Radler | German Shepherd/Husky Mix | Los Angeles, CA | In Training
- Tanner Strong
- Jan 25
- 8 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Meet Radler! He's a twenty one month old German Shepherd/Husky Mix from Los Angeles, California, here for our Two-Week Community Board and Train Program! Radler can be sweet, but can also be a little skeptical of people he doesn't know. While he is familiar with some commands, he often chooses not to follow through, usually due to distractions and excitement. Over the next fourteen days, we will work with Radler on his confidence levels, his obedience skills, help with his impulse control, and help him become the best pup he can possibly be! Stay tuned for Radler's two week transformation!
Pupdate: 1/25/2026
Radler and I headed over to the park today to start getting to know each other. Once he took some treats from me, he warmed up very quickly and showed a lot of interest in working together. He is a strong leash puller at the moment, which we’ll be focusing on improving, but he does know a few commands already—an excellent foundation that we’ll build on by adding consistency.
When we first arrived at the park, Radler was extremely excited and quite vocal. After some time spent playing, walking around, and practicing various commands, he began to settle into a more steady rhythm. Once we got home, I let him sniff around and start getting familiar with the environment. He’s been very pleasant to have so far and is already beginning to settle in nicely.
Pupdate: 1/26/2026
Radler and I had a really nice day at the park today. His stool was a bit loose this morning, so I added a little pumpkin to his food to help support his digestion. He slept soundly overnight and woke up ready to get moving this morning.
We took a slower, more thoughtful approach today, heading out to the park a few times throughout the day instead of pushing for one long session. That strategy did wonders for him, and he made quite a bit of progress as the day went on. The most immediately noticeable improvement was in his excitement level and vocalization. During our second outing, he was far less vocal, even when other dogs and distractions were around.
Some of that may have been due to being a bit more tired later in the day, but it’s still a very encouraging change, and we’ll see if that trend continues tomorrow. Overall, Radler was extremely pleasant to work with, and I’m excited to keep building on what was a very successful first full day together.
Pupdate: 1/27/2026
Today Radler and I continued our work around some light distractions at the park. There were plenty of people around and a few dogs in the area, which gave us some good real-world training opportunities without being overwhelming.
When we first arrived, Radler gave a few whines as he took everything in, but he settled fairly quickly. Once he had a moment to adjust, he did a nice job channeling that extra energy into focusing on me instead. We kept the session slow and deliberate, prioritizing calm behavior and engagement over rushing through anything.
Overall, Radler did a great job staying composed, connected, and thoughtful in a distracting environment. A solid, productive session for him today!
Pupdate: 1/28/2026
Radler had a slower, more relaxed day today with a strong focus on calm behavior. We worked on maintaining a relaxed mindset in the morning and carried that over into our walks throughout the day, and he did a nice job staying composed and settling into the routine.
Between walks, we spent time inside working on home manners and continuing his Place command. He’s been doing well with this so far, showing good understanding and follow-through once he’s on place. I also noticed a big improvement in his vocalization today—there was far less overall. He gave me a couple of playful howls, but none of the whining we’ve seen before, which is great progress.
Additionally, his stool has been solid and consistent, which is another positive sign. Overall, a calm, productive day with some really nice improvements from Radler!
Pupdate: 1/29/2026
Radler had a good day today at Lake Balboa! When we first arrived, he showed a bit more whining than he did yesterday, but once we got to work he was able to channel that extra energy into engagement and focus, which was great to see.
He was also very interested in the birds at first, but by intentionally spending a lot of time near them, Radler began to habituate and ignore them much more as the session went on. Overall, he had a fun and productive outing, showing good progress in working through distractions and staying connected with me. Nice work today, Radler!
Pupdate: 1/30/2026
Back at the lake today, Radler did a much better job skipping the initial excitement and getting right to work when we arrived. Because of that, we were able to cover a lot more ground early on and still have plenty of fun while training. His Heel remains the toughest command for him, but he continues to make steady progress, and it gets easier for him each time we head out. Overall, a very productive and enjoyable session for Radler!
Pupdate: 1/31/2026
Radler and I got outside today with another little puppy, and I was extremely impressed with how he handled himself. Even when he wanted to play, Radler showed great composure and very nice manners around the little one. He stayed thoughtful, gentle, and respectful, which says a lot about his progress and emotional control.
Really good stuff from Radler today — very proud of him!
Pupdate: 2/1/2026
The dynamic duo headed back out together today, and Radler once again handled the outing really well. He did a great job mostly sticking by my side and showing polite, appropriate behavior while walking around with the puppy. His ability to stay composed and focused in a shared walking situation continues to impress, and today was another solid, successful outing for him.
