Oreo | Bernedoodle | Long Beach, CA | In-Training
- priscillaoffleashs
- May 14, 2023
- 11 min read
Updated: Mar 1, 2024
Meet Oreo! A 4 year old Bernedoodle from Long Beach, CA has joined us for our Two Week Board and Train program. He is familiar with a few commands, however only listens whenever he feels like it. If Oreo is out in public, he is very reactive and will proceed to bark at other dogs as well as demand for attention from his pet parents by nipping on their wrists.He can be pushy when he wants to have his way, and takes a while to warm up to new people or new environments due to his lack of confidence. He has a history of slipping off his leash and not returning when called.
Over these next two weeks, Oreo and I will build a solid foundation for his training, implementing boundaries, structure, and clear communication as we expose him to new places to build his confidence as well as help him be the best pup he can possibly be! Stay tuned for his Two-Week Transformation!
Today Oreo and I spent some time together to become familiar with each other. We went on a stroll around the park and tested what he knew. He did not perform much of what was asked, however was able to perform Sit with added leash pressure.
Oreo has a lot of energy, and loved to jump as well as chew on the leash. He was skeptical of me at first, then warmed up to me after we got home and hung out together. He was reactive in the kennel, barking at the other dogs as we passed by him. Crate training went smoothly with him, as he followed the leash right into the crate without any protest. Starting tomorrow, we will begin to introduce him to new commands!
Oreo and I started our day by introducing him to a few communication tools such as the slip lead and e collar. The slip lead is used to guide Oreo with directional changes of the leash. I apply leash pressure in the direction I want him to go and the second he follows the path created for him, I turn that pressure off. Any time I apply leash pressure, I apply stimulation from the e collar as well. Oreo at first resisted the leash pressure. Once I marked and rewarded the few steps he took in the direction I wanted him to go, he began to understand how to turn the pressure off.
I introduced him to Come to Sit which is the action of Oreo coming around behind me to Sit on my left hand side ready to Heel. He was a natural at this and learned quickly that all of the good stuff came to him when he Sat on my left side. This is how I begin to build value with Oreo in a specific position. I Cued Oreo’s name frequently, rewarding him when he offered me his attention. This is called the name game and is a great game to practice around distractions to build engagement during training. A focused dog is a dog that is ready to work!
Oreo and I went on a trip to the beach today. This gave me the opportunity to assess how he responds to a distracting environment. Since he is a very excitable pup, we worked on our Heel first. While we Heel, he is expected to check in with me frequently, match my pace, turn when I turn and Sit when I stop walking. Oreo is beginning to improve with this, not pulling ahead as much as he did before. He is also now looking back at me to see where we are headed next. If he does pull one direction, I turn the opposite way and pop the leash in that direction cuing Heel.
We then worked on his Come to Sit, and Extended Sit. The duration goal for his Sit, Place and down is two minutes. If he releases himself I remind him to Sit, applying leash pressure upwards with stimulation of the e collar to reinforce the command. He has become comfortable enough to take treats from me now which is great! This allows me to mark and reward his good behavior, as well as capture his attention to build his engagement during training.
Today Oreo and I ventured out to Huntington beach to proof his Extended Sit, Come to Sit, and Heel. Oreo has improved with his Sit, holding it for up to a minute with moderate distractions. There were bicyclists, skaters, kids running around, and plenty of dogs near us. Oreo’s biggest challenge yet is his reactivity towards other dogs. He wants to engage with all dogs that he sees, which we are working on counter conditioning. We want to build a more neutral response when seeing dogs. If he sees a dog I remind him to Heel and begin to change directions with stimulation of the e collar to grab his attention, before he has a chance to react. By adding a positive interruptor and marking it with a Yes when he checks in with me with dogs nearby, his engagement should begin to improve as we build value in our relationship. Once he demonstrated consistency with his Heel, recall and Sit, we then worked on his Extended Down. I guided him with visual cues of my palms facing the floor, along with slight leash pressure which after some time, he responded to. I marked it with a Yes and continued to practice a few repetitions. We will keep working on building fluency with his Down as well as build duration for this command. Good work Oreo!
