Watson | Bernedoodle | Pasadena, CA | In Training
- Tanner Strong
- Mar 1
- 9 min read
Updated: Mar 15
Meet Watson! He's a two year old Bernedoodle from Pasadena, California here for our Two-Week Board and Train Program! Watson is extremely friendly and playful, but often that energy gets out of hand and he jumps on people he loves as well as strangers! He knows some of his commands, but he has trouble listening around distractions and doesn’t want to sit still for more than a few seconds. Over the next fourteen days we will work on Watson's basic obedience skills, help him with his impulse control and focus around distractions, teach him manners in and out of the house, and help him become the best pup he can possibly be! Stay tuned for Watson's two week transformation!
Pupdate: 3/1/2025
After picking Watson up, we spent some time at the park to get to know each other. He’s very friendly and full of enthusiasm—so much so that he couldn’t resist jumping on me a few times, which we’ll definitely be working on. He enjoyed walking around and was eager to greet nearly every person and dog we passed! When it came to commands, he was willing to perform Sit and Down about half the time but had some trouble holding them, so we’ll be reinforcing his ability to stay in position.
Once we got home, I let Watson explore and get comfortable in his new environment. He’s settling in quickly, which is great to see, and I’m looking forward to helping him build structure and focus in the days ahead!
Pupdate: 3/2/2025
Watson had his first full training session at Almansor Park today, and he did a great job getting started! Our main focus was on leash manners and walking in a proper Heel position. For this, I want Watson to walk politely at my left side with his ears aligned with my leg. He’s starting to pick this up fairly well, and with more practice, I’m confident he’ll get the hang of it.
One interesting thing I noticed is that when asked to Sit, Watson loves to automatically go into a Down position. While this made working on his Down command much easier, I also want him to understand the difference between Sit and Down so he can respond correctly to each cue. We spent plenty of time working on this, helping him learn to hold a proper Sit when asked.
Overall, it was a solid first day for Watson! He’s already showing a willingness to learn, and I’m looking forward to continuing our training. So far, he’s been an absolute pleasure to have!
Pupdate: 3/3/2025
Watson had a productive training session today at Whittier Narrows Park, where we met up with other trainers and their dogs. As we approached the group, he was eager to pull toward them, but after a warm-up and some time, he settled down and became much calmer.
Throughout the session, Watson needed reminders to hold his Down and Sit positions, as he would occasionally get distracted and pop back up. We reinforced these commands to help him build better impulse control and focus.
A big focus today was his Come To Sit command, where he comes when called, walks around my legs, and sits at my left side with his ears aligned with my leg. Watson is picking up on this quickly and making solid progress. With continued practice, he’ll refine the movement even more. Great job, Watson!
Pupdate: 3/4/2025
Today, we continued working on all of Watson’s commands, with a strong focus on his Place command. For Place, I want Watson to hop onto a raised object and remain there until I either release him or give him another command. While it’s fun to practice this out in public, I find it most useful at home—whether I’m cooking, cleaning, hosting guests, or doing anything Watson doesn’t need to be involved in.
During practice, he loved the place cot and had little trouble staying put. However, the park benches were a bit more challenging—he was eager to hop off and come to me before being released. This was a solid start, and with more practice, he’ll build the patience and control needed to hold his position anywhere. Looking forward to seeing his progress!
Pupdate: 3/5/2025
Watson had a solid training session today as we continued refining each of his commands. Our main focus was on extending the duration he can hold each position, helping him build more patience and control. In the video above, we talk through some of his commands—he’s doing pretty well and staying engaged!
As we were filming, the rain started coming down harder, so we moved inside to continue practicing. Indoors, we reinforced his commands and worked on his manners in a home setting, making sure he remains calm and respectful. Watson adjusted well to the change and stayed focused throughout the session.
He’s making steady progress, and we’ll keep building on his skills. Great job today, Watson!
Pupdate: 3/6/2025
Watson had a big day at the Santa Monica Promenade! At first, he was a little overwhelmed by the busy environment and needed some time to warm up. With all the new sights, sounds, and activity, it took him a moment to find his footing—but luckily, he wasn’t alone! His new friend, Benny, was right there to help guide him, and their teamwork made all the difference.
As they worked together, Watson started to pick up on Benny’s confident energy. The more they moved through the space, the more comfortable he became. He followed commands well throughout the session, showing good responsiveness and effort. The biggest challenge for him was Heel, as staying in the correct position took some extra focus. However, with Benny leading the way, Watson made steady progress, learning to match the pace and stay where he needed to be.
By the end of the outing, Watson had settled in nicely and was much more at ease in the environment. It was great to see him improving with Benny’s help, and I’m excited to bring these two back tomorrow for another session!
Pupdate: 3/7/2025
Back at Santa Monica, Watson showed some nice improvements from yesterday! He was much quicker to settle in once we got moving, which made for a smoother session overall. His engagement and responsiveness are getting better, and he seemed more comfortable working in this environment today.
In the video above, you can see Watson maintaining a fairly polite Heel alongside Benny and me. He stayed in position well and kept a good pace, which was great to see. He was also happy to perform his Place and Down commands, showing confidence in both.
We also challenged him a bit by practicing Come To Sit with both him and Benny, taking turns from the same place object. While it wasn’t the smoothest, both of them gave a good effort, and Watson held his own throughout the exercise.
Great job today, Watson! He’s making steady progress, and I’m excited to see him continue improving.
