Prince | Multipoo | Los Alamitos, CA | In Training
- Kody Pham
- Aug 17
- 10 min read
Updated: Aug 31
Say hello to Prince, a spirited 6-month-old Maltipoo who has just joined us for our 2-Week Urban Board and Train Program! With his high energy and playful personality, Prince is ready to learn and we’re excited to guide him through this next chapter.
He may be small, but he’s got a big presence, and we’re going to use that energy to his advantage. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be helping Prince develop better habits, build focus, and become a more well-mannered pup in and out of the home.
We’ve got some important areas to work on, but with consistent structure, positive reinforcement, and time, we know Prince is going to do great.
Stay tuned for updates and progress as we help Prince grow into the best version of himself!
Pupdate 8/18/2025
Today marks the first day of training for Prince, and we’re hitting the ground running! Our focus this week is to teach Prince five basic obedience commands:Sit, Heel, Down, Place, and Recall. These foundational commands will be essential as we move forward in his training journey.
But today isn’t just about commands it’s about getting to know Prince. To kick things off, we started working on loose leash walking, which is a great introduction to the structure and communication that obedience training requires. In fact, loose leash walking actually touches on elements of all five core commands. It’s not just about walking it’s about focus, engagement, and trust.
In the video I’m sharing, you’ll notice that Prince gets distracted at times or occasionally doesn’t want to listen. That’s totally normal, especially on Day 1. To start shaping better behavior, we use a very simple but powerful technique:walking back and forth in a straight line, changing directions often.
Why do we do this? When Prince hits the end of the leash and I change direction, it encourages him to pay more attention to me rather than everything going on around him. This builds the habit of staying close and engaged, which is the groundwork for a reliable heel, and it makes other commands like sit or recall much easier to teach later.
If you watch closely, you’ll see subtle moments where Prince is hesitant or distracted but also moments where he makes the right choice. Each time he comes back to focus, we’re reinforcing that connection and setting the tone for the rest of his training.
This is just the beginning, but we’re off to a strong start. Stay tuned as Prince continues to learn and grow in the coming days!
Pupdate 8/19/2025
Today, we kept the ball rolling with Day 2 of Prince’s training—and he did fantastic! Building on the foundation we laid yesterday with loose leash walking, we continued reinforcing those skills while introducing two important new elements: recall and sit.
Prince’s ability to learn is truly impressive. His attentiveness and eagerness to please make training sessions both productive and enjoyable. As we layered in these new commands, his steady progress was already starting to shine through. His recall is becoming more responsive, and he's picking up "sit" with confidence.
Now, the sit is still far from perfect—and that’s totally okay. Right now, it’s about creating a clear understanding of the behavior and building it up over time. With consistency and patience, we’ll continue to shape it toward perfection.
It’s exciting to watch Prince grow and learn each day. We’ll keep building on these fundamentals and celebrating the small wins that lead to big results.
Stay tuned for more updates on Prince’s training journey!
Pupdate 8/20/2025
Today’s training session focused on teaching Prince the “Place” command. At the start of the video, you’ll notice his hesitation—he was unsure about stepping onto the cot and even ran around it a few times. That kind of reaction is completely normal for dogs when they're introduced to something new.
We stayed consistent, encouraging, and patient. With a little time and repetition, Prince began to understand what was being asked of him. As the video progresses, you’ll see his confidence grow as he starts to follow the command more reliably.
In today’s session, we also paired the “Place” command with recall and sit. This helped reinforce his focus and responsiveness, while building a stronger foundation for overall obedience.
It was a great session that showed the importance of patience, clarity, and celebrating progress—no matter how small.
Pupdate 8/21/2025
Today’s session with Prince focused on refining two essential obedience behaviors: the heel and an extended sit. Prince continues to impress with his quick learning and eager engagement, making each session a rewarding experience for both trainer and handler.
