Meet Rosie! A loving six month old Doberman Pinscher has joined us for our Two-Week Board and Train Program to work through various behaviors that her owners have been struggling with such as excessively pulling on the leash, jumping when overly excited, and only coming when called if convenient for her. Rosie is reactive towards reactive dogs, and has a very strong prey drive, often chasing anything with fast movements such as squirrels, skateboards, bicyclists, etc.
Over these next two weeks Rosie and I will begin to build a solid foundation for her training as we venture out to new places, introducing her to new commands. We will focus our work near her biggest triggers, to counter condition her unwanted behaviors as we build confidence, clear communication and confidence, with the ultimate goal of being Off Leash! Stay tuned for her Two-Week Transformation!
Rosie and I had the opportunity to become more familiar with each other as we explored the park, testing what she knew. Rosie is very sweet, as she warmed up to me very quickly. She jumped into the crate with ease as I guided her with the leash upwards. Once we got home, we got her all settled in as she met the other pups through the fence. We will begin to introduce her to new commands tomorrow!Â
Rosie and I started our day by introducing her to a few communication tools such as the 3.25 mm Herm Sprenger Prong Collar and e collar. The prong collar (which I recommend purchasing)  is used to guide Rosie with directional changes of the leash. It also gives us the ultimate control over heavy pullers, such as Rosie who is a very strong pup. I apply leash pressure in the direction I want her to go and the second she follows the path created for her, I turn that pressure off. Any time I apply leash pressure, I apply stimulation from the e collar as well. Rosie at first resisted the leash pressure. Once I marked and rewarded the few steps she took in the direction I wanted her to go, she began to understand how to turn the pressure off. At times when she does not want to follow, she will lay down. I encourage her to work through this by continuously popping the leash towards me along with stimulation of the e collar until she follows my lead.Â
I introduced her to Come to Sit which is the action of Rosie coming around behind me to Sit on my left hand side ready to Heel. She was a natural at this and learned quickly that all of the good stuff came to her when she Sat on my left side. This is how I begin to build value with Rosie in a specific position. At times she would get overly excited to come which is great motivation! We just need to clean up the behavior now as well as build consistency. I Cued Rosie’s name frequently, rewarding her when she offered me her 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!Â
Rosie and I ventured out to Santa Monica Pier today as we Heeled with the rest of the Off Leash So Cal pack, practicing her Come to Sit, Heel, and Extended Sit. Santa Monica is a busier than usual environment. Amidst all of the distractions, Rosie remained engaged, holding her Extended Sit as dogs, crowds of people, and loud carts passed by us. Rosie knows to  waits for the release word Break, as she will be held accountable for her Sit. She was able to hold her Extended Sit for a whole minute which is half way to our goal already! We have also emphasized our work on her Heel which she has improved with! If Rosie tries to take the lead, I step into her as I pop the leash in a backward motion towards me. By stepping into her, she yields space to her handler.Â
We have been cleaning up her Come to Sit, which she has improved with. She can now Come around behind me to Sit on my left hand side, with the help of the visual cue for her Sit once she is by my left hand side. I apply stimulation of the e collar as I give her commands, which helps Rosie pair any behavior that is asked of her, with the e collar. We will continue to build duration and distance for all of her commands!Â
As a side note, I have noticed slight discharge from Rosie’s Vulva area. She does not appear bothered by it, and is eating regularly. Her energy level is great as well, however I will continue to monitor this.Â
Rosie and I worked on her Heel today, as we made frequent 180 turns, having her Sit whenever I stop walking. We emphasized our work on her Extended Sit, and Come to Sit. At times she Sits behind me instead of by my side, which I correct with taking a step forward as I guide her with the leash in a forward motion, by my side. After many repetitions she demonstrated consistency while holding her Sit for up to a minute and a half long, which is almost at our goal!Â
After working on what she has already learned, I then introduced her 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 Rosie to Place on while adapting to an unfamiliar environment helps bridge the transition much more quickly.Â
When practicing Place with Rosie, I chain the commands Place and Down together to help her voluntarily offer the behavior without much guidance needed from me. Rosie enjoyed this and fluently performed this behavior repetitively. We then built duration with this as ahe 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. I added in a few photos from our trip to The Pier yesterday!Â
Rosie and I went on a trip to the mall where we proofed her Come to Sit, Heel, Extended Sit, Down, and Place while plenty of distractions were present. After many repetitions of her Come to Sit, she began to Sit more by my side instead of behind me. She is also learning how to maintain her balance on different surfaces as we practice Place. If she releases herself preemptively, I cue Place again. Once I cue Break, she knows she is free to do as she pleases.Â
Rosie checks in with me while we Heel, turning as I turn and Sitting voluntarily when I stop walking. It is important to ask Rosie to check in with her handler as much as possible.Â
Rosie is a very friendly pup! She had the opportunity to say hi to friendly new people, as we worked on her manners. I communicate to whoever says hi to her that she is only allowed to say hi if all four paws are on the floor. If she attempts to jump, the petting stops as I correct it with stimulation from the e collar, cuing Sit. Rosie understood what was expected of her, fighting the impulse to jump. Good work Rosie!
Rosie and I began to add more distance between us for her commands, as we reached our duration goal of two minutes for her stationary commands such as Extended Sit, Down and Place. She is appearing more engaged while training, more interested in her handler and less fixated on her surroundings.
