
Meet Ottis! He is a six month old Labrador Retriever who has joined us for our Two Week Board and Train Program. Ottis is here for basic obedience, leash pulling, jumping to greet, and playful nipping. Anytime he meets someone new, Ottis will jump to greet them, or will lunge at them for attention. He will also pull and lunge towards other dogs in a playful manner. The goal for Ottis is to stop these unwanted behaviors and only have him engage with people and dogs when he is in a calm relaxed state. He will also be working on having a structured walk without having his nose to the ground, and chewing on anything he finds on the floor. Over the next fourteen days, Ottis will be working on his behavior and be set up for success, with the hopes of becoming a well mannered pup. Check in to see his progress!



Ottis and I spent the afternoon getting to know each other. We went for a walk around the park to establish a bond. Throughout the walk, Ottis would pull heavily on his leash and try to make an approach with every person passing us by. To correct his behavior, I introduced Ottis to Heel, which is a technique that consists of having Ottis walk with me on my left side. Whenever he pulled away from me, I would turn, walk in the opposite direction, and use leash tension as guidance to have him walk back towards me. If he tried to make an approach to someone, I would give him a little tug in my direction and correct him with a verbal āOffā and continue with our walk. Ottis still needs more practice, but he is beginning to understand the concept. Heel will now be implemented on every walk we go on throughout his Board and Train Program.

Ottis and I drove out to a local park today and continued to practice his Heel. He has been making improvement, and our evening and morning walks have helped him. We walked around people and other dogs and he did very well not approaching them. Ottis was also introduced to his recall today which is known as Come to Sit. It consists of having him come towards my right side, going around behind me, and sitting on my left. He was having trouble going behind me, and he would also stop on my right side when coming towards me. To help him follow through, I used leash tension as guidance, and he began to understand the concept. He does get stubborn at times and does not want to complete the behavior, but with repetition and consistency, I work him through it. He is doing well adjusting to his new home for the next fourteen days, and he slept great through the night.




Ottis and I have been working on Place. This behavior consists of having Ottis getting onto an elevated object and remaining there in a Sit or a Down. It can be of great use whenever guests are over, and it can also build confidence in a dog. I began by introducing him to lower level platforms to build his confidence, and then increasing the height gradually. Ottis did very well throughout our session, as he would climb onto the object initially, but once he is confident enough, he will hop onto it with no problem. As we continue to work on this behavior, Ottis will be introduced to different textures and different surfaces as he continues his confidence building. It is important to keep in mind that every pup is different when being introduced to a new object. Not all dogs will immediately hop onto it when you ask it to, and some will need more practice than others.

Ottis and I drove out to a local park and practiced on what he has been learning since the start of his Program. When working in his recall, Ottis had trouble with sitting on my left, and would only Sit to my left off to the side. By working on it in a narrow space like my hallway, I was able to use the walls as barriers to keep him from sitting sideways. After a few reps and having Ottis follow through, he has made an improvement, and can now Sit next to me without the use of barriers. I also worked on his Place a little more on a nearby bench. Ottis would initially climb on when first introduced, but by staying repetitive with the behavior, he began to hop on. Since he knows how to hop on, I only reward him when he does hop on rather than climb. If he climbs on, I reset and try again. There were a few instances in which Ottis needed a running start, as well as my assistance by getting onto the object myself. He can be very stubborn at times, but with a few walks going back and forth, Ottis will reach a calm state and work through the exercise.




Ottis and I began working on Down today. This technique can be one of the most difficult behaviors to teach a dog considering it being a submissive position. To teach Ottis, I had to gain his trust which I have been doing by working with him and bonding with him as well. I began by placing him on an elevated object and asking him to Sit. Once Ottis was in position, I proceeded to use leash tension to guide him towards the ground, and I also used some treats to lure him as well. Initially, his front legs would stiffen up, and he would also come out of his Sit. I would then reset him and repeat the process as needed. Anytime Ottis made an intent to go down, I would release tension and reward him for trying. It is important to keep in mind that patience is key when teaching a new behavior. The smallest of intents is considered a win, which can keep a pup motivated to keep working. Remember to also take breaks in between as needed, to avoid frustration on both sides. It took time and patience with Ottis, but he was able to follow through.