Pupdate: 3/8/2025
Watson tackled a big challenge today at the park! With multiple baseball and softball games happening, the environment was more chaotic than anything we’ve trained in so far. Huge crowds, absurdly loud music blasting from speakers, dogs running around, and the tempting smells of food everywhere made for an incredibly high-distraction setting.
Despite all of this, Watson handled himself well. I could tell the sheer level of activity made him a little nervous, but he stayed with me and remained responsive to his commands. It wasn’t easy for him, but he put in the effort and worked through it, which is exactly what I wanted to see. He didn’t shut down or try to avoid the situation—he just needed some reassurance as we moved through the chaos.
This was an outstanding training opportunity, and I’m really proud of Watson for sticking with it. We’ll be heading back tomorrow for another round, as I think there will be soccer games tomorrow. It’ll be another great test, and I’m looking forward to helping Watson continue to build his confidence in busy environments!
Pupdate: 3/9/2025
Watson and I went back to the park today! It wasn’t nearly as crowded as yesterday, but we still got some good training in. For today’s session, I decided to start dropping his leash while practicing his commands. Allowing the leash to drag gives me a good idea of how he might perform off-leash while still giving me control if needed. This exercise is an important step in building his reliability and responsiveness.
Overall, Watson handled it well! Aside from a few minor mistakes, he was fairly responsive and stayed engaged throughout the session. He showed good awareness and was able to correct himself when needed. We’ll continue refining his off-leash skills, but this was a solid step in the right direction!
Pupdate: 3/10/2025
Watson had a productive training session today at Whittier Narrows Park, where we met up with several other trainers and their dogs. At first, he struggled a bit to get into the groove—not out of nerves, which is a great sign, but because he was excited to be around so many friends.
To help him settle, we focused not just on running through his commands but also on his ability to relax in a stimulating environment. We spent a lot of time having Watson hold a Sit or Down position near the other dogs and people. This extra focus on calmness paid off, as he became much more responsive to his commands as the session progressed.
Watson is continuing to improve, and today was a great step forward in building both his impulse control and engagement in busy environments!
Pupdate: 3/11/2025
It was a rainy day, so we spent most of our time indoors, but I’ll be adding some pictures from yesterday’s nice park outing along with today’s photos of Watson relaxing with his new friends.
We focused on Watson’s indoor manners today, with a big emphasis on his Place command. He’s already been doing well with this, so I started extending the duration. This morning, he held Place for a few minutes while I prepared breakfast for him and the other dogs. Later in the evening, he stepped it up and stayed on his place cot for about an hour while I made dinner.
Watson also practiced placing both by himself and alongside other dogs. He handled both scenarios equally well, though he seemed to prefer having his own space. While the other dogs leaned into each other for cuddles, Watson subtly scooted away to stretch out. This is completely fine—he was still social, wagging his tail when approached and politely sniffing back before finding his own spot to settle. The dogs he interacted with were very respectful of personal space, which helped him stay comfortable. Based on his body language, if another dog had pushed too much, he likely would have chosen to retreat and look to me for reassurance, but in today’s interactions, he did great!
He’s making excellent progress, and we’ll keep working to build his confidence and comfort in different social settings.
Pupdate: 3/12/2025
With the rain keeping us from training outdoors, Watson and I took our session to Home Depot today. After a solid warm-up around the store, I was able to introduce him to some off-leash work for the first time. While I typically prefer to give a dog their first off-leash experience at a park, the weather had other plans—but Home Depot ended up being a great alternative. The shifting environment, with waves of distractions followed by calmer moments, provided the perfect setting for a controlled introduction to off-leash training.
Whenever I removed his leash, I started close by to keep him comfortable before gradually increasing the distance. My expectations were clear: remain still when asked and come immediately when called. Watson handled it much better than I anticipated! He stayed mostly engaged, followed commands, and adapted well to the new challenge.
He really didn’t make any major mistakes, though I was intentional about setting him up for success by easing him into the session slowly and calmly. His progress today was impressive, and I’m looking forward to continuing to build on this strong foundation. Great job, Watson!
Pupdate: 3/13/2025
We got out to the park before the rain and again in the afternoon once it cleared up. Watson did well, staying off-leash for several minutes at a time and remaining engaged throughout.
Back at home, we focused on reinforcing his in-home manners, which is what I’m showcasing in today’s video:
Food Manners – Watson has learned to wait patiently when I place his food down and only eat when given the okay. Once he got more reliable at holding his Down, this became much easier for him.
Door Manners – We’ve been working on keeping Watson calm at doorways, preventing him from rushing through when they open. This is something we reinforce every time we leave, return home, or when guests or deliveries arrive. He’s improving and becoming much more consistent.
Car Manners – Watson is practicing waiting politely for me to open the car door and his crate before hopping in when asked. He didn't have major issues with this, but his excitement sometimes got the best of him, and he would try to climb up hurriedly instead of waiting and jumping in. Now, he’s showing more patience and control.
Watson is making steady progress, and we’ll keep reinforcing these habits!
3/14/2025
We tried to stay mostly dry today, but we still ventured out for some training. Watson has become much more reliable with his commands, and he made very few mistakes today! His progress has been impressive, and he’s really solidifying everything he’s learned.
Watson will be heading home tomorrow, and I’m so happy with how far he’s come. He’s been such a fun and hardworking pup to train—I’m definitely going to miss him once he goes home!
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