Meet Q, an exuberant 6-month-old German Shepherd, whose love for attention and belly rubs is only matched by his enthusiasm for life. While Q has mastered the art of crate training and house manners, there's still room for improvement when it comes to leash etiquette and managing her exuberance.
Q's excitement often leads to overzealous greetings, where she can't resist jumping up to express his joy, and in moments of anxiousness, she tends to voice his concerns through excessive barking.
However, there's an exciting journey ahead! Over the course of the next two weeks, Q will be diving into a series of engaging activities designed to help her gain better self-control. Through these fun sessions, Q will learn to channel her exuberance in more polished ways and manage her emotions effectively.
Pupdate 10/29/23
Upon Q's arrival, our first step was to assess her existing knowledge and gaps. Q, a young pup with a naturally pleasant disposition, shows potential for growth. It's evident that with affection, enjoyable activities, regular exercise, and a steady routine, Q's true potential can shine through. Over the next two weeks, our focus will be on nurturing her inner potential through a series of tailored exercises and drills. Stay tuned for updates on Q's progress!
Pupdate 10/30/23
Today was eventful for Q as she adapted to her temporary home. While she tends to bark in her kennel when someone enters the room, which is an issue we're addressing, she walks well on her leash, although occasional excitement causes her to pull ahead. With consistent reminders, she corrects her behavior. Already familiar with cues and previous training, we've started reinforcing her training with the e-collar. Usually, we add the e-collar later in training, but due to her contentment in working, we decided to use the e-collar immediately. today she was introduced to all cues such as heel, come, down, sit, and the implied "stay." It's important to maintain a relatively monotone voice, as any excitement in my tone distracts her. Our primary focus will be on improving her ability to concentrate. Stay tuned for updates!
Pupdate 10/31/23
Today, I took Q to a park with fewer distractions to focus on her heeling training. She typically does well on concrete, so I wanted to challenge her by practicing heeling in the grass, which poses more distractions due to scents. During heeling, I don't allow her to sniff the grass or walk away. I also challenged us both by heeling her on my right side, while her brother V heels on the left.
Q does better once she realizes I won't judge her based on my expectations of heeling manners. Before that, she tends to sniff, pull, and bite the leash, which I quickly discourage. Even though she understands commands like sit, come, and down, she doesn't consistently hold them, indicating she might have excess energy. Off-camera, we had an extended walk on concrete to help burn off some energy before resuming training.
Pupdate 11/01/23
Today's training focused on Q's heeling by my right side, reinforcing her cues and preventing her from getting overly excited and darting off. We also practiced leash dragging exercises, although she tends to forge ahead upon noticing a loose leash. Moreover, we staged scenarios to encourage Q to bark, using these moments as teaching opportunities to reinforce positive behavior. Q tends to bark at minor triggers like people passing by or me entering the room. We also worked on food refusal. Stay turned for more.
Pupdate 11/02/23
Today, we brought Q to the Santa Monica pier to practice important commands. Q typically experiences a mix of anxiety and high energy when entering bustling places. It's crucial to give her time to unwind, soak in the surroundings, and relax before starting the training. Considering she's a puppy with heaps of energy, we recommend sufficient exercise before exposure training. Balancing these factors helped us progress, as shown in the video, although the beginning of the session was quite challenging despite the eventual progress seen.
Pupdate 11/03/23
Today, Q focused on all her essential commands and enjoyed a lengthy walk, yet it barely made a dent in her energy levels. To balance this, she had some free time to play and be lively in the yard before our training session. My priority now is ensuring she comprehends the e-collar's role in following commands. Off the e-collar, her exuberance knows no bounds, but she's learning to channel that energy and playfulness only when directed. We're establishing a compromise with Q, that will shape her routine moving forward. While she's encouraged to be her fun-loving, quirky self most of the time, during obedience training, it's time to focus and work.
Pupdate 11/04/23
Today, we decided to bring Q to a park filled with more distractions than usual. Our aim was to train her under challenging conditions to better understand and manage her behavior when she's at her most challenging. After about 20 minutes of training, Q notably eased up and excelled in following commands.
We introduced leash dragging exercises, which Q struggled with initially but showed considerable improvement over time. Her primary challenges seem to be maintaining a cue for longer than 30 seconds to a minute and managing her high energy levels. These are manageable issues, considering Q's otherwise fantastic traits as an energetic and delightful puppy.
We also had opportunities where dogs passed by Q, giving her a chance to train on maintaining a calm demeanor. Stay tuned for more.
Pupdate 11/05/23
Today, we did some exposure drills with Q, focusing on her ability to remain calm when other dogs passed by and to hold her cues around distractions. We the. visited a pet store where we encountered another trainer and his dog, offering a chance for both dogs to practice remaining calm. Although both dogs struggled initially, it became a valuable learning experience. Eventually, Q relaxed after the initial greeting, while the other puppy found it challenging. Q performed well in holding her cues, steadily improving to maintain them for an average of about a minute before being interrupted by distractions. She's showing good progress. Stay tuned for more.
Pupdate 11/06/23
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Pupdate 11/07/23
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Pupdate 11/08/23
Today, we took Q to a dog park to work on her cues in a distracting environment. While training, she was outside the play area, as she wasn't permitted inside due to various reasons like concerns about dog fights, the presence of pathogens, and potential disruption of her established training structure.
Her "come" cue has shown significant improvement since yesterday, along with the other cues. The only issue is her excitement causing her to break the "down" cue before the two-minute mark. Although she can hold the regular "down" cue for about two minutes, she struggles with the extended "place/down" cue. Despite this, it's a manageable issue. Aside from that, Q had a day filled with fun, enjoying nature, and playful activities. Q puts in tremendous effort to make everyone happy, so she deserves breaks and the freedom to play wildly as the happy girl she is.
Pupdate 11/09/23
Last night, Q to freely walk through the house. She displayed excessive energy indoors, breaking some house rules by jumping on the couch and coffee table. Understanding the importance of her behavior, we promptly reminded her of our expected manners while indoors.
Today, so today we focused on reinforcing her conduct at home. Q is a quick learner, so we conducted training sessions in the house and the car to prevent her from jumping on things without permission. Consistency is crucial in her training, and while we allow her to unleash her energy in certain areas, good behavior is non-negotiable. Establishing and maintaining these rules are vital, even with her high energy level
Pupdate 11/10/23
Today, we brought Q to Santa Monica, where she worked on all of her essential cues. We focused on refining her "come to sit" and "place“ and “down" cues. While her cues displayed notable progress, her extended down remained a challenge due to difficulty holding the cue around high distractions. However, as she acclimated to the environment, she grew more relaxed. By the end, she successfully held her cues and became entirely at ease as people comforted her.
Throughout Q's journey in her two week board and train, she transformed from a highly anxious dog in public settings to a much calmer and relaxed state. While she initially grapples with anxiety still and requires time to process the stimuli, she eventually relaxes, exhibiting excellent manners and composure. That was her experience today, and as she continues to experience the world around her, she will continue to develop these essential skills. Consistency in exposure training will be detrimental to her development.
Pupdate 11/11/23
Today, we focused on obedience training, addressing Q's impulses regarding entering/exiting the house and food refusal. The rest of the day was dedicated to bonding with Q, appreciating the joy and silliness she brings to my life. As our two weeks together come to an end, we spent the day relaxing, exploring stores, and savoring the beautiful scenery of Veterans Day, capturing some memorable photos along the way.
I hope these photos bring you joy the way Q has brought joy into my life. I wish her the absolute best as she moves forward into her life.
With much love,
Alexx Rodriguez
Dog Trainer
Offleash SoCal
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