To strengthen the heel position, we introduced a clear and consistent boundary by using the concrete path as a visual and physical marker. Prince is not allowed to step onto the grass until released from the heel command. This simple strategy offers multiple benefits:
It helps clarify the training criteria for Prince
It provides the owner with a reliable framework for reinforcing the behavior
It minimizes leash pressure by creating a natural boundary for the dog to respect
Our goal for today was to establish a zero-leash-pressure heel, focusing on engagement and understanding rather than correction. Prince responded well, remaining in position with minimal redirection, showing he's starting to grasp the expectation.
We also worked on the sit command, specifically on duration and impulse control. Rather than treating sit as a temporary behavior, we are now asking for longevity—even when I continue walking. This builds patience, discipline, and clearer communication. Prince is learning that sitdoesn’t end until it’s released, not when I move away.
One area we’re actively working to improve is the transition from heel to sit. Prince sometimes struggles with smoothly moving into a sit position when we come to a stop. While he’s making progress, this is a detail we’ll continue to shape through consistent repetition and clear communication.
As we progress, we'll start tightening the precision of the heel position. For now, establishing clarity, duration, and minimal pressure is laying the foundation for more advanced obedience work. Prince is right on track, and we're excited to continue building on this momentum.
Pupdate 8/22/2025
Today we took a big step in Prince’s training journey with his very first visit to Home Depot — one of the best places for real-world learning with dogs! The store is full of new sights, sounds, and smells, making it a perfect (and safe) environment to build confidence and practice focus.
Since everything was new to him, we kept the training session simple and positive. We focused on the basics: sit and place. The “place” command was especially valuable today, as Prince had to work with different surfaces and textures, helping him desensitize to unfamiliar things while reinforcing the meaning of the cue. He handled it like a champ!
We’re so proud of how well Prince did on his first outing to a big store like this. It was a successful training trip, and we’ll definitely be going back for more practice soon.
On a side note — his potty training is going great! No recent accidents, and he’s showing the ability to settle in place for longer stretches. These small wins are big steps forward.
Go Prince!
Pupdate 8/23/2025
Today’s video takes us out to the park, where we’re putting everything Prince has learned so far into practice. At this point in his training, we’re definitely expecting more from him he understands the commands, so now it’s about fine-tuning and reinforcing those behaviors.
In the video, you’ll see me working on shaping each behavior toward what I want the final result to look like. That means making small but important adjustments like getting the sit just right, refining the down, and guiding him to the exact position I want for his recall.
Prince is now working through the Three D's of dog training:
Distance,Distraction, andDuration. These are essential for building reliability in real-world environments, and we’re going to continue focusing on them throughout the coming week.
Progress takes patience and consistency, but Prince is rising to the challenge. Stay tuned as we push forward with his training journey!
Pupdate 8/24/2025
Today’s training session with Prince was a great success! We took full advantage of the day by working in two very different but equally enriching environments: the park and the mall.
We started at the park, where Prince was full of energy and enthusiasm. We did the usual basic obedience training and got as many reps as possible.
After the park, we transitioned to the mall. This shift in environment tested Prince’s ability to remain calm and focused amid crowds, noise, and tempting food smells. He handled it like a pro! He walked confidently through busy walkways, ignored distractions, and responded beautifully to commands. It was a great exposure session for real-world obedience.
We’re so proud of Prince’s progress. His consistency, confidence, and willingness to learn are shining through more and more each day.
Stay tuned for more training updates as we continue helping Prince become the best version of himself!
Pupdate 8/25/2025
Today's training with Prince felt like more of a rinse-and-repeat session — and that’s exactly what we’re aiming for at this stage. After focusing on socialization and threshold work yesterday, today was centered on reinforcing basic obedience. We're sticking to this system throughout the week to build a strong foundation before blending everything together into a more fluid routine.
Prince did really well with the duration aspect today — holding positions like sit, down, and place for longer stretches with solid focus. That’s a big step in the right direction and shows he’s starting to understand what's expected of him.
Our current goal is to use as little leash pressure and assistance as possible during these exercises, encouraging Prince to make decisions more independently. He’s still working through that part — occasionally relying on a bit of guidance — but that’s completely normal. Progress here will come with repetition, consistency, and trust.
