Riggs | Rhodesian Ridgeback | Los Angeles, CA | In Training

Tanner Strong
Jul 25
12 min read

Updated: Aug 15

Meet Riggs! He's an eight month old Rhodesian Ridgeback from Los Angeles, California here for our Three-Week Board and Train Program. Riggs is is friendly, but is often skeptical of new people. Once he gets to know you, however, he loves jumping up to say hi! He is incredibly strong and will pull you all over the sidewalk, and will pull you to go sniff wherever he wants. He doesn't have personal boundaries and loves getting pushy and sniffing people even if they don't want him to. He is familiar with some commands, but often decides for himself when he wants to listen and follow through. He can also be very mouthy when playing or eating food. Over the next twenty one days, we will work with Riggs on his obedience skills, his boundaries and impulse control, help him with his manners in and out of the house, and show him how to be the best pup he can possibly be! Stay tuned for Riggs' three week transformation!

Pupdate: 7/25/2025

Riggs is officially on board — and what a first day it’s been! After picking him up, we headed straight to the park to get moving and start building some trust. Riggs already seems to like me, which is a great start, but wow — this guy is strong! He definitely doesn’t realize just how powerful he is, and he had no trouble pulling me around while we explored.

The main goal today was to help Riggs get comfortable and start settling in. Back at home, I gave him time to sniff around and explore the space at his own pace. He seemed to relax pretty quickly and appears to like his new setup so far.

He’s been a pleasure to have around — sweet, curious, and eager — just with a little extra horsepower to manage! Looking forward to channeling that strength in a productive way as we get started on real training. Go, Riggs!

Pupdate: 7/26/2025

Riggs and I headed to the park today for a training session, with most of our work centered around the Heel command. For Heel, I want him walking politely at my left side with his ears in line with my leg. While he still has a tendency to pull back or bite at the leash—especially when something exciting catches his eye—he’s starting to understand the position more clearly.

We spent a good amount of time working near geese, and Riggs handled that surprisingly well! His biggest challenge today was staying focused around small dogs out for their walks; that’s when he was the most distracted. Even so, by the end of our session, he showed real progress and was much more consistent in his Heel position. Riggs is getting the hang of walking politely, and I’m excited to keep building on today’s success!

Pupdate: 7/27/2025

Today we focused on building Riggs' Come To Sit command, which will be our go-to recall cue. In the video above, you’ll see us practicing the full sequence.

He’s still figuring it out, but he’s making progress! Right now, I’m helping guide him into position and marking when he gets it right. With practice, that movement will become second nature for him. Each successful rep helps strengthen both his confidence and our communication.

Pupdate: 7/28/2025

Riggs and I went to Home Depot today for a training field trip! We started off in the garden center, which gave us plenty of opportunities to work on his “Off” command. This command is our way of telling him to stop doing something unwanted—like jumping, sniffling plants or people, or fixating on distractions. Riggs was definitely curious about all the new smells and sights, but each moment of temptation became a chance to reinforce better choices.

There were a few moments when he pulled back hard, wanting to go a different way than I did, but by patiently working our way through each section of the store, Riggs gradually gained confidence and focus. He did a solid job staying engaged and responding well to commands as we moved along.

By the end of our visit, though, he was starting to get tired of walking politely and wanted to go back to walking ahead rather than staying in a polite Heel. We’ll continue building on this and work on his stamina and consistency, especially in stimulating environments like this. Overall, today was a productive step forward for Riggs!

Pupdate: 7/29/2025

Riggs and I headed to the park today to train alongside some other trainers and their dogs. As expected, the extra activity made for a distracting environment—Riggs was very interested in the other dogs and had a hard time keeping focus for much of the time. That said, with some encouragement and an excited tone of voice, he was able to re-engage and perform his commands for much of the session. Using that kind of tone is a helpful stepping stone right now, but the long-term goal is for Riggs to respond reliably even when I’m using a calm, neutral voice—especially around playful pups. Overall, he did well today and showed potential, but we’ll need to keep putting in work around distractions to build his consistency and focus.

Pupdate: 7/30/2025

Riggs and I went to the park this morning for a low-distraction, confidence-building session! With only a couple of other dogs around, it gave us the perfect opportunity to slow things down and really focus on his command work without too much outside pressure.

We worked on reinforcing the basics and making sure he felt confident and comfortable in each position before adding any extra challenges again. Riggs did really well today—he stayed more engaged, made thoughtful decisions, and seemed to enjoy the quieter atmosphere. It was a productive session, and I think he had a good time! These types of calm, structured outings are a great way to build his foundation before we start layering in more distractions again.

Pupdate: 7/31/2025

Today we worked on Door Manners! Riggs can sometimes get very excited when it’s time to go out—especially first thing in the morning—so we’re teaching him to be calm and polite any time we head out the door or come back inside. In today’s video, you’ll see us practicing waiting at the door, but the real goal is for the door opening to become a total nonevent for him. Whether he’s right in front of the door or across the room, he should stay calm and wait for permission before moving through.

