Meet Raj! He is a three month old Australian Labradoodle who has joined us for our Three Week Puppy Board and Train program. Raj is here for basic obedience, leash pulling, and jumping on people. He is a smart puppy who loves people and enjoys playing with other dogs! Over the next three weeks, Raj will be set up for success to become a well mannered pup! Check in to see his progress!
Raj and I got to know each other today. We settled in at home and I had him roam around the house to have him adjust to his new surroundings. He really likes hanging out with my son and nephew in their room. He was great in the car during the drive home as he made no fuss. We had some playtime in the front yard and we really enjoyed ourselves. I am looking forward to working with him these next three weeks!
Heel was introduced to Raj today. Heel consists of having Raj walk next to me on my left side. To get Raj to Heel, I would do the opposite of what he was doing. If he went ahead of me, I would turn the other way and use leash tension to get him to follow me. If Raj began to fall behind, I would pick up my pace and use his kibble to have him catch up. Raj is understanding the concept and is doing really well as he is not pulling on his leash much anymore!
Raj was introduced to Come to Sit today. It consists of having Raj come towards my right side and Sit on my left side as he goes around behind me. Using his food as guidance, it assisted Raj to come all the way around me considering that he would stop and Sit behind me. Raj understands the concept and is a quick learner.! He also continues working on his Heel by implementing it on every walk we go on!
Today Raj was introduced to Place. Place consists of having Raj hopping onto an elevated object and remaining there, until I give him the ok to come off. Teaching Raj Place is great in case guests come over and it helps build his confidence! It did not take much for Raj to understand what I was asking him to do, but he did have trouble getting onto the objects. I assisted him a few times by giving his back legs a little boost and he eventually began doing it on his own!
I noticed Raj was having trouble going up and down the stairs since the day of pickup. We have been working on stair exercises with the small steps I have in my living room and in my front door area. Raj would stop before taking a step up or a step down. We have been working on it every day and Raj is doing great! With patience, a little leash tension, and some verbal encouragement, Raj is beginning to master his stair climbing!
Raj was introduced to Down today. I worked with him by using his kibble to lure him, and I sat on the floor with Raj in a Sit directly in front of me. With kibble in hand, I held it in front of his nose and had him follow my hand to the ground. As his nose reached the floor, I would then move my hand towards me and have him follow it without him getting up. Although Raj did get up a few times, we reset and kept trying. After a few attempts, Raj began to comprehend what I was asking and accomplished his Down!
Raj and I took a drive to Santa Monica today. We have been working on his Extended Down and I began increasing my distance from him. I ask Raj to Down and I have him hold it in increments of five seconds for every foot. One foot is five seconds, two feet is ten seconds, three feet is fifteen seconds and so on. I am able to get to the end of the long line at home without Raj moving, so we went ahead and began working in a public setting with people serving as a distraction. Raj did a great job and remained in a Down for about one minute before I asked him to Break which is his release word!
As week one comes to a close, Raj has learned all of his commands. He will continue to increase his Extended Sit, Down, and Place as we move further along in training. We are also going to clean up his Come to Sit by having him Sit next to me so he is not sitting at an angle. Every walk we go on, Raj is always in a Heel and he is doing really good staying next to me! With the first seven days in the books, we will continue making more progress in week two!
Raj and I worked on his Extended Place today around a dog distraction. I asked Raj to Place on a cot while one of the other trainers served as a distraction with her dog. She walked around Raj a few times and had her dog Sit in front of him as he remained in a Place. Raj was really good at not coming out of it and he was able to Sit on the cot for just about one minute. Our aim is to reach one minute and a half to two minutes. We are almost there, and with more practice we can reach that goal!
I took Raj out to do a little shopping today. We took a walk throughout the Promenade to keep him working around dogs and people. Every store we walked into and made line in, I had Raj work on his Extended Sit and his Extended Down. Customers in line were amazed at how well mannered Raj is at such a young age! He was complimented by quite a few people passing by as I got a few pictures of Raj continuing to excel in his training! Raj also enjoys hanging out with my nephew in his room and have become great friends!
Raj worked on his Extended Down around dog distractions today. I asked Raj to Down and had other trainers assist us by walking around Raj with their dogs. I added distance and had Raj remain in the center as the dogs lapped around him. The trainers then asked their dogs to Sit, and Raj did a great job remaining in a Down until I asked him to Break!
Raj and I went out and spent some time in Huntington Beach. We took a walk down Main St. and the ocean strand. Raj had different distractions around him such as skateboards, roller blades, beach cruisers, and electric scooters. Despite all of those distractions being around him, Raj did great and had no issue as we strolled along!
Today we drove out to the Americana in Glendale. Raj continues to do outstanding work and gets better by the day. He is doing really great around different distractions and I can get to the end of the long leash without him coming out of what I ask him to do! Raj is such a smart boy and as this week nearly reaches its end, we can start preparing him for his last week which will consist of getting Raj ready for his Final!
Raj and I took a trip out to the Santa Monica Pier today. From the parking structure to the Pier, Raj and I had to cross the street a few times at crosswalks. When I come to a stop as I wait for the light, I ask Raj to Sit and wait until I ask him to Heel across the street. He is doing so good that he now automatically Sits when we wait for our turn to cross! We walked throughout the boardwalk and made a few stops in between to work on his Sit and Place. Raj was able to work around other distractions like loud speakers, track noise from the roller coaster, and a flock of birds flying overhead!
Today we spent the day at home with Raj and had a bbq. He enjoyed some playtime time with me in the front yard and he played baseball with my kids. They would hit the ball and Raj would run after it every time. After running around for a while, I fed Raj and he took a nice nap after his meal. Raj has done great work these last two weeks, and these next seven days we are going to piece everything he has learned together!
Raj and I drove out to Pan Pacific Park today to start the process of bringing everything he has learned together. We worked on a few sessions consisting of Heel, Place, Come to Sit, and Down. During his Place, I had Raj maintain his Sit for one minute before I asked him to Come towards me. The same was done for his Down before I released him with his Break. Raj and I will continue working through everything, and increasing his time holding his Extended positions as the week goes on!
Raj has been working on his Food Manners since day one of training. He has learned to Sit and wait for his food throughout the time he has been here. It did not take Raj long to understand what I was asking and he only got better with time. With consistency each day, Raj is now able to Sit calmly and patient for his food until I let him know that it is ok to eat!
Raj and I took a drive to the Citadel Outlets in Commerce today. We worked on cleaning him up a little more by practicing his Come to Sit as he is coming off of his Place. Raj follows through but does Sit a little behind me at times. With a little leash tension and repetition, I was able to have Raj get on the right track!
The Outlets in Orange was our destination today. We took a walk around the shopping center and I had Raj Place on a few benches. He also worked on his Come to Sit, and his Down. After a few sessions, he was ready to put it all together and go on a practice run. Raj did such an amazing job and is ready to start filming his Final!
Raj has been working on his Door Manners since he has been in training with me. He happened to have a slight understanding of the concept since day one by being asked to Sit before coming in or out from the door. I continued using his kibble to assist him in holding his Sit longer with the door open. Once Raj fully understood, I removed his kibble and practiced without it. The more Raj worked on it, the better he got. Raj has surpassed his ninety second goal and is now able to Sit for two minutes!
Raj has completed his Three Week Board and Train and is excited to be going home! He has been outstanding and I can not wait to show you what he has learned! Thank you very much for trusting me with Raj and for the opportunity of having me work with him. He is a great companion and he will be missed!
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