Mookie | Australian Labradoodle Mini | Venice, CA | In Training
- wyattoffleashsocal
- Jul 2, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 1, 2024
Mookie is a 6 month old Mini Australian Labradoodle from Venice, CA. He has joined OffLeash SoCal's Two-Week Board and Train Program to teach him basic obedience and how to be a well mannered young pup. Mookie gets along well with dogs and people but he needs to learn to control his puppy energy and be more polite in his greetings. Mookie also has some potty accidents when greeting new people due to over excitement. We will provide him with a rock solid obedience, show Mookie how to control himself around distractions, solidify his off leash recall and provide him with potty training. Stay tuned for Mookie's Two-Week transformation!
Today was all about investigating Mookie and his particular unique set of characteristics. All dogs come with their own challenges. It is important to have a custom training plan to address what we see when we initially pick a dog up as well as reported behavior. In Mookie’s case I can say, he certainly is an open, positive, confident, young pup. We will address is over excitement by harnessing that energy in the form of a reward that he can reliably predict when he is behaving himself. By giving a young dog, a job to do they can often learn to police their own behavior, much faster than through reinforcement of boundaries and rules alone. It is much easier to avoid the wrong direction if you were pointed in the right direction.
Today Mookie and I worked on the basics of leash pressure. I use the leash to guide the dog’s front while gently putting opposite pressure on their behind with my hand. As they sit down I praise them and tell them they are doing a good job. So on and so forth for the various obedience behaviors. Dogs are actually quite smart and when presented with a problem to solve, so long as we make the answers obvious and consistent in the beginning, they will recognize the patterns over time. Mookie is still very young and definitely didn’t feel like learning initially but I was patient and the rewards of affection and praise were massive when he found his first success, so the continued practice only got easier and easier. Tomorrow I will introduce the e collar at a low level to associate the sensation with the leash pressure and help him to understand the signal for communication. The e collar is primarily a tool for communicating and only as a last resort for reinforcing our commands but in the learning phase I introduce it carefully so the dog can make a positive association with the experience of wearing it.
Today I introduced Mookie to the E collar for the first time. He took to it rather quickly. Many dogs struggle, but he was able to put together the directional information that a leash provides with the motivational stimulation of the E collar without experiencing adverse side effects or undue stress. He is a small dog but he has a lot of energy and with extra guidance he is showing me that he has enthusiasm and a willingness to engage with the handler. We will continue to improve our communication with the leash and the E collar as well as shape the rest of our behaviors.
Today Mookie and I continued to work on shaping with the e collar. It is important to find a level that the dog respects without overwhelming him when we use stimulation, so remember to pay attention to his reactions. If he is listening well we have found a good level but if he ignores us we need to turn it up. Conversely if he is upset and unable to problem solve we need to turn it down. We are aiming to motivate but never to force the dog to perform. Remember that if he struggles excessively it is not a failure to give him help so that next time he can perform better. We are all on the same team!
Today Mookie and I continued to work on his understanding of leash pressure, as well as expose him to low levels of E collar stimulation simultaneously. Mookie is showing me that he has a willingness to work, but considering his young age and his short attention span I am trying to be careful not to overwhelm him in the beginning. Mookie has an aptitude for obedience, but he is also a sensitive dog that requires patience, and so while he is learning and retaining the information it is important to remember that he could very easily become overwhelmed. So far with me, he is willing to pay attention for sometime, but when he does reach his limit, he wants to quit. I am to enhance every dog’s endurance when they spend time with me and Mookie is no different. However every dog is also unique and with Mookie being as sensitive as he is, I just want to make a note of the delicate approach that I am taking to maintain his good motivation.
Mookie and I worked on his down position today. We have worked on it previously but I wanted to spend more time on it specifically because he has been having some trouble. Mookie is a sensitive dog and generally very sweet and gentle, but when he feels stressed he has shown me that he has a willingness to use his mouth to express himself. I tried some leash dragging today and Mookie does engage and heel for me but I am concerned he may want to run away if given the opportunity so we are working on it carefully. I don’t think Mookie is aggressive or dangerous but his reactivity does require attention. To this point Mookie hasn’t shown me any reason to be concerned but I think it is important to note he has the potential for reactivity.