Oreo and I took a trip to the park today! We explored our surroundings as we Heeled together making frequent turns, having him Sit whenever I stop walking. We emphasized our work on his Extended Sit, and Come to Sit. After many repetitions he demonstrated consistency with holding his Sit for up to a minute and a half long, which is almost at our goal!
After working on what he has already learned, I then introduced him to a new command, Place. Place is great to use to help create a calm state of mind, builds confidence in a dog, prevents unwanted behaviors, and can essentially be practiced on top of any elevated surface. Dogs are naturally more confident while on elevated surfaces. I recommend purchasing an elevated dog cot to practice with both inside and outside the house. Having something familiar for Oreo to Place on while adapting to an unfamiliar environment helps bridge the transition much more quickly.
When practicing Place with Oreo, I chain the commands Place and Down together to help him voluntarily offer the behavior without much guidance needed from me. Oreo enjoyed this and fluently performed this behavior repetitively. We then built duration with this as he held it for a minute long. Now we will begin to build distance between us for his commands as we improve his commands near daily distractions.
Oreo had an eventful day as we worked on all of his commands at the beach. There are moments where Oreo becomes reactive upon seeing other dogs that are energetic, reactive pups who tend to pull towards him. If there is a reactive pup, I immediately make a 180 turn and Heel in a circular formation. This helps diffuse the situation and keeps Oreo busy so he doesn’t have the opportunity to fixate or react. If we can be proactive and beat him to it, before he reacts, great! It is always better to be one step ahead and not wait for him to act out before working with him.
If the other dogs are calm, Oreo then remains Heeling on my left hand side. He works at very low levels, and is fluent with his commands. If he does need guidance during the Heel, I change my pace to make sure he is paying attention along with some frequent turns.
Now that we have built fluency and duration with all of his commands, we will begin to utilize a 15ft leash and create distance between us as well.
Today Oreo was introduced to added distance between us for all of his commands. Now that he has reached his duration goal of two minutes, he demonstrated he is ready for the added distance along with higher level distractions. Day by day, Oreo is gaining a more neutral response as he does not expect to say hi to every dog he sees anymore.
We are weaning off leash pressure as we utilize more visual & verbal cues. He is fairly sensitive to the e collar now and works at levels as low as 4, even while many distractions are present.
Once we were done training, he had some playtime in the backyard with all of the other pups. Oreo is very interested in the Maltipoo I have at the moment, Kobe. Kobe is a very timid pup and chooses to not engage with him. Oreo can be a bit persistent, insisting on playing by barking in Kobe’s face. I corrected this by cuing off and stepping in between them both. Oreo yielded space to me, not barking at Kobe anymore. We will work on this, to help Oreo learn how to properly socialize.
Today Oreo and I focused primarily on weaning him off leash pressure, to rely mainly on visual cues, paired with verbal cues and stimulation of the e collar. When we stop using leash pressure as much as before, the best way to get Oreo’s attention is by having energy that can capture his attention quickly, as well as footwork paired with hand signals. If we want Oreo to Come to us and there are distractions, adding a couple steps backwards helps motivate him to want to come, along with tapping your left hand side. The stimulation stops as soon as he follows through . This is how Oreo knows he is in control of how to turn the stimulation of the e collar off. Oreo has improved with this, not needing much help from me anymore to follow through with everything. We will keep proofing this near more and more distractions. Great work Oreo!
Oreo and I had the opportunity to train near his biggest trigger, which is other dogs. There were all kinds of energy levels with these pups, which Oreo tends to feed off of. We practiced impulse control, as we Heeled with the leash dragging, and worked on his Come to Sits from a distance. Every now and then, he gets a burst of energy/playfulness trying to initiate play. It is imperative for Oreo to know that playtime is when we allow it, not whenever he demands it. I cued Off and popped the leash forward so he can stay with me. After a few repetitions Oreo stopped trying to initiate play and was ready to work.
