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Mushroom | King Charles Spaniel | Newport Coast, CA | In - Training


Meet Mushroom! A sweet, 5 month Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from Newport Coast, CA. Mushroom has come to us for our Three Week Puppy Board and Train program to work on Potty Training, proper socialization, and overall obedience, especially around his feline friends at home! Stay tuned for Mushroom’s Three Week transformation!


 

Pupdate 10/16/2022




Mushroom and I enjoyed our first day together hanging out in the backyard, introducing him to his new pack of friends. Mushroom and my other board and train pup Artemis the husky, really hit it off as they played together, matching each other’s energy. We then got him all settled in, beginning with crate training. Tomorrow we will venture outside together to work on some new commands!


 

Pupdate 10/17/2022


Mushroom and I took a trip together to the local park! When we first arrived I gave Mushroom a few minutes to acclimate to his environment and sniff around. I cued him to Go Potty and marked it with a Yes as soon as he did so he can begin to go on Cue. I then utilized a slip lead to introduce him to the Heel command. Heel is the action of Mushroom walking on my left side, turning when I turn, sitting when I stop walking and checking in frequently. I guided him with the leash applying slight leash pressure upwards to help him sit along with the visual cue for Sit. I rewarded him whenever he allowed me to step away without getting up. It is important to build value in him holding a stationary position. I then released him with the Cue Break! Good work Mushroom!


 

Pupdate 10/18/2022




Mushroom and I took a trip to the beach today! This trip was great exposure to a new environment with a lot going on. Our main focus today was engagement. I played the name game with Mushroom, rewarding him when he looked at me voluntarily or on command. We then Heeled together giving him frequent breaks to explore his new surroundings, since he is a puppy everything is new to him and it’s important to build confidence when out in public. He was able to hold his Extended Sit for about 20 seconds which is a great start for a very distracting area! We have also been focusing on his potty training. I feed Mushroom at 7 am then at 3 - 4 p.m. This leaves ample time for potty breaks before bed!


 

Pupdate 10/19/2022


Mushroom and I focused our work today on exposure to new environments and engagement! As a puppy it is extremely easy to be overwhelmed in new environments, and I want to be the most valuable thing to Mushroom as we eventually begin to work more and more near distractions. I Heeled with Mushroom as I frequently backed away from him inviting him with my body to engage with me and walk towards me as I called his name. This footwork helps get Mushroom to want to come towards me and is what I call the name game! The goal is to have Mushroom respond to his name consistently whenever I call it to get his attention. In a crowded area like today that is not an easy task yet he began to follow me, and chose to come to me despite his surroundings.

I was utilizing a slip lead with Mushroom today which has helped with teaching him leash pressure, but I think he will benefit most from a micro Herm Sprenger prong collar. It is the safest and most effective tool for him. I ordered it the other day and will begin to work with him as soon as I receive it to improve his Heel. I do recommend purchasing a Herm Sprenger 2.25 mm prong collar for Mushroom to help maintain his Heel command.

We then worked on his Extended Sit, giving him frequent breaks afterwards to explore everything. He was able to hold his Extended Sit for 30 seconds today. Good job Mushroom!


 

Pupdate 10/20/2022




Mushroom and I worked on introducing him to a new communication tool today, the Herm Sprenger Prong collar. The prong collar is used in a similar fashion as the slip lead, the only difference is that pressure is being applied on all areas of his neck, not just on one side. The Herm Sprenger has platelets that protects him as well while leash pressure is applied. We worked on his Heel as we took a trip to the park. At first Mushroom resisted the leash pressure but with a few repetitions of guiding him with slight leash pressure towards me, then releasing as soon as he came he began to understand to follow the directional changes of the leash. I then introduced him to Down and Place as we practiced him jumping onto a park bench. After a few tries he worked up the courage to jump all on his own as I guided him with the leash towards the bench. Place is the action of Mushroom jumping onto a surface and staying there until released. It helps to create a calm state of mind for a pup and can be used both inside and out of the house. Elevated dog cots are great to use for inside the house and are often portable to practice Place with Mushroom outside of the house. It is a familiar tool that can be used with Mushroom when in unfamiliar environments.

I rewarded Mushroom as he held his position when in Place and Down. We then practiced on a rock where he needed some extra guidance but worked up the confidence to perform there as well!