Pupdate: 2/2/2026
Today we spent most of our time working on Radler’s commands with the leash dragging. Allowing the leash to drag gives me a good picture of how he may perform off leash, while still giving me access to the leash if needed.
Overall, Radler did quite well. Without the leash actively guiding him, he had a little trouble consistently finding the exact right positions. During Come To Sit, he would sometimes end up slightly off to the side, and while Heeling, he was occasionally a bit behind or a bit in front. These are small details, and exactly the kind of things we want to tighten up before fully removing the leash.
What helped the most was keeping things fun and engaging. Turning the work into a bit of a game—with quicker turns and a faster pace—made a noticeable difference. This helped Radler stay happy, confident, and more focused on where he needed to be.
All in all, Radler did a good job today, and this was a productive step toward cleaner, more reliable off-leash performance.
Pupdate: 2/3/2026
Radler and I continued working today with him having a bit more freedom while his leash was dragging, this time bringing that work closer to distractions and in more varied environments. The most challenging area was definitely near the ponds, where there were tons of birds around—excellent distractions to test his focus and impulse control. While Radler did get a little distracted at times (understandably!), he did a nice job checking back in with me and responding to his commands, which is exactly what we’re looking for at this stage.
After the park, we wrapped up the day with some evening practice of his Place command inside the home. Radler did exceptionally well with this and showed great understanding and follow-through. Overall, a really solid day for Radler, with good progress in focus, engagement, and reliability around distractions!
Pupdate: 2/4/2026
Radler and I made it out to the park today, but we kept our visit a little shorter since it started getting pretty hot. Even with the warm weather, Radler still got some good work in and showed me some really nice progress!
While we were there, we continued focusing on working near the ponds, practicing calm behavior and engagement while using his leash as little as possible. I’m happy to say Radler handled this really well — he made a lot of good decisions on his own, stayed fairly composed around the distractions, and did a great job staying connected with me.
Most importantly, there really weren’t any moments where I felt like I needed to pick up his leash, which is exactly what I like to see during this stage of training. Great job today, Radler!
Pupdate: 2/5/2026
Radler and I had a big milestone day today — we decided to take the leash off, and he did awesome! From the moment we started walking, Radler stayed just as glued to my side as he normally does with the leash on, which was exactly what I was hoping to see.
He showed great confidence out in the environment, stayed polite around distractions, and remained very responsive to me throughout our time together. His engagement was strong, and he made a lot of really good choices on his own, which is a huge sign of progress.
Overall, Radler proved today that he’s really starting to understand what’s expected of him, and he handled the added freedom extremely well.
Really good job today, Radler — I’m proud of you!
Pupdate: 2/6/2026
Radler and I had a great day today, and for his video I wanted to highlight something a little different — his home manners! While training at the park is always important, these daily routines are just as valuable because they help Radler learn structure, patience, and self-control in everyday life.
For food manners, we practiced having Radler sit politely while I placed his food down in front of him. The goal is for him to resist the urge to dive right in and instead wait calmly until he’s released. This helps build impulse control and makes meal time much smoother (and safer)!
For door manners, we worked on Radler learning to respect the doorway and not try to push past me when the door opens. Instead, I want him to wait patiently until I step through first and give him permission to follow. This is a great safety habit and helps prevent door-dashing.
And lastly, we practiced car manners. Radler did a nice job sitting politely when I opened the car door, then hopping in only when asked. From there, the goal is for him to walk straight into his crate calmly and confidently, making loading up quick and stress-free.
Overall, Radler did a great job today and showed some really nice progress with these important daily habits. These manners may seem small, but they make a huge difference in keeping him safe and helping our days run smoothly!
Pupdate: 2/7/2026
Radler and I had a great training day today, with a big focus on continuing to build his off-leash reliability around heavier distractions. We spent a good amount of time working near some of the busiest areas of the park, especially around the soccer games, which were a huge challenge with all the movement, noise, and excitement going on.
Overall, Radler handled it really well! He stayed fairly engaged with me and made a lot of good decisions, only getting distracted a handful of times throughout the day. Each time he did drift mentally, he was able to recover quickly and get right back into work, which is exactly what I want to see as his training progresses.
All the extra people at the park also gave us a great opportunity to work on greeting manners. The goal is for Radler to remain calm and confident by sitting politely while someone says hello—no jumping, no nervous behavior, and definitely no barking. Radler has made huge strides here, and his confidence is growing a lot. He’s becoming much more comfortable with strangers and is doing a noticeably better job staying composed while being greeted.
Really proud of Radler today—he’s showing more maturity, better focus, and a lot more confidence in busy environments!
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