Willow | Australian Cobberdog | Playa Vista, CA | In Training
- shannonoffleashsoc
- Feb 22
- 14 min read
Updated: Mar 14
Meet Willow! š¾ She is a one-year-old Australian Cobberdog who is as sweet and loving as they come. Willow absolutely loves playing with other dogs and making new friends with everyone she meets. Her happy, social personality shines wherever she goes, and she brings such a fun, playful energy with her.
Willow is joining us for three weeks in our Board and Train program. She already knows some basic commands, but weāll be restructuring and strengthening her advanced obedience skills. Weāll be focusing on improving her recall, building better engagement and focus, reducing excessive sniffing during work sessions, and teaching her how to manage her excitement so she no longer jumps on people. Weāre excited to help Willow channel her enthusiasm into polished, reliable obedience ā stay tuned for her progress! š¶āØ
02/22/2026
Today was our first session with Willow! After Mom left, we took some time to get acquainted and build a little connection. She was understandably a bit distracted at first, curious about Momās whereabouts, and gave a few barks ā but she settled in nicely once she realized she was safe and in good hands.
Willow was very interested in the dogs around us and spent quite a bit of time sniffing and taking everything in. A few children ran by and were eager to play, and itās clear she is incredibly friendly and a big fan of doggie playtime. Since she already has some basic training, I asked her to perform a few commands so I could see where sheās at. Iām really looking forward to the next three weeks as we begin to sharpen her obedience, improve her focus, and help her channel all that sweet, social energy into more structured work. š¾āØ
Morning Feeding Amount | N/A | Amount Consumed: | N/A | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Monrovia Library Park | ||||||||
02/23/2026
Today was a special training day for Willow! We met as a group at the park and had the opportunity to train alongside other trainers and their trainee dogs. There were a few older pups there who were just as eager to play as Willow was, which definitely created some exciting distractions for her.
Despite all the activity, Willow did a great job working through it. Once she settled in, she was able to refocus and perform really well. Today we worked on āHeel,ā āSit,ā āRecall,ā āLeave It,ā āOff,ā and āUp.ā With other dogs around, this was a big step in strengthening her obedience under distraction. Iām proud of the progress she showed today ā sheās learning that even when fun is happening all around her, itās still time to listen and work.
After our park training session, Willow and I headed over to The Home DepotĀ to put her new skills into practice in a real-world environment. I began modifying the amount of treats I used and incorporated the e-collar more, focusing on clear communication and accountability while still keeping her confident and engaged.
She was very excited walking through the parking lot and during the first few minutes inside ā lots of new sights, sounds, and smells to take in. However, she settled in nicely and began shifting her attention back to me instead of the distractions around us. Once she found that focus, she did great! It was a strong step forward in teaching her that the same expectations apply everywhere, not just in the park. Iām really proud of how she adjusted and worked through the excitement. š¾āØ
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Whittier Narrows and Home Depot | ||||||||
02/24/2026
Today I continued working with Willow on her leash manners, specifically addressing her pulling. Since sheās used to a retractable leash, I focused on helping her maintain proper positioning at my heel and reinforcing a consistent walking structure. Sheās beginning to understand that staying close and connected is the expectation.
I also discovered she has a bit of prey driveāespecially when it comes to lizards. We saw quite a few on our walk home from the park, which created some great training opportunities. This allowed me to work on her impulse control and reinforce staying engaged with me instead of locking onto distractions.
We also walked down Myrtle Street to work on greeting manners and exposure to more foot traffic. Willow definitely enjoys meeting people, but she tends to jump up to seek attention. This gave us a great opportunity to reinforce polite greetings by asking for a calm āSitā before sheās allowed any interaction.
Weāre focusing on teaching her that attention only comes when all four paws are on the ground. With consistency and clear expectations, sheās beginning to understand that calm behaviorānot jumpingāis what earns her the reward of saying hello.
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 0% | |||||
Monrovia Library Park & Myrtle St. | ||||||||
02/25/2026
Willow is such a smart dog and a quick learner. Sheās truly an A studentāthe more information and guidance I give her, the more she absorbs and applies it. Sheās very responsive to clear direction and continues to build on what sheās learning each day.
