Roscoe | Shepherd/Husky Mix | Los Angeles CA. | In Training
- heatheroffleashsoc
- Jan 18
- 15 min read
Updated: Jan 31
Meet Roscoe! š¾
Roscoe is a one-year-old Shepherd Husky mix from Los Angeles, CA, and this sweet, spirited boy has just joined us for our two-week Community Board and Train program! Roscoe is as loving as they come and has a strong bond with his peopleābut with that big heart comes a bit of separation anxiety. He prefers to be with his humans at all times and isnāt shy about voicing his opinions when heās left out of the action.
In addition to wanting constant companionship, Roscoe has developed a bit of a mischievous side. From putting his toys to the ultimate durability test to indulging in some counter surfing for sneaky snacks, heās always keeping things interesting around the house.
Over the next two weeks, weāll be working closely with Roscoe on off-leash basic obedience and polite house manners, helping him learn how to make better choices and feel more confident on his own. Our goal is to channel some of that youthful, angsty energy into calm, productive behaviorsāwhile also equipping Roscoe and his family with the tools they need for more relaxed, stress-free adventures together.
Weāre excited to be a part of Roscoeās journey and canāt wait to see how much he grows!
1/18/2026
Today Roscoe and I kicked things off with a slow, relaxed outing to the park. This gave us the opportunity to get better acquainted with one another while also allowing me to assess what he already knows and how he responds in a new environment. At first, Roscoe was understandably a bit uneasy and stressed being away from his people. New surroundings and new faces can be a lot, especially on day one.
Once we got moving on our walk, his focus quickly shifted to everything happening around usāducks, squirrels, and any other moving distraction that caught his eye. With how lively the park was today, that was completely understandable! As we continued walking, I used a combination of gentle leash guidance and low-level e-collar corrections to help redirect his attention. Roscoe responded well to this approach, and as he began to settle, things started to flow much more smoothly. Before long, he was walking more calmly and nicely by my side.
Next, we worked on his sit command. I can tell Roscoe knows this behaviorāitās just a matter of helping him respond reliably when asked. Using the same gentle combination of tools, he took a moment to process what was being asked of him, and thenā¦ success! He offered a nice sit. We practiced this throughout different areas of the park, and with each repetition he became more comfortableānot just with the commands, but with me as well.
After our park session, we headed back to the car and made our way to his home away from home for the next couple of weeks. Once there, Roscoe was eager to explore his new surroundings and did so with curiosity and excitement. He was especially thrilled to meet my pup, Quinnāand the feeling was mutual! Once Roscoe settles in a bit more, Iām looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops.
Overall, today was absolutely a step in the right direction for Roscoe and the start of his obedience journey. While heās still feeling a bit anxious, Iām confident that with time, structure, and consistency, heāll settle in nicely. Roscoe is truly a sweet boy, and Iām very excited to begin this journey with him! š¶š
1/19/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed back out to the park to continue working on the heel and sit commands we started yesterday, while also introducing a couple of new ones ā come to sit and down. When we first arrived, Roscoe wasnāt quite in āwork modeā yet and would have much rather wandered around and taken in all the sights and smells. So we compromised by starting with a nice heel around the park, allowing him to explore as long as he walked politely with me. Once he seemed to get his fill of sightseeing, he was much more willing to focus and practice.
We began with sit and then moved into extended sit, which he handled very comfortably ā great to see his confidence building there! From there we worked on come to sit. This is still a newer and slightly confusing command for him, which is completely normal, but with each repetition I could see things getting smoother and more consistent, a great sign that heās starting to understand.
Next, I decided to switch things up and introduce down. At first Roscoe wasnāt quite on board, but with gentle and consistent leash guidance, we were able to get a successful down. From there I slowly added a little distance to see if he could hold an extended down, and he did! What a trusting boy.
At home, Roscoe also seems to be settling in a bit more comfortably today. He met my cats and is still quite unsure about them, but we are working on showing him that they are neither a threat nor something to chase. With time, Iām confident heāll come around. After our park adventure, he willingly went into his crate for a nap ā such a good boy.
All in all, today was a day full of progress, and I am very proud of the effort Roscoe put in!
