Rocky | Terrier Mix | Paramount, CA | In-Training
- priscillaoffleashs
- Nov 4, 2023
- 11 min read
Updated: Feb 29, 2024
Meet Rocky! A sweet and energetic pup from Paramount, CA has joined us for our Two-Week Board and Train Program. Rocky is a very anxious pup, specifically whenever apart from his owners, in unfamiliar environments, or when inside of the kennel. He cries excessively, and shakes whenever he is feeling nervous. He loves to pull heavily on the leash, often running side to side, which can be unsafe for his handlers when walking him. If Rocky sees something on the floor that catches his attention, he will excessively chew it, especially furniture!
Over these next two weeks Rocky and I will build a solid foundation for his obedience as we introduce him to new communication tools, and commands. Boundaries, structure, and healthy ways to release his energy will be implemented into his daily life as we build his confidence in new environments. Stay tuned for his Two-Week Transformation!
Rocky and I had the opportunity to become more familiar with each other today as we strolled around the park, testing what he knew. This also allowed me to evaluate how he responded to being somewhere new. He was very excitable to be there, pulling towards kids, people playing soccer, etc. I called Rocky’s name a few times, cuing commands, however he was more interested in his environment. We then loaded up into the kennel to head to his new temporary home. He was quiet during the car ride home which was great! Once we got home to get him settled in, he was very anxious initially, pawing at the gate pacing around nervously, while shaking. After some time passed we played in the backyard and worked on building a bond. As he became more comfortable, he began to bark at the ambulance, and barked at my mom who was passing through the backyard. This may be a sign of Rocky becoming territorial over his space, which we will work on counter conditioning. I left the kennel open for him, to see if he would enter all on his own which he did! I placed his blanket inside of the kennel with a treat that was given to me today. After he went in a few times on his own, I marked it with a Yes as I closed the door and exited the room. He barked for the first 5 minutes, then began to settle in quietly. We will work on introducing him to new commands tomorrow!
Rocky is beginning to acclimate to the crate today. Last night he was very vocal, which is why we focused our work on more crate training today. It is important for Rocky to enter the crate at his own will, as I jackpot reward him with a few treats once he enters. After we practice this a few times, I then begin to close the crate on him. I leave for a few seconds then come back and reward him if he is quiet. If Rocky begins to vocalize, I cue Off and then Sit paired with light stimulation of the e collar. This helps give Rocky an alternate behavior to perform, as well as teaches him to settle down. Rocky began to vocalize less and less. This is still a work in progress but we are heading in the right direction!
We then worked on introducing him to a few communication tools during our training session, such as the slip lead and e collar. The slip lead is used to guide Rocky with directional changes of the leash. I apply leash pressure in the direction I want him to go and the second he follows the path created for him, I turn that pressure off. Any time I apply leash pressure, I apply stimulation from the e collar as well. Rocky at first resisted the leash pressure. Once I marked and rewarded the few steps he took in the direction I wanted him to go, he began to understand how to turn the pressure off. He still resists pressure from the leash but is learning to follow my lead.
I then introduced him to Come to Sit which is the action of Rocky coming around behind me to Sit on my left hand side ready to Heel. He was a natural at this and learned quickly that all of the good stuff came to him when he Sat on my left side. This is how I begin to build value with Rocky in a specific position. I Cued Rocky’s name frequently, rewarding him when he offered me his attention. This is called the name game and is a great game to practice around distractions to build engagement during training. A focused dog is a dog that is ready to work!
Rocky and I started our day with a long stroll around
the neighborhood as we focused our work on his Heel. Heel is the action of Rocky walking by my left hand side, checking in with me frequently. He should match my pace, turn when I turn, and sit when I stop walking. All walks moving forward with Rocky will be structured. When he is performing Heel he should be engaged with his handler, not sniffing around or veering off track. Our left leg is what guides Rocky, as he is cued to Heel before any change of direction or pace is made during the walk. Stimulation from the e collar occurs simultaneously whenever I cue Heel. Pairing stimulation with all commands is how Rocky understands to respond to the physical touch that he feels. Clear communication is key as well as consistency during the walk. This sets Rocky up for success, as he knows he will always be held accountable for maintaining his Heel until released. Only once Rocky hears the cue Break (his release word) may he roam free, doing as he pleases within reason.
