Roxie | Labrador Retriever | Simi Valley | In Training

Please welcome Roxie!

Roxie is a 3-year-old Labrador Retriever from Simi Valley, California. Roxie comes to us with an eagerness to work but she struggles with finding proper outlets to get that work ethic energy out. It's led to some pretty big problems for her family, one of which is pure over-excitement when meeting new people and rearing up on her hind legs to try and get to said person, no matter the cost. Great sympathy for whoever holds the leash! And that usually is dad who has to hold her back. 

Roxie and I are going on a one-week but very important journey to teach her that while it can be exciting to see people, it's not always in her best interest to try and tackle them! She will come to understand that calm behavior is much more rewarding than being an overgrown puppy and we will help her channel that energy to more positive work going forward. 

Follow along as we take each day by storm while Roxie learns to not burst into the scene like a hurricane and make life just a little bit easier for her and her family!

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Pupdate 6/27

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpOcPK0cLJk

Today was Roxie's very first day of training, and she got started on the right paw! One of the first things we introduced was the Heel command while utilizing the prong collar. Beginning with the prong helps establish clear and consistent communication from day one. Rather than allowing pulling or forging ahead to become a habit, the prong provides gentle, even pressure that clearly communicates where we want Roxie to be. As soon as she finds the correct position at my side, that pressure is released, making it easy for her to understand that staying in Heel is the right choice.

A huge part of these first few days is simply repetition. Dogs don't master new behaviors after hearing a command just a handful of times; they learn through consistent practice and repetition. Every successful Heel, every reset, and every correct repetition build a stronger understanding of what's being asked. While it may seem repetitive from the outside, each repetition is another opportunity for Roxie to develop good habits and make the right choice more naturally.

For her very first session, Roxie did an excellent job! She was eager to learn, took to the new expectations better than I could have hoped, and showed some really promising moments throughout our training. There's still plenty to build on over the coming week but today laid a fantastic foundation for everything that's to come. 

I've seen many labs but she seems to have come from a fantastic breeding line with how engaged she was to train and a lot how well it goes initially depends on their background and genetics. She demonstrated her eagerness from day 1 which is wonderful to work with. The eyes were focused, I had her attention, and she was happy to do said commands.

I'm excited to watch her confidence and understanding grow with each session, and I can't wait to share her progress with you along the way. Great job today, Roxie! You're off to a wonderful start!