Meet Splash! He's a four month old Golden Retriever from La Crescenta, California here for our Three-Week Puppy Board and Train! He is extremely sweet and playful, but has some general puppy issues such as jumping and chewing on everything. While at home, he loves to jump on people, jump on the furniture, and even jump on the counter to try to steal food. He also needs work on his basic obedience skills, his leash manners and he needs some potty training! Over the next twenty one days, we will work on Splash's basic obedience, his manners in and out of the house, help him with his potty training, and show him how to be the best pup he can possibly be! Stay tuned for Splash's three week transformation!
Pupdate: 6/26/2024
After picking up Splash, we stayed at the park for a while to get to know each other! He is extremely sweet and it took no time for him to warm up to me. He tried to pull once his mom left, and scanned the area for her for a few minutes, but calmed down very quickly.
In the above video, I ask Splash for some basic commands to see what he would offer me right off the bat. He sometimes come to me and sits, but after several attempts. I'd like to get him to the point where he responds immediately when asked.
When we got home, I let him sniff around my house to get comfortable. He hasn't tried to chew anything yet, and has been quite pleasant! I think he is settling in well so far!
Splash and I went to Almansor Park for training! He has been a pleasure to have so far, but it seems the more he likes me, the more he wants to pull me around and play while we walk. We're working on his Heel command, during which I want Splash to walk politely at my left side with his ears in line with my legs. Once he got some of his puppy energy out, he started doing this much more reliably. However, I'd like to get him to the point where he Heels with me immediately when asked!
Splash hasn't had any potty accidents yet. He did an excellent job this morning waiting to potty until we got all the way out to the grass.
Pupdate: 6/28/2024
Splash and I went to the park throughout the day today, taking cover in the house while it was warm. We continued working on his Heel, and also his Come To Sit command! For Come To Sit, I want Splash to come to me when asked, walk around my legs and sit at my left side with his ears at my knee. This is a great recall command and it is also nice when he ends up in the perfect position to start walking in a proper heel. With a little guidance from the leash, he's picking up the motion very well.
Splash has continued his streak of no potty accidents today.
Pupdate: 6/29/2024
Splash and I went to the park throughout the day today to continue his leash manners and basic commands. He's doing great with his heel, and today the only time he jumped on me was when I praised him for going potty when asked.
The thing he's having the most trouble with so far is his impulse to pick things up off the ground. When he tries to pick something up, we're going to use the Off command. Off is our basic "do not do" command, and can be used when Splash is fixating on a distraction, jumping, chewing, or showing any unwanted behavior. He's starting to understand this command and is starting to respond to it. For example, today he tried to eat a leaf off the ground, but quickly dropped it when I used the Off command, stopped walking and created a small amount of tension on his slip lead. Even though a leaf isn't particularly dangerous to ingest, it's good practice in case he ever tries to grab something more appetizing.
Pupdate: 6/30/2024
Splash and I went to the park this morning, but mostly worked inside away from the afternoon heat. We worked on his Place command a lot today! For Place, I want Splash to hop onto an object, such as the cot in the above video, and remain there until I either release him from command or ask him to perform a different command. He was hesitant at first, but has quickly grown fond of the Place command by using bits of his treats and kibble. Place can be great to build confidence, but it is also a good command to use when I'm cooking or cleaning and need Splash to stay in a designated location. He has a lot of work to do before he is ready for that, as he still gets constantly distracted by any smell or object in sight, but he's doing great! He had a fun day today and he's having a blast with this new command!
Pupdate: 7/1/2024
Splash and I went to Garfield Park this morning! He behaved well for a curious little puppy, but got distracted by some birds that flew very close to us. All his basics are going well, and his toughest issues are still his chewing and picking things up off the ground. I'm trying to give him plenty of opportunity to chew on toys safely, while still working on his manners. To do this, I'll give him his toy after asking him to sit politely for a few seconds, play around with him for a bit, then ask him to drop the toy, and repeat. So far, Splash hasn't chewed any of my shoes or anything else. He's tried, but he's responding to the Off command well enough that his attempts are thwarted very quickly.