Today we went on a long walk, and her heel was amazing. I used a light line that was clipped on, and she stayed right by my side the entire time with consistent performanceāa great step towards being off-leash. We also continued reinforcing her āLeave Itā command, and she showed impressive self-control. We were even able to pass other dogs without her becoming distracted or trying to initiate play, which is a big step forward in her impulse control and focus.
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Ā City of Monrovia | ||||||||
02/26/2026
Willow had a fantastic win today!!! We met up with another trainer and her dog for some training and filming at a location with a lake that was full of ducks, birds, and geese. Willow was very curious about the water and completely fascinated watching those magnificent creatures glide so effortlessly across the lake. At times, I think she was considering joining themālol! It was a high-distraction environment with plenty of people walking their dogs, jogging, and helping small children explore the area.
Despite all of that activity, Willow did an amazing job observing without reacting to the distractions. She was engaged, responsive, and thoughtful in her decisions. I continued working her on the light line and even took her off-leash for a portion of our walk around the lake. She handled it beautifully. Iām so proud of her progressāgreat job, Willow!
After our walk at the lake park, I decided to step it up a notch and take Willow to the mall to cruise through the food court around noon. I think one of the schools must have had a half day because there were a lot of teenagers there. As we walked through the mall, we had quite a bit of ducking and weaving to do since many of the kids were more focused on their cell phones than where they were walking. It turned out to be a perfect opportunity to really test Willowās āHeelā in a busy, unpredictable environment.
She did a great job staying with me and adjusting to the movement around us. We also worked on her āUnderā command and found the perfect bench for her to down underneath. She settled nicely and held her position despite all the noise and foot traffic. Willow handled the challenge beautifully and continues to build confidence and reliability in high-distraction settings.
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Lake Balboa Park & Arcadia Mall | ||||||||
02/27/2026
Willow had a challenging but productive day today! In the morning, we focused on car manners and the āLoad Upā command. The goal is to eventually have her perform this off-leash, but for now weāre concentrating on building her confidence and comfort so she willingly jumps up and goes into the crate on her own. Sheās making progress and beginning to understand the expectation.
Later, we worked through a major distractionāan off-leash dog that was also seeking attention. Willow handled it very well. We were able to drop the line for the full duration of the session, which was a big step forward. I really focused on drilling her recall today, specifically having her return and properly turn behind me instead of slipping between my legs. Iāve noticed she tends to do that either for security or to be playful and avoid the full expectation, so weāre reinforcing clarity and follow-through. We also introduced an āExtended Downā with a structured break to build duration and impulse control. Tonight, weāll head to the Farmers Market in Monrovia for more exposure and real-world practiceāIāll share another update tomorrow.
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Monrovia | ||||||||
02/28/2026
The Farmers Market drew quite a crowd with the warmer weather, which gave us plenty of distractions to work through. Willow handled it beautifully. She did an excellent job holding her extended āSitā and āDown,ā even with all the noise, movement, and activity happening around her.
We also practiced her placement under the table and reinforcing her stay command in that position. She remained calm and steady, showing great impulse control and focus despite the busy environment. Willow continues to rise to the occasion in these real-world settings.
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 0% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Myrtle Street | ||||||||
03/01/2026
Today we focused on house mannersāno jumping on the furniture, waiting patiently at the door, and greeting people politely. Willow naturally wants to jump when sheās excited or seeking attention, so we created structured practice around that. I used my daughter and a couple of her friends to help with greetings, reinforcing that all four paws must remain on the ground and that she must be in a āSitā before receiving any attention. Sheās beginning to understand that calm behavior is what earns interaction.
We also practiced her āPlace,ā āOff,ā and āUpā commands to reinforce clear boundaries and follow-through inside the home. Willow responded very well and showed great progress today. Sheās continuing to connect the dots and is doing a wonderful job overall.
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
My Home | ||||||||
03/02/2026
Helloooo Willow!!!
Willow is doing an exceptional job! Itās only been seven days, and I can already see a huge difference in her obedience and overall focus. Today we met at the park with other trainers and their dogs, which created a great training environment. I worked Willow on a drop line around dogs both on and off leash, and she handled it beautifully. She has made tremendous progress, especially with her response to the āLeave Itā command. Her ability to disengage and refocus is improving every day.