He’s showing steady improvement, and we’re excited to keep building on these wins. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue layering everything together.
8/26/2025
Today, we took Prince back to Home Depot for another round of training. Since this wasn’t his first time there, we set higher expectations—and he definitely delivered.
Prince showed noticeable improvement in focus and engagement throughout the session. He responded to commands with confidence and consistency, especially his “place” and “down,” which are quickly becoming his strongest commands. It was clear that the familiarity of the environment helped him settle in and concentrate more effectively.
Watching his progress in a real-world setting like this is incredibly rewarding. We’re proud of how far he’s come and excited to keep building on this momentum.
Pupdate 8/27/2025
Today was a truly rewarding training day for Prince. All the time, effort, and consistency we've been investing are really starting to show and it’s exciting to witness the progress unfold.
During our sessions, we’ve shifted our focus toward refining communication, relying heavily on verbal cues and the e-collar for both stimulation and correction. We’re using minimal leash pressure, which is allowing Prince to think, respond, and make decisions more independently.
In today’s video, you’ll see us moving constantly from one command to the next. This type of continuous motion helps us sharpen responses and maintain engagement. It's not about rushing it's about flow, focus, and clarity in communication. Prince is learning to stay tuned in, no matter the pace or change in direction.
Days like this are what training is all about: building trust, improving clarity, and celebrating every step forward.
Pupdate 8/28/2025
Today, I decided to switch things up for Prince and take our training on the road. Instead of sticking to our usual spots, we explored a variety of new environments including some local stores to see how he’d respond. The goal was to gently challenge him, build his confidence, and reinforce his obedience skills in places full of new sights, sounds, and smells.
I’m proud to say Prince handled it all like a champ!
Despite the distractions, he remained focused and engaged, following through on basic obedience commands like sit, stay, and heel. We made our way through different locations, and during a stop at Sprouts for some quick grocery shopping, Prince tagged along for in-store training. It was a great opportunity to practice calm behavior in a busier environment.
At one point, he noticed some helium balloons and seemed a bit unsure. Rather than avoiding the fear, I used the moment to support and guide him, encouraging him to walk past them with confidence. Moments like these are so important they help shape a well-rounded, resilient dog.
The photos below capture a bit of our time in Sprouts. I love documenting these little milestones in Prince’s training journey. Each outing brings progress, and today was a great reminder of how far he’s come.
Looking forward to more adventures like this as we continue to grow and learn together.
Pupdate 8/29/2025
Today was a big day for Prince and he truly delivered!
We took our training session to the mall, a place buzzing with sights, sounds, and people all potential distractions. But for Prince, these are no longer unfamiliar challenges. He’s been gradually exposed to these environments before, so we knew today was going to be a true test of his progress.
From the moment we stepped inside, Prince was focused and ready to work. We concentrated on the basics: obedience commands with distance, distractions, and duration. Whether it was holding a sit while people passed by, maintaining focus through loud noises, or walking calmly on a loose leash past food courts and stores, he tackled each task with confidence.
Of course, like any real-world training session, there were a few tough moments. But what stood out was how quickly Prince recovered and got back on track. That resilience is just as important as perfect execution if not more.
Overall, we're incredibly proud of how far he’s come. Today proved that Prince isn’t just learning commands; he’s learning to thrive in the real world.
Pupdate 8/30/2025
Today marked Prince’s last training session with us, as he’s heading home tomorrow. Over the past two weeks, this pup has made incredible progress learning, adapting, and growing with each session. It’s been a joy to watch him evolve from curious and distracted to focused and responsive.
We’ve just wrapped up all the basics of obedience, and Prince is walking away with a solid foundation that his family can continue to build on. Sit, stay, recall, leash manners you name it, he’s got it. But as much as we’ve accomplished, this is just the beginning of his journey.
To celebrate all his hard work, we spent our final day together at the park. We’re proud of you, Prince. Keep up the great work your adventure is only getting started!
Comments