We have been focusing our work on cleaning up her Come to Sit, which she has been improving with as we have been counter conditioning her urge to back up whenever she Sits. When she sits behind me I Â have her correct her position immediately. She is only rewarded for the commands she performs 100 percent accurately! This is how we begin to build fluency with the behaviors that we want.Â
Once we got home, Rosie enjoyed some playtime with the other board and train pup Millie. They match each other’s energy, as they chase each other around the backyard. Rosie is learning to be gentle, yet needs a few reminders here and there to calm down onto the Place cot if she is coming on too strong. She checks in with me when I call her name, before she goes back to playing.Â
Rosie and I took a trip to the outlets as we proofed her commands in a busy environment. There were crowds of people, loud noises from construction workers, and kids running wild nearby. Rosie managed to stay focused on the task at hand, holding her Extended Sit, Down and Place for up to two minutes. We are relying less on the leash, and more on visual & verbal cues paired with stimulation from the e collar. If Rosie needs help with any commands, I guide her with the leash when necessary. Now that there is a strong foundation for her commands, we will be dragging the leash as she performs everything she has learned. We are one step closer towards our Off Leash goal!Â
Rosie and I began to drag the leash for all of her commands as we strolled around the neighborhood, walking towards the park. After a few repetitions, Rosie understood what was requested of her, as she stayed by my left hand side, Heeling quite nicely. If she were to take the lead at any point, I took a few steps back as I called her to Come back around towards my left hand side, ready to Heel. By having Rosie correct herself multiple times, she stopped taking the lead, paying attention to where my left leg is positioned. The left leg is the guide for her Heel. When I make left turns, I step into Rosie, which helps her not push into me. There were a few times that Rosie tried to resist the e collar stimulation, attempting to run in the opposite direction, not sure what to do next. It is important to guide her through this, by picking up the leash and guiding her in the direction I want her to go. I continue the light stimulation of the e collar until she follows through. This is how Rosie begins to understand that she is in control of when the stimulation stops. If she came to my left hand side the first time I cued Heel or Come, I marked it with a Yes, rewarding her on my left hand side. She no longer Sits behind me for her Come to Sit which is great! We have been working on counter conditioning that behavior since her very first day, having her correct herself each time she was too far behind me. By the end of the session she was able to perform all of her commands as we dragged the leash all the way home! As a side note, I included a few fun pictures from our trip to the outlets yesterday!
Rosie and I began our day by practicing her commands off leash, while at home. Since this is a controlled environment, it is the best way to create a strong foundation for her Off Leash skills. We added distance between us for her Extended Place, Sit and Down while she held position for two minutes.Â
After working at home, we then ventured out to the beach where we dragged the leash the entire time, as we Heeled underneath the pier. There were plenty of distractions to proof her commands around such as other dogs, bicyclists, skateboards, joggers, etc.Â
Rosie was very aware of her surroundings, however worked through any uncertainty by checking in with me, awaiting the next task to perform. We will continue to proof her commands in new environments, as she is demonstrating she is ready for Off Leash work!
Rosie and I continue to work towards our Off Leash goal as we dragged the leash for all of her commands. She remained consistent with her Come to Sit, Heel, Extended Place and Down for a minimum of two minutes however has held it for even longer. We have focused our work near her biggest triggers such as skateboards which she has learned how to work through. If she is uncertain of her environment, she checks in with me now for reassurance instead of reacting. Now that Rosie has demonstrated she is ready, we will begin to film her final video tomorrow!Â
Today Rosie and I ventured out to the beach where we began to film for her Final video! We Heeled on top of the pier Off Leash as we passed by various distractions. There were bicyclists, dogs, skaters, kids running around, & loud cars/motorcycles on the main street, which Rosie was unbothered by. She’s very confident, understanding what is expected of her as she stays by my left hand side. Rosie can hold her Extended Sit, Down and Place for a minimum of two minutes, and Comes to Sit from distances of 8 ft or more! We play the name game frequently, especially when out in public settings to continue to build engagement. I included a sneak peek of her final video. Amazing work Rosie! Â
Rosie had an eventful day of practicing her commands both on and off leash as we we started our morning with a walk to the park. Rosie remains consistent with her Come to Sit, Heel, and Extended Place paired with Down on top of different surfaces. We passed by a few reactive dogs which Rosie did not react to, staying by my left hand side in her Heel formation.Â
We then went back home where she played with the rest of the pack checking in with me on cue which I always mark with a Yes. Great work Rosie!Â
Rosie and I started our day with working on her Food Manners. She is expected to hold her Sit or Down while being fed. After the food bowl is placed on the floor, that is not her cue to get up. Her cue to eat is when I release her with the Cue Break. Although tempted, Rosie was able to hold her Down while I eventually went out of sight.Â
We then went on a trip to the park today shortly after where we proofed her commands some more. It was great exposure for Rosie to work through the various distractions present. She said hi to friendly kids that wanted to greet her. Rosie held her Sit the entire time while being pet. Great work Rosie!
Rosie and I spent our day together working on all of her commands as we strolled around the neighborhood. We emphasize our work on distance away from each other, which I recommend keeping up with to prevent any separation anxiety from escalating. It is best to never make it a big deal when you come and go so Rosie doesn’t see it is a big deal either. Crate training also greatly helps preventing separation anxiety, especially when at home with Rosie. Periods of time alone throughout the day helps prepare her for time apart.Â
Rosie has overall become more confident, can hold her Place and Extended Sit for a minimum of two minutes, and can Come to Sit from about 15 ft away. She Sits politely for petting, and is great around people as well as kids. I have attached a few photos of her practicing her Greeting Manners while in place. I recommend constantly taking Rosie to new environments. Desensitization to new places will only further improve her training. She is a loving girl who needs a lot of guidance, structure and leadership to thrive and follow instructions. She has come such a long way and we can not wait to show you what she has learned! Thank you for trusting me with Rosie!
