Moose | Golden Retriever | San Diego, CA | In-Training
- Reine Melnick
- Jul 22
- 9 min read
Updated: Aug 4
Moose is a 6-month-old Golden Retriever from San Diego, California, joining OffLeash SoCal for our 2-Week Urban Board & Train Program! Even at such a young age, Moose already has a great start on his training and comes to us knowing commands like Sit, Down, and Come. He's an incredibly smart boy who truly wants to please, but like many puppies his age, his puppy brain sometimes gets the best of him, causing him to get distracted and ignore commands when there's something more exciting going on.
Moose absolutely loves meeting new people and is always eager to make friends, which often leads to him jumping up to say hello. Over the next two weeks, we'll be focusing on improving his leash manners, strengthening his basic obedience, and teaching him better house manners so he can become the well-mannered companion we know he's capable of being.
We can't wait to watch Moose grow throughout his training journey—stay tuned for his progress!
Pupdate 7/22/26
Today was Moose's first day with me, so I wanted to keep things fun and low-pressure by doing a simple training session in my backyard! We started by going through the commands he already knew, and I was happy to see that Moose has a nice foundation with Sit, Place, and Come. He showed that he understands these commands well and was eager to work throughout our session.
Since he already had a good grasp of the basics, we built on that foundation by introducing Extended Sit and Extended Place/Down. Moose did a fantastic job staying respectful, engaged, and genuinely wanting to do the right thing. He's a very smart young pup with a great attitude toward learning, and I'm excited to continue building his manners and watching him grow into a well-behaved companion over the next two weeks. Great job today, Moose!
Pupdate 7/23/26
Today Moose and I took a trip to Lake Balboa to continue strengthening all of the commands he has been learning! We started our session with a structured Heel on my left side, and Moose was incredibly respectful throughout our walk. Even with ducks wandering nearby, he did a fantastic job staying focused on me instead of getting overly excited by all the distractions.
Since Moose is still a young pup and the weather was fairly warm, he started to get a little tired during our outing, so we kept today's session short and positive. After our walk, we found a nice shady spot to work on his Extended Sit and Extended Down. Moose continues to impress me with how eager he is to learn and how hard he tries to execute each command correctly. He is such a smart boy who truly wants to do his best! Overall, today was another very successful training session, and I'm so proud of the progress he's making. Great job, Moose!
Pupdate 7/24/26
Today Moose and I headed back to Lake Balboa to continue strengthening all of the commands he has been learning. I have been so impressed with how much his engagement has improved while walking! Moose is becoming much more consistent about offering me eye contact during our Heel, showing that his focus is staying on me instead of the people, birds, and other dogs around us.
Throughout our session, we also sprinkled in a few of his other commands, including Extended Sit and Extended Down. Moose continues to put in so much effort during each training session and genuinely enjoys learning new things. He is such an eager boy with a fantastic attitude, and I couldn't be happier with the progress he's making. Great job, Moose!
Pupdate 7/25/26
Today Moose and I decided to do a short training session around the neighborhood, and we brought his sister along for the outing! With temperatures hovering around 90 degrees, we kept our session brief and focused on just a few key exercises to make sure both pups stayed comfortable.
We started with a structured Heel for a few blocks to get Moose into a working mindset, and he did surprisingly well—even with the big distraction of having his sister right beside him. It was great to see him stay engaged and continue focusing on me rather than getting caught up in the excitement. We also spent some time practicing his Extended Down. Moose did okay with the command and is still learning that he needs to remain patient, even when something exciting is happening nearby.
Working Moose and his sister together is an important part of their training. It helps teach them that even when they're around each other, they still need to listen to their commands instead of getting distracted by the fun of having their sibling close by. Overall, Moose had a really solid session today, and I'm looking forward to continuing to build his focus and reliability!
Pupdate 7/26/26
Today Moose and I headed to Home Depot to continue strengthening all of the commands he has been learning in a busier environment with plenty of distractions. He did an awesome job throughout our session and showed how much progress he has already made!
We started with our structured Heel, and Moose stayed focused by my side for most of the outing. He only had one small moment where he got a little confused about which side he was supposed to be on, but with a quick reminder, he immediately got back into position and finished the rest of the session incredibly strong. It was great to see him respond so well and not let the mistake snowball into bigger issues.
We also spent some time working on duration with his Sit and Down while on Place. Moose did an excellent job remaining patient, and I was even able to drop the leash while he held his commands without any issues. He stayed focused, calm, and committed to the task until he was released.
I'm super proud of Moose and the progress he's making every day. His confidence and understanding of his commands continue to grow, and he's becoming such a fun pup to work with!
Pupdate 7/27/26
Today Moose and I headed back to **Home Depot** to continue strengthening his commands in a slightly more distracting environment. We started our session with a structured **Heel**, and Moose did an excellent job staying by my side while maintaining great focus and engagement throughout our walk. It's been so rewarding to watch his confidence and understanding of the command continue to grow.
