Rookie | Aussie/ White Lab Mix | Malibu, CA | In - Training
- priscillaoffleashs
- Sep 18, 2022
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 1, 2022
Meet Rookie! An energetic and sweet 10 month old Aussie Lab mix pup from Malibu, CA who has joined us for our two week board and train program. Rookie is here to work on a few behaviors such as proper socialization in new environments, confidence building, Greeting Manners when new people or dogs are present, and overall consistency with the ultimate goal of being Off Leash! Stay tuned for his two week transformation!
Pupdate 9/18/2022
Rookie and I had a lot of fun today, playing together and hanging out in the backyard. I got him all settled in and he began to warm up to me. We then went on a walk together to get some energy out. Training will officially begin tomorrow!
Pupdate 9/19/2022
Rookie and I started our day by introducing him to the Heel command while out on a walk. Heel is the action of Rookie walking by my left hand side, turning when I turn and sitting when I stop walking. He shouldn’t be distracted sniffing around. The more he checks in with me during the Heel the better. Whenever I call Rookie‘s name he is expected to offer me eye contact. Once he does I mark it with a Yes and reward. To teach Heel, I utilized a Herm Sprenger prong collar and the E collar together, pairing leash pressure with stimulation from the E collar. Initially Rookie was very excited to be out and tried to pull. Every time he pulled, I turned the opposite way with Rookie cuing him to Heel. If he turned with me, I marked it with a Yes and rewarded him. If he kept pulling, I popped the leash in the direction I wanted him to go. After a few leash pops Rookie began to understand to follow the directional changes of the leash. Following the leash pressure is how the pressure turns off. Anytime I popped the leash I stimulated him with the E collar. The E collar has 100 different levels to it which are finely tuned to every dogs sensitivity level. The level that works for Rookie fluctuates according to his environment. While we were out on a walk we passed by reactive dogs. Rookie was alert and wanted to react. I never let Rookie fixate on another dog or person. He can look but not fixate as fixating leads to reactivity. When he began to fixate I created distance, popped the leash and Cued Heel. If he didn’t Heel with me I cued off then stimulated him with the E collar. Off means to leave whatever the distraction is alone. Rookie then Heeled with me and offered me his attention again. We will continue to work on his Heel around dogs specifically to build consistency.
I then introduced Rookie to Come to Sit. Since he quickly understood how to follow the leash pressure, it took him no time to learn how to follow the leash to Come to Sit by my left hand side ready to Heel. Towards the end of the session Rookie was very attentive, ready to work. Good job Rookie!
Pupdate 9/20/2022
Rookie and I went on a trip to the local park today! When we initially arrived I let Rookie sniff around and explore a bit to expose him to his new surroundings. Once he became more acclimated to his new environment we began to Heel together around the park. There were plenty of distractions such as ducks walking around, dogs with their owners, squirrels, etc. Rookie was curious yet checked in with me frequently. I reward Rookie whenever he voluntarily looks my way to build engagement, especially in new environments! He picked this up quickly and didn’t fixate on anything around him. Building engagement with a reactive pup is crucial to help get their focus on you instead of their triggers which for Rookie seems to be crowds of people and new pups. He did not bark at any of his triggers today which is great! He was skeptical of the landscapers as they were near him using lawnmowers and loud machines. Although Rookie seemed unsure of them, he did not bark and offered eye contact after I called his name.
I introduced Rookie to a new command today which is Place. Place is used to create a calm state of mind for a pup. It helps greatly with house training. When having family and friends over Rookie can be sent to Place on any object as dogs are visual learners, it helps them to have a surface they know to stay on until released with the cue Break.
After hyping Rookie up and guiding him towards the bench with leash pressure, Rookie worked up the courage to jump onto the park bench. After he proved he was comfortable with jumping on it multiple times we worked on having him perform Down while in Place. I guided Rookie into the Down position by facing my palms towards the floor and using slight leash pressure downwards. He followed it easily and was able to hold his Down for 30 seconds today which is a great start! We will keep building duration for his Place. Our goal is to reach 2 minutes in more and more distracting environments.
