Meet Snickers! He is a six month old Goldendoodle who has joined us for our Three Week Board and Train Program. Snickers is here for basic obedience, leash pulling, and jumping to greet. He jumps on furniture, grabs food out of hands, and takes any items that he finds on the floor. Snickers does not know his own strength and can sometimes knock kids over when he is overly excited. Over the next twenty one days, this friendly boy will work on his behavior and be set up for success, with the hopes of becoming a well behaved pup. Check in to see his progress!
Snickers and I spent the day getting to know each other. We took a drive to a local park and went for a walk to establish a bond. He does pull on his leash and is easily distracted by people. I introduced him to Heel which consists of having Snickers walk with me on my left side. Anytime he would pull away, I turned around and walked in the opposite direction. It is a work in progress, but I will keep practicing as it will now be implied on every walk we go on from here on out.
Snickers and I continued to work on his Heel today. He has made an improvement and is now pulling a lot less than before. He still gets a little distracted, but he is learning leash pressure, so I redirect him with a little leash tension. Snickers also met with other dogs, and had a playful interaction with them. He was also introduced to the E-Collar and he responds well to it at a low level. He is adjusting to his surroundings very well in my house, and he slept great through the night.
Snickers was introduced to Place today, which consists of having him getting onto an elevated object and remaining there in a Sit or a Down. Place is a great technique that can be used whenever guests are over or when there is a knock at the door. Snickers understood the concept of it and had no problem getting onto an object when I asked him to. He did have a little trouble going into a Sit while on the object, but by staying consistent in our session, and rewarding him with praise and treats, Snickers is catching on and building his confidence.
Snickers and I went to a local park today and worked on combinations and variations of Heel, Come to Sit, and Place. Come to Sit is his recall command which consists of having Snickers come towards my right, go around behind me, and Sit on my left. Snickers learned with leash tension, and by being lured with treats. We worked on Place a little more, and as you can see in the video, Snickers placed when asked every time. The grass and common park noises added to Snicker's distractions, but he is coming along very well.
Snickers was introduced to Down today. Down can be a difficult technique to teach considering it being a submissive position to a dog. To teach Snickers, I asked him to Sit, and then used leash tension and his treats to lure him towards the ground. He sat up during our first attempts, so I placed my hand over his back and kept him from getting up by applying slight pressure whenever he made an intent. It took time and patience, with breaks in between to avoid frustration, but Snickers was able to accomplish his Down.
Snickers has shown improvement and is not pulling on his leash like he used to, and we have been working on some loose leash walking lately. There have been a few instances where he has tried to pull away when distracted by a few people, but with leash tension and reminding him to Heel, Snickers gets back into position, and we continue on our walk. He adjusted very well to his surroundings today, and he did great working on what he knows with people serving as a distraction.
Snickers was introduced to Under today which is a technique that can be of great use for outdoor dining and even park tables. It is the opposite of Place, so instead of getting onto an object, Snickers will go Under an object. He had a little trouble distinguishing Place from Under due to him already knowing Place, but with a few sessions and repetition, Snickers is understanding what I am asking.
Snickers and I went for a walk in the park today
and worked around dog distractions, kids on bicycles, and people out for a walk. Snickers continues to work on his Under and he is doing great the more we practice. His Extended Sit needed a little work today, but by resetting, Snickers was able to follow through. He has done really well in his first week, and in week two, I plan to focus on his distance and duration with his stationary positions.
Snickers has been working on his Extended Sit and Down but was having trouble maintaining it whenever I would start increasing distance. To help him with that, I moved back one foot at a time with five second increments. One foot back is five seconds, two feet back is ten seconds, three feet back is fifteen and so on. Snickers is still working on it and he is progressing. He is almost up to one minute, and today I was able to go around Snickers full circle without him coming out of his Sit.
Snickers and I went out and worked on some leash dragging exercises today. He has been doing good working on a few sessions in my backyard, so I took him out into a more public setting and had him practice around different distractions. He did very well remaining at my side throughout our walk, and with a few more practice runs, Snickers will continue to work with his leash dragging to help him reach his off leash goal.
