Vino | Shepherd/ Husky Mix | Venice, CA. | In Training.
- heatheroffleashsoc
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
Meet Vino!š¾
Vino is a one-year-old Shepherd Husky mix from Venice, California, who has joined us for our Three-Week Reactive Board and Train Program. He is quite the enthusiastic young man, especially when heās out on walks. Vino has a tendency to bark and lunge at people and other dogs. While he may mean well, these behaviors can easily be taken out of context and perceived as aggression.
Vino also enjoys jumping up to say hello, which is not always the most polite way to greet people. When we add in his lack of personal space around mealtimes and his reluctance to listen to direction from his handler, itās safe to say that Vino is ready for some guidance.
Over the next three weeks, we will be working closely with Vino on his basic obedience, leash manners, reactivity, and house manners. Our goal is to help him blossom into a proper gentleman who can calmly walk with his handler without barking, lunging, or jumping to greet passersby.
Stay tuned for Vinoās journeyāitās sure to be a fun one! š¾
9/6/2026
Today marked the beginning of Vinoās training journey! After picking him up at the park, Vino and I headed over to Home Depot to escape the rain and find a nice, dry place where we could begin getting acquainted with his training. Home Depot isnāt typically where I like to take a pup on their very first day, as the sights, sounds, and activity can definitely be a bit overwhelming. But Vino was up for the challenge, and I was excited to see how he would handle it!
Once we arrived, we wasted no time getting to work on introducing his heel command. Vino certainly didnāt waste any time showing me that he prefers to be the one leading the expedition! š He was eager to take the lead and pull toward whatever caught his attention, so I worked on showing him that he doesnāt get to decide where weāre going. Whenever he pulled ahead, I would give a quick pop on his collar and change direction opposite of where he was trying to go. With some repetition, Vino started to catch on to what I was asking and began walking a bit more nicely with me. It was a small step, but a good one for his first session!
I also took some time to assess what Vino may already know, and I discovered that he does have a pretty good understanding of his sit command. The only problem is that right now itās more of a āIāll sit when I feel like itā kind of command. š Weāll definitely be working on turning that into an on-command behavior as our training continues. Once Vino did choose to sit, however, he was actually able to hold it for quite some time. That naturally gave us an opportunity to introduce his extended sit, and he did a nice job with it! By the end of our session, he was also beginning to offer his sit more readily when asked, which was great to see.
We also introduced Vino to his come to sit command. This consists of Vino coming when called, circling around my right side, and finishing by sitting neatly on my left. He doesnāt quite understand the whole routine just yet, but thatās perfectly okay! This is brand-new information for him, and weāll continue breaking it down and practicing it until it becomes second nature.
As we worked throughout the store, I also got to experience some of the areas weāll be focusing on moving forward. Vino has a tendency to fixate pretty intensely on people, and he was also quite on edge with unfamiliar sounds and activity around him. There were definitely moments where he wasnāt quite sure what to make of everything happening around him.
However, as we continued working together, I was happy to see him gradually relax a little. That was a great first step! Our goal moving forward will be to help Vino learn that all of these unfamiliar things around him are simply part of everyday life and that he doesnāt need to fixate on them. With continued exposure to different environments and plenty of guidance, my hope is that heāll become more comfortable coexisting with the things that may initially seem strange to him and develop the ability to settle down and focus more on his handler.
Once we finished up at Home Depot, we loaded back into the car and headed off to check out Vinoās home away from home for the next few weeks! Getting into his travel crate took a little encouragement, but once he made it inside, he settled down nicely and remained quiet for the ride. That was a great start to our time in the car together!
When we arrived at my house, I gave Vino some time to explore his new digs, both inside and outside. He took some time to check everything out and, for the most part, didnāt seem to have too many complaints! š He did give one of my cats a little growl when he spotted them, but that was the extent of it. Afterward, he simply went about his business and continued exploring, which was nice to see.
The rest of the day was all about decompressing after such a big first day. We got cozy, played with some toys, and gave Vino some time to relax and start getting comfortable in his new surroundings. Not a bad way to end a rainy day! š§ļøš¶š§ø
All in all, Vino is doing well for his very first day. Thereās no doubt that heās still a little nervous and unsure while adjusting to all of these new environments, people, sounds, and routines, but thatās completely understandable. He has already shown me that he is capable of working through those nerves when given the right guidance, and Iām sure that as we continue our adventures together, heāll start settling in more and more.
Iām especially proud of him for conquering Home Depot on day one! It may not have been the easiest environment to start in, but he worked through it with me, and thatās what counts. We have plenty of time to build on todayās progress, and Iām excited to see what this big guy is capable of!
Way to go, Vino! Youāre officially off to a great start! š¾ā¤ļø
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