 

Pupdate 10/21/2022


Mushroom and I ventured out to the Outlets today to work some more on his Heel, Extended Sit, Place and Down command! He has improved with his Heel, staying by my side and following the guidance of the leash pressure path I create for him quite well. I always give him a heads up we are changing direction by cuing Heel before we turn. If he gets up from a Sit or Down before I release him with the cue Break, I reposition him back to where he was. Once he holds his position long enough, he learns he gets paid for it with yummy treats!



 

Pupdate 10/22/2022




Mushroom and I started our day Heeling together around the local park. I always start our walks with giving him a potty break and a second to explore his new surroundings. He came across plenty of new things such as packs of squirrels, a bird sanctuary, ponds, and other pups. Mushroom is improving significantly with responding to his name on cue. When I mark his good work with a Yes he becomes extra eager to perform which is great! We are working on building his confidence with jumping onto new surfaces, as we practice Place.

When we got home he ran around the backyard with his other furry friends Teagan and Artemis. Mushroom has really helped bring out the playful side of Teagan who was more timid initially. As a puppy he is also learning to respond to social cues. Teagan has definitely helped him with that as she is an older pup who likes to take frequent breaks during playtime.


 

Pupdate 10/23/2022


Today was a fun day of socialization as Mushroom had the opportunity to help me socialize one of my other board and train pups Teagan, who is quite timid when dogs are present. Mushroom was able to bring out the playful side of Teagan and ran around with her! Mushroom is learning to respect social cues which is great when playing with dogs of different energy levels. He is also responding to Off more frequently now. Good work Mushroom!



 

Pupdate 10/24/2022




Mushroom and I ventured out to the park where we practiced our Heel, Come to Sit, And Extended Down while practicing Place, all with distractions around! Mushroom has improved with holding his Extended Down while in Place. He jumped onto Place with ease and much confidence! We will keep working on his Place command with different surfaces and more distractions as we continue to add distance between us.


 

Pupdate 10/25/2022


Mushroom and I spent our day proofing the commands he has learned at a local park. We have focused most of our work with his Extended Sit, Down and Place command building duration of up to a minute and a half. He held his Extended commands as distractions passed by him such as other dogs, bicycles and skateboards. We worked on Place with a different surface today. This surface helps Mushroom build rear end awareness and confidence. We will begin to add more distance between us next utilizing a 15 ft leash.


 

Pupdate 10/26/2022





Mushroom and I had the opportunity to expose him to a new environment today, The Block of Orange Outlets. He held his Extended Sit and Down while other dogs passed by him, crowds of people and loud noises were all around him. We utilized a 15ft leash today to create distance between him and I while he held position. This can be challenging at first as Mushroom is used to always being near me while training and has displayed signs of separation anxiety when working apart from me. He had the tendency to follow me when I backed away from him. I Cued him back to a Sit position and popped the leash upwards if he released himself. I then backed away again and came back to reward him if he held his position. I was able to walk to the end of the leash by the end of the session. He is becoming more consistent with holding his position until hearing the release word Break. We will continue to proof his commands around distracting environments.


 

Pupdate 10/27/2022


Mushroom and I ventured out to the The Block of Orange again to expose him to new environments some more and build confidence. He did better today with holding his Extended Sit and Down with distractions present. We are also working on his Place with different surfaces. Since Mushroom is a little guy, at times it can be challenging for him to jump onto high surfaces. With some encouragement and leash pressure upwards, he works through it!



 

Pupdate 10/28/2022




Mushroom and I took a trip to The Outlets today to work on all of the commands he has learned so far while adding in more duration, and distance between us. We used a 15 ft leash as we Heeled in a pack walk around the Outlets. Mushroom has done great with holding his Extended Sit and Down while in a distracting area. We have been able to successfully reach his one and a half minute goal! Now we will keep testing this command with distances of 15 ft or more between us. Since Mushroom is boy that gets a lot of attention, we practice Greeting Manners often. He is improving with containing the impulse to jump while being pet.



 

Pupdate 10/29/2022


Mushroom and I worked on his Heel command while taking a stroll around the neighborhood together. We emphasized our work today on building distance between us while he holds his Extended Sit and Down. If he gets up he corrects himself rather quickly and is becoming more confident around loud noises. We will keep exposing him to more environments, since as a puppy that socialization is very important!