Riggs has picked up on this concept quickly and is showing a good understanding of how to respect these thresholds. Every once in a while, he still gets a little too excited and tries to rush out ahead of me, but with consistency, he’s learning to control those impulses.

These manners aren’t just for doors—we can also apply them to gates, fences, and even household boundaries. For example, Riggs knows the dogs aren’t allowed in the kitchen! Clear and consistent boundaries like these help create a more respectful and structured home environment, and Riggs is off to a great start with this.

Pupdate: 8/1/2025

Today Riggs and I focused on dropping the leash during some of his commands to see how he might perform with more freedom while still having that backup if needed. He did a good job overall! His Heel was solid for most of the session—he occasionally stopped to sniff something interesting, but with a quick reminder, he was right back in position. Similarly, he would push ahead sometimes when walking toward a distraction or something interesting. I was especially happy with his Place command today; I didn’t need to pick up the leash at all to guide him onto different objects, which shows growing confidence and understanding. The biggest challenge for him right now is Come To Sit. He comes when called, but often needs some help finding the exact position at my side, so I used the leash a few times to assist. He’s making steady progress, and we’ll keep building toward that off-leash reliability!

Pupdate: 8/2/2025

Today we let the leash drag again to see how Riggs’ skills hold up with a little more freedom. His Come To Sit was noticeably sharper than yesterday—he snapped into position on the first cue almost every time and lined up straight at my left knee instead of sitting wide more often than not. That tells me he’s starting to understand that the command means “finish right here” rather than simply coming in my direction.

Where we still hit bumps is around distractions. A fluttering trash bag, a kid on a scooter, and a jogger with a clinking water bottle stole his focus, and I had to step on the leash several times today to remind him to stick with me. Each time, though, he recovered quickly and re-engaged, which is progress in itself.

Overall, I’m happy with the accuracy and enthusiasm he showed today. This coming week we’ll keep the leash dragging but layer in tougher environments—maybe the park during peak hours—so he can learn that Come To Sit means the same thing whether we’re in a quiet field or surrounded by chaos.

Pupdate: 8/3/2024

Riggs had a more relaxing day today as we focused on his indoor manners. Most of our training took place inside, where he practiced staying on his Place cot while I went about regular tasks like cooking and cleaning. He’s really starting to understand that downtime doesn’t mean playtime—just because I’m moving around doesn’t mean he needs to! He found the cot easily whenever I pointed to it and only needed to be asked once, which shows how well he's picking up on the routine.

Even during playtime, Riggs was on his best behavior—no jumping or getting too wild. It was great to see him enjoy himself while still maintaining his manners. Overall, today was a mellow but productive day for Riggs, and he seemed to really enjoy the balance of structure and rest.

Pupdate: 8/4/2025

Today we introduced Riggs to the Under command! This command is especially helpful if you ever bring him to a café or outdoor restaurant—it teaches him to tuck himself under the table and stay out of the way of people walking by.

Today’s focus was mostly on getting Riggs comfortable with the idea of going underneath the table in the first place. He was a little unsure at first, but after a few reps and lots of encouragement, he started getting the hang of it. He’s learning to slide under calmly and remain there while I move around or sit nearby.

It’s still early in the process, but Riggs is showing great potential with this one. With a little more practice, he'll be ready to relax quietly at your feet like a true patio pro!

Pupdate: 8/5/2025

Today we headed to the park in both the morning and evening to beat the heat while keeping up our momentum. I'm highlighting some of our work on Riggs’ Send Away To Place command from yesterday, when we trained around the other dogs and trainers.

This command is a great way to build confidence, independence, and focus—especially in a distracting environment. Riggs did a great job navigating the excitement of the group and responding to the command with increasing consistency. He’s learning that even when there’s a lot going on around him, he can still tune in and follow through.

I’m proud of his progress and how well he handled the challenge.

Pupdate: 8/6/2025

Riggs had his first fully off-leash day at the park today—and he did a good job! We started off in a quiet area to set him up for success, and he handled it very well. One of the main things we focused on was helping him hold his position when I step away. He was eager to follow me, which I appreciate—it shows his bond and desire to stay close—but we're working on building his confidence and independence so he can remain steady even when I create distance.

We moved to a more distracting part of the park near the pond, where squirrels and geese added an extra layer of challenge. At first, it was tough for Riggs to resist the temptation, but we spent some time calmly walking through that space and practicing engagement. With a little guidance, he pulled it together and did a better job staying focused on me. A strong first day off-leash, and I’m proud of his progress!

Pupdate: 8/7/2025

Today we focused on more off-leash commands, specifically having Riggs hold his positions when I step away. He’s doing really well with this and showing some good self-control! Since he has sensitive skin, I want to make sure he stays comfortable, so after practicing holding his Down on different surfaces, especially the grass, we wrapped up with a quick bath at home to try to keep his legs and belly from getting irritated. All in all, a productive day with some extra pampering for this handsome guy!

Pupdate: 8/8/2025

We went to Garfield Park today to work on his off-leash reliability in a new environment. Riggs did a great job with his commands and showed noticeable improvement with distractions. There were plenty of other dogs out—walking with their owners, playing, and running around—but Riggs stayed focused for the most part and stuck with me. I’m proud of how well he handled the extra excitement while still following through on what I asked of him!

Pupdate: 8/9/2025

We worked on a few different things today! First, we focused on extending his recall distance. Having him reliably come when called, even from farther away, is great for his training and safety. Riggs did well with this, though every now and then he didn’t quite hit the brakes in time—sometimes running right past me before stopping and turning around to find his spot next to me.

Another important thing we practiced was managing excitement after a release. If I let him out of a command and he gets overly excited or tries to jump, I simply stand up, have him Sit or lay down, and then he’s free to play again once he’s settled. This helps him learn that calmness gets him what he wants faster.

Lastly, we worked on his recall while he’s on break—either playing or sniffing—so that he comes immediately even when distracted. You can see a little bit of this at the very end of today’s video. It’s one thing for him to come from a designated position, but it’s equally important for him to be able to break away from an interesting scent and return right away when I call. Riggs did a solid job with that, too!

Pupdate: 8/10/2025

We spent more time at the park today working around some tough distractions, with the basketball players being the main challenge. I’d say the courts were actually a bit more difficult than some of the other distractions we’ve faced, thanks to the loud bouncing and fast movement. Riggs was pretty skeptical at first, but after a short warm-up from a comfortable distance, he settled in nicely. Before long, we were able to walk much closer to the games without too much trouble — great job, Riggs!

Pupdate: 8/11/2025

We met up with some other trainers and their dogs today, which gave Riggs a great opportunity to work around some tough distractions. He was off leash the entire time, moving in close proximity to several other dogs, which was definitely a challenge for him at first. He was pretty interested in them early on, but after some warm-up time and a few reminders, he began to settle in. From there, Riggs did a solid job of ignoring the other dogs and keeping his attention mostly on me. It was great to see him make that shift from distracted to focused, and this kind of practice is going to be a big step toward improving his reliability in exciting environments.

Pupdate: 8/12/2025

Riggs had quite the adventure today as we made our way over to Santa Monica! We started out in the quieter promenade section, where he seemed much more comfortable. This gave us a chance to warm up with some basic commands and get him into a good working mindset before tackling the busier parts of our trip. He stayed relatively calm here, checking in with me often and showing he could handle the lighter level of activity just fine.

After that, we ventured down toward the pier, which was a whole different challenge. The pier was bustling with people, music, street performers, and of course, plenty of distractions rolling by—bikes, scooters, and strollers seemed to catch his attention the most. He was definitely more on edge here, occasionally tensing up or giving longer stares at things that moved quickly. Even so, he stayed mostly engaged with me, and while I could tell the environment was overwhelming at times, he worked through it without any major issues.

Overall, this was one of the more challenging outings Riggs has faced, but he rose to the occasion. These kinds of environments are fantastic for building his confidence and teaching him to stay composed no matter what’s going on around him. I’m proud of the effort he put in today—it was a big step forward!

Pupdate: 8/13/2025

We headed back to Santa Monica today, starting with some warm-up time on leash at the pier to help Riggs settle in. Once he seemed a bit more comfortable, we took things up a notch by removing his leash and practicing his off-leash commands in a very high-distraction environment. Compared to yesterday, Riggs showed noticeable improvement—he was still a bit nervous at first, but he adjusted more quickly and handled the setting with greater focus and responsiveness. Great progress for such a busy location!

Pupdate: 8/14/2025

We spent most of our time at the park today, but I also wanted to show off some of the everyday manners Riggs has been practicing! These little habits may seem simple, but they make a big difference in how polite and well-mannered he is in daily life.

For greeting manners, I want him to sit calmly when someone comes to say hello—no jumping, pawing, or getting overly excited. Just a relaxed sit so he can enjoy the attention in a polite way. For door manners, he’s learning to wait patiently until I give him the go-ahead to enter or exit, instead of trying to rush through ahead of me. For food manners, the goal is for him to wait quietly while I set his food down, then only start eating when I release him—no diving in as soon as he sees the bowl. And for car manners, I want him to hop up when asked and walk straight into his crate so we can load up quickly and safely.

We practice these things a little bit every day, and Riggs is picking them up beautifully. I’m proud of how much calmer and more focused he’s becoming, both at the park and in our day-to-day routines!