Nori | Boxer/Labrador Retriever Mix | Inglewood, CA | In- Training

priscillakhoroffle
May 31
13 min read

Updated: Jun 13

Meet Nori! She’s a 13-month-old Boxer/Lab mix from Inglewood here for our Two-Week Board and Train Program. Nori is sweet, playful, and full of energy, but her enthusiasm can sometimes get the better of her. She’s known to bark at other dogs, pull on the leash during walks, and struggle with consistency in commands like “down,” “leave it,” and “drop it.” Though she’s great with her family and enjoys playtime with their dog, her high energy and playful behaviors—like jumping on guests and occasional nipping—are areas that need some fine-tuning. Over the next fourteen days, we’ll focus on improving her leash manners, sharpening her obedience skills, building calm socialization with people and dogs, and teaching her better off-leash control and fetch etiquette. Stay tuned for Nori’s 2 Week Transformation!

Pupdate 5/31/25

Nori is off to a strong start on her first day of training! At pick-up, she was happy and curious, and with a little help from mom and dad, she hopped right into the car and settled into the crate with no trouble. She already knows some of her basic commands like “sit” and “down,” but she hasn’t yet learned to hold those positions until she’s released with a cue like “break.” That’s something we’ll be focusing on throughout her program to help build impulse control and clarity.

Today, I introduced her to the “place” command, and she was quick to step onto the cot and get into position. Like with her other commands, she held it for a few seconds before getting up on her own, which is a great starting point. She’s responsive and eager to learn—it’s just a matter of helping her understand the rules and expectations with more consistency.

She also met my dog today! Nori barked a bit at first out of excitement, but after a proper introduction and some sniffing, they were able to play together in a calm and respectful way. It’s clear she wants to be social—she just needs a little help channeling that energy.

Nori is a calm and sweet-natured girl, and I can already see that with a little structure and clear communication, she’s going to thrive. We’re excited to see how much progress she’ll make. Stay tuned for more updates as her transformation unfolds!

Pupdate 6/1/25

Today, I introduced Nori to the e-collar, and she’s already picking up on it quickly! Right now, I’m pairing the e-collar stimulation with leash pressure to help her understand that both cues mean I’m asking her to follow through on a command. She’s responding well, and I’ve already started easing off the leash pressure to let the e-collar take the lead. We’re starting with commands she already knows, like “sit” and “come,” so she can make the connection that the e-collar is just another way I’m communicating with her.

I also noticed a bit of barrier frustration this morning. When Nori has more energy—like during our early morning routine—she tends to bark and growl at the other dogs when she’s still in her crate. However, once everyone is out and in the open, she relaxes and has no issues interacting with the group. This vocalization seems to come more from frustration and wanting to be part of the action than anything aggressive, and with structure and consistency, she’ll learn how to manage that energy more appropriately.

On a positive note, Nori is doing a great job learning how to engage with other dogs. She’s still a bit awkward and needs a little space now and then, but she’s confident and eager to play. Her social skills are improving by the hour, and I’m excited to see how much more she blossoms as her training continues!

Pupdate 6/2/25

Today’s pupdate is about Nori's place command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the place command would look like.

When they are either in a sit or down on the place object, I praise with a “good sit!”, throwing the command back at them in the praise.

There are four rules when it comes to the place command:

The place object must have defined edges or boundaries (a dog bed, towel, or bench are good place objects.)
Only place on objects your dog is allowed to be on. Don’t place on the bed if they’re not allowed on the bed, and don’t place on the antique table if they’re not allowed to be on it.
Always get the “win” when practicing the place command. If they struggle to place on a tall object, help them up. Consistently following through with the command builds confidence in your dog and accountability.
The duration they are expected to be in place is built over time. We start low, a few seconds or minutes, before building up the time they are in place over many repetitions.

Once they are in the place, there are three things we work on:

Duration: how long they stay in place
Distance: how far away we can be while they stay in place
Distractions: how many things can go around them while they stay in place

In the video, I am working on all three, as both people and dogs pose as great distractions. They have learned to remain in place even when people are around, even petting them.

When we are done with the command—or any command—I release them with their word “Break!” which allows them to do whatever they want.

Pupdate 6/3/25

Today’s pupdate is about how we took a field trip to the Brea Mall and started working on her tight heel command in a busy, real-world environment. At first, she wasn’t quite sure what “heel” meant, especially when it came to staying right beside my leg. But with some clear guidance using the slip leash and e-collar, she began to understand what I was asking, and by the end of our session, she was showing great improvement.

We also used this outing to reinforce her basic obedience—“come,” “sit,” “down,” and “place”—in different spots around the mall. While I stopped by the Apple Store to trade in a laptop, Nori practiced settling with her “sit” and “down” commands while we waited. Despite the noise, movement, and crowds, she stayed calm and focused.