I have noticed that when Rocky is in the crate overnight, he is most anxious. He cries excessively, scratching at the door. While training today I noticed he had irritated marks on his paws which may be due to him scratching or biting at himself as a way of coping with his anxiety. To avoid this, I have put on a soft e collar cone on him at night. During the day, he does best in the kennel after a training session, or playtime. I will incorporate a walk before bed in hopes that this will tire him enough to sleep comfortably in the kennel. Over time, a consistent routine may help Rocky’s crate training overall.
Rocky and I took a trip to the park today! There were plenty of distractions present, the biggest one being packs of squirrels, which Rocky initially wanted to chase. After redirecting him to Come to Sit and walking the opposite way he was pulling, he was able to nicely Heel by the squirrels. We explored our surroundings as we Heeled together making frequent turns, having him Sit whenever I stop walking. We emphasized our work on his Extended Sit, and Come to Sit. After many repetitions he demonstrated consistency with holding his Sit for up to a minute long, which is halfway to our goal!
After working on what he has already learned, I then introduced him to a new command, Place. Place is great to use to help create a calm state of mind, builds confidence in a dog, prevents unwanted behaviors, and can essentially be practiced on top of any elevated surface. Dogs are naturally more confident while on elevated surfaces. I recommend purchasing an elevated dog cot to practice with both inside and outside the house. Having something familiar for Rocky to Place on while adapting to an unfamiliar environment helps bridge the transition much more quickly.
When practicing Place with Rocky he enjoyed this and fluently performed this behavior repetitively. We then built duration with this as he held it for a minute long. Now we will begin to build distance between us for his commands as we improve his commands near daily distractions.
Rocky’s crate training also has improved significantly. He was much more quiet over night, and didn’t cry until the morning when he alerted me that he had to go potty. There were no accidents in the kennel which is great! He seems to be acclimating to this new routine now.
Rocky and I have been primarily focusing our work on his impulse control, as he is a very excitable pup with a strong prey drive. He would often try and bulldoze his way out of the kennel, which I have been counter conditioning by having him Sit before the door is open. If he releases himself preemptively, I close the kennel door on him. After a few tries, he waited for the release word Break.
We have built value in our relationship, as he now gravitates towards my left hand side ready to Heel which I mark with a Yes and reward to continue to build value in that position. We then continued to build duration for his Extended Sit and Extended Place. The goal is to reach a minimum of two minutes for each of these commands. We are halfway there!
Today Rocky and I ventured out to The Citadel outlets where we proofed his commands near plenty of distractions. We utilized a 15 ft leash which allowed us to add distance between us for his Extended Sit, Place, Down and Come to Sit. While we Heeled around the outlets, Rocky was reactive towards the other dogs training near us. I diffused the situation by redirecting Rocky into performing a Heel as I made frequent 180 turns. Rocky worked through this however was vocal when I applied light stimulation while cuing commands. This was due to him fighting the urge to react. We will keep working near other dogs, as that is a trigger for him.
I then introduced Rocky to the Down command by applying leash pressure downwards while applying pressure between his shoulder blades. Rocky resisted for quite some time, before resting his elbows on the floor. As we practiced repetitively, he resisted less and less. We will keep building fluency for his Down as well as build distance between us for everything he has learned.
Rocky and I had an eventful day at Santa Monica Pier! It was a much busier than usual environment, which was a lot for Rocky to acclimate to. Rocky was quite anxious upon arriving, shaking and avoiding stimuli that he was uncomfortable with such as crowds of people (especially joggers), loud carts, and noises from traffic such as buses or trucks. We worked on building engagement, as I encouraged Rocky to check in with me, rewarding any eye contact he offered on cue or voluntarily. Extra communication during stressful events to help guide him into performing an alternative task is essential for his training. Often times dogs throw tantrums because they simply do not know how to navigate through stressful situations or have not been exposed/socialized to new environments. Exposure to new places with dogs that have high levels of anxiety like Rocky, is a key part of helping him overcome it. By rewarding his engagement in scenarios that he is unsure of, I will condition him to seek my guidance as an alternative to reacting out of fear.