Pupdate 9/21/2022
Rookie and I ventured out to the park where we had the opportunity to work on building duration with his commands near other trainers and their pups. This was great exposure for Rookie as he can be very reactive towards other dogs. Initially Rookie was overstimulated when we first arrived. We got some energy out by Heeling around together at a distance where he was consistently performing his commands. Once he demonstrated consistency, we gradually got closer to the other pups. By the end of the session Rookie was able to hold his Place command while other pups passed by him! He checked in with me frequently and followed my lead as we made frequent turns during our Heel. Excellent work Rookie!
Pupdate 9/22/2022
Rookie and I had the chance to work on all of his commands, with a 15ft leash which allowed us to create distance between us for all of his commands. He did well with the 15ft leash as we Heeled around the park, letting the leash drag.
Rookie was able to perform Place and Extended Sit for a minute and a half around all kinds of distractions like other dogs, crowds of people and squirrels as you can see in the picture. I made sure to mark it with a Yes whenever Rookie offered eye contact, especially around the squirrels! It took a lot of impulse control for Rookie to not chase the squirrels. I gave him frequent breaks to help him get some energy out.
Rookie is a very agile dog so we had fun practicing Place on different surfaces like small logs and even the boat which Rookie had to jump high to climb into. Practicing Place on different surfaces is a great way to build confidence in himself, prevent unwanted behaviors, and it’s also really fun! Rookie enjoyed it a lot and I can tell it is his favorite command so far.
Pupdate 9/23/2022
Rookie and I went on a field trip to Fashion Island today! This was a great opportunity to expose Rookie to new distractions, especially around crowds of people. At times Rookie gets overwhelmed around new people so I made sure to keep him engaged with me and practice greeting manners as well. It is important to remind Rookie to sit as he is approached by someone that wants to say hi. As he is being pet I mark it with a yes then reward after if he held his sit the entire time. At first he struggled to hold his Sit. After repeatedly practicing, he eventually held his Sit the entire time while receiving some love.
As we Heeled around the mall, the leash was dragging the entire time. We then began to work on his Place command. There was a water fountain that was very noisy. Rookie initially was unsure of this fountain and did not want to come close to it. I used this as a confidence building opportunity and worked Rookie closer to the fountain. I rewarded him whenever he came closer to it. Adding rewards in scenarios where Rookie is fearful helps change his negative perception of it. As we worked through this he became confident enough to jump onto the fountain and hold his Down. I rewarded him in increments of 20 seconds as he stayed there and frequently checked in with me. We will continue to work and overcome any scenarios Rookie is unsure of!
Pupdate 9/24/2022
Rookie and I ventured out to the local park today which is a great area to practice Rookie’s impulse control and overall obedience around plenty of distractions. I did include a photo that we happened to take yesterday at Fashion Island as well.
Rookie is performing all of his commands with a 15ft leash. We hardly have to utilize leash pressure as Rookie has learned to follow my lead. He no longer barks when out in public. Rookie does not fixate on dogs or people anymore and is more attentive. He is consistent with going to Place from a distance of 15 ft away. Rookie is learning how to adapt to new environments and his confidence seems to grow each and everyday!
Pupdate 9/25/2022
Rookie and I worked on proofing his commands some more as we Heeled around the neighborhood together with the leash dragging. He is fluent with all of his commands, even as we passed by reactive dogs! We worked on his Down command straight from a standing position. At first he needed help with stimulation from the E collar a few times but after a few tries he got the hang of it and went straight to a Down position as we were Heeling together. He Comes to Heel from a distance and is very engaged during his Heel. Excellent work Rookie!
