Paisley | Goldendoodle | Pasadena, CA | In Training
- Tanner Strong
- Oct 26
- 7 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
Meet Paisley! She's a nine month old Goldendoodle from Pasadena, California here for our Two-Week Urban Board and Train Program. Paisley can be very sweet, but often takes that affection too far by jumping up on people. She’s very playful, but wants to bark and pull towards any dog she sees to try to play! While she's familiar with some basic commands but decides for herself if she wants to listen. Over the next fourteen days, we'll be working with Paisley on her obedience skills, help mitigate her reactivity to dogs, work on her impulse control, help with her manners in and out of the house, and help her become the best pup she can possibly be! Stay tuned for Paisley's two week transformation!
Pupdate: 10/26/2025
After picking Paisley up, we spent some time at the park to get to know each other and let her get some of that excitement out. She’s full of energy and curiosity, and it definitely showed—she loves to pull toward anything that catches her eye! Despite her eagerness to explore, she showed some great focus when asked to Sit and Down, which is an awesome starting point for her training. These commands will help us build structure and teach her how to calm down even when she’s feeling extra playful.
During the drive home, Paisley barked a few times, but she quieted down before long. Once we got home, I gave her a little tour around my home so she could take in all the new smells and get comfortable. She’s definitely got a wild, energetic personality, but after some time exploring, she began to relax and show her sweet side. By the end of the evening, she was settling in nicely and seemed to be starting to enjoy her new environment. I think she’s going to fit right in and do great here!
Pupdate: 10/27/2025
We met up with several other trainers and their dogs at the park today! When we first arrived, Paisley was a bit excited by all the activity, but after a few minutes, she settled down nicely and behaved well around the other dogs. At one point, while she was sitting politely, a playful pup wandered by and Paisley couldn’t resist giving a little lunge and play bow — but she quickly stopped and returned to her Sit as soon as I asked, which was great to see! Her biggest challenge today was her Heel command, as she still wanted to veer off a bit while we walked, but that’s something we’ll be focusing on moving forward. Overall, it was a great first full day for Paisley, and she’s already showing lots of potential!
Pupdate: 10/28/2025
Back at the park today, we spent some time working around the other dogs again, this time focusing on Heeling directly next to them. Walking alongside other dogs is a great way to help Paisley get comfortable being near them while still keeping her focus on her job. During Heel, all I ask of her is to stay at my left side with her ears roughly in line with my leg, without pulling ahead, lagging behind, or veering off to the side.
Paisley is catching on quickly and really starting to understand what’s expected of her. Even with the extra distractions from the other dogs, she’s showing nice composure and making steady progress with her polite walking. I’m really happy with how she’s coming along!
Pupdate: 10/29/2025
We went to the park a few times throughout the day today! Paisley behaved well for the most part, though she did start getting ahead of me quite a bit while walking — a clear reminder that we’ve got more work to do on her Heel command. During our morning trip, the park was full of birds, and Paisley handled it really nicely. She was definitely curious at first, but quickly began ignoring them and focusing more on me, which was great to see.
Between our park visits, we also worked at home on some indoor manners to keep things structured and consistent. Overall, Paisley had a fun, productive, and balanced day of training and enrichment!
Pupdate: 10/30/2025
Today we spent some focused time working on Paisley's household manners—specifically her door manners!
In the video, you’ll see Paisley practicing sitting calmly in front of the door, waiting politely before entering or exiting. The goal isn’t just to have her sit every time, but to help her understand that the door opening is a non-event, no need to rush, bark, or get overexcited.
Eventually, I want her to wait calmly regardless of where she is in the home when the door opens, and only go through with me or when given permission. This concept also applies to other thresholds, like gates, fences, or even indoor boundaries (like my kitchen, which is a dog-free zone!).
We work on this a little each day, and she’s making great progress. In fact, during the video, the neighbor’s dogs are barking nonstop—but Paisley, who used to want to join in the commotion, is learning that the doorway isn’t her responsibility. Whether it’s barking dogs, people passing by, or a package being delivered, she’s starting to tune it out and stay grounded.
Pupdate: 10/31/2025
Today we focused on Paisley’s Come To Sit command! This can be one of the trickier skills to refine, as it requires both responsiveness and precision, coming straight in, lining up nicely, and sitting right at my side. Paisley is doing a great job with it so far!
She’s showing solid improvement with her recall and is beginning to consistently swing into that Sit position with more confidence and accuracy. Each repetition is helping her build muscle memory and understand exactly where she needs to be. With continued practice, this will only get sharper and smoother!
