Ozzie | German Shepherd | Pasadena, CA

Meet Ozzie! Ozzie is a 1-year-old German Shepherd from Pasadena, CA, who has joined us for our two-week Board & Train program. He arrives with a basic understanding of obedience commands but struggles to stay focused—especially in outdoor environments where distractions are everywhere. Ozzie is a sweet, maturing pup, but he’s beginning to show some behavioral challenges that need to be addressed, including leash pulling, jumping on people, and typical puppy antics that have become more persistent. He’s also earned a reputation as a bit of an escape artist when placed in his crate, so we’ll be working to curb that behavior and ensure he’s safely and comfortably contained when needed. Over the next 14 days, our focus will be on strengthening Ozzie’s obedience, building his confidence, reinforcing discipline, and refining his manners—both on and off leash. We’re excited to help him become the well-behaved companion we know he can be. Stay tuned to watch his transformation unfold!

Pupdate 4/12/2025

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Ozzie for the first time. He arrived full of energy and excitement. Once his owner left, we took a walk around the park to get to know each other and start building our bond. I began engaging with him right away by asking for some basic obedience, but he was too distracted by his surroundings to respond consistently—which is totally expected during a first session in a stimulating environment.

We made our way over to a set of tables and benches, where I introduced him to the “place” command. During this exercise, he began to show more focus and started responding to his name and commands more attentively. After wrapping up our time at the park, we headed back to my home so Ozzie could begin adjusting to a new environment.

Ozzie entered the house with ease and confidently walked into my side of the home, where he met my dogs, Hunter and Stevie. He calmly approached both of their crates to sniff and investigate. Thankfully, both of my dogs remained relaxed, allowing for a smooth introduction. We then spent some time in the backyard, letting Ozzie explore and decompress before placing him in a crate to settle down. Initially, he was calm in the crate, but when I stepped out of sight, he started pawing at the door for about a minute. He quickly settled down and stayed quiet while I remained in the room.

Later, I introduced him to Stevie, who is one of the best dogs for positive social interactions thanks to her joyful and playful demeanor. Ozzie was very interested in her and followed her around, sniffing as dogs naturally do. Eventually, the two began to chase each other and even played with a tennis ball in my room, getting along without any issues.

We then shifted our focus back to Ozzie’s obedience training. Since he has a hard time acknowledging commands outdoors, we began working on leash pressure to build a foundation for his e-collar training. We practiced walking back and forth, emphasizing a proper heel position. I also reintroduced the place mat to continue reinforcing the “place” command. Ozzie is progressing well so far! I’ll continue monitoring and guiding his development each day as his dedicated trainer.

Pupdate 4/13/2025

This morning, we woke up bright and early to take a walk around the neighborhood with Hunter, which went smoothly. When we returned home, I allowed Hunter and Ozzie the chance to interact and smell each other. Hunter kept a respectful distance and seemed to calmly acknowledge Ozzie's presence. As usual, Ozzie approached Hunter from behind to sniff him, but after a moment, he became overly fixated and began barking. Hunter chose to ignore this behavior, and I redirected Ozzie using obedience commands to shift his focus back to me. This helped prevent Ozzie from acting on his impulse to engage Hunter in play. I plan to continue offering them more opportunities to be around each other in a calm setting, in hopes that they’ll eventually feel comfortable enough to play together appropriately.

Later in the day, we focused on door manners to reinforce boundaries and prevent Ozzie from bolting out of the house. In the video above, we worked specifically with the side gate. The pathway leading to the front yard is narrow, which makes it easier to quickly grab his leash if needed.

During the session, Ozzie was quite impulsive, but we worked through it by repeating the exercise multiple times. Each time he successfully held his position, I would close the gate and say “break” to release him, followed by praise to help him associate the command with success. As he began to understand the exercise, I gradually increased the distance between us. However, this made him a bit nervous, and he would sometimes break position to come toward me. When this happened, I calmly redirected him back to his place pad and continued the training.

By the end of the session, we made significant progress. I was able to walk all the way toward the front of the house before releasing him with a “break” to end the session on a positive note.

We spent the rest of the day training in the front yard, reinforcing commands and building consistency. I’ve begun introducing the “down” command more frequently, and Ozzie has been responding well. Since he’s catching on quickly, we’re now focusing on refining and strengthening that behavior through repetition and consistency.

Pupdate 4/14/2025

This morning, Hunter and Ozzie went on a walk together. Ozzie appeared noticeably more structured and consistent in his behavior, walking calmly without attempting to lick or play with Hunter during the walk. His potty routine has remained regular and consistent—he continues to respond well when asked to go “potty.”

Later in the day, we visited Home Depot in Anaheim to continue Ozzie’s obedience training and increase his exposure to different environments, particularly inside a department store. To my surprise, Ozzie remained calm and composed upon entering the store, showing no signs of overexcitement. We started in the garden section, focusing on leash turns and reinforcing his heel command using vocal cues. Since he was responding well, we proceeded further into the store. As we walked through the aisles, Ozzie appeared curious and relaxed. We worked on basic obedience commands such as “sit” and “down” in each aisle, and I could see steady progress in his responsiveness. When we approached the front of the store near the registers—an area with more foot traffic—Ozzie was slightly hesitant to perform a “down” command. To support him, I lowered myself to his level to offer encouragement, which proved effective most of the time.

In the lumber section, where there were fewer distractions, we practiced recall. Ozzie performed very well here—his response was quick and confident, requiring minimal redirection. As a few customers passed by during this session, he remained focused. He showed interest in the people but maintained his obedience and didn’t break his commands, even when he might have otherwise approached to greet someone.

While walking through the central aisle of the store, we were approached by two men who stopped to compliment Ozzie’s calm demeanor. One of them mentioned he had German Shepherds at home who struggled with reactivity and couldn't be taken out in public. Throughout the conversation, Ozzie stayed in a perfect sit, remaining composed and attentive.

Pupdate 4/15/2025

This morning, the dogs followed their usual routine, starting with a walk and followed by some playtime once we returned home. Lately, they’ve been taking more time to engage with each other—sniffing and interacting more before play begins. Their play sessions typically last around 5 to 10 minutes at a time. Hunter usually decides he's had enough first, while Ozzie tends to be more persistent in trying to continue the fun. If Ozzie struggles to let go of play and attempts to push Hunter into continuing, I use his e-collar as a tool for redirection. I’ll ask him to lie down (“down” command) to help him settle and refocus.

In the first video, we focused on practicing recall without leash assistance. As I walk, I keep Ozzie in a structured heel position. When I stop, I ask him to sit, creating distance before giving the recall command. If Ozzie doesn’t respond to my initial cue, I repeat the command while using the e-collar for reinforcement. He typically responds immediately after that. He’s capable of walking around me off-leash, and I make sure to praise him each time he successfully follows through.

The second video focuses on door manners inside the house. Ozzie has been consistently practicing this skill and showing noticeable improvement. To further challenge him, I transferred the training to the front door area. I used a place mat to help establish boundaries and teach him to wait patiently as the door opens.

During the exercise, Ozzie generally holds his position well. One behavior I’ve noticed is that he tends to stretch his neck out to look for me. While this is a normal reaction, overextending can lead him to break position and step off the mat. To test his self-control, I walked away from the door and into the kitchen to see how he’d respond. For the most part, he stayed on the mat, but toward the end of the session, he momentarily got up. I used the e-collar from a distance to redirect him, ensuring he stayed inside and didn’t attempt to run out. He quickly returned to the mat and remained there as I continued toward the kitchen, concluding the session successfully.

Later in the day, we continued working on Ozzie’s obedience commands with the help of my younger brother, Nick, who has some experience with training. I supervised their session to ensure Ozzie remained focused and didn’t push boundaries. To my surprise, the session went smoothly. Together, they practiced foundational commands like “place,” “sit,” and “heel,” with Ozzie responding well to the guidance.