We passed lots of people and even a few dogs, and while Nori was definitely interested and alert, she stayed with me the entire time. She didn’t bark, and she held her commands really well even in the face of distractions. It was a great outing, and I’m really proud of how composed and responsive she was throughout the day!

Pupdate 6/4/25

Today’s pupdate is about Nori’s come to sit! I demonstrate in the video above what a few repetitions of the command looks like. The key to this command is how they make the u-turn behind me to end up in a sit by my left leg, where the heel command also starts.

On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain their attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time. Even as they’re coming towards me, I watch for signs of them slowing down or walking away, which is when I will tap them again and remind them with “come”.

In the video, I am also reminding them with “sit” when they are in the right spot, but that will be faded out so they know that the “come” command includes the sit at the end.

When they are sitting by my leg, I praise them with “good come!”, throwing the command back at them.

As they become more reliable with the u-turn motion, we start recalling them from higher distraction environments and from farther away.

When we are done with the command—or any command—I release them with their word “Break!” and give them lots of love.

Pupdate 6/5/25

Today, Nori and I took a trip to Home Depot for a big training challenge! We went during a quieter time of day, but there was still a steady flow of people, carts, and plenty of background noise. I started her on-leash to warm up, but quickly transitioned to working off-leash heel—something I knew she was ready for.

Nori exceeded expectations. She stayed in position for the majority of the session, walking confidently beside me throughout the store. In the beginning, she got a little carried away sniffing around, and she was briefly nervous when large stock trucks drove by, but even then, she never strayed far and responded well when I asked her to sit.

One of the things I was most impressed by was her focus around other people. She never tried to break heel to approach anyone, which shows how much more in tune she’s becoming. We also worked on her “place” command using different objects around the store—she hopped up on wood panels and other surfaces without hesitation, totally unfazed by the unfamiliar textures and heights.

Overall, Nori was confident, focused, and eager to work. She’s really starting to grasp the meaning of off-leash heel, and today she proved just how smart and capable she is.

Pupdate 6/6/25

Today’s pupdate is about Nori’s sit command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the sit command would look like.

When their butt touches the ground in a sit, I praise with a “good sit!”, throwing the command back at them in the praise.

Once they are in their sit, there are three things we work on:

Duration: how long they stay in their sit
Distance: how far away we can be while they stay in their sit
Distractions: how many things can go around them while they stay in their sit

In the video, I am working on distance and duration. Each time they are in the sit, I walk around them, getting farther away as we progress, and also leaving them in the sit for longer. This teaches them to have stability in their commands rather than breaking it whenever they please.

As we get to practice in busier areas, we will naturally have a higher amount of distractions to train with, and their stability in the sit will increase drastically.

When we are done with the command—or any command—I release them with their word “Break!” which allows them to do whatever they want.

Pupdate 6/7/25

Today, Nori and I headed to Target for another round of public practice, and it was a great opportunity to sharpen all of her obedience skills. We had plenty of real-life distractions to work through—people, carts, and lots of kids. Despite all that, Nori stayed focused and composed.

She worked completely off-leash the entire time, which gave me the chance to really hone in on her recall to heel. While she understands the recall command well and comes back reliably, she’s still figuring out the exact heel positioning, especially the U-turn behind me to land in the correct spot. By the end of our Target run, though, she was showing noticeable improvement and starting to grasp the movement much better.

Her other commands—“sit,” “down,” and “heel”—are looking solid both on- and off-leash. Nori continues to show me how capable and eager she is to learn, and each outing is helping her gain more precision and confidence.

Pupdate 6/8/25

Today’s pupdate is about Nori’s down command! I demonstrate in the video above what a targeted repetition of the command looks like. I’m teaching them that me squatting and opening my arms does not mean “break”.

When their elbows touch the ground in their down, I praise with a “good down!”, throwing the command back at them in the praise.

Once they are in their down, there are three things we work on:

Duration: how long they stay in their down
Distance: how far away we can be while they stay in their down
Distractions: how many things can go around them while they stay in their down

In the video, I am working on all three. Each time they are in the down, I walk around them, getting farther away as we progress, and also making gestures that they think means attention. This teaches them to have stability in their commands rather than breaking it without the word “break”.

Every time they break the command, I tap the remote and remind them to “down”.

As we get to practice in busier areas, we will naturally have a higher amount of distractions to train with, and their stability in the down will increase drastically.

When we are done with the command—or any command—I release them with their word “Break!” which allows them to do whatever they want.