We also continued working on the āUnderā command, and sheās definitely getting the hang of it. Over the next few days, I truly believe sheāll be ready to work off-leash with excellent results. We still need to continue polishing house mannersāplaying more calmly with other dogs, improving door manners, and eliminating jumpingābut with a little more time and consistency, Iām confident everything will come together. Sheās well on her way!
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Whittier Narrows and walk around Monrovia | ||||||||
03/03/2026
Willow had another great day today. She did an excellent job with her heeling and automatic sits, showing much more consistency and awareness of her positioning. Weāve also been working on cleaning up her turns on recall, and sheās now responding reliably from a farther distance, which is a big step forward in her overall obedience.
We still need to continue practicing polite greetings, as she can get excited and want to jump on guests. With continued structure and reinforcement, sheāll learn that calm behavior is what earns attention. Overall, Willow is making steady and impressive progress.
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Waled around Monrovia | ||||||||
03/04/2026
Today we had a surprise visitor enter our homeāa little bird flew inside and was desperately trying to find its way out. It was definitely a true test of the āLeave Itā and āOffā commands. My dog was barking, I was ducking and trying not to scream, and Willow was fully convinced she had just discovered the most exciting opportunity of her life. It was high energy all around! Once things settled and everyoneās energy came down, I was able to get both dogs into a āDown,ā regain structure, and safely guide the bird back outside. While chaotic, it turned into a real-life training moment.
After that adventure, we walked to an enclosed park so I could work Willow entirely off-leash. Overall, she did well. She missed a couple of āDownā cues, and one of her recall turns was a bit sloppy, but thatās exactly why we practice. Tomorrow Iāll add more distractions and continue fine-tuning her off-leash obedience to get it exactly where it needs to be. Sheās progressing, and days like today only make her stronger and more reliable.
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Rotary Park Monrovia | ||||||||
03/05/2026
Today we continued working on Willowās off-leash commands. She is still struggling a bit with the āCome to Sit,ā and today she showed some hesitation when I gave the āBreakā and āComeā commands. This tells me we need to continue reinforcing the behavior and add more distractions so she learns to respond confidently and consistently across different environments.
Later, I went into a friendās store and used the opportunity to practice her greeting manners. Willow did a great jobāno jumping! She remained much calmer when meeting people and showed sheās starting to understand that polite behavior earns attention. Overall, it was another productive day, and weāll continue building her confidence with more off-leash practice and real-world distractions.
03/06/2026
Another great day of training with Willow as we continued reinforcing everything sheās been learning. Her recall is really starting to come along ā what a huge difference from yesterday to today! Sheās beginning to understand the expectation and is responding with much more consistency.
Today we also introduced and worked on the āPlaceā and āUnderā commands. Willow did a nice job learning how to settle and stay in position, which will help with her impulse control and focus. Weāll continue practicing around distractions and gradually increase the difficulty each day so she can build reliability and confidence in different environments. Willow is making great progress!
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Monrovia | ||||||||
03/07/2026
Willow is almost at the end of her second week of training, and she continues to impress us every day. This week, we took a big step and revisited the Monrovia Farmers Market to work on her skills in a very busy, real-world environment off-leash āand she did an amazing job.
With so many distractions aroundākids, other dogs, people walking by, and lots of exciting smellsāWillow stayed calm, focused, and completely responsive. She worked off-leash throughout the outing and handled everything beautifully without breaking her composure, even when people tried to engage with her.
One of the highlights was when we stopped to sit down and enjoy some street tamales. Willow settled perfectly under the table and stayed relaxed the entire time, showing excellent self-control and patience.
Moments like these show how well Willow is learning to stay calm, focused, and confident even in busy public spaces. Weāre very proud of the progress sheās making and excited to see what she accomplishes in her final week of training!
