Oscar | Chihuahua Mix | San Pedro, CA | In Training
- Tanner Strong
- Mar 29
- 9 min read
Updated: Apr 12
Meet Oscar! He's a thirteen month old Chihuahua Mix from San Pedro, California here for our Two-Week Urban Board and Train Program! He's a little sweetheart most of the time, but often will bark and be a bit reactive to dogs, chase squirrels, and he can be pretty nervous! He also needs some work on his obedience skills. Over the next fourteen days we will work with Oscar on his obedience skills, help with his confidence and impulse control, and show him how to be the best pup he can possibly be! Stay tuned for Oscar's two week transformation!
3/29/2026
Oscar’s first day with me is off to a solid start! After picking him up, we spent a little time at the park getting to know each other. He was understandably a bit nervous at first and cried when his parents left, but as soon as we rounded the corner and got moving, he began to relax and walk with me much more comfortably.
When I started asking for a few commands, Oscar showed a great foundation and was able to sit nicely for me, which is an awesome starting point!
Once we got home, I gave him some time to explore and sniff around so he could get familiar with his new environment. He’s already beginning to settle in, and I can see him starting to warm up to me more and more. I’m excited to continue building his confidence and helping him feel right at home!
Oscar and I had a great start together! When I picked him up, one of the main concerns we talked about was him being vocal in the crate. I’m happy to report that he slept like a baby in his crate last night! That’s a great sign. It could still be part of the adjustment period, so I’ll continue to monitor and keep you updated over the next few nights.
At the park, Oscar showed a bit of nervousness at first, which is completely normal in a new environment. What I really liked, though, was his willingness to engage with me when I made things fun and rewarding for him. That’s a huge piece of the puzzle and something we’ll continue to build on.
When other dogs passed by, even at a distance, he would often disengage and get a bit distracted or concerned. However, he showed a nice ability to check back in with me, especially when I picked up the pace and kept things moving. That’s something I’m definitely going to use to our advantage moving forward. Right now, the priority is building his willingness to work with me before expecting too much in terms of structured commands.
Even when he starts off feeling nervous, my main goal is to boost his confidence and create a positive, fun experience. We’re keeping things light and engaging while subtly introducing positions and expectations without making it feel like work. This approach worked really well today, and I’m excited to keep progressing with it.
Oscar is a fun, sweet little guy, and I’m really looking forward to helping him grow more confident each day!
3/31/2026
Oscar had a great day settling into our daily routine! The work we put in yesterday really seems to be paying off, as he’s already showing more willingness to engage with me and offer his attention throughout the day.
There were still a few moments where he felt a little nervous, which is completely normal as he continues adjusting. The big win today was how much better he did working through those moments—rather than getting stuck on what made him uneasy, he was more able to redirect and look to me for guidance and reassurance.
That’s a huge step in the right direction for building his confidence and trust. I’m really happy with Oscar’s progress today, and I’m looking forward to continuing to build on this momentum!
4/1/2026
Oscar had a great day getting some real-world practice in! We spent most of our time outside working around a variety of distractions, including birds like geese, ducks, and pigeons, as well as other dogs and people. This kind of exposure is so valuable for helping Oscar learn how to stay focused and composed no matter what’s going on around him.
A big focus for today was his Come To Sit command, which is his recall. The goal is for Oscar to come to my right side, move smoothly behind my legs, and finish sitting at my left side with his ears lined up at my leg. This is a more detailed and structured recall, and Oscar is starting to understand the full picture. He can be a little unsure about that final movement behind me, but he’s already showing nice improvement and gaining confidence with repetition.
Overall, Oscar is making steady progress! He’s learning to work through both environmental distractions and some of his own hesitation, and it’s great to see him building that confidence step by step.
4/2/2026
Oscar and I spent our day focusing on building his confidence and improving his Place command. We started indoors, where he picked up on the exercise very quickly. Since he was doing so well, we began increasing the duration, asking him to remain on Place for longer periods of time. He handled this challenge nicely and showed a good understanding of what was expected of him.
Once he was consistent inside, we took things outdoors to introduce a new environment and a bit more difficulty. This was initially more challenging for Oscar, as he was a little less confident with the added distractions and change of scenery. However, with a bit of time, patience, and encouragement, he settled in and began performing just as well outside as he did indoors.
Overall, Oscar had a great day. He showed that even when something feels a little unfamiliar, he’s capable of working through it and succeeding. His confidence continues to grow, and it’s great to see him becoming more comfortable and reliable in different environments.
4/3/2026
Oscar and I spent some time at the park today working on his Place command, and he did a great job! While Place is incredibly useful at home, like having him relax calmly while I’m cooking, eating, or busy with something, he’s already been doing really well with that. Today, we used it in a more public setting to help build his confidence and focus around distractions.
He started off a bit skeptical of the environment, but as soon as the Place cot came out and we turned it into a fun, engaging exercise, I could see him start to open up. Having a clear “job” really helped him settle in and understand what was expected of him.
There were a few moments where other dogs caught his attention, which is totally normal, but I was really happy to see that when he was on Place, he made a strong effort to ignore those distractions and redirect his focus back to me. That’s a big step in the right direction!