Pupdate 6/9/25

Today, Nori and I focused on leash pressure work, taking a break from the e-collar to give her hotspot some time to heal. Without the added clarity of the collar, communication was a little slower at first, but Nori quickly started tuning in and responding well as our session progressed.

We spent most of our time refining her heel and come-to-sit positioning. Without the usual e-collar cues, she did have a tendency to drift ahead of me during heel, but I used light leash pops and a few directional changes to help guide her back into position. It was a good reminder for her to stay engaged and walk with me—not just near me.

Her come-to-sit is also starting to fall into place more naturally. She’s thinking through the motion and landing closer to where she needs to be each time. Even without the collar, we made solid progress today, and I was proud of how well she adjusted and kept trying.

Pupdate 6/10/25

Today’s pupdate is about Nori’s

heel command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the heel command would look like.

The heel command is different from all the other commands in that it is a moving command. The dog is joining your motion rather than assuming a position in one spot. The moving position I am teaching them to be in is right next to my left leg, where their face does not go past my knee. That is the heel position we are working towards.

The dog should start and stop the heel command in a sit next to your leg. When they are in position, I say “heel”, tap the remote, and move forward at the same time. I keep walking, and whenever they leave the position next to my leg, I remind them with “heel” and another tap on the remote. We are essentially creating a safe zone near your leg where they aren’t getting reminded to be in heel.

It is important to praise your dog while they are in heel to reinforce that position. I remind them, especially when they’re in a good heel position, with “good heel!” to mark the correct position for them.

When coming to a stop, give your dog a heads up by saying “and Nori sit”, and stop walking on the word “sit”. This alerts your dog to the change in pace, allowing them to predictably sit at the end of your heel.

To further practice, we will work around distractions such as other people and dogs, and reinforce the command as we go. We will also move the command off leash when they are ready, which will follow the same pattern as on leash.

Pupdate 6/11/25

Nori has come a long way in her ability to socialize with other dogs. When she first arrived, introductions were challenging—if there was a barrier like a door between her and another dog, she would often bark and escalate quickly. Even during face-to-face greetings, the energy was tense, and she tended to snap if another dog came too close for her comfort. It was clear she was feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to handle those interactions.

But with structure, consistency, and time, Nori has made incredible progress. Within a few days, she was able to relax enough to start playing appropriately with the other dogs. Now, she’s comfortable enough to not only play freely, but also to nap side-by-side with them on the floor—something that would have seemed impossible at the start.

In today’s video, you’ll see her playing with a group of dogs she’s been around for about a week. She’s loose, social, and confident, showing that once she’s given the chance to settle in, she can form healthy relationships and enjoy being part of the group.

The only time she still struggles is during feeding, especially when she’s crated with food and other dogs are nearby. That can trigger some barking and growling, likely due to frustration or a need to protect her space. Outside of that specific situation, Nori’s playtime is relaxed, fun, and self-regulated—she knows how to advocate for herself if things get overwhelming, but no longer overreacts. We’re so proud of how far she’s come!

Pupdate 6/12/25

Today, Nori and I took a trip to the Santa Monica Pier and met up with a couple other trainers and their dogs for a high-distraction training session. This is one of the busiest, most stimulating environments we can work in—full of crowds, noise, food smells, other dogs, and tons of movement—and Nori rose to the occasion.

We walked through dense crowds, practiced “place” on benches and unusual textures, and passed by several dogs. Nori handled it all beautifully. One major highlight was when a dog ran up to us trying to engage, and Nori held her position without overreacting

. Her calm, steady response in such a high-pressure moment was incredible to see.

In the video above, you’ll notice how confidently she handles interactions with the public. Her stable “sit” command is the foundation of her polite greeting manners, and she’s showing just how far she’s come in trusting me and staying composed, no matter what’s going on around her. This was a big win for her!

Pupdate 6/13/25

Today marks Nori’s last day of training, and we’re showcasing everything she’s learned over the past two weeks! From structured walks and rock-solid obedience to calm greetings and confident socialization, Nori has made incredible progress.

Her heel is focused and steady, both on- and off-leash. Her “sit,” “down,” and “place” commands are reliable—even in busy, high-distraction environments like the mall and Santa Monica Pier. She’s also developed much better impulse control, and her ability to stay calm around other dogs and people has improved tremendously. Even tricky moments like public greetings or unexpected distractions no longer throw her off.

One of the biggest wins has been her growth in socialization—going from tense, vocal introductions to relaxed, playful interactions with other dogs. Nori has proven that with structure, consistency, and patience, she can thrive.

We’re so proud of how far she’s come. She’s leaving with a solid foundation and the tools to keep succeeding at home. Great job, Nori!

Nori | Boxer/Labrador Retriever Mix | Inglewood, CA | In- Training

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