Desensitization to other dogs of all energy levels is our primary focus, as we proof his commands near different stimuli. We will keep weaning off leash pressure and have him problem solve what is requested of him only utilizing hand signals, and stimulation of the e collar.
Today was Oreo's first time meeting my other Board and Train Pup, Rosie. Before we brought Rosie out during our training session, Oreo and I worked on his obedience, first with the leash dragging then completely Off Leash. We worked on his Come to Sits against a wall, to ensure that he would sit facing the same direction as me. This helped prevent him from swinging his rear end outwards when he sits next to me. After everything was fluent I removed the leash to work on his Off Leash Heel, Come to Sit, Extended Place, Sit and Down. Oreo did great with this, holding position for a record of 4 minutes.
I then brought out Rosie to further proof his commands near dogs, and Oreo did amazing! He did not try to initiate play until I released him to say hi briefly with the cue break. This only happened after he worked on his impulse control and remained consistent with holding position. Good job Oreo!
Oreo and I ventured out to the park today, where we had the opportunity to train near his biggest triggers, other dogs. We walked to the side of the park where the gated dog park is, and trained on the outskirts of it with the leash dragging. We got as close as possible to the entrance of the gate as Oreo held his Extended Sit & Down. The dogs were running around, barking, playing fetch which was a huge test for Oreo. He did well with this, and although was overstimulated a few times, he worked through it, not breaking position!
We then walked over to the playground area where we worked on his Off Leash skills. There were children very interested in him, yelling, running, throwing balls around as he held his Place command. We worked on his Sit as I walked away from him, and even practiced his Come to Heel, which is usually what a Three Week Program looks like. He’s been killing it so we might as well shoot for the stars! Excellent progress Oreo!
Oreo and I ventured out to the beach today where we began to film content for his final video. Initially he was overstimulated upon seeing the first dog while Heeling. He does not try to approach anymore, yet at times when he becomes over excited, he will begin to Heel ahead of me. When he does this, I stop walking then call him to Come to my left hand side. Once we were there for some time, his energy level was normal as he remained consistent with his commands. At times Oreo does become a bit skittish with loud noises from motor bikes that are very close to him. Although he was unsure of it, he worked through it which is great!
He is able to hold his Extended Sit, Down, and Place for two minutes. If dogs pass us, I decrease the distance between us to ensure he holds position. He demonstrated today while Off Leash, that his impulse control has greatly improved. Amazing work Oreo!
Oreo and I filmed his Final video today while at the Del Amo Mall. He did great with this as he held his Extended Down, Place and Sit as plenty of distractions passed us. He remained consistent with his Heel, Coming when called the first time I give the cue.
We then were able to work him next to his brother Merlin. Oreo initially was excited, yet it did not take him long to enter training mode once again after I reinforced each cue with stimulation of the e collar. We then had them walk side by side, with Oreo on the outside and Merlin on the inside. It took them a few minutes to get used to the coupler linking their collars together , but after some time became more constant with all of their commands. To prevent a co-dependent relationship from developing further; I recommend assigning them to their own crate periodically. This helps prepare them for time spent apart, and will strengthen your bond with each dog individually.
I included a preview of Oreo’s Final while at the mall today!
Oreo and I spent our day together working on all of his commands as we strolled around the neighborhood. We emphasize our work on distance away from each other, which I recommend keeping up with to prevent his separation anxiety from escalating. It is best to never make it a big deal when you come and go so Oreo doesn’t see it is a big deal either. Crate training also greatly helps with separation anxiety, especially when at home with Oreo. Periods of time alone throughout the day helps prepare him for time apart.
Oreo has overall become more confident, can hold his Place and Extended Sit for a minimum of two minutes, and can Come to Sit from about 15 ft away. I recommend constantly taking Oreo to new environments. Since he can be a nervous boy at times, desensitization to new places will only further improve his training. He is a loving boy who needs a lot of guidance, structure and leadership to thrive and follow instructions. He has come a long way and we can not wait to show you what he has learned. I also included some pictures from the other beach day. Thank you for trusting me with Oreo!
Comments