Mr. Marjorie | Terrier/Poodle Mini Mix | Pasadena, CA. | In Training
- heatheroffleashsoc
- Nov 9
- 12 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Meet Mr. Marjorie!
Say hello to Mr. Marjorie — a one-year-old Terrier-Poodle mix from sunny Pasadena, California! This adorable little guy has joined us for our Two-Week Urban Board & Train Program, and we’re so excited to have him on board.
Mr. Marjorie has quite the fun personality — he’s been known to show off his “Houdini” skills when hanging out in the yard and can’t help but greet everyone he meets with lots of enthusiasm (and maybe a few too many jumps!). He’s also still figuring out his leash manners, but that’s exactly what we’re here for!
Over the next two weeks, we’ll be working on his basic obedience and house manners, helping him channel all that spunky energy into polite behavior. We can’t wait to watch this happy, playful pup learn and grow so he and his family can enjoy many more adventures together!
11/09/2025
Today, Mr. Marjorie and I headed out to the park for a nice, casual walk — the perfect way to get acquainted and see what he already knows when it comes to obedience commands. From the moment we arrived, Mr. Marjorie was absolutely buzzing with excitement! There were so many new sights and smells to take in, and he made sure to let me know all about it with a few enthusiastic little squeaks of joy.
During our walk, we took the opportunity to introduce the heel command. At first, Mr. Marjorie found it hard to focus with so much going on around us, but with consistency, patience, and gentle leash guidance, he began to catch on — realizing that walking nicely by my side meant he still got to enjoy his adventure.
All in all, today was a wonderful first step in Mr. Marjorie’s obedience journey. I’m so excited to watch this spirited little guy continue to learn and grow over the next two weeks!
11/10/2025
For our first full day together, Mr. Marjorie and I headed out to a park in El Monte for a weekly meet-up with some fellow trainers! It was the perfect opportunity to get him working in a more distracting environment while we focused on refining his heel, sit, and come to sit commands, as well as introducing him to the e-collar.
When we first arrived, Mr. Marjorie was absolutely thrilled about all the sights, smells, and new friends around—his tail never stopped wagging! After a few reminders to heel, though, he began to settle in and focus more on what I was asking of him.
To work on his sit command, I used a combination of leash pressure and e-collar stimulation. Each time I gave the verbal command, I applied gentle leash pressure along with low-level e-collar stimulation, then released both the moment he started to perform the behavior. This helps him understand that the e-collar isn’t a punishment—it’s simply a form of communication, much like the leash! Anytime he broke his sit before being released, I calmly guided him back to the same spot and repeated the command for consistency.
Of course, when Mr. Marjorie performed a command correctly, he was met with plenty of verbal praise and pets to let him know he made the right choice! He really seemed to enjoy those moments and his tail would wag proudly every time he heard an enthusiastic “Good boy!”
For come to sit, Mr. Marjorie was a little unsure at first and tried putting on the brakes when I guided him around my right side into the sit position on my left. With a bit of extra encouragement and repetition, he started to get the hang of it and finished the session showing nice improvement!
All in all, Mr. Marjorie is off to a wonderful start. He’s learning quickly, building focus, and already starting to understand that training time can be both fun and rewarding. I’m excited to see how much more his attention and engagement improve in the days to come!
11/11/2025
Today, Mr. Marjorie and I headed back out to the park for some one-on-one time before we start practicing in more distracting environments. We focused on reinforcing the commands he learned yesterday—heel, sit, and come to sit—while also introducing a couple of new ones: down and place!
I definitely noticed some nice improvements in his heel and sit commands, though we’re still working on how long he can hold a sit for. Come to sit seems to be a bit of a challenge right now—he’s coming when called, but there’s still a little confusion about following through and sitting neatly at my left side. That’s okay though! With more consistency and repetition, I’m confident he’ll get it down in no time.
Mr. Marjorie picked up the down command surprisingly quickly! As for place, he was a little hesitant at first about hopping up onto things like benches, but with some encouragement (and a little boost of confidence), he got the hang of it beautifully.
All in all, Mr. Marjorie is learning fast, staying engaged, and absolutely loving all the verbal praise and pets he earns for a job well done!
11/12/2025
Today, Mr. Marjorie and I took our training session to an outdoor mall to work on his heel, sit (with added duration), and come to sit commands. When we first arrived, he showed a bit of anxiety in this new and bustling environment — which is totally natural! To help him settle in, we started with a relaxed walk around the mall, focusing on our heel command until Mr. Marjorie began to loosen up and show a little more confidence.
Once he relaxed, his curiosity kicked in — the sights, sounds, and smells of the mall definitely caught his attention! These distractions made holding his extended sit a bit challenging, but we patiently worked through it. Each time he broke command, I calmly guided him back to his original position and tried again. When he successfully held his sit, he earned a break and lots of praise and pets for a job well done! His excitement sometimes led to a few happy jumps, but with a quick reminder of “off,” he responded beautifully and stopped right away.
