Tommi | German Shepherd/Bully Mix | Alhambra, CA | In Training
- Tanner Strong
- Jul 20
- 8 min read
Updated: Aug 3
Meet Tommi! She's a two year old German Shepherd/American Bully Mix from Alhambra, California here for our Two-Week Board and Train Program! Tommi is incredibly strong and has severe reactions to distractions, especially people when out in public. She is aware of certain commands, but has extreme difficulty following through with any command asked if she doesn't want to. This leads to leash pulling, and temper tantrums making it virtually impossible to go out anywhere with her, let alone walk her politely on a leash. Over the next fourteen days, we will be working on Tommi's manners in and out of the house, especially leash manners, building up her obedience skills, exposing her to new environments, and showing her how to be the best pup she can possibly be! Stay tuned for Tommi's two week transformation!
Pupdate: 7/20/2025
After picking up Tommi, we spent some time at the park to let her settle in and decompress. At first, she was pretty wound up and not too interested in following commands, but after some walking and just hanging out, she started to calm down a bit. Even with a slightly more relaxed demeanor, she was still mostly unwilling to respond reliably to commands—but she did begin offering sits more consistently as time went on.
She did react strongly to a couple of people walking close by, pulling hard toward them, so we’ll be working on building more impulse control and neutrality around distractions.
Once we got back home, Tommi got a slow tour and was allowed to explore and sniff things out. She immediately went after my dog, so they'll be kept separated for now as we work on boundaries and introductions. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly she began to settle in despite her nerves and anxiety. She seems to like her new environment and is already showing signs of getting comfortable.
Lots of potential here—looking forward to helping her grow!
Pupdate: 7/21/2025
Tommi had a big day at the park today! We joined some other trainers and their dogs, giving her the chance to work on her composure in a more social setting. Since she was a bit on edge when we arrived, she remained muzzled for this outing, just to ensure everyone’s safety while she settled in.
After a couple laps around the park, Tommi began to calm down noticeably. We focused mostly on her Heel command—asking her to walk politely at my left side with her ears aligned to my leg. She started picking it up quite well! We kept a safe distance from most of the other dogs and people, but even from afar, she showed a lot of improvement. While she still got excited when anyone passed too closely, her overall self-control was much better than yesterday.
Despite starting out a little wound up, Tommi handled being around the other dogs and people better than anticipated. Great progress today!
Pupdate: 7/22/2025
Today, Tommi and I had another training session at the park! When we first arrived, she was full of energy and excitement, making it difficult for her to focus on me or offer commands reliably. We spent some time walking around and sitting together to help her settle in, and after a while, she began to show a slightly more calm demeanor.
Once she was more composed, we started working on basic obedience. Specifically Heel and Place. Even though she was still tempted to pull toward people walking nearby, she was slightly more responsive than before. She started giving me a Sit more consistently, and while she's still hesitant to hold it for long, it's a step in the right direction. For Place, she often didn't want to remain on the cot for very long. We noticed that she was much more calm when walking, and if we sat still for too long she would begin whining slightly. Notably, she didn’t wear the muzzle today. We stayed clear of most people just in case, but she was totally fine with me without the muzzle today.
Pupdate: 7/23/2025
Back at the park today, Tommi and I focused on refining her Come To Sit command! She's gaining confidence and consistency, responding more promptly and lining up beside me better each time. You can hear her progress in the video — she's doing a better job staying engaged and trying hard to get it right.
While there's still room for polishing her positioning and reaction time, she's clearly starting to understand what’s being asked of her. With more reps and encouragement, she’s well on her way to mastering this command! Go Tommi!
Pupdate: 7/24/2025
Tommi visited a brand new park today! There were a few off-leash dogs running around, so we started slow to help her ease into the new environment. I had her wear a muzzle for the first few minutes just as a precaution, but once she began to settle and showed me she was ready to listen and work, I took it off.
We focused mainly on her Place command during this outing. Tommi did a good job hopping onto different Place objects when asked, showing a willingness to work even with the park distractions. The bigger challenge today was holding the position once she was on Place—she needed a few reminders to stay put, especially with higher distractions going on around her. Still, this was solid progress for a new location with high activity, and I was proud of her focus overall.
Great job today, Tommi!
Pupdate: 7/25/2025
Today, Tommi and I continued working on her Place command — and this time, I’m walking you through exactly how we’re practicing it!
In the video above, you’ll see how we’re building consistency, reinforcing that the command means “go to that spot and stay there."
She’s still tempted to follow me when I move away, but with each session, she’s showing more patience and confidence in staying put. We’re also adding little bits of distraction to keep pushing her progress — and she’s rising to the challenge!
Pupdate 7/26/2025
Today was all about polishing up Tommi’s Heel! Our goal is for her to walk politely at my left side with her ears in line with my leg. She already has a generally solid understanding of the command, but she still gets distracted sometimes and will veer off or try to get ahead. The good news is that she's very responsive and does a great job falling right back into position when reminded.
We spent our session gradually increasing the level of difficulty—starting in a low-distraction environment and then adding a bit more activity as she got into the groove. Heel is something we work on every time we go out, and Tommi continues to make steady, consistent progress. She’s getting the hang of it more and more each day!
Pupdate: 7/27/2025
Today was all about showing more of what Heel should look like and how to practice it! We focused on getting Tommi to walk politely at my left side, with her ears at my leg and her attention on me. In the video, you’ll see how we work through common challenges—like pulling ahead or lagging behind—and how I use turns, changes of pace, and leash guidance to help her understand the position.
Tommi is still learning, but she’s starting to catch on! With consistent practice and calm redirection, she’s becoming more responsive and focused during walks. Repetition, timing, and patience are key, and Tommi is showing she’s capable of making great progress.
Pupdate: 7/28/2025
Tommi had a quieter day today, focusing on indoor boundaries and manners. We took a few short walks throughout the day to get some movement in, but most of our work centered around calm behavior in the house. She also spent some time hanging out with my dog—and they’re doing great together now!
Considering that on her first day here Tommi was trying to chase and nip at her tail, it’s a big step forward to see them relaxing peacefully side by side. They even shared the same place cot at one point, both calm and content. It’s been really nice to see her settle into the home environment and show more social maturity. A calm day, but a meaningful one for Tommi’s progress!
Pupdate: 7/29/2025
Tommi and I joined some other trainers and their dogs at the park today, and there were definitely some bright spots! She showed up much more prepared than before—no barking or whining upon arrival, and she hopped out of the car and walked with me to the group without issue. That’s already a big win in terms of her mindset.
Once we got into the swing of things, though, Tommi did try to dart toward another dog who approached from behind a little too closely. After that moment, we shifted our focus and worked specifically on staying calm in close proximity to other unfamiliar dogs. She did improve with some repetition, but it’s clear this is still a challenging area for her. With more controlled practice like this, she’ll continue building the self-control and confidence she needs to remain composed. We’ll keep chipping away at it!
Pupdate: 7/30/2025
This morning, Tommi and I went to the park for a low-distraction, confidence-building session! With only a couple of other dogs around, it was a great chance to slow things down and really focus on her fundamentals. We used the quiet environment to practice her commands with less pressure, and she responded well—more relaxed, more focused, and showing signs of growing confidence.
She was able to move through her commands more smoothly and seemed to enjoy the calmer pace. It was a good reminder that building confidence is just as important as challenging her with distractions. I think she had a great time today, and this kind of session sets her up for even better performance when we reintroduce more activity and challenges in future outings!
Pupdate: 7/31/2025
Today we focused on Door Manners! Tommi can get pretty excited when it’s time to head out—especially first thing in the morning—so I’m working on helping her slow things down and stay calm when we go in or out of the house.
In the video, you’ll see us practicing at the door. The goal here is for the door opening to become a non-event for Tommi—whether she’s right next to it or across the room, I want her to stay composed and check in with me before we move forward.
Sometimes, especially early in the day, it takes a minute or two for her to fully settle down. But she’s making solid progress, and each time we practice she gets a little more patient and a little less tempted to rush out the door. Proud of her today!
Pupdate: 8/1/2025
Today we took a training trip to Home Depot! We started off with Tommi wearing her muzzle to help set her up for success as she adjusted to the busier environment. Once I felt her start to relax and take things in stride, we were able to remove it and continue our session more freely. The store presented some tough distractions—like the loud, beeping forklifts—but Tommi handled it better than expected. She stayed mostly composed, checked in with me, and overall did a good job working through the noise and movement. Proud of her progress today!
Pupdate: 8/2/2025
Tommi and I went to the mall today for a training field trip! We went early, so the crowd was light—just enough activity to give her a solid challenge without being overwhelming. She came in a little excited at first, so we took our time settling. We sat on a shaded bench and just let her observe the environment for a while, which really seemed to help her get her bearings.
Once she had a chance to take everything in, we started moving slowly and working through her commands. Tommi stayed engaged and moved with me nicely. She only tried to get ahead a few times, and one of those was when a butterfly flew right in front of her face—hard to blame her for that one!
Interestingly, I think she actually did a little better here than at Home Depot. The wider walkways and more open layout probably helped her feel a bit less confined, which made it easier for her to focus and move comfortably. Great progress today, and a big confidence boost for both of us!
Comments