
Meet Stellah! She is a 5 month old Doberman from Compton, CA. Stellah has joined our Three Week Board and Train Program and is here for basic obedience, nipping, and digging. Stellah listens but can be a little stubborn at times wanting to do things her way. She is an attentive pup with lots of potential and does great with the children at home. Check in to see her 21 day progress!



Stellah and I spent the day getting to know each other. She felt a little insecure during pickup but eventually got comfortable around me in a short period of time. She was great on the car ride home and did not fuss in her kennel. We settled in at home, had a little playtime in my front yard and watched some football. Stellah is adjusting very well to her new surroundings and enjoys running around in my backyard. We are looking forward to working with her and seeing her progress for the next three weeks!

Stellah and I drove out to Cheviot Hills Recreation Center today in Los Angeles. We began working on her Heel command which means walk with me on my left side. Stellah does a very good job staying next to me on our walks and catches on really well. We then asked her to Sit and I began to add a little distance to increase her duration. Even though she broke the Sit, we reset and tried again to end up with a good result. Back at home, when I let her out to run around or go potty in my backyard, Stellah has shown no signs of digging nor does she show any intent to do so!

Today we worked on Stellah’s Come to Sit command which means come towards my right side, go around behind me, and Sit on my left. The first few sessions we worked on, Stellah would get a little stubborn and not want to do it, so we had her follow through with a little leash tension towards me. Stellah would then end with a Sit either in front of me or with a Sit facing my left side. To improve that, we worked next to a wall to fill in as a barrier and have Stellah Sit in the space in between me and the wall. It has made a very good difference for her and we will continue working on it as we move along!

Pan Pacific Park was our destination today. During our walk around the park we went up and down a set of stairs. Descending went pretty well as Stellah remained in the Heel position while coming down. Where she had a little trouble was going up. Stellah would get ahead of me and turn sideways to come up so we had a few sessions to help work her through it. In order to keep her from getting ahead of me I gave her a little leash tension to keep her from pulling. To keep Stellah from turning sideways, I used the stair railing and myself as a barrier to keep her in between. After a few reps, she understood the concept and Stellah succeeded!




Today we began building Stellah’s confidence by working on her Place command. Place is having Stellah get onto an elevated object and remain there until I release her with her Break command. Stellah had trouble getting into her kennel in the back of the car unless I helped her. With a little kibble I managed to have Stellah place her front legs on top of my rear bumper and then I gave her back legs a boost to fully get her on. After a few attempts of giving her a boost, we then went for a running start from a short distance to get Stellah to hop in. After about two or three tries and some verbal motivation she was able to complete her task! Stellah is doing very well now getting onto the objects I ask her to Place on!

Stellah was introduced to her Under command today. Under serves as the opposite of Place where Stellah goes under an object rather than on top of it. It serves great purpose while you are out having dinner with her or even hanging out at the park for example. Stellah understood the concept and it was great to see her catch on really fast. Stellah now knows all of her commands and is progressing very well! She is getting better at not nipping and she has shown no signs of digging!

Today we worked on Stellah’s duration Down while increasing distance. We use a long line while increasing that distance just in case she breaks her duration. I started with one foot back for five seconds, then two feet for ten seconds, and continued adding five seconds for every foot I stepped back. We took her out to see how well she does in a public area with distractions of people and other dogs. One of the other trainers with me worked as a distraction for her by squatting down excitedly to have her come out of the Down. She did come out of it but we reset, asked her to Down again, and this time she held her position while we tried to distract her! Stellah did a great job and it is great to see how extremely well she is doing!




Stellah and I went out and did a little shopping today. We managed to get some training done in the process. Her duration Sit and duration Down seem to be getting better by the day. Stellah received a lot of praise and was complimented by many people on how well mannered and behaved she is. She was greeted a few times and Stellah remained in a Sit as people said hello to her. Stellah was outstanding her first week and as it comes to a close, we are looking forward to seeing Stellah progress some more in week two!

Stellah and I began practicing off leash today. We started with a few Heel sessions around the park with distractions such as people walking their dogs. We then implemented an Extended Place with an Extended Down. I increased distance from her and moved around to see how well her Duration is. She did a very good job staying next to me and holding her Extended Place and Extended Down! Shortly after, we walked over to the baseball field and walked around the dirt area. Stellah showed no signs of digging after walking a few laps around the bases!




We drove out to Columbia Park in Torrance today and practiced Stellah’s Under a little more. She is getting better at making her body fit completely under the park benches that we use. I can have Stellah remain Under for one minute before asking her to Break. We also worked on Place off leash and she holds it very well for a minute and a half. I have set Stellah’s goals for her durations to be at least two minutes and we are getting very close to doing so! With a few more practice runs, we have the hopes of getting her to achieve those goals!

Today we continued some off leash work at The Grove in Los Angeles. We got started with a walk through the shopping mall and practiced Under a few times. The benches here were slightly lower than the ones we are used to in the parks, but Stellah managed to get Under the bench after a few tries. We made our way to the market area and practiced her Extended Place and Extended Sit. Stellah had a little trouble when I asked her to Place a couple of times so I put the leash back on her to try and work her through it. After a few reps and some encouragement I took her leash off and Stellah was able to follow through successfully! Once again she was approached and praised on her good behavior!




Stellah and I went out to Santa Monica today to get some training done around more distractions. We managed to get some good reps in by working on her Sit and Down with more distance and duration. We are also working on her Send to Place which consists of my arm extending to the object I ask her to Place on. It can be a little struggle for her sometimes but with some practice and consistency she is able to achieve it!

Today we drove out to the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Blvd. We took a walk around the Hollywood and Highland area which was filled with different distractions. Aside from tourists walking around, there was construction going on along with loud traffic noises. Stellah maintained her composure throughout the training and did very well with everything going on around her! She did come out of her Down but with a quick reset, Stellah did a great job!




Stellah and I went shopping for a new for a new grill at Home Depot today. We also went on a Target run to grab some essentials as well. As we made our way through the aisles at Home Depot, we worked on a little more confidence building for Stellah. I had her Place on smaller objects than normal with different textures. Stellah was hesitant about the objects in the beginning, but with a little guidance and verbal encouragement, Stellah was outstanding! We also tried the Target ball outside of the Target storefront but it was too slippery for her. We also worked some more on her Under and she did not disappoint!

We made a return trip to Home Depot today to pick up my grill. As we pulled into the parking lot, a customer was pushing a flat bed shopping cart and it startled Stellah. I worked her through it by asking her to Sit and I had my son push the cart and go in circles around us. Stellah did come out of her Sit twice but we reset and tried again. After a few tries she remained in her Sit and succeeded by not coming out of it! I even had her Place onto the cart as I pushed it through the store with Stellah on it! She has been so great these last two weeks and I am looking forward to keep her succeeding on her final week!




Stellah and I visited Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson today. We took a walk around the stadium to continue conditioning her off leash Heel. The gardeners working throughout the stadium served as a good distraction for her with the sound of weed wackers, lawn mowers, and leaf blowers all around. Stellah did great and she even posed for some great shots with her Place, Sit, and Down! We also enjoyed some playtime in one of the empty parking lots and had some lunch in one of the grassy areas!

Stellah and I worked on some hand signals for fun and she was able to do some puppy push ups today. Pointing to the ground is asking Stellah to Down. Moving my forearm upward is asking her to Sit. When I began working on her Down I would point my finger to the ground and guide her towards the floor. Since she fully understands the gesture, I began pointing towards the ground from a few feet back. The same was done for the Sit hand gesture. I would stand in front of her and ask her to Sit as my forearm moved upwards. Stellah did very well and it is amazing to see how smart she is!




Stellah continues thriving in her training everywhere we go! What has amazed me besides her intelligence is her confidence! We visited a park to work on a run through of everything she has accomplished these past weeks and Stellah is excelling very well! As we made our way to the playground, I noticed a rock that she can Place on. When I asked her to Place she jumped right onto the lower part of it. I asked her to Place a second time and she managed to Place at the top of the rock!

Stellah has been working on her food manners ever since day one of training. Throughout the time she has been here, Stellah’s food manners have gotten much better. She can now wait in a Sit or a Down to eat when she is asked to! Stellah would run towards her food bowl as soon as I put it down the first few days, but she worked through it as she excelled with her durations. Stellah and I have worked together with patience and consistency to accomplish our goal of two minutes!




Stellah and I went out and worked on her final video today. Her final video will consist of everything she has accomplished throughout the time she was in training with me. Stellah has done exceptional work and she is ready to show what she can do! We had lots of fun training and I loved that she was always ready and willing to work. I enjoyed her companionship and the friendship we built over the three weeks we spent together! Great job Stellah!

Stellah and I spent the day at home preparing her for Sunday’s big day! We also took a walk around the neighborhood and she was great ignoring other dogs barking from their front yards. Stellah and I had lunch in my backyard and we even had a little playtime. She has completed her training and is now ready to return home! Stellah was one of a kind and she will truly be missed! I want to thank you for trusting me with her and it was a pleasure to be her trainer!

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