Pupdate 4/16/2025

Last night, we went for a walk, and Ozzie unexpectedly threw up. Once we returned home, I monitored him closely. He seemed fine afterward—roaming around my room comfortably—so I decided to keep an eye on him to see if any further symptoms develop.

We headed to Hillcrest Park for some exercise and to practice obedience throughout different areas of the park. When we first arrived, Ozzie didn’t seem particularly excited—his mood was calm and content, nothing out of the ordinary.

I did notice a bite mark on his right foreleg that he’s been nibbling at. To help prevent irritation or infection, I applied some Neosporin and will continue to monitor it.

As we walked through the park, we passed several other dogs with their owners. Each time, I used the “off” command—our cue for “leave it”—to redirect Ozzie whenever he made eye contact with another dog. He responded well to the command.

We made our way to the fountain to work on the "place" command and to gauge Ozzie’s reaction to the water. He was a bit hesitant to get up at first, but once in place, he remained calm and unbothered by the water splashing nearby. Next, we walked along the main road to expose him to traffic noise, then looped back into the park. Along this quieter route, we began incorporating the “down” command, which we’ve been working on more recently. It took a few tries, but he eventually responded, and I was able to create distance between us while he held position—great progress. We ended up at the highest point of the park and rested at a bench near the iconic staircase. With Ozzie in a down, we had several people pass by. Each time he stayed neutral, I praised him for his calm behavior. We sat there for about ten minutes before doing one final lap around the park. By that point, Ozzie was clearly getting tired and started slowing down, so I adjusted my pace to match his as we made our way back to the car.

Later in the day, when my brother got home from school, I had him spend some time working with Ozzie. This helps reinforce appropriate behavior around teens and children. We also continued with our door manners training, which is going well—Ozzie is showing noticeable improvement in understanding and following the expectations.

Pupdate 4/17/2025

This morning, the dogs enjoyed a 45-minute walk together before heading back home to spend some time in the backyard. A new dynamic between them is emerging—they’ve been initiating play more frequently, especially games of chase when one of them has a ball. Their play sessions are relatively short, as Ozzie can become overstimulated during play. However, thanks to consistent interaction with Hunter over the past several days, he’s become much more aware of his boundaries and is managing his excitement better.

The video above highlights an exercise in impulse control, specifically working on Ozzie remaining on his place mat while I go about tasks in the kitchen. The goal is for Ozzie to stay in place regardless of what I'm doing. Initially, there are a few moments when he begins to get up, but I’m able to redirect him back before he fully steps off the mat. He does well staying in place while I wash the dishes, but when I begin moving around more—like opening cabinets—he tests whether he can follow. Over time, he commits to staying on the mat, and although he seemed slightly uneasy when I first opened a cabinet nearby, he quickly settled and showed no further concern.

Afterward, we moved to the front of the house to work on transitioning from leash dragging to off-leash obedience. Allowing the leash to drag helps condition Ozzie for off-leash control. While some dogs may take the opportunity to disengage when the leash is loose, Ozzie remains focused and continues training as expected. During the session, I asked him to sit, but he laid down instead. I gently redirected him, and he eventually held the correct sit position, which I praised before continuing. Toward the end of our session, I created some distance and called him for a recall. He responded successfully, and I ended the practice on a positive note with a reward.

We waited for my brother to get home from school so they could continue training together. Their session lasted about twenty minutes, after which I continued training Ozzie on my own for the rest of the evening.

Pupdate 4/18/2025

Today we headed over to Anaheim Pet & Feed to train indoors and practice our obedience while inside a store. When passing the sliding door Ozzie wanted to lead me in so we went over going in and out of the store momentarily before walking around. As we made our way around the store, we turned throughout each aisle and went over our commands making sure Ozzie can be confident holding his sit or down when asked. At times asking for his down took some time but I took my time and patience making sure Ozzie could go into his down with ease. When passing people in the small aisles Ozzie would keep his attention on them so I would ask him for his "off" obedience command to disengage him from being distracted.

As we continued our visit we had one employee pass by and greet Ozzie. Each time I ask Ozzie to sit and let her approach him he would get up so we had to keep redirecting him until he was able to say hi properly. When focusing on our recall for some odd reason Ozzie made it seem as he forgot and couldn't perform the command. I would take a step back but only using the leash to lure him and help build his confidence to do this command in the store since everything else seemed to be going fine. As we took our time Ozzie was eventually able to do the command but we are going to focus on this more often and prioritize this command when we have our visit to social settings. By the end of our visit we only walked around the store focusing on our loose leash dragging which went well and Ozzie was consistent walking with me but when I would ask for his sit command he would start to slide his paws down from being tired, also the floor was slippery so it made it easier for him to slide down.

We spent the remainder of the day going over his obedience in the front of the house without the help from my brother today but he would be around us with random objects in his hand we grabbed from inside the house to distract him. We kicked a soccer ball around and he would immediately try to chase it so I worked on his off obedience command to keep him from being impulsive towards the soccer ball.

Pupdate 4/19/2025

Today, we attended an Easter event held at the school next to the park we visited. Parking was a bit far from the entrance, but we made it to the park without any issues. Ozzie walked consistently by my side, and when we reached the grassy field, I asked if he needed to go potty. He responded right away and relieved himself.

In the video above, we focused on reinforcing Ozzie’s “place” and “recall” commands, working on conditioning both together. This helps ensure Ozzie can reliably respond to a recall even from a distance or elevated position if needed. He responded well to the “down” command, but during recall, he occasionally got distracted and would circle around me instead of coming directly to heel. When that happened, I used the e-collar as a gentle prompt to help redirect him into the correct position. He’s picking it up well, but I have to be vocal and make sure I have his attention before following up with praise and his usual reward. As the video wraps up, we continued training for a bit longer before taking a break in the shade, as shown in the first photo above.

While Ozzie was in a down-stay, several people with dogs passed by. He remained calm for most of them, but he did break his position when other dogs barked or lunged at him. After redirecting him during one of these moments, he successfully held his position even when another reactive dog barked at him. He also showed no reaction to children running, strollers, or groups of people moving around us.

To further desensitize him, we moved closer to the school field entrance, where there was a steady flow of people. Ozzie remained in his down-stay the entire time despite the distractions. We ended the session with one final lap around the park before heading home.

We continued Ozzie’s off-leash obedience training at home by incorporating leash-dragging exercises. This step helps bridge the gap between on-leash and fully off-leash control. I focused on ensuring that Ozzie could follow all of his commands—such as walking in heel, sitting, and downing—without any physical guidance from the leash. The goal was for him to hold each command until he was released with his break cue, at which point he received his praise and reward.

Pupdate 4/20/2025

This morning, we started our day early with our usual routine—a walk around the neighborhood with Hunter. Once we got back home, I let the dogs spend some time in the backyard to play and relax before giving them breakfast.

Later in the day, we went back to Home Depot to continue working on Ozzie’s loose leash walking and his ability to follow commands without relying on leash pressure. When we arrived, Ozzie entered the store confidently, without hesitation, and we made our way through the garden section once again. He showed great progress, consistently staying in heel position throughout the walk and navigating each turn smoothly. Ozzie appeared comfortable and focused, showing no signs of wanting to create distance or disengage.

We took breaks during our walk to practice stationary commands like "sit" and "down." Ozzie was occasionally hesitant to sit right away, but with just a few seconds of encouragement, he would follow through. His "down" command was completed on the first attempt each time, though he did take a few moments to settle into the position.

As we moved toward the lumber section, I focused on marking his heel turns and reinforcing his recall using vocal cues. Ozzie performed well, showing increased confidence compared to the previous day. While a few customers passed by us during training, Ozzie remained engaged with me and showed minimal interest in them—an encouraging sign of his growing focus and impulse control.

