Meet Nebula! She’s a 2-year-old Husky mix from San Diego, CA who is here for our Two-Week Board and Train program. Nebula is good with people and dogs, but can be a bit timid at times. She is with us for pulling on leash, jumping on people, runs up to dogs and people, doesn’t recall, and can’t follow through with basic commands outside of the home. Stay tuned for her fourteen-day transformation!
Pupdate 3/13/2022
Nebula and I worked on leash skills in the parking lot of the Outlet Mall and then went for a walk around the mall. She was responsive to the air dried treats I was giving her. In a more distracting environment she had trouble holding a sit and would not lie down. When she saw a dog she would try to run up to it, but I used the leash to block her from going forward. She would disengage from the idea pretty quickly and we would continue on our way. Nebula was a little nervous when we were in the wide open center courtyard and did not take treats while we remained there. I looked around but could not see what might be triggering her. Later in the week we will return here to see how she’s progressing.
Pupdate 3/14/2022
Today we focused on leash work and e-collar conditioning. I found the lowest level stimulation that Nebula feels, and when she isn’t looking in my direction or focused on anything else in the environment, I tap the black button on the left side of the remote a few times. When Nebula turns in my direction I mark with “yes” and praise. She was taking food to be able to reward that way. In the afternoon she socialized with the other dogs, and while she is a bit vocal at times, she interacted fine.
Pupdate 3/15/2022
We started the morning off doing some leash work, followed by more e-collar conditioning, and the introduction of the place board. Nebula is catching on fast. I’ve introduced her to a number of treats and may have found kibble and treats she’s motivated to work for. In the afternoon I let Nebula socialize with the other dogs. She is vocal but playful. I didn’t see any concerning behaviors!
Pupdate 3/16/2022
Nebula and I worked on luring and her come to sit at a local shopping area. I found she likes the air dried single protein meat treats the best. She showed good motivation to work for them, but didn’t want to get too close to me. When I loaded the dogs up in the van I left the bag of treats in front of Nebula’s crate. When my dog jumped in and sniffed the bag Nebula started to bark at her. I noticed she also likes to jump on people, which is something we are working on.
Pupdate 3/17/2022
Nebula and I went to the beach to work in a highly distracting environment. I focused on heeling and come to sit. She doesn't understand come to sit and still needs leash pressure so we only did a few repetitions and took a walk down the beach. We saw several dogs, and I was able to use the "off" command to keep her by my side, which was a huge contrast to the day we met, when she was lunging towards dogs she saw at the Outlet Mall.
Pupdate 3/18/2022
I took Nebula to a shopping area to work on her come to sit and heeling in a more distracting environment. She was distracted and a bit stressed out by all the activity. I had to use the leash to help guide her around, but after several repetitions she started to relax a bit more and didn’t need as much guidance.
Pupdate 3/19/2022
Nebula and I worked in a shopping area that was pretty busy. We practiced her loose leash walking/heeling, come to sit, and started adding duration to her sit and down. She’s doing better around distractions but sometimes struggles with following through with commands if dogs are around.
Pupdate 3/20/2022
Nebula and I worked on her commands at a park in Temecula. She does not like to lie down on cue so today we really focused on this. I used leash pressure as well as the e-collar at very low levels to guide her into position. She tried to mouth me softly when she didn't want to do it, but we worked through it and the resistance faded. Nebula is still very distracted and continues to need help completing her commands, but will heel nicely when we walk. She also gives off lots of calming signals, like sniffing the ground, which tells me she's uncomfortable around a lot of activity.
Pupdate 3/21/2022
Today we went to Lowe’s and worked on Nebula’s heeling, come to sit, and extended down. She’s doing much better with leash pressure, and showing great motivation for the Fresh Pet I’m using. When we walked into the store she was hyper vigilant, looking in every direction, but once I found a quieter isle with traffic next to us, she settled in and found her focus.
Pupdate 3/22/2022
Nebula and I worked on heeling and place at the park. She was really loving the Fresh Pet and did some fancy prancing for it. I enjoyed her little leaps off the place board when I released her.
Pupdate 3/23/2022
Nebula and I practiced loose leash walking/heeling by the beach. She did a great job and seems more relaxed. We continue to work on the down command, which she can do on cue, although it’s far from her favorite command. We successfully passed several dogs on our walk, in addition to scooters and skateboards.
Pupdate 3/24/2022
Nebula and I went back to the outlet mall to work on her commands. Her heeling looks good, but we are still working on her come to sit and down. She does show more stress signals in more populated areas, and has trouble completing her commands. If I have another dog out while she’s working, she will avoid completing the command, which tells me she’s sensitive to special and social pressure. This is something that can improve as her handler continues to work with her on the foundation that has been built.
Pupdate 3/25/2022
Nebula and I worked on her final video by the beach. She was a bit nervous in the environment, but did well walking past dogs. Nebula will down on cue but still struggles with placing on higher objects like benches. She has no trouble placing on a regular dog bed.
Pupdate 3/26/2022
Nebula and I worked on her final video at a park. She was nervous with children running around but was able to complete all of her commands. We did greeting manners but she was uncomfortable having someone she didn’t know touch her so so released her and thanked the woman for helping out.