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Myrtle Street | ||||||||
03/08/2026
Willow is the sweetest girl ever! Iām really starting to see more of her personality come out each day. She is incredibly smart and intuitive, not just with me but with everyone in my home. Sheās even starting to show a little bit of protectiveness in the backyard ā maybe because she knows she has backup with the GSD beside her! Lol. Itās also been so fun watching her play in the sprinklers. The happiness that water brings her is such a delight to see.
We had another great training day today. We reinforced her door and car manners, focusing on patience and waiting for permission before moving through thresholds. She also did great practicing all of her other commands. Willow continues to improve her focus and understanding each day. Next week weāre really going to bring it and start pushing her training even further!
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Monrovia | ||||||||
03/09/2026
Another fun day of training in the park with other team members and their trainee dogs! Working around other dogs and people continues to be a great way to build Willowās focus and reliability in the face of distractions.
Today I really wanted to drill Willowās āPlaceāĀ command on a park bench and also have her go āUnderāĀ the bench. It took a few repetitions and trying a couple of different techniques, but she eventually figured it out and did a nice job. Once it clicked for her, she became much more confident with both commands.
Tomorrow weāre planning a trip to the pier, which will bring a whole new level of distractions. Iām excited to see how Willow responds to the sights, sounds, and busy environment. There will be so much for her to take in, and it will be a great opportunity to continue building her focus and obedience in a very stimulating setting.
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Whittier Narrows | ||||||||
03/10/2026
Wow Willow ā she really hit it home today at The Home Depot!!!! š¾š
There were so many distractions around us, but Willow handled everything beautifully. She performed all of her commands with no hesitation and stayed focused despite the busy environment. Itās great to see her confidence and understanding continue to grow.
We even found some creative spots around the store to practice her āPlaceāĀ and āUnderāĀ commands, which she handled like a champ. Willow is really starting to show how much sheās learning, and itās exciting to see her progress each day. Great job today, Willow!
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Home Depot, Monrovia CA Ā | ||||||||
03/11/2026
Willow did great today! We headed back to the pier and worked on some light line and off leash training, and she handled it beautifully. Willow absolutely loves being around the water and all the activity, and itās clear she enjoys being around people as well.
She attracted quite a bit of attention ā I almost had to fight off a few people who wanted to pet her! š But it actually turned into a great opportunity to practice her greeting manners. Willow did an amazing job staying polite and calm while meeting small kids, adults, and even other dogs. She showed great focus and self-control despite all the excitement around her.
Great job today, Willow! Youāre really showing how much youāve learned. š¾š
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Santa Monica Pier | ||||||||
03/12/2026
Today Willow and I went to The Shops at Santa AnitaĀ to work on her off-leash commands. It wasnāt as busy as it can get, which was perfect for where she is in her training right now, but we still had our fair share of people and distractions to work around. We even went up the escalator! At first she was a little confused, but she quickly figured it out and handled it like a pro.
From there, we made our way outside to the promenade shops, which Willow really seemed to enjoy. She walked beside me the entire time in a perfect heel with an automatic sitĀ whenever we stopped. Of course, Willow also made a few new friends along the way. She truly loves giving affection to strangers ā although by the time sheās done greeting them, theyāre definitely not strangers anymore. A couple of people even asked if weād be coming back tomorrow at the same time because theyād be looking for her! š¾āØ
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Arcadia Mall | ||||||||
03/13/2026
Willow is making wonderful progress in her training. She did an excellent job working off-leash, showing great focus and reliability. Throughout our sessions, she had no breaks in her commands, and her stays were solid and consistent. Willow also responded every single time to her recall, which is a big accomplishment and shows how much her focus and understanding have improved.
Her leash manners have also come a long way. Willow walked politely without pulling and stayed attentive during our training. Inside the home, her house manners have been excellentĀ as well. Even when she gets excited, she has been doing a great job keeping all four paws on the ground instead of jumping. Willow is really showing how much she has learned, and itās been wonderful to see her confidence and obedience come together.
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Arcadia Mall | ||||||||
03/14/2026
Willow has truly been such a wonderful dog to have in training. From the very beginning, she showed just how sweet, intelligent, and loving she is. Her playful personality, affection for people, and love for other dogs made every day with her a joy. As the days went on, her confidence really blossomed, and her personality continued to shine. Whether she was working on commands, