has a hard time holding her sit and place commands. That said, she’s responsive to gentle corrections and is getting better at returning to position when she breaks.

The “down” command continues to be tough for her—it’s a vulnerable position, and with all her energy, relaxing doesn’t come naturally just yet. But we’re taking it step by step.

Overall, Missy did well on the outing. She was definitely nervous around the other dogs, but she stayed close and followed my lead, showing growing confidence. Each session brings more progress, and we’re proud of how far she’s come already!

Pupdate 6/18/25

Today’s pupdate is about Missy’s place command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the place command would look like.

When they are either in a sit or down on the place object, I praise with a “good sit!”, throwing the command back at them in the praise.

There are four rules when it comes to the place command:

The place object must have defined edges or boundaries (a dog bed, towel, or bench are good place objects.)
Only place on objects your dog is allowed to be on. Don’t place on the bed if they’re not allowed on the bed, and don’t place on the antique table if they’re not allowed to be on it.
Always get the “win” when practicing the place command. If they struggle to place on a tall object, help them up. Consistently following through with the command builds confidence in your dog and accountability.
The duration they are expected to be in place is built over time. We start low, a few seconds or minutes, before building up the time they are in place over many repetitions.

Once they are in the place, there are three things we work on:

Duration: how long they stay in place
Distance: how far away we can be while they stay in place
Distractions: how many things can go around them while they stay in place

In the video, I am working on all three, as both people and dogs pose as great distractions. They have learned to remain in place even when people are around, even petting them.

When we are done with the command—or any command—I release them with their word “Break!” which allows them to do whatever they want.

Pupdate 6/19/25

Today’s update is all about Missy’s trip to Petco! We focused on heel and “come to sit” as we navigated the aisles, and while she’s still working to fully understand those patterns, her sit and down commands are starting to look much more stable. That’s a great sign of her developing impulse control and growing obedience.

We had an unexpected challenge when another dog and owner kept following us around the store. Despite the distraction, Missy stayed calm and focused, sticking by my side and following direction without reacting. Her dog-neutral personality really shined, making it easier for her to stay on task in a public space.

Overall, Missy handled this new environment beautifully. She’s learning to pause and think before acting—an important milestone for a puppy like her!

Pupdate 6/20/25

Today’s pupdate is about Missy’s come to sit! I demonstrate in the video above what a few repetitions of the command looks like. The key to this command is how they make the u-turn behind me to end up in a sit by my left leg, where the heel command also starts.

On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain their attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time. Even as they’re coming towards me, I watch for signs of them slowing down or walking away, which is when I will tap them again and remind them with “come”.

In the video, I am also reminding them with “sit” when they are in the right spot, but that will be faded out so they know that the “come” command includes the sit at the end.

When they are sitting by my leg, I praise them with “good come!”, throwing the command back at them.

As they become more reliable with the u-turn motion, we start recalling them from higher distraction environments and from farther away.

When we are done with the command—or any command—I release them with their word “Break!” and give them lots of love.

Pupdate 6/21/25

Today, Missy and I took a big step toward off-leash obedience with a training trip to Home Depot—and she blew me away with how well she did! She was able to heel, come, sit, and place completely off-leash, even in a busy environment with people walking by and machinery moving around.

There were a few moments during heel where she got distracted and started to drift, but a quick reminder brought her right back to my side. She also hesitated a bit with placing on some of the plywood planks, but after a few tries, she hopped right on with growing confidence.

One area we’re still working on is her stability in sit. When I first move away from her, she sometimes wants to follow, but once she realizes we’re practicing stability, she settles in and holds her position with more certainty.

All in all, Missy showed great improvement today. She’s learning to stay focused and confident, even in new and stimulating places!

Pupdate 6/22/25

Today’s pupdate is about Missy’s heel command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the heel command would look like.

The heel command is different from all the other commands in that it is a moving command. The dog is joining your motion rather than assuming a position in one spot. The moving position I am teaching them to be in is right next to my left leg, where their face does not go past my knee. That is the heel position we are working towards.

The dog should start and stop the heel command in a sit next to your leg. When they are in position, I say “heel”, tap the remote, and move forward at the same time. I keep walking, and whenever they leave the position next to my leg, I remind them with “heel” and another tap on the remote. We are essentially creating a safe zone near your leg where they aren’t getting reminded to be in heel.

It is important to praise your dog while they are in heel to reinforce that position. I remind them, especially when they’re in a good heel position, with “good heel!” to mark the correct position for them.

When coming to a stop, give your dog a heads up by saying “and Missy sit”, and stop walking on the word “sit”. This alerts your dog to the change in pace, allowing them to predictably sit at the end of your heel.