By the time we reached the center of the store, Ozzie was completing all exercises without any leash assistance, needing only minor redirection on a few occasions. On our way out, we were stopped by two friendly female employees who were excited to meet Ozzie. He responded calmly and accepted their greeting with ease.

We spent the rest of the day at home working on house training and enjoying Easter with our family. It was a great opportunity for Ozzie to be around people in a relaxed setting while we shared food and celebrated together.

Pupdate 4/21/2025

Today, we visited Whittier Narrows Park to continue Ozzie’s obedience training and work around the Offleash Team and their dogs. We started with a warm-up lap around the park while waiting for our friends to arrive.

Once they joined us, we practiced obedience drills along the park walkway. In the video above, you’ll see Ozzie performing each command without leash assistance. At the beginning, he’s a bit playful during his recall, but with a quick redirection, he shifts focus and becomes more consistent. Once we reached that level of engagement, we were able to run through the rest of our commands smoothly. I focused particularly on his extended down, gradually increasing the distance between us as I walked around the area before releasing him with the “break” command.

Toward the end of the video, we took another walk through the park and found a shaded spot under a canopy. I had Ozzie stay on a place mat while other dogs trained nearby, using him as a distraction. He did very well—remaining calm and composed even when a few dogs came up to greet him. He didn’t react or show any discomfort when they sniffed him, which was great progress. I asked him to lie down, and he was able to hold the position consistently—even when I moved away or when other dogs passed close by. I made sure to reward and praise him each time he maintained his down, reinforcing the calm behavior.

We wrapped up our park visit on a high note and shifted focus to home training for the rest of the day. Our goal was to ensure Ozzie remains obedient during everyday routines, like entering and exiting the house. I also had my brother, Nick, spend extra time working with Ozzie on-leash. They seem to have built a strong bond during their sessions. While Nick focuses on leash work, I continue reinforcing Ozzie’s off-leash obedience. Moving forward, I’ll have them practice together off-leash in the backyard under my supervision to help strengthen that connection even more.

Pupdate 4/22/2025

Today, we headed to Cerritos Mall for an important training session to ensure Ozzie can confidently perform his commands in a busy and distracting environment. Upon entering, Ozzie initially attempted to pull toward the mall entrance when passing the automatic sliding doors. To address this, we calmly stepped back outside and re-entered. On the second attempt, he entered without issue, showing improvement in impulse control.

As we navigated through the mall, Ozzie occasionally tried to take the lead, but he responded well to gentle redirection using his e-collar. The farther we walked, the more responsive he became, settling into a more consistent heel.

We took a break on a bench to reset and focus on training. During this session, we practiced his “place” command and transitioned into a “down,” which is captured in the first photo above. Ozzie responded well—getting into position without hesitation. While working on distance, he did break his stay once, but quickly corrected himself with redirection and was able to hold his position without further issue, demonstrating progress in impulse control and focus.

After wrapping up our training on the bench, we continued our walk through the mall and headed toward the food court. We made a full lap around the area, weaving through tables while maintaining a safe distance to prevent temptation. Ozzie stayed closely at my side, showing no interest in approaching other people or distractions, which was a big win for his focus and discipline.

Our next stop was Dick's Sporting Goods, where we were warmly greeted by friendly staff who complimented Ozzie on his excellent behavior. Inside the store, we practiced holding his sit command in various areas, particularly near foot traffic and customers entering the store. We also walked through the aisles to reinforce his heel position. While some sections were a bit tight, Ozzie maintained good form—just moving a bit slower due to the confined space.

By the end of the session, Ozzie began to show signs of fatigue, gradually sliding from a sit into a down position. For the last ten minutes, we stayed in a central walkway of the store, allowing Ozzie to observe people passing by. This acted as a desensitization exercise, and he did great—remaining calm and earning praise for every successful moment.

Ozzie | German Shepherd | Pasadena, CA | In - Training

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