Snickers and I drove out to a local park today and worked on his Under a little more. He is doing really well and usually does it on his own after being introduced to it a couple of times. He also began to work on Send Away to Place today, which is like Place, but instead of leading him onto an object, I point to the object and have him Place from a distance. He is still having a little trouble figuring it out, but with more practice, Snickers will begin to pick up on it.
Snickers and I worked on his Under today and he is beginning to follow through with no leash tension. I was also able to work on a few more techniques that he has been learning these last couple of days. He is learning what is called Come to Heel. This consists of having Snickers come towards me from a stationary position as I am walking away. We are still working on it, but he is catching onto it pretty well.
Snickers and I practiced his Send Away to Place a little more today. He understands the concept and knows exactly what I am asking. What Snickers is having trouble with, is having to Sit before I send him away to the object. He anticipates it once we approach the object, and at times he will Place himself. Although Snickers still needs a little more practice, he is starting to follow through with the sessions that we work on.
Snickers and I went out for a walk around my neighborhood today and began his off leash conditioning. We had a few warm up sessions in my backyard which went very well before taking him out. Snickers did very well throughout our session and he remained at my side throughout our walk. He will continue working off leash for the remainder of his Program and will be introduced to more distractions as we move into his final week of training.
Today we took a drive out to Petsmart to restock on some supplies. Snickers received compliments on his behavior by customers and employees! We worked on his Heel by using the aisles as barriers to keep him a little closer to me. While we were in line, we also practiced on his recall. When the line would move, I asked Snickers to Sit as I moved forward, then ask for a Come to Sit so he can come towards me. At the register I had Snickers in a Down as I paid for the things I needed. Snickers almost sat up as a customer was coming in with her pup, but he went back into his position as I reset him and asked him to Down again.
Snickers and I drove out to a local Home Depot and worked him around people, shopping carts, and forklift distractions. He did really good and he adjusts to his surroundings very well. His Send Away to Place and his Come to Heel have made a big improvement, as well as his Extended Sit. These next couple of days, Snickers will be piecing everything he has learned together, in order to have him fully prepared for his Final.
Snickers and I have been working on his Greeting Manners in which he has shown a big improvement in. He has learned that he is to remain in a Sit whenever he is approached by someone that wants to say hello. It was difficult for him to do so in the beginning of his training, since he would come out of his Sit whenever I stepped away. With repetition and consistency, Snickers has managed to successfully be greeted without coming out of his Sit.
Snickers and I have been working on Door Manners since the day I brought him home. Anytime I opened a door, Snickers would always want to be the first one to go through. To help him into not doing so, I would ask him to Down when we approached a door. Once in a Down position, I proceeded to open the door, and made sure Snickers remained in his position. When I opened the door, every time he sat up meant the door would close, and the process would repeat itself. Once Snickers understood what I was asking, I began to increase time and distance to keep him in a Down longer, which led to Snickers achieving his two minute goal.
Snickers and I worked on some off leash exercises today and he did really well. He continues to thrive in his training and is ready to begin his Final. He does great around different distractions and stays at my side throughout our walks. His Under and his Come to Heel have improved, as well as his Extended Sit. Snickers’ Final will now be our main focus for the remainder of his Program.
Snickers and I worked on his Final video today and he put on a really good performance. Everything he has learned was put together and came out very nicely. He did very well with the distractions around him, and has become more confident throughout the time he has been in training. Snickers has great potential, and with practice and consistency, he can be capable of so much more. He has come a long way, and I am proud of his progress.
Snickers has completed his Three Week Board and Train Program and is ready to come home. It was a pleasure to have Snickers with me these past three weeks, and I am looking forward to showing you what he has learned. I want to thank you for trusting me with Snickers while he was under my care, and for giving me the opportunity to be his trainer. We had lots of fun and we became great friends. I enjoyed his companionship and he will be missed. Thank you Snickers!
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