 

Pupdate 10/30/2022




Today Mushroom and I focused our work on his Extended Sit and Down while near distractions. At times when he is in the Down he gets up but is doing better with correcting himself as soon as I remind him to Down. We are also working on getting him to jump as high as possible consistently. He has had some pretty high jumps before yet struggles with maintaining consistency. We are working on building up his confidence to jump up onto new surfaces. When he does I make it a big deal and reward him with a fun Break afterwards!


 

Pupdate 10/31/2022


Mushroom and I worked on proofing everything he has learned so far while at the outlets today. We had a pack walk with other pups which seems to really help with Mushroom’s confidence. He saw the other pup perform Place and he worked up the confidence to jump up all on his own! He then performed Place consistently each time which was definitely our goal. He can hold his Extended Sit and Down for a minute and a half, showing much more confidence around loud noises and crowds of people.



 

Pupdate 11/1/2022




Mushroom and I ventured out to The Block of Orange today! We had the opportunity to emphasize our work on his Place command, Heel, and overall impulse control when other dogs are present. He has really grown fond of the Cue Place, running to jump onto new surfaces even before I can give the command! I love the enthusiasm, especially since prior to this week Mushroom was very hesitant around new surfaces. He has displayed more confidence when in new environments, and is ready to begin filming for his final video. Excellent progress Mushroom!


 

Pupdate 11/2/2022


Mushroom and I had a fun training day at the beach where we filmed for his Final video! There were other dogs, crowds of people and very windy weather that took Mushroom some getting used to at first. After a few laps he acclimated to his surroundings and was able to hold his Extended Sit, Down and Place while distractions passed right by him. Mushroom has improved significantly with his impulse to approach new dogs and had some practice with his Greeting Manners as friendly people said hi to him. Excellent work Mushroom!


 

Pupdate 11/3/2022




Mushroom and I ventured out to the Outlets today to continue to proof his commands and socialize him! He had the opportunity to say hi to friendly new people and Sat politely for petting. Mushroom has improved with his potty training and hasn’t had an accident since his very first week! I make sure to give him potty breaks first thing in the morning, an hour after each feeding(which is usually at 7 a.m then 4 p.m) and every four hours until bedtime. He has learned the routine and has held his potty until he is released from the kennel. I then put on his leash and walk him to the grass Cuing “ Go Potty”. Once he goes, I mark it with a Yes and reward.



 

Pupdate 11/4/2022


Mushroom and I started our day with working on his Food Manners. He is expected to hold his Extended Sit or Down while being fed. After the food bowl is placed on the floor, that is not his cue to get up. His cue to eat is when I release him with the Cue Break. Although tempted, Mushroom was able to hold his sit while I eventually went out of sight.

After working on food manners I introduced Mushroom to my new board and train pup who he took well to! They ran around chasing each other endlessly until it was time for dinner.


 

Pupdate 11/5/2022




Mushroom and I spent the day working on his manners and Heel as we strolled around the neighborhood together. His heel has improved as he checks in frequently during walks and waits for his release word Break to explore and sniff around. Occasionally he needs to be reminded to Heel when there are distractions like other dogs but responds rather quickly and does not test it as he did before.

Little Mushroom has improved with his potty training significantly! There have been no accidents the past two weeks and he does well with alerting me when he needs to pee while in the kennel. He used to go on the concrete but after some guidance with the leash as I walked him over to the grass, he now automatically goes potty on the grass. Routine is very important when maintaining potty training. Dogs are creatures of routine and thrive off a consistent feeding/ potty break schedule. This helps train their bladder to go during specific times of the day. Mushroom eats one meal at 7 am after a potty break, goes to the kennel, then gets released an hour after feeding. If mushroom went potty he gets freedom, if he does not go potty he should not have free roam in the house and will go back in the kennel. His second feeding is at 4 p.m in the kennel. He goes on potty breaks about every 4 hours until bedtime which is at 11 p.m. Please be mindful of his routine as this has a great impact on how his transition with potty training will be back at home.

Mushroom is a playful, smart boy who needs structure, leadership, and continuous proper socialization to help him be the best pup he can be! Thank you for trusting me with him, we have had a blast these last three weeks and can’t wait to show you how much he has learned.


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