Ottis and I went out and worked on his Down a little more along with the rest of his behaviors and he is doing very well. We have been working on his commands around minimal distractions and now that he has learned them all, I will give Ottis a little more exposure and begin working in a more public setting. It is important to remember that introducing new environments and distractions can be a little challenging for dogs, so it is essential to take it gradually. By doing so, it gives Ottis more confidence, and it also makes him much more comfortable into working through his behaviors. By remaining positive and rewarding him with praise, it will motivate him to perform very well in public areas, and it can also improve his behavior in various situations.




Ottis and I began working on distance and duration. We are practicing in increments of five, meaning that for every foot I step back, I wait five seconds before releasing him with a āBreak.ā He does very well with his Sit and his Down, but when it comes to Place, he has a tendency of coming out of it from time to time. While in Place, instead of waiting five seconds for every foot I step back, I waited three seconds before releasing him. Once he understood what I was asking, I then proceeded to wait five seconds, and Ottis began to follow through. With week one coming to a close, I will begin to use a fifteen foot long line, and gradually begin to increase distance, as he remains in his stationary positions.

Ottis and I spent the day at home while I did some work in my front yard. He enjoys running around and has a great time playing with his buddy Mo. They get along really well and they have a good amount of fun together. I also had some guests over and Ottis did really well not jumping on them. We had a cookout in the backyard and he did make an intent to go for a plate, but with a verbal āoffā I was able to correct his behavior, and he refrained from doing it again. He has completed week one of his Program, and I look forward to making more progress with him in week two.




Ottis and I worked on some leash dragging exercises today. He did very well with his Heel and his Down. His recall needed a little help today as he would stop behind me at times and not fully Sit on my left. Anytime he stopped behind me, I took two steps forward, lured him towards me with my hand, and asked him to Sit when he reached my left side. He still needs a little practice, but he is working through it. Ottis was also having trouble with Place. He knows what it means, but when being introduced to the object, he does get a little hesitant. The first few reps we worked on, I had to use his leash to guide him up there, and once he began to follow through, I was able to have him Place without the use of the leash. It is still a work in progress, considering the fact of Ottis being used to leash tension, but we will continue leash dragging exercises the next few days, in order to prepare him for his off leash experience.

Ottis and I met with other trainers today and assisted us by serving as a distraction with their pups. We have been working with a long line and he has made an improvement, as I can now reach the end of it when working on distance and duration. He had a little trouble with his recall, but he corrected himself before I did. We repeated the exercise, and he followed through. We worked on his duration Down as the other trainers walked around Ottis with their pups. Even though he sat up, he remained in a Sit as I corrected his behavior, and made no approach towards the pups or trainers. He still needs a little practice, but we are working on it to have it cleaned up, in order for Ottis to begin working fully off leash.




Ottis and I have been working on some exercises in my backyard off leash. He is doing really well with our sessions, so I decided to bring him out to a local park and give him some more practice. He did fall behind on his Heel initially, but with some verbal encouragement, Ottis did very well throughout our walk. He also did a good job placing on a park bench without the use of a leash. Ottis is just about ready to begin filming for his Final, and it will be the main focus for the remainder of his Program.

Ottis and I have been working on his Door Manners ever since I picked him up for training. When working on it early in his Program, I would ask him to Sit or Down. Once he was in position, I proceeded to open the door. He remained in position, but as soon as I took a step, Ottis would then come out of his Sit or Down, and try to run inside or outside. To correct his behavior, anytime I took a step, I would close the door as soon as he made an intent to get up. It took some practice, but Ottis was able to work through it. Throughout his training, he has made very good progress, and continues to improve. Ottis has reached his goal and can wait patiently by a door until I let him know that it is ok to do so.




Ottis and I have been working on his Greeting Manners. During his initial phase of training, when we would go on walks, Ottis would try to approach anybody walking by. When he received attention, he would almost immediately jump to greet someone, which was one of the behaviors that needed the most correction. As I began to condition Ottis on his obedience, I also worked on his approach to being greeted. He had to learn how to remain in a Sit, and in a calm relaxed state before anyone can say hello. It took him some time to understand the concept, but as we continued to practice, he made very good progress along the way. Ottis can now remain in a Sit when someone comes over to greet him.

Ottis has completed his Two Week Board and Train Program and is ready to come home. I want to thank you for trusting me with Ottis while he was under my care, and also for giving me the opportunity in being his trainer. He has learned so much these past fourteen days, and I am proud of how far he has come along. He is capable of so much more as long as the training stays consistent and patient with him. He is such a great pup to have around and I will miss his companionship. His Final will be coming very soon, but here is a clip of him working on his Food Manners. Thank you Ottis!

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