Pupdate 9/26/2022
Rookie and I took a trip to the park in Whittier where he had the opportunity to work with another trainer. This was great practice for Rookie as he has separation anxiety. As soon as he walked away with the other trainer he began to look back at me. I advised the other trainer to reward Rookie whenever he began to check in with him and stop crying. Rookie began to work through this then followed through with his commands while apart from me. Once rookie saw me with my other board and train pup he began to lunge towards me again. We worked him through this by practicing walking by each other. Through desensitization Rookie began to calm down and was able to Heel with the other trainer. He then performed Place while I worked with another pup next to him. This was a lot for Rookie but he worked through it with extra guidance and steps to set him up for success.
Rookie has been having some loose stool lately. I added a tablespoon of pumpkin to his diet and eliminated the kibble to see if this would help soothe his stomach.
Pupdate 9/27/2022
Rookie and I had some fun in the sun today at the beach! We worked on all of his commands, preparing him for his final video Off Leash. When we first arrive somewhere, I have Rookie on the leash praising him when he offers me his attention on command and voluntarily. We warm up with a Heel and Come to Sits, then when he proves to be consistent, I remove the leash. Rookie did well with checking in with me, after we worked him through obedience near the pack of squirrels. He successfully Placed on top of a rock in the Down position while the squirrels ran around him. We have been working on cleaning up his Come to Sit to be closer to my side but other than that he has proven to remain consistent near distractions and is not reactive near dogs. After eliminating the kibble from Rookie’s diet and adding pumpkin, his stool has appeared more solid yet not 100%. We will keep adding pumpkin to his diet as it seems to be working quite well.
Pupdate 9/28/2022
Rookie and I ventured out to the Citadel Outlets today. There was a lot going on today at the outlets which was perfect exposure for training Rookie. After we Heeled around the outlets together we began to practice his Extended Place, Sit and Down from the Heel position. He accomplished a new record today which was 4 minutes for his Extended Down command. This was all while crowds of people and even dogs passed by him. Rookie has fun training and at times tends to get ahead of himself and offer behaviors before I command them. We are working on creating some patience between commands and having him hold it longer. When we got home he ran around and played with Houey, my other pup. Good work Rookie!
Pupdate 9/29/2022
Rookie and I went on a trip to the beach today to film for his final video! There was so much going on at the beach and Rookie worked through it. He stuck by my side for his Heel and after warming up, held his Extended Down and Place for up to two and a half minutes. He did well with loud noises as loud jets were passing by above us throughout his whole session. He got plenty of compliments on his good behavior and was able to practice holding his Sit as friendly strangers came to pet him. Rookie has displayed more confidence in new environments and around new people.
Pupdate 9/30/2022
Rookie and I went to The Citadel Outlets today! We had the chance to work on all of his commands with a distance of about 15 ft or more. Rookie often displays signs of separation anxiety when he sees me walking away from him. He works through it when handled by other trainers by holding his Place command as Place helps provide peace of mind for dogs with anxiety.
When Rookie is in his Kennel after training, he tends to become anxious when I walk away from him. Due to his separation anxiety, he pressed his nose against the kennel which caused some chafing and irritation on his nose. I will keep monitoring it but as for now it seems to be in the healing process.
Pupdate 10/1/2022
Rookie and I started our day by Heeling together around the neighborhood. His Heel has improved, as he checks in with me more frequently and turns with me when I turn. We have been emphasizing our work on preventing him from jumping. As soon as he is released from the crate, he would initially jump on me out of excitement. We have made it a routine for Rookie to Sit by my Side as soon as he comes out . We worked on his Extended Sit and Down, which he has remained consistent with holding for a record of 3 and a half minutes.
Rookie has learned boundaries, not jumping on the door to open it anymore. He has learned that when he sits and wait patiently, the door will open. If he gets up, the door closes on him. The door is an important threshold to remain consistent with so Rookie won’t have a habit of being the first one out.
After Heeling together around the neighborhood and working on his Manners, we played tug of war and fetch together in the backyard. Playtime is a great outlet for Rookie to release energy. Since he is a very energetic pup, this is highly recommended. Rookie is a quick learner who just needs structure and consistency to be the best pup possible! Thank you for trusting me with your pup and we absolutely can’t wait to show you what he has learned!
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