1/20/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed back out to the park to continue working on the commands weāve introduced over the last couple of days, and he did very well! His heel is coming along nicely. We did have one moment where a squirrel caught his attention and he attempted to lunge, but I was quickly able to regain his focus with the āoffā command and a reminder that heel was our objective. He may have been a little reluctant, but he listened ā which is a big win!
His come to sit is progressing well, and the same can be said for his extended commands. While he will still occasionally break command over an unfamiliar noise, he is showing improvement with each repetition we do. He is proving that he truly is a smart boy!
After the park, we headed back to the house and let Roscoe and my dog Quinn play together in the yard. They both absolutely loved it, and it was so fun to watch them wrestle and enjoy themselves. He is also continuing to improve with not chasing my cats, which is great to see.
As far as his separation anxiety goes, he is making steady progress. He still whines a bit when left alone, but it is nowhere near as intense as it was when he first arrived.
All in all, Roscoe is making great progress in all areas. He truly is the sweetest boy, a joy to work with, and I am so proud of how far heās come in such a short amount of time! š¾
1/21/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed out to a park in El Monte to meet up with some fellow trainers for a great training session! We practiced all of the commands Roscoe has learned so far while also introducing a brand-new command ā place. Overall, he did pretty well with it! At first, Roscoe was a bit unsure about staying put on the place cot and wanted to run back to me as soon as I started to step back. With a few repetitions, though, he began to understand what was being asked of him, and his confidence grew.
By the end of our session, Roscoe was performing all of his extended commands with so much patience ā I was truly impressed! He even held his commands while I carried on a conversation with a fellow trainer, which is a huge accomplishment. His heel and come to sit are also coming along very nicely and continue to improve with each outing.
As for his separation anxiety, it remains a work in progress. Interestingly, when I left the house for a bit, he stayed quiet. However, if he is in his crate while Iām cleaning and I move somewhere he canāt see me ā like outside or into another room ā he will still softly whine. The good news is that the whining is much more mild now, and we are actively working on reinforcing that when he quiets down, he earns the opportunity to come out and play.
All in all, Roscoe is making great progress across the board, and weāll be easing into off-leash work very soon. I am so proud of this smart, hardworking boy! š¾
1/22/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed out to the park to work on the commands heās learned so far. It seemed like Roscoe woke up on the stubborn side of the bed today and just wasnāt quite feeling the training mindsetāand thatās okay! Just like humans, dogs have off days too. To keep frustration (and potential meltdowns) to a minimum, we kept todayās training sessions short and positive.
The good news is that Roscoeās heel continues to come along nicely, and his extended commands are holding up well. The main area we struggled with today was come to sit. Roscoe was happy to come in to my right side, but getting him to fully follow through and come around to sit on my left had him pausing and staring at me blanklyāwhich definitely threw me for a loop since this command has previously gone very smoothly for him.
Because of that, we shifted our focus for the day and added extra guidance to help him understand what was being asked. With repetition and support, Roscoe began to piece it together, and by the end of our sessions he was performing the come to sit much more smoothly, which was great to see.
All in all, while today wasnāt his most motivated day, we still made solid progressāespecially in reinforcing and solidifying his come to sit command. A shorter, low-pressure day was exactly what Roscoe needed, and he ended on a positive note. Great job, buddy! š
1/23/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed out to the park to practice all of his commands while easing into leash dragging, which is the next glorious step toward off-leash work! Iām happy to report that Roscoe brought much better energy to todayās session, and it was so nice to see him engaged and ready to work.
We started our session by running through all of his commands using our usual leash guidance and e-collar corrections. From there, I gradually began giving him more slack on the leash, and before he even realized it, Roscoe was leash dragging. He did a great job staying at my side, even with plenty of distractions around us. Children playing on the playground, along with squirrels and birds in the distance, definitely caught his attention at timesābut despite showing interest, he chose to stay with me, which is a very good sign of his growing focus and reliability.
Overall, Roscoe performed very well across the board today. The main behavior Iām noticing at this point is his tendency to want to āmeltā into me when asked to down. When this happens, I either give him a gentle nudge away or step back to clearly communicate that this behavior is not what weāre looking for. As we continue to practice the down command, weāll keep correcting this so he learns to hold his position confidently and independently.
