R2-D2 the Pit Bull Mix from Sylmar, CA went through the One Week OffLeash SoCal Board & Train Program. R2-D2 was trained by Haley Giwoff in Costa Mesa, CA.
This is R2-D2!! He is a 7 month old Pit Bull Mix from Sylmar, CA. He is a high energy sweet pup who had a bit of a rough start to life. When his parents first adopted him he had not been well cared for. They have done an awesome job bringing him back to health and giving him a loving home! However, he still needs a bit of help on the training side! He is very timid about new situations, he is wary of other dogs before he gets to know them, has a lot of energy and anxiety making it near impossible to get his attention, and he can get a bit too friendly with new people often jumping on them first thing. He is here with us at Off Leash SoCal for a One Week Board and Train Program and I am so excited to see how much this kid is going to learn in the next 7 days!!
Those ears!!!
Pupdate 07/12/2020
R2 is having a little bit of a tough transition into the temporary new digs. He definitely misses Mom and Dad, but that's normal! He has a bit of hesitation with getting into the kennel and some anxiety while he is in there. We spent a good deal of the evening practicing going in and out of the kennel. He still isn't happy about it but is getting better every rep. This is normal for a pup that's never been kenneled and we will work on it all week! He isn't eating fast or a lot, but he is eating which is not only totally normal for a pup who is having anxiety but pretty good! I often have pups who skip the first couple meals. He is such a sweet boy and he is slowly but surely coming out of his shell. I can't wait to see how much this guy is going to grow over the next 7 days!
Pupdate 07/13/2020
R2 made some real progress today! He slept all throughout the night like the baby he is! He is eating well, getting better with the kennel anxiety throughout the day, going into the kennel easier, and got through his first lesson! I even got him to come completely out of his shell and be playful/sweet with me as the high energy love bug that he is for a bit! In his lesson we worked on his E-collar conditioning (getting him used to the stimulation) and started on his recall command. This guy has a lot to learn in the next few days but I am so excited to be a part of his progress!
Pupdate 07/14/2020
R2 is progressing so much everyday! Today we did a bunch of confidence building and he conquered the A-Frame! He got introduced to his Place command and we worked on his recall, Heel, and Sit. He was so tired after his second lesson of the day he didn't make a peep until he got hungry for dinner!
Pupdate 07/15/2020
R2 was working hard today! We worked on his Heel, Sit, and Place with distractions around the neighborhood. He did really well! He even maintained a Sit behind me when a not so friendly and off leash retriever came barreling at us out of nowhere! He is getting better and better about the Kennel and his anxiety. I can't wait to see how he does outside the dog park tomorrow!
Pupdate 07/16/2020
R2 went and worked at both the skate park and the dog park today! He did pretty awesome! He is pretty stiff with new dogs approaching him through the fence but did great focusing on all his commands. We worked on his Heel a ton and he learned how to "side correct" which is to automatically switch to the left side heel even when started on the right!
Pupdate 07/17/2020
R2 worked on distance and duration for all his commands with a dog distraction named Roger! We did some Placing, Sits, Downs, and Heeling all with Roger within a few feet and Mr. R-2 did awesome. He never got quite comfortable enough to want to say hi, but he did amazing with his commands. We will be working on his final video tomorrow and I am so excited to get to show off everything he has learned!
Pupdate 07/18/2020
R2 did his final video today and is all packed up and ready to go home in the morning! He is going to be over the moon to see his parents!