The highlight of our session was definitely Mr. Marjorie’s come to sit command. His follow-through was noticeably better today! Even if he got momentarily distracted, a gentle reminder to “come” brought him right back to my left side, where he sat so nicely and proudly.
All in all, Mr. Marjorie made some great progress today — especially in handling distractions. He’s learning that even when the world around him is full of excitement, he can still focus and perform like the well-mannered pup we know he’s becoming!
11/13/2025
Today Mr. Marjorie and I headed back to the outdoor mall to work through all of his commands with plenty of real-world distractions. Our main focus for the day was his place command, since he’s shown a bit of hesitation when asked to hop onto different types of objects. We took our time introducing a variety of surfaces and platforms, and by the end of our session he had zero trouble confidently hopping up, sitting, and even laying down on anything he was asked to. Big win for Mr. Marjorie!
We also saw some great highlights in his other commands. His come to sit was much cleaner today, with a more accurate finish and less need for guidance. His duration work was noticeably stronger too—he held his extended commands longer and with far fewer breaks, even with all the sights, sounds, and activity around him.
This little guy is really learning that distractions don’t mean the work has to stop. I’m so proud of the progress he’s making already—he’s such a smart pup and he truly gives his best every day!
11/14/2025
Today Mr. Marjorie and I headed indoors to Home Depot to escape the rainy weather and get some quality training time in with plenty of real-world distractions! Our main focus for the day was strengthening his extended sit and down commands. His sit command is becoming noticeably more reliable, and he’s showing great improvement in holding that position with confidence. With the down command, he’s still working through some challenges—mostly staying in the position until he’s released—but he’s trying hard and making steady progress.
The highlight of our session was absolutely his continued improvement with heel, sit, and come to sit! Each day these commands are performed smoother and more consistently, which really shows how our focused, consistent practice is paying off.
Mr. Marjorie still gets excited when he hears verbal praise for a job well done and may offer a little jump, but with a quick reminder to “off,” he’s learning to keep those paws planted and let the love come to him. He even goes as far as offering a beautiful sit right after being corrected—such a smart boy!
All in all, Mr. Marjorie is making fantastic progress, and I’m so proud of the effort he puts in each day!
11/15/2025
Today Mr. Marjorie and I headed back out to Home Depot to put all of his learned commands to the test. For the most part, he did really well! We did, however, run into a little hiccup while working on his extended down command. Mr. Marjorie wasn’t too keen on holding his down until given the verbal cue to either break or come to sit. Because of this, we made it our main focus for the day.
With consistent repetition, clear guidance, and a few necessary corrections, he started to understand exactly what was being asked of him. After a handful of great reps, we wrapped up the session on a positive note with a cheerful “break!” to give him a confidence boost and let him know he got it right.
The highlight of the day was how beautifully Mr. Marjorie heeled throughout the store—ignoring most distractions—and how cleanly he executed his come to sit command. His follow-through on this has improved so much!
All in all, today’s session was impactful and full of growth. Mr. Marjorie is learning a lot about patience, self-control, and staying focused even in busy environments. Great job, Mr. Marjorie!
11/16/2025
Today Mr. Marjorie and I decided to keep things close to home. With the off-and-on rain showers rolling through, we took advantage of every dry moment to head outside and work on his commands around the neighborhood. Despite the gloomy weather, Mr. Marjorie’s tail was wagging the entire time—he was thrilled to stretch his legs, sniff around, and enjoy a little fresh air without getting drenched!
Once we got into our training groove, Mr. Marjorie showed some really solid progress. His heel was nice and steady, and he responded quickly to his cues, even with the added distractions of passing cars, damp grass, and the occasional umbrella-toting pedestrian. What stood out most today was how well he held his extended commands. Normally, he can get a little wiggly when holding a position for too long, but today he really showed off his self-control.
There’s a moment in the video where you can actually see the wheels turning in his head—he starts to shift like he might get up, then pauses, thinks it through, and settles himself right back down before I even have a chance to say anything. That kind of independent decision-making is a huge step forward and a clear sign that things are clicking for him. What a smart, thoughtful boy!
All in all, today was a great reminder that with consistency, repetition, and a whole lot of patience, pups like Mr. Marjorie can work through just about any obstacle. I’m so proud of him and can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!
11/17/2025
Today, Mr. Marjorie and I made another trip out to Home Depot to practice all of his commands in a busy, distraction-filled environment. Right as we got started, he showed a few signs of anxiety—yawning, whining softly, doing those little head shakes, and keeping his body a bit low and tentative. To help him ease into the space, we kept things simple at first and began by walking slow laps around the store, focusing on a relaxed, structured heel. As we moved through different aisles, passed carts, and navigated around people, you could see him gradually start to loosen up. His tail came up, his focus improved, and he began checking in with me more frequently.
Once he settled and his anxiety began to fade, we transitioned into the rest of his work. We practiced his sit and down commands with extended duration and added distance—plenty of moments where I stepped away from him or circled around to test his patience and impulse control. He stayed fairly consistent with these, though the extended down is still his toughest challenge. He tends to want to pop up early to follow me, so it took some repetition to remind him to hold the position until released.