All in all, today was a very productive training day. It was especially nice to see Roscoe being a silly goose during our work instead of huffing at me when asked to sit! Iām really proud of the effort he put in todayāitās exactly what allowed us to take this next big step in his training journey. What a good boy! š¶āØ
1/24/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed back out to the park to continue practicing his commands while leash dragging, and overall he did very well! Roscoe still has that stubborn streak of his where he likes to decide whether or not he wants to do whatās being asked of him, but we continue to work through it by showing him that not listening simply isnāt an option. Once he wrapped his head around that, things began to move much more smoothly.
All of Roscoeās commands are coming along nicely and are looking very clean. His patience with his extended commands is also improving, which is great to see. Heās starting to hold those positions longer and with more confidence, even with the added freedom of the leash dragging.
When it comes to his separation anxiety, Roscoe is still struggling a bit. If he canāt see me, he tends to whine. What Iāve found works best here is not acknowledging the whining at all. As soon as he chooses to settle down and make a better decision, heās rewarded with praise, play, and sometimes even a snack. Since being close to his person is what he wants most, that attention becomes the ultimate reward.
Overall, Roscoe is making good progress. Iām starting to see him actually thinking about whatās being asked of him instead of just reacting, and thatās a huge step forward. Heās getting itāand what a good boy he is! š¶š
1/25/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed out to the park to continue practicing our commands while leash dragging, and overall he did pretty well! We spent a good portion of our session focusing on his down command. Our goals here were to stop him from melting into my leg when he lays down and to encourage him to respond more promptly instead of staring up at me blankly for a few secondsāwhich is Roscoeās way of saying, āI donāt really want to do that.ā Weāre all about encouraging better choices without having to repeat ourselves, and by the end of the session Roscoe showed noticeable improvement in both speed and clarity with this command.
One particularly impressive moment came when, just off camera, a family was playing with both a soccer ball and a football. While it definitely caught Roscoeās attention, he chose to stay engaged with me and continued to listen to directionāsuch a great win for him and a clear sign of progress. What a good boy!
As for his separation anxiety, Roscoe seems to be starting to understand that choosing to be quiet gets him what he wants. Have we completely eliminated the tantrums? Absolutely not. But he is beginning to self-soothe and gradually calm himself, which is a big step in the right direction.
Overall, weāre making solid progress, and Iām really happy to see Roscoe putting in the effort and working hard to make better choices. Keep it up, buddy! š¶š
1/26/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed out to the Century City Mall to put his training to the test in a highly distracting, real-world environment, and I couldnāt be happier with how he showed up. From the moment we arrived, Roscoe brought a calm, focused energy with him and truly handled himself like a gentleman, which was so rewarding to see. Busy crowds, new sights and sounds, and plenty of tempting distractions were no match for him today.
We spent our time working through all of his commands, and Roscoe performed each one just as weāve been practicing. His responsiveness and willingness to work really stood outāhe stayed engaged with me, checked in often, and made great choices even when there was a lot going on around us. This kind of focus in such a stimulating environment is a huge milestone and really highlights how much progress heās made.
Roscoe also had the opportunity to be around and meet other dogs during our outing, and he continued to handle himself beautifully. He remained calm, polite, and neutral, showing excellent self-control and maturity. Seeing him navigate these interactions so successfully was incredibly encouraging and speaks volumes about the effort heās been putting into his training.
Overall, today was a fantastic training day filled with great moments and strong wins for Roscoe. I am so proud of the effort, confidence, and consistency he showed throughout our session. He continues to prove that hard work and practice truly pay off, and he should be very proud of himself! š¾
1/27/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed back out to the Century City Mall to continue working his commands in a highly distracting, real-world environment. The mall provided plenty of movement, noise, and foot traffic, making it the perfect place to challenge Roscoe while building his confidence and reliability around distractions. Overall, he did a very nice job staying engaged and focused despite everything going on around him.
We spent time practicing his known commands, placing a strong emphasis on his extended down. Roscoe worked hard to remain in position and showed a lot of effort in maintaining his composure. He did break his extended down once when a large group of people walked by, which understandably made him a bit nervous. Instead of escalating, we calmly redirected him back into position, and he quickly settled and re-committed to the command. After that moment, he held his extended down very well, even as more people continued to pass by.