Pupdate: 7/2/2024
Splash and I went to Whittier Narrows Park today for training! We were around a lot of other trainers and their dogs. All the additional distractions made his workout a little tougher, but Splash did a wonderful job! After some warm up time, he started doing much better at holding his positions on the place cot without breaking every time he sees or smells something interesting. He also did a much better job today of paying attention to me while we walk, rather than anything on the ground!
Pupdate: 7/3/2024
Splash and I went to Almansor Park today, as well as working at home for the warm afternoon. We worked on heeling with another dog, as well as his other commands. Walking politely with another dog right next to us is a tough task, and Splash wanted to play at first but after a few minutes started to relax more and perform well. They can get excited and play a little bit, but it's important for Splash to understand he doesn't need to play with every person/dog we come close to. He is doing very well with this.
No real potty accidents today, although he did piddle a little bit when he got attention from someone at the park today.
Pupdate: 7/4/2024
Splash and I went to Home Depot today! It was a nice way to stay out of the heat. He did a great job all day. His biggest struggle was people trying to pet him and even with that he did a much better job of remaining calm. The loud noises from the carts, forklifts and moving lumber got his attention plenty of times, but he seemed more curious than startled. I hope his response to fireworks tonight will be similar. When we took breaks, Splash had no qualms about getting comfortable and spreading out on the cool concrete floor. He behaved well especially for his first time in the new environment, and we will likely go back as the store made for a great place to practice his commands away from the heat while still being exposed to plenty of distractions! No potty accidents today, even when he was getting tons of attention! Happy fourth of July from Splash!
Pupdate: 7/5/2024
Splash and I went back to Home Depot! He did great again. Even better today! He's starting to need less and less time around any given distraction to be able to ignore it and perform his commands. We worked with his new friend right next to us, as well as by ourselves. Splash actually performed more precisely while next to the other dog, almost as if he was competing for my attention. It could've also simply been Splash was already getting tired by the time we went around as a group. Either way, great job!
Last night was Splash's first 4th of July! The fireworks were loud and frequent where we live, but Splash didn't seem to care at all. Other than a few particularly loud ones that warranted a head lift and a glance around, Splash lounged and napped for the duration of the fireworks.
Pupdate: 7/6/2024
Splash and I went to Almansor Park today for training! As usual, Splash was a curious little pup but behaved himself all day. His walks in the park were great, but we spent a lot of time playing inside. Splash now is developing a good enough understanding of his commands and is reliable enough with them, that we can move in and out of playtime as needed. This can be very tricky for a pup, but Splash is getting better and better each day. I want Splash to not only respond to my commands when we're in the middle of a training session, but also when we're simply relaxing at home, or even excitedly playing around! We practice this by initiating play, then asking for a command like sit, place or both! Splash used to take a ton of time to relax while in the midst of a play session, but now he's doing better at following through even if he's excited! This will make a lot of situations much easier. For example, if Splash is playing with the kids, or anyone else, and someone accidentally drops a glass or anything else that might be dangerous, you want Splash to be able to go to his place immediately when asked, without having to take several minutes to relax first. Great job, Splash!
Pupdate: 7/7/2024
Splash and I went to Garfield Park today! He did great the whole day! He was very well behaved with the other dogs, performed his commands when asked, played a lot, but not in a disrespectful way, and he didn't have any potty accidents. He's doing really well so far. His impulse control is still his weakest point, which is expected for his age, but he's doing better about not trying to pick up random items off the ground. We're still working on that. Overall, he had another great day!
Splash had no potty accidents today, and one of the keys to his success so far has been a daily routine that gives him plenty of opportunity to potty in areas that I want him to. Splash potties first thing in the morning between six and seven. He then will usually pee again around ten in the morning, and again at around two in the afternoon. He potties again on our walk between five and six, then at least one last pee around nine.
Pupdate: 7/8/2024
Splash and I went to Garfield Park today for training! He had a fun day, and performed well. There were certain times when he preferred to try to cuddle rather than follow through with his commands, especially when asked to Down, but he always ended up doing a good job. When he gets excited, we still want to make sure Splash follows through with whatever command we've asked him to perform. This way, he'll learn that we expect him to follow through every time we ask, not just when he feels like it!