We also spent time working on his **Extended Sit** and **Extended Down**, practicing both on **Place** and on the ground. I want Moose to understand that holding a command is expected no matter where he is, whether he's on an elevated object or simply sitting or lying on the floor. He did a fantastic job remaining patient and waiting calmly until he was released.
Moose continues to make great progress with his impulse control and is becoming much better at tuning out the distractions around him so he can stay focused on the task at hand. I'm incredibly proud of the effort he's putting into every training session, and he's making steady progress each day!
Pupdate 7/28/26
Today we stayed home and spent some time working on Moose’s door manners, teaching him to respect the doorway as a threshold instead of automatically following me whenever I moved. Overall, he did a really nice job and showed that he’s beginning to understand the exercise.
There was one moment where I walked through the doorway and stood on the other side for a little while. Moose decided that enough time had passed and got up to come find me. When that happened, I calmly walked him back to his original spot and placed him back into his Down. Being consistent with this is extremely important because it teaches him that the command doesn’t end until he’s released, even if I’m out of sight or on the other side of the door.
Working on door manners like this is a great way to build impulse control and patience. Just because someone walks through a doorway doesn’t mean Moose should automatically follow. He is learning to wait calmly for permission, and with continued practice, this will become a reliable habit. Overall, Moose had another solid training session today and continues making great progress!
Pupdate 7/29/26
Today's outing took us to Target, where Moose got to practice all of his commands with plenty of real-world distractions around him. I am beyond proud of how far he has come with both understanding his commands and executing them so consistently! We started our session with a structured Heel around the store, and Moose did an amazing job staying right by my side, even as people pushed shopping carts past us and the store stayed busy. His engagement and focus have improved so much, and it really showed today.
After about 10 minutes of great Heel work, we found a busy area near the checkout lanes to work on his Extended Sit and Extended Down. Despite people constantly walking by, pushing carts, and creating plenty of distractions, Moose remained calm and committed to the command I had given him. Moments like these really highlight how much his impulse control and confidence have grown. He continues to impress me every day, and today was another fantastic training session. Great job, Moose!
Pupdate 7/30/26
Today we headed back to the mall to continue Moose's training in a more distracting environment, and he did an outstanding job! His Heel has come such a long way, and he stayed right by my side the entire time, even as people walked by and stopped to comment on how handsome he is. We also practiced his Extended Sit and Extended Down in a busy aisle with shoppers constantly moving around him. Instead of getting excited by all the hustle and bustle, Moose remained calm, focused, and committed to his commands. I am beyond proud of how much progress he has made and how eager he is to learn and work every day. Great job, Moose!
Pupdate 7/31/26
Today Moose and I headed to the Oaks Mall to put the finishing touches on all of the commands he has been learning! We started our outing with a structured Heel around the mall, and I was so impressed with how focused he remained as people walked by and commented on how handsome he was. Even when a few people tried to get his attention, Moose stayed completely engaged with me and focused on the task at hand instead of the distractions around him. Seeing that level of maturity and self-control has been amazing, and I couldn't be more proud of how far he has come!
After our walk, we found a fountain where we practiced his Extended Sit. Moose absolutely crushed it! Even with a family and a young child walking nearby, he remained calm, patient, and committed to his command without breaking. We wrapped up our session by practicing an Extended Down in front of Starbucks while people continuously walked in and out for their drinks. Once again, Moose showed incredible impulse control and stayed exactly where he was asked. His confidence, focus, and overall obedience have grown tremendously throughout his training, and I am beyond proud of the progress he has made!
Pupdate 8/1/26
Today Moose and I headed back to the mall to continue solidifying all of the commands he has been learning. He was incredibly eager to work and stayed locked in throughout our entire session. Even with lots of people stopping to admire how handsome and well-behaved he was—and a few trying to get his attention—Moose remained focused on me and the job at hand without missing a beat.
We also spent time practicing his Extended Sit and Extended Down, and he was absolutely determined to hold his position. No matter what was happening around him, he stayed committed to his commands and showed excellent impulse control. I am beyond proud of the hard work, maturity, and effort Moose continues to put into his training. He has made incredible progress, and it really showed today. Great work, Moose!
Pupdate 8/4/26
Today we headed back to the mall to continue strengthening all of the commands Moose has been learning over the past couple of weeks. We started our session with a structured heel, allowing him to experience the busy environment while still remaining accountable for staying by my side. This is such an important exercise because it teaches him that he can observe the world around him without breaking the command he’s been given. Moose did a fantastic job balancing curiosity with focus!
After our walk, we spent some time working on his extended Sit and Down. Even as people stopped to watch him train or walked by, Moose stayed focused on the task at hand and showed great impulse control. We also practiced Place, and he has become much more confident about hopping up onto different objects. He’s beginning to understand that once he’s on the object, he should wait for either a Sit or Down command before relaxing, and he executed each repetition very nicely.
I am incredibly proud of how much Moose has progressed over the past couple of weeks. His confidence, focus, and willingness to work continue to improve every day. Great job today, Moose!
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