Today with Mookie we worked on him dragging a lightweight longline so he will be ready for his off leash responsibilities. He is learning the obedience but as he is sensitive I am doing my best to keep his emotional state in mind and be as encouraging and positive as possible. Mookie does respect his boundaries but has a tendency to react emotionally to reinforcement. When giving commands I am sure to use my "baby voice" so he feels comfortable and not intimidated at all. Mookie has had a tendency to want to run back to the car so even after he goes home and has perfected his off leash skills I think it would be wise to keep a loose leash on him in crowded or busy areas just to be safe. That being said he is coming along nicely.
Keep in mind when he is resisting a command we need to be sure we are being fair and if we go through our steps and first ask, then reinforce with stimulation and the dog is still struggling, it is always advisable to help them solve the problem so they are prepared for the next time we ask. We don’t want to always be a pop quiz, but instead a study session to equip our dogs for the future. Mookie has been doing well holding his bladder and potty training as well.
Mookie has been struggling transitioning to full off leash freedom. I spent some time today working off leash as well as going back to leash dragging to help him understand the goals we have for him. Mookie does listen and understand the concepts but it is a matter of showing him in all contexts and in many environments. Going forward we will be showing Mookie these same fundamentals as well as add further distractions. Potty training is going well!
Today Mookie and I worked on his Door Manners and impulse control. It is important for a dog to work around a number of distractions but one of the most challenging is an open entrance. Whether they are coming or going, the area or access is one of the most interesting and has the most traffic and smells etc. A healthy habit to build is sitting before entering or exiting any building or even a gate outside. Besides the potential issues with running loose outside, occasionally there may be hazards or potentially dangerous situations that can emerge when we rush into a new environment that otherwise don’t pose the same risk when we go slowly. For example unknown construction or other debris in a familiar area. When we are at a doorway and after asking for a sit we can praise our dogs and tell them what a good job they have done but be sure not to reward so heavily that they break position. The reward for a maintained position should be low and calm energy.
Today with Mookie we spent time adding duration to his behaviors. Now that he has enough context and experience with each behavior we can ask him to maintain his positions for longer periods of time. Mookie is doing much better every day with his sensitivity and while it is the safest bet to keep him on leash his ability to self soothe around stressful situations is enhanced. To continue to appropriately challenge Mookie so he will grow more confident so suggest further exposure to distractions while maintaining Extended Sits and Extended Downs. Maintaining his own position reinforces self discipline and self control and those in turn make Mookie a more confident dog.
Today Mookie and I worked on all of our obedience in preparation for shooting our Final video. Mookie has much improved with his skills and now it’s time to put all of our hard work to the test. When a dog like Mookie struggles with anxiety the best thing to make them more confident is careful exposure to those stressful situations. If we use our obedience to help guide Mookie when he is nervous we give him something else to focus on and by rewarding him for finding his peace and calm we help to encourage a new relationship with new experiences. Go at Mookie’s pace but always encourage him to rise to the occasion.
Today Mookie and I worked on obedience at Santa Monica Pier with fellow trainers and their dogs. Unfortunately I forgot the remote for my e collar however this opportunity is the perfect way to illustrate that dogs don’t need to wear tools all the time to be obedient. If we are consistent with our practice and use our tools as often as possible the dog will develop an understanding that transcends any specific tool or leash or collar. Give Mookie plenty of practice and be proud of how far he has come as well as what he is capable of just by policing himself! That being said it is important to continue work with the e collar until Mookie is performing his obedience consistently without ever using the stimulation. After that I also still like to have the collar on as it reminds them to be well behaved and in the event of an emergency I have the option to use it.
Today Mookie and I worked on our Final video at Cerritos Mall. He did very well! There were slippery floors and crowds, noisey large open spaces and plenty of brand new smells to experience. For Mookie to continue to develop nicely he needs experience out in the world. When he struggles we can ask him for obedience to help guide him through his anxious feelings. He managed to remain calm when greeting a new person and was able to stay behaved the entire time. I am very proud of him!
Today, Mookie and I worked on active relaxation in the park around distractions. Mookie is the kind of dog that benefits greatly from exposure to distractions while encouraging relaxation. Some dogs benefit more from encouraging focus or active mind state meaning we want the dog to use his mind to overcome those things that he finds stimulating. Mookie on the other hand is more greatly served by practicing his own inner peace around things that he finds potentially discomforting. I greatly encourage taking Mookie to a public park or a busy street corner, or to a café and having him practice his Down position while giving him occasional verbal praise and touch to reinforce the state of tranquility around many happenings and goings on.
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