Check out the video above to see how she’s coming along!
Pupdate: 11/1/2025
Paisley and I got to take in some sports today! We spent time near soccer games, and even passed by a little basketball and baseball action. With balls flying, whistles blowing, and plenty of excitement all around, Paisley stayed calm, composed, and focused. Her good behavior didn’t go unnoticed either, no less than three people came up to compliment how well she was doing! They were likely impressed because many dogs tend to get worked up on the sidelines, but Paisley held it together like a pro.
A lot of this success starts before we even leave the house. Paisley is often most excited first thing in the morning, ready to start her day. Before heading out, I like to stand with her and wait until she’s calm before opening the door. This expectation helps set the tone for the entire outing, and today was a perfect example, starting the day with calm energy carried over into excellent behavior at the park.
Great job today, Paisley! Excited to keep building on this momentum.
Pupdate: 11/2/2025
Paisley and I had another sporty day today, this time checking out soccer games at a brand-new park! New environments can sometimes be a little tougher, but Paisley handled the change well. She stayed focused and respectful, even with plenty of activity around us. A few small, yappy dogs made an appearance, but Paisley stayed composed and didn’t let the noise or excitement bother her too much.
Surprisingly, the thing that caught her attention the most wasn’t the dogs or the soccer, it was a group playing hacky sack on the sidewalk nearby! When her curiosity kicked in, we used her Off command (our “do not do that / disengage” cue), and she redirected beautifully each time. Love seeing that impulse control coming along!
After visiting not one but two parks today, Paisley was more than happy to relax on her place cot at home while I ate dinner. She settled right in and enjoyed a well-earned rest.
Another fun and productive day with Paisley!
Pupdate: 11/3/2025
Paisley had another great day at the park today! We met up with a couple of other trainers and their dogs, giving her a perfect chance to practice staying calm and polite in a social setting, and she did very well!
One of the dogs there today was the same pup Paisley lunged toward last week. This time, though, she handled herself beautifully. No lunging, no attempts to initiate play, just calm, composed behavior and respectful manners. It was a night-and-day difference, and a huge step forward in her impulse control around other dogs.
Throughout the session, Paisley stayed focused, kept her cool, and demonstrated exactly the kind of polite social behavior we’re aiming for. She made great choices all on her own, showing maturity and progress in her training.
Really proud of Paisley today, excellent job, sweet girl!
Pupdate: 11/4/2025
Paisley kicked off the day full of energy! Definitely one of her extra-excited mornings! I always love seeing her happy and enthusiastic, but part of setting Paisley up for success is making sure she’s in the right mindset before we even leave the house. Usually her E-collar goes on first, but on days like this, I'll clip her leash on right away so we can start in a calm, controlled way. I wasn’t asking her to sit or hold a command, we simply stood together quietly, and within about ten seconds she shifted from “let’s GO!” to a nice, focused calm. That little moment of grounding makes such a big difference for the rest of her day.
Once we headed to the mall, Paisley was awesome. She stayed engaged, responsive, and focused throughout the outing. The biggest challenge of the day? The turtles in one of the fountains. They definitely caught her eye! But even then, she made great choices, checking in with me and keeping her attention instead of getting pulled into the distraction.
Great work today, Paisley! Lots of excitement, great impulse control, and really solid follow-through on her commands. Proud of this girl and her continued progress!
Pupdate: 11/5/2025
Once again, Paisley nailed everything I threw at her today! In addition to her regular commands, we focused heavily on calmness in public settings, something that can be just as challenging as the obedience work itself. At the mall, we practiced plenty of passive calm work. For the video, we only filmed about a minute of her sitting quietly beside me in a chair, but throughout the day we logged roughly two hours of this kind of training.
One of our biggest sessions was in the food court while I ate a sandwich, which was a real test for a dog who can get a bit excited. Despite the smells, sounds, and movement around us, Paisley stayed composed and relaxed. She’s showing excellent progress not only in her commands but also in her ability to simply be calm no matter what’s going on around her.
Pupdate: 11/6/2025
Paisley had a fun day at the lake today! This was a brand-new park for her, and she handled it really well. There were plenty of sights and sounds to take in—birds flying around, bikes cruising by, and even boats on the water. A few of these caught her attention at times, but she was quick to refocus and move on each time. It was a great outing for building confidence and focus in a new environment. Awesome work, Paisley!
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