Pupdate: 7/9/2024
Splash and I went to Santa Anita Mall today for training! It wasn't too crowded, but it was still nice to have him in this environment. He was a little less responsive to his commands here, but that's to be expected for his first time. He wanted to explore, but he did a good job staying with me when asked. He also did an amazing job going potty when asked out front in the grass so that I didn't have to worry as much about an accident inside! The inside sections of the mall were great to escape the heat, and Splash especially loved when he was allowed to spread out and nap on the cold tile.
Pupdate: 7/10/2024
Splash and I went to the park this morning for training, and also worked quite a bit on his indoor manners! For Splash's door manners, I want him to wait patiently when the door opens, without trying to rush through. Whether he is sitting, laying down, or on his place cot, I don't want him to see the door opening as an invitation to go through it. This also goes for other thresholds such as gates and fences. He's doing really well with this so far, and we practice it each time we leave by having Splash hold a sit for at least a few seconds before we depart!
Pupdate: 7/11/2024
Splash and I went to Santa Monica Pier today for training! I expected him to behave differently in this new and exciting environment, but Splash demonstrated a great deal of restraint and behaved like a well mannered pup. He didn't show any signs of nervousness or reluctance. My only complaint with him for today was his excitement to say hi to passersby. Notably, he fought the urge when people walked by and gawked, but when someone asked to pet him he sometimes stood up to receive their affection. Again, I'd like him to sit politely while this happens. He did an amazing job today, especially for a baby. This aspect of his development is invaluable. Getting him out to these high distraction areas while he's still only starting to understand the world can shape the pup that he will be for the rest of his life. I'm glad that I get to be a part of the formation of the friendly and laid back dog that Splash will become!
Splash had an exciting day, and enjoyed his nap (pictured above).
Pupdate: 7/12/2024
Splash and I went back to Santa Monica today for training! It was slightly cooler today so we wanted to take advantage of the outside before it heats up again. Splash can always use more exposure to the outside world as well! He remains pretty calm and collected while we're out, but he always needs work on his commands, and especially his greeting manners. Splash is doing much better at not getting overly excited when he says hi to people, but he still sometimes has trouble sitting when being greeted. He has the most trouble with kids. Luckily, Splash is so cute that we have no trouble finding people willing to pet him!
Pupdate: 7/13/2024
Splash and I went to Alhambra City Park today for training! He did great with his commands and got plenty of play time. He got a little distracted from all the kids running around, and also a few dogs, but his focus always came back to me when asked.
No potty accidents today, but he did piddle a bit when playing with one of the kids.
He had a slightly more relaxing day today to have a break after some super busy days in Santa Monica. Even on easier days when we simply go to a park or somewhere else more relaxing, we still need to make sure we follow through with all his commands and make sure we continue to set boundaries and follow rules!
Pupdate: 7/14/2024
Splash and I went to Almansor Park today for training! He had a fun time there, but we spent most of out time next to the pond so he needed a bath by the time we were done.
For his video today, I wanted to show another one of his indoor manners! For Splash's food manners, I want him to be able to wait patiently when I place food in front of him. Building this impulse control can make his meal times a little easier, but can also be a great safety measure to prevent him from eating something dropped accidentally. One of Splash's main issues when he got here was his inclination to grab things off the ground whether at home or outside. He's gotten much better about this and one of the reasons is the practice we put in with his food manners. We practice this every time he eats. It doesn't have to be for a full minute or two, but even asking Splash to resist the urge for a few seconds at a time can be very helpful!
Pupdate: 7/15/2024
Splash and I went to Garfield Park today! We worked on his Place command a lot, as well as his loose leash heel. He's still doing great with these, and responds really well to fun encouragement with some light leash corrections throughout. My favorite thing about Splash is that he can get really playful and excited, but he also loves to just relax and nap, and he can go between these two states very quickly!
Pupdate: 7/16/2024
Splash and I went to Santa Anita Mall today for training! He enjoyed the cool indoor area during the warm afternoon. When we first got there he went potty outside and then we walked around and worked on his commands as well as his greeting manners! He's doing a great job with his puppy training and I know he's going to grow up to be a happy, well mannered pup. He will be going home tomorrow, and I will miss him, but I couldn't be more proud of the progress he has made in his training journey!
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