What stood out most today was Roscoeās ability to recover and continue working. Situations like this are incredibly valuable for helping him learn how to manage his emotions and build confidence in busy settings. He showed improvement in his impulse control and demonstrated that he is capable of working through moments of uncertainty with guidance.
All in all, todayās session was quite successful. Roscoe handled himself well, showed progress in a challenging environment, and continues to prove that heās capable of great things with consistency and continued practice. Iām very proud of the effort he put in today and the strides heās makingāRoscoe is absolutely worth the work! šŖš¶
1/28/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed out to the park to continue practicing all of his commands, and wowā¦ this boy seriously impressed me!
We started off with leash dragging as we heeled into the park, and Roscoe did such a great job staying focused and consistent that I went ahead and took the leash off once we were settled in and ready to work. From there, Roscoe absolutely crushed it!
Even with squirrels scurrying around, plus ducks, geese, people, and other dogs all nearby, Roscoe held strong with his heel and his extended commands. He definitely acknowledged what was going on around him (as he should!), but for the most part he kept his eyes on me and stayed engaged in the work. He also did an awesome job with come to sit, responding promptly each time he was called.
And what makes this so impressive is that the very first day Roscoe and I went to the park, seeing ducks and squirrels was almost too much excitement for himāhe couldnāt contain himself and wanted to lunge and bark. Seeing how much progress heās made in such a short amount of time just shows how much heās learning and how hard heās working. Iām SO proud of himā¦ and honestly, you could tell he was proud of himself too!
Weāre also seeing some improvement with his separation anxiety. While he may still have a little something to say about being left alone, heās beginning to learn how to calm himself down more and more. The crying is happening for much shorter durations now, which is such a big win and something we love to see!
Overall, Roscoe is doing AMAZING. It brings me so much joy to watch him learn each day and take those lessons into the next session, coming back even better than the day before! šš¶
1/29/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed back out to the park to continue working on all of his commands off leash, and I am so happy to report that Roscoe did a wonderful job!
He is performing all of his commands just as weāve been practicing, and heās also doing really well working through distractions in the environment. You can truly see all of his hard work paying off as he continues to build confidence and consistency out in public.
We did have one moment today where a dog passed by barking at us, and Roscoeās first instinct was to match that energy. However, I was quickly able to remind him that we donāt always need to match energies when weāre out and about, and he handled the correction very well. After that, he was able to settle back in and continue on with our session like a champ!
All in all, I am so proud of Roscoe. Heās learning so much and practicing some great self-control out in the real world. What a good boy! šš¶
1/30/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed back out to continue practicing all of his commands while off leash, and he did a great job overall! He did start our session off with a bit of a stubborn streak, but he worked through it once he realized that just because he said no doesnāt mean Iām going to give in. When I asked for a come to sit, Roscoe kept trying to offer me a down insteadāwhich I appreciate because it shows heās thinking and still trying to workābut that wasnāt what I asked for. So we stayed consistent and repeated come to sit until he understood exactly what was expected of him.
Once we got past that moment, Roscoe really settled in and performed each command beautifully just like weāve been practicing. Itās been awesome seeing his confidence build and watching him continue to improve with consistency and structure.
After the park, Roscoe got to come home and enjoy some supervised playtime with not only my pup, but also another board and train pup as well! He handled himself really well, and all the dogs had a blast running around and just being dogs for a bit. Overall, today was a productive day and Iām so proud to see how far Roscoe has come!
1/31/2026
Today Roscoe and I headed out to the park not only to practice his commands, but also to film his final video! And Iām so happy to say that Roscoe did incredibly well. He performed every command just as weāve been practicing, and I couldnāt be more proud of him and the focus he brought to his work today. The amount of progress he has made in just two weeks is truly impressive, and by the end of our session I could tell he was proud of himself too ā which was such a special thing to see.
As far as Roscoeās separation anxiety goes, we havenāt completely solved the issue yet, but we have made progress. He is getting better about calming himself down, and itās taking him less time to settle, which is a win in itself. Moving forward, it will be all about staying consistent with his training and routines in hopes that soon he will feel more at ease when left on his own.
Overall, we have made wonderful progress, and Iād like to take a moment to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with your sweet boy and trusting me to care for him. It has truly been a pleasure having Roscoe, and I hope everything he has learned here (and everything you continue building on at home) helps you both move forward into many happy adventures together!
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