We also ran through come-to-sit, making sure he finished neatly at my side, and his place command, using various surfaces around the store to build confidence. He handled these nicely and seemed to enjoy the problem-solving aspect of hopping onto different platforms.
At the end of our session, we circled back to the extended down to give it some extra attention. With a little more practice and encouragement, he started holding the command a bit longer, showing clearer understanding and more self-control than when we began.
The highlight of the day was how quickly he overcame the majority of his initial anxiety. What started as a hesitant, slightly stressed pup turned into a focused worker who was able to navigate a busy store with much more confidence. Big win for Mr. Marjorie today!
11/18/2025
Today Mr. Marjorie and I headed back out to Home Depot to work through all of his commands with plenty of real-world distractions. He handled himself beautifully! I was especially proud to see a real breakthrough with his extended down command. He’s beginning to hold the position with much more confidence and far fewer reminders, which is a huge step in the right direction.
I’ve started to notice that he’s anticipating some of my cues—totally normal given how much repetition we’ve put in during our sessions. Because of this, we’re focusing on reminding him to stay put until he’s explicitly released. The great news is that even when he does need a reminder, he’s no longer breaking command to go sniff nearby objects. That’s progress!
Overall, I’m incredibly proud of all the effort Mr. Marjorie is putting in to be the very best boy. I can’t wait to see how much more he’ll accomplish in the days ahead!
11/19/2025
Today Mr. Marjorie and I headed out to the outdoor mall to work through all of our commands in a busier environment. At first, he was very distracted—he wanted to check out every sound, smell, and passerby around us! So we started with a calm heel around the mall just to let him take it all in and settle his mind.
After a few laps, he began to focus a bit more, and that’s when the real work began. We practiced his place command on a variety of different platforms, and he handled each new surface with growing confidence. From there, we moved into his extended sit and extended down commands. These have historically been the toughest for him, and at first he wasn’t too keen on staying put until released. But with some patient reminders and repetition, something clicked—Mr. Marjorie started holding those positions much better.
Today truly felt like a breakthrough moment for him. His patience, self-control, and willingness to work are all improving, and I’m incredibly proud of how far this boy has come. He made great progress today, and it shows!
11/20/2025
Today Mr. Marjorie and I headed back out to Home Depot to fine-tune all of his commands, and I have to say—he did so well! When we first arrived, he had a little mix of anxiety and excitement, so we took a few warm-up laps around the store to help him settle into the environment.
Once he relaxed and was able to focus, we got right to work! And wow, did he shine. His execution was clean, his engagement was fantastic, and his extended positions have improved significantly. He held them with much more confidence and patience than before, even with all the usual distractions around us.
I’m so proud of how far this boy has come—his progress is truly showing, and he continues to impress me every single session!
11/21/2025
Today Mr. Marjorie and I headed out to the Santa Anita Mall to work through all of his commands with plenty of real-world distractions. As expected, he started off quite excited—totally normal for him! So, we took a little time to simply walk around and get into a rhythm, practicing his heel command until he settled into a calmer mindset.
Once he was focused, we got to work. We introduced a variety of chairs and benches for his place command. While he still has a tendency to hesitate with unfamiliar objects, a bit of encouragement is all he needs. With some confidence-boosting, he hopped right up and laid down beautifully on each surface.
We then headed through the food court, where there were plenty of people and activity. It was the perfect environment to practice his extended sit and his come-to-sit commands. He showed noticeable improvement in both—holding his place much more consistently and following through with his positions. The occasional “good sit” or “good down” really seemed to reinforce his focus and confidence.
All in all, this silly guy did a fantastic job today. I’m so proud of how far he’s come and how well he continues to progress!
Unfortunately, toward the end of our day, Mr. Marjorie began to show signs of an upset stomach, including projectile vomiting and diarrhea, possibly related to his food. To help settle his belly, we have stopped giving him his regular food after today and switched him to cooked white rice and pumpkin purée until we start to see some improvement.
11/22/2025
Today was a big day for Mr. Marjorie! We headed back out to the Santa Anita Mall to film his final video, and he absolutely nailed it. He worked through each of his commands with confidence, focus, and that signature happy personality of his. By the end, he was so pleased with himself his tail practically couldn’t stop wagging!
One of the standout moments of the day was during his extended sit. A small child was nearby—something that definitely piqued Mr. Marjorie’s interest—but despite the distraction, he held his command beautifully. That level of self-control is a huge milestone for him, and he handled it like a pro.
This boy has come such a long way in just two weeks. Not only has his obedience and house manners improved, but his impulse control and overall composure have grown tremendously. I’m so proud to have been part of his training journey, and I truly hope everything he’s learned continues to benefit both him and you as his handler as you move forward together.
Thank you so much for trusting me with this silly, lovable guy! He’s an absolute joy. 🐾💛
Update on upset stomach: Mr. Marjorie’s stomach has seemed to settle some, but it’s still a little testy so we have continued to give him the rice and pumpkin puree at meal times.
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