To further practice, we will work around distractions such as other people and dogs, and reinforce the command as we go. We will also move the command off leash when they are ready, which will follow the same pattern as on leash.

Pupdate 6/23/25

Today Missy joined me at the park for another session with other trainers and their dogs—this time working completely off-leash around real distractions. She did great overall, confidently performing her commands even with other dogs nearby.

At one point, she tested the boundaries and tried to run off when I called her, but with the help of the e-collar, we worked through that moment of stubborn energy. After that, she was right back on track, following through on all her commands—heel, come, sit, down, and place—with focus and enthusiasm.

Missy is learning quickly, and it’s awesome to see her holding it together in such a stimulating environment. She’s becoming a well-rounded pup one park trip at a time!

Pupdate 6/24/25

Missy has come a long way in learning polite greeting manners, and today we saw some big wins in that area! She now understands that she should stay in a sit while people come up to say hello—whether it’s me, someone she’s gotten to know, or even a total stranger. This is a huge milestone, especially for a young puppy with as much energy and curiosity as Missy.

Early on, Missy would jump up excitedly or try to crawl into people’s laps the second she got attention. She didn’t mean any harm, but with her wiggly body and puppy teeth, it was easy for her excitement to turn overwhelming—especially for kids, seniors, or anyone not expecting it. Teaching her to stay grounded during greetings not only helps prevent accidental scratches or bumps, it also sets the tone for calm, respectful social behavior overall.

Now, when someone approaches, she’s learning to pause, take a breath, and wait in her sit while they pet her. She’s building impulse control and learning that calm behavior earns her what she wants—attention and affection. Even when she gets excited, she’s able to reset with a gentle reminder and settle back into her sit.

We’ll continue reinforcing this habit, but it’s already clear that Missy is gaining the self-control and confidence to be a well-mannered pup in any social situation.

Pupdate 6/25/25

Today and yesterday, Missy and I took two big outings—one to a busy indoor mall and another to Home Depot—with a focus on building her off-leash confidence in new and distracting environments.

At the mall, Missy was definitely out of her comfort zone. The crowds, noise, and movement made it hard for her to stay focused. She struggled to hold her sit and often got jittery, trying to inch closer to me for reassurance as we practiced her commands. This kind of nervous energy is common in young dogs who are still building environmental confidence, and it’s something we’ll keep working through. That said, by the end of the trip, she was already showing signs of progress—holding herself together better and taking more initiative to stay in position.

In contrast, Home Depot offered a calmer, more structured space, which was the perfect place to practice her distance work. We focused on having her hold commands while I moved away, helping her understand that she’s still safe and expected to hold position even when I’m not right next to her. This type of practice is essential for building her confidence in more stimulating environments like the mall.

Overall, Missy is still finding her footing in new places, but she’s making progress. With consistent work on stability and distance in different settings, she’s learning to trust the training and hold her own—even when the world around her feels overwhelming.

Pupdate 6/26/25

Today, Missy and I headed to a different indoor mall to put her obedience skills to the test—and she impressed me with how far she’s come! This outing was all about showcasing everything she’s learned, and it was clear that her confidence has grown significantly since our last mall visit.

Compared to before, Missy was much more composed in the busy environment. The loud noises, echoing footsteps, and moving crowds didn’t rattle her the way they used to. She was able to hold her sit and down commands with much more stability, even as I moved around and stepped farther away from her. That’s a big step forward from the jittery, uncertain pup who just wanted to stay glued to my side.

Missy is learning that she can be calm and in control, even when the world around her is loud and unpredictable. We’re so proud of her progress, and outings like this prove just how capable she’s becoming!

Pupdate 6/27/25

Missy has made some big strides in her everyday manners, and it’s really starting to show in how she handles routine situations with calmness and control.

At the door, Missy sits as I open it, patiently waiting rather than trying to rush through. She only walks out when I give her the cue—either “come” or “heel.” This is a huge improvement from her early days and a great example of her growing impulse control and respect for boundaries.

She’s also developed great car manners. When we head out for an outing, she sits calmly by the trunk as I open it and doesn’t try to jump in on her own. She waits for the “up” command before hopping in and heading straight into her crate without hesitation. It’s made loading up for trips smooth and stress-free.

At mealtime, Missy’s food manners have become just as impressive. She sits in front of her bowl while I tell her “leave it,” showing remarkable patience. She doesn’t start eating until I release her with a “break,” and even then, she keeps things calm rather than diving in.

All of these small routines show just how much Missy is learning to slow down, listen, and wait for direction. She’s well on her way to being a polite and well-mannered pup both at home and out in the world!

Missy | Mini Australian Shepherd | Carson, CA | In- Training

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