Rocky and I focused our work today on weaning him off leash pressure, which requires us to depend more on the e collar paired with visual, and verbal cues. We began with a few repetitions utilizing the leash to set him up for success as I eventually began to drag the leash for all of his commands. If he needed help after a few tries, I grabbed the leash to help guide him into position. At times Rocky makes a very wide turn for his Come to Sit, which we are working on cleaning up by practicing our Come to Sits near the wall. We shaped his Heel with the leash dragging as we made frequent turns. He hesitates occasionally, but is learning to follow me as I give him lots of encouragement to help boost his confidence while performing these behaviors. I included a few photos from our trip to Santa Monica Pier yesterday!
Rocky and I worked on all of the commands that he has learned so far both on and off leash at home. We began with a few repetitions of practice for his Come to Sit. He can be quite excitable when Coming to Sit by my side, which triggers him to Sit slightly ahead of me. After we cleaned up his Come to Sit with the leash, Rocky demonstrated consistency with his Heel, Place paired with Down, and Extended Sit. He was ready for the next step. I removed the leash and called Rocky to Come as I took a few steps back to help guide him into position. When I cue commands I am simultaneously pressing the e collar stimulation button. Rocky is demonstrating that he understands what is expected of him, and he is ultimately in charge of when the stimulation turns off.
Rocky and I took a trip to the park where we worked on his commands with the leash dragging. Upon arriving anywhere new, I give him a few minutes to soak in his surroundings and go on a potty break. After a few minutes we began our session with a Heel to help him exert his energy. He has a lot of energy which means his needs must be met to help set him up for success during training. After a few laps together, the leash was dragging during his Heel, Come to Sit, Extended Place and Down. We are cleaning up his Come to Sit, to help him not make such a wide turn when coming around to Sit beside me. We clean this up by guiding him with a leash pop in my direction. After a few repetitions Rocky began to make sharper turns which is what we are looking for!
Rocky and I started our day with working on his Food Manners as well as food refusal. He is expected to hold his Sit or Down while being fed. His cue to eat is when I release him with the Cue Break. Although tempted, Rocky was able to hold his Down while I eventually went out of sight. We then worked on his Off command by practicing Food Refusal. I placed smelly, tempting deli meat next to him as I cued Off. Rocky knew this was off limits to him, even when released!
We then went on a trip to the mall today shortly after where we proofed his commands some more. It was moderately busy which was great exposure for Rocky to work through the changes of the environment. Initially he was unsure of the crowded areas but after about 10 minutes of Heeling he was fluently performing everything he has learned! Now we will begin to film for his final video tomorrow!
Today Rocky and I took a trip to the mall where we began to film content for his final video. Once we practiced all of his commands with the leash dragging and he demonstrated consistency, I removed the leash as we Heeled throughout the mall off leash. If there are dogs present Rocky has a hard time focusing on his work, as he fights the urge to react. Due to his reactivity towards other dogs, I only recommend practicing Off Leash work in a controlled environment or in a big open, quiet field. I worked Rocky through these various distractions by keeping him focused on his Heel as I make frequent turns to help diffuse his energy. He follows my lead during the Heel quite well. If there is a time that he tries to take the lead I turn into him by making a left turn which helps him yield space to me. Rocky has improved significantly with his Come to Sit from distances of 8 ft or more, and holds his Extended Place paired with Down for up to two minutes. Good job Rocky!
Rocky and I had the opportunity to work on everything he has learned over these past two weeks, both on & Off Leash. Rocky did well with staying by my left hand side, turning when I turn and Sitting whenever I stop walking. There were a few reactive dogs that passed by us, which Rocky did great with! I provided extra communication in these moments of potential reactivity from Rocky, which helped him work through this. It is important to remain proactive in these events (meaning giving Rocky an alternative behavior to perform before he even has a chance to react). I cued Heel, as I made a turn in the opposite direction of the reactive dog, which redirected Rocky’s attention back to training. He then held his Extended Sit while kids ran by him, as they were screaming quite loud. Excellent progress Rocky!
Rocky and I ventured out to Santa Monica where we proofed his commands in a busy environment. Although interested in his surroundings, Rocky remained consistent and attentive while performing his Heel, Come to Sit, Extended Sit, Down and Place for a minimum of two minutes. Since he is quite the energetic boy, we begin each session with a long stroll around our new environment. Rocky takes less time to acclimate to new places. Last week it had taken him about an hour to appear acclimated to his environment. Today he was ready to work as soon as he arrived! He held his Extended Sit, Down and Place commands as he worked through his impulses, appearing more confident and calm. Desensitization to new places has been our focus this week to further improve his obedience, which has helped him improve significantly!
Comentarios