Trigger | French Bulldog | Covina, CA | In - Training
- priscillaoffleashs
- Oct 30, 2022
- 8 min read
Updated: Apr 7, 2024
Meet Trigger! A 2 year old French Bulldog from Covina, CA who has joined us for our Two Week Board and Train Program. Over these next two weeks Trigger and I will be working on his Greeting Manners, Leash Manners, body handling, separation anxiety, and overall obedience with the ultimate goal of being Off Leash! Stay tuned for his two week transformation .
Pupdate 10/30/2022
Trigger and I spent our day hanging out together walking around the neighborhood letting him explore his new environment. He met the pack at home through the gate, as we got him all settled into his new home and will be working on new commands tomorrow!
Pupdate 10/31/2022
Trigger and I began our day of training by working on the Heel command as we walked around the backyard together. I utilized a 2.25 mm herm sprenger prong collar along with the e collar, pairing stimulation of the e collar with leash pressure. I guide Trigger with directional changes of the leash showing him where to go. When he began to pull ahead I popped the leash upwards and made a turn cuing Heel. He began to follow my lead and even began to check in with me as I said his name. I mark it with a yes and reward whenever he offers me his attention to build engagement.
Trigger was okay with slight leash pressure after pairing it with rewards. Initially he kept trying to bite the leash and jumped around to resist the pressure path I created for him. I kept the pressure there until he stopped throwing a fit. He then began to learn the only way to turn the pressure off was to follow it. We worked on having him hold his sit. Towards the end of the session he held it for up to thirty seconds. Good work Trigger!
Pupdate 11/1/2022
Trigger and I took a trip to The Block of Orange today! We introduced him to the Heel command utilizing a slip lead instead of the prong collar which he performed well with. He did not resist the directional changes of the leash and followed my lead as I made frequent turns with him.
We then worked on his Come to Sit, which is the action of Trigger coming around from my right side to Sit on my left hand side, ready to Heel. I hardly had to use any footwork today to help him get into position, which demonstrates to me he is learning this behavior rather quickly! Come to Sit is a very important command that we will emphasize our work on daily. Having a reliable recall is priority for a dog that will soon be Off Leash.
Whenever Trigger offered me his attention on Cue as I called his name, I marked it with a yes and rewarded him. This exercise is great for building engagement. He then began to offer me his attention voluntarily towards the end of the session. Good job Trigger!
Pupdate 11/2/2022
Trigger and I went on a trip to the beach today where we introduced him to some new commands! He had the chance to learn Place and Down today which I often pair together to help Trigger enter a calm state of mind. It is a great command to use both inside and outside of the house to prevent unwanted d behaviors like begging for food or jumping on guests. Place is the action of Trigger jumping onto a new surface that I point to and performing a Down until released with the cue Break. He did great and had quite the hop while performing Place on different surfaces.
After he was consistently jumping we then added Down. With slight leash pressure downwards and a big Yes after he rested his elbows, he quickly learned what I asked of him. By the end of the session he held his Place and Down for a minimum of 30 seconds with distractions present!
Pupdate 11/3/2022
Trigger and I took a trip to the Outlets today where we worked on all of his commands that he has learned with added duration. He remained consistent with holding his Down and Place while other dogs were present. The few times that he did want to interact, he approached a bit strong which can relay the wrong message and create conflict with other dogs. Due to this, Trigger would most likely get along best with submissive pups.
We then worked on his Come to Sit. At times Trigger does need stimulation of the e collar to help him come around and sit by my side when there is a lot going on around him. After a few repetitions he performed this command quicker than before.
Pupdate 11/4/2022
Trigger and I emphasized all of our work today on weaning him off leash pressure, while utilizing hand signals, body language and verbal Cues simultaneously. Leash pressure was used at first the few times to build consistency then once he demonstrated consistency, we worked on his recall with the leash dragging. Leash pressure was only utilized when Trigger needed the extra help. After many repetitions he became more and more successful as I marked and rewarded the ones he performed the most fluently.
We then worked on his Heel with the leash dragging. Trigger struggled initially with staying on my left hand side and resisted the stimulation of the e collar. He tried to redirect his frustration towards me a few times by trying to nip, so it was important for me to find a working level he worked best at. After fluctuating with the numbers and rewarding his best recalls, we began to build up momentum as well as motivation to work. Every time I rewarded him it was by my left to side to build value in that position. We will keep working towards the Off leash goal as trigger improves each day with his recall.
Pupdate 11/5/2022
Trigger and I ventured out to the shopping outlets where we were able to work on his commands with minimal leash pressure. Initially he needed a little guidance but once he acclimated to his new environment, he remained consistent with his Heel, Come to Sit, Place, Down and Extended Sit.
Trigger receives a lot of attention when out and about which is great for practicing his Greeting Manners since he is quite the jumper! I allow people with a calm demeanor to say hi to him. The calm demeanor helps set him up for success with sitting politely for petting. Once he shows consistency with saying hi to calmer crowds we will begin to work on him saying hi to a more excitable group of people. As for now he has done well his impulse control! Learning that sitting gets him attention, not the jumping.
Pupdate 11/6/2022
Trigger and I began to further proof his obedience today while Heeling around the neighborhood together. This is a good environment to begin working towards the Off Leash goal as there were distractions yet it was not overwhelming. Trigger can be a bit unsure of large objects passing by him. An elote cart passed by him and he stopped in his tracks until it passed. We will be making a Home Depot trip tomorrow to help desensitize him to noises and large objects.
We are emphasizing our work on his Heel and recall, since at times he stops walking during the Heel. I guide him with leash pressure and stimulation of the e collar to help him keep up with my pace. If he does well with staying by my side I mark it with a Yes and reward by my left side.
Pupdate 11/7/2022
Trigger and I went on a trip to Home Depot where we worked on his Off Leash obedience while many distractions were present such as loud noises, big machines being driven around, and crowds of people. He was able to practice Greeting Manners with friendly new people, Place on top of new surfaces, ran up and down stairs to build confidence, and Came to Sit by my side from a distance as well. We will continue to proof all of his commands in new environments.
Pupdate 11/8/2022
Trigger and I ventured out to the mall to work on his Off Leash obedience while in a new and very distracting environment. After Heeling around the mall together to help with exposure, we then worked on his commands Off leash with distance. He came to Sit by my side consistently. If he sat a bit too far away from me, I created distance then had him redo it. I only mark and reward the cues that Trigger performs the best to help him learn what is expected of him.
He is improving with staying by my side, not stopping in the middle of a walk as much as he used to before. Adding stimulation at a level he responds best to is important to help him match my pace when walking.
Pupdate 11/9/2022
Trigger and I spent the day preparing for his Final video at the shopping outlets! He did great with Heeling by my side as we passed by many distractions like reactive dogs, unfamiliar noises and new smells. He practiced his Greeting Manners as new people said hi to him, even kids! I applied stimulation from the e collar when he first became overstimulated from saying hi. After the first try he held his Sit as he was by my side while being pet. Trigger’s favorite command is Place! He has springs in his legs and runs to jump onto any surface I send him to. Great confidence Trigger!
Pupdate 11/10/2022
Trigger and I went to The Citadel Outlets today to film more content for his final video. There was quite a lot going on today as crowds, reactive dogs, and construction were our distractions to proof commands near. Trigger held his Extended Sit, Place and Down for two minutes, even as people passed by him trying to get his attention. Trigger knows to respond to his name when being called and responds more consistently to the Off command when he is distracted. He doesn’t test me with his cues anymore or try to nip as he did the first week. Great progress Trigger!
Pupdate 11/11/2022
Trigger and I had the opportunity to work on proofing all of his commands near plenty of distractions today. He has remained consistent with his Heel and instantly comes back to my left hand side when Cued to if he becomes distracted during his Heel. He can be sent to Place from a bit of a distance, which is definitely his favorite command! He is much more fluent with commands, now that he is used to the routine. Trigger is a very friendly pup who will always be happy to say hi! It is important to give him extra guidance while he says hi, so we set him up for success by always being proactive and not reactive.
Pupdate 11/12/2022
Trigger spent the day working on proper socialization while playing with my other board and train pup Sonny. He does well with responding to his name, even while playing. At times he becomes overbearing and will try to hump Sonny. I cued Off twice which he responded to and stopped trying to hump. We then worked on crate training which he has improved with, going into the crate on cue.
Trigger has overall become more confident, can hold his Place and Extended Sit for a minimum of two minutes, and can Come to Sit from about 15 ft away. Working with Trigger at new places is recommended and will only further improve his training. He is a loving boy who needs a lot of guidance, structure and leadership to thrive and follow instructions. He has come a long way and we can not wait to show you what he has learned. Thank you for trusting me with Trigger!
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