Meet Monica, a vibrant two-and-a-half-year-old Labrador mix hailing from Los Angeles, California. Currently participating in our One Week Board and Train Program, Monica is on a journey to refine her basic obedience skills and leash manners. She has a penchant for jumping and reacting to people and dogs, as well as an enthusiasm for chasing squirrels. Additionally, Monica is not particularly fond of loud noises.
Though she possesses some foundational obedience skills, Monica tends to get easily distracted and won't follow through while she is. With dedicated practice and structured guidance, we're confident she'll emerge as the best version of herself. Stay tuned for the exciting transformation ahead!
Pupdate 11/19/23
Upon our initial encounter with Monica, we conducted a thorough assessment of her existing skill set. While she demonstrated a basic understanding of commands, her challenge lies in maintaining focus; once distracted, she tends to neglect following through with commands. Notably, her heel command requires additional guidance, as she initially positions herself correctly but tends to drift off immediately after. Monica exhibits a mild fixation with people when they are at a distance. In comparison, her energy spikes notably when encountering other dogs. Following this evaluation, the decision was made to commence basic training starting indoors and then building up the distraction level. Within the home setting, Monica's engagement showed immediate improvement, allowing us to execute basic commands with minimal reminders. Progressing from indoor sessions, we transitioned to the backyard, where distractions increased. Despite heightened distraction levels, Monica's performance remained better to her experience in the park. During the training sessions, periodic breaks allowed Monica to familiarize herself with the house surroundings, and we introduced her to the concept of the crate. While initially hesitant, a bit of food proved to be a motivating factor, successfully encouraging her to enter the crate.
Be sure to watch this video before our turnover. It'll introduce the ecollar which we will be using.
Pupdate 11/20/23
Today's training focused on all of Monica's command. We are specifically refining Monica's "come" command. For our come command, we have the dog approach from the right side, circle around, and sit on the left. This sets them up for the heel and ensures they don't bounce back after coming back to us. Transitioning from the backyard to the front yard, engagement dipped slightly, but with guidance, she executed commands, though she does bounce out of her downs when she is in a distracted mindset. She does better with holding her sits for a bit longer. All commands include an implied stay until given a different command or the release word, "break." We did a session at the park also, where she was more distracted and would roll around when she was in the down position.
Today, we ventured to an LA park with fellow trainers, offering Monica exposure to both calm and energetic dogs. Notably, she exhibited noticeable improvements in managing arousal levels. Despite glancing at other dogs, Monica showed restraint, refraining from excessive jumping or reactions. Our training session encompassed refining all her commands. Notably, her "down" command demonstrated marked progress, with reduced rolling tendencies. Achieving commendable durations, Monica's engagement surpassed previous levels. Back home, our focus continued on refining "down" and "come to sit" commands. While other commands show promising duration progress, distractions still pose a challenge for Monica's consistency.
Pupdate 11/22/23
Today's training session focused on enhancing both duration and distance in her commands. We diligently practiced all her commands, noticing a smoother recall, though occasional pauses occur when she's by my side. Her 'down' command is improving, with less rolling around. The training took place at a park, providing exposure to other dogs and people. Additionally, we had the opportunity to explore a trail together.
Pupdate 11/23/23
Today, with guests in our home, we seized the opportunity to refine our house manners. Using the "place" command, I guided her to an elevated surface, providing a defined boundary. This command proves invaluable during social gatherings, keeping her both out of the way and engaged. Because of the distractions, she occasionally broke from her designated spot, but with some correction, we reinforced the importance of staying in place. Everytime she would get off of place, we would just bring her back to place.
Later, during our park session, she demonstrated progress in following commands, albeit with occasional reminders, especially in the presence of other dogs.
Pupdate 11/24/23
We focused on practicing all of her commands. Despite the nonideal weather, we made an effort to conduct most of our training outdoors. Working alongside other dogs, Monica occasionally got distracted by the scent of the rain, especially if the fellow dog was also energetic. Notably, she demonstrated improved control, maintaining composure and avoiding excessive rolling around when she goes into her downs. Her sit stays are commendable, and she performs well during heel exercises on concrete. However, we noticed increased distractibility when practicing on grass. We took our training to a public space, Monica tends to be more distractible around other dogs, requiring frequent reminders.
Pupdate 11/25/23
Today, we successfully incorporated all of her commands into our training session, even managing to capture her final performance on film. While she initially faced some distractions, a series of engagement exercises helped her refocus. Despite encountering other dogs, gentle reminders quickly brought her attention back. Notably, she received pets from a child, demonstrating progress, although she had to sit beforehand to help manage her excitement. Moreover, our work on commands in the presence of other dogs showcased significant improvement, with her successfully maintaining command duration for an extended period.