Overall, Oscar showed great progress today. Using Place in environments like this not only reinforces his training, but also helps him feel more confident and secure when things around him get a little busy. Great work today, Oscar!
4/4/2026
Oscar had a busy and exciting day at the park today! There was a lot going on around us, including baseball games, basketball, and even some volleyball. At first, all the noise and movement, especially the basketball, were a bit challenging for him, and he had a harder time staying focused.
However, the more time we spent working through those distractions, the better Oscar began to settle in and tune everything out. It was great to see him start to understand that he didn’t need to worry about all the activity happening around him.
Because of that progress, when we moved into the quieter areas of the park, things felt much easier for him. He was able to relax more, and I got to see a lot more of his fun, playful side come out, plenty of tail wags and happy energy! Overall, a really solid day of building confidence and working through distractions for Oscar.
4/5/2026
Oscar and I took our normal trip to the park this morning, continuing to build on his routine and confidence in a familiar environment. He’s been doing a nice job settling in during our outings, and it’s been great to see him becoming more comfortable as the days go on.
I also wanted to highlight something else we’ve been working on, his Door Manners! The goal here is for Oscar to wait patiently and be invited out when the door opens, rather than rushing through ahead of me. He’s actually been doing pretty well with this part and is showing good understanding of the expectation.
Where Oscar has needed a bit more help is with his confidence around the door itself. He can be sensitive to the sounds and movement of the door, and at times would back away when it opened or closed. To help him through this, we’ve been taking it slow and working on this in small, manageable steps each day.
I’m happy to say he’s been making steady progress! Oscar is starting to handle the movement and noise of the door much better, and he’s becoming more comfortable staying in place instead of retreating. We’ll continue to build on this a little bit each day, and it’s great to see his confidence growing.
Overall, a really positive day for Oscar with some meaningful progress in an area that will help him in his everyday routine.
4/6/2026
Oscar had a big and productive day today! We met up with several other trainers and their dogs at a new park, which brought a lot of extra activity and distractions. At first, Oscar was pretty nervous taking everything in, and he even barked when he saw the first puppy. It was a bit overwhelming for him in the beginning, which is completely normal in a new and busy environment like this.
The longer we stayed, the more his confidence started to build. He began settling down, focusing more on me, and became increasingly willing to perform his commands despite everything going on around him. It was great to see him work through those initial reactions and start making better choices.
Today was a really important step forward for Oscar. Experiences like this help him learn how to stay calm and composed around other dogs and distractions, and he showed some great progress. I’m really proud of how far he came in just one session!
4/7/2026
Oscar and I headed back to the park today, where we spent more time working around other dogs and a variety of distractions. He showed noticeable improvement in his comfort level compared to yesterday and was much quicker to start checking in with me and paying attention. That’s a great sign that both his confidence and understanding of his commands are moving in the right direction.
He’s beginning to settle into the environment more naturally, which allows us to get more productive work in rather than spending as much time helping him acclimate. This is exactly the kind of progress we want to see at this stage.
That said, we do want to start picking up the pace a bit to stay on track with our goals for the week. He’s in a good position to handle that challenge, and I’m looking forward to continuing to build on this momentum.
4/8/2026
Oscar and I had a really fun start to our day at the park! We even managed to catch the sprinklers running! When I first picked him up, he definitely wasn’t a fan of them, so today gave us a great chance to check in on his progress.
We spent most of our time hanging out near the sprinklers, letting him observe and get comfortable at his own pace. While he was a bit unsure at first, he settled in much quicker than before and didn’t seem nearly as bothered. As his confidence grew, we started walking around the sprinklers, and he handled it really well! We even worked in a little playtime nearby, which he really enjoyed.
Oscar continues to build confidence each day, and today was a great example of that, plus, it made for a pretty fun morning too!
4/9/2026
Oscar had quite the little adventure today! We started things off with our usual trip to the park, where he got some good time to move around, take in the environment, and stay on top of his commands. He’s continuing to grow more comfortable and engaged during our outings, which is great to see.
After that, we spent a good portion of the afternoon at home, which gave us a nice opportunity to work on his indoor manners and relaxation. Oscar is learning that not every moment needs to be go-go-go, and he’s starting to settle in more calmly while inside. This balance between activity and downtime is really important, and he handled it well today.
Overall, a fun and productive day for Oscar!
4/10/2026
Oscar had an amazing day today and had an absolute blast! From the moment we got started, he brought great energy and enthusiasm, and it really showed in his work. He was engaged, responsive, and eager to participate in everything we did.
Not only was he having fun, but he was also making some great choices along the way. His commands are coming along nicely, and he’s showing more consistency and focus, even when there are distractions around.
Overall, a fantastic day for Oscar—he was happy, playful, and did an awesome job!
4/11/2026
Oscar had a really solid day today, and I’m starting to see some nice improvement in his confidence! It’s not a huge change all at once, but those small steps are exactly what we want. He’s slowly becoming more sure of himself throughout our everyday routines, and it’s showing in how he carries himself and handles his environment.
He’s continuing to grow and learn each day, and it’s clear he’s starting to put things together. Behavior-wise, he’s already a great dog, and I really like what I’m seeing from him in terms of training responsiveness. As his confidence continues to build, I expect that to become even more consistent.
Overall, a really good day for Oscar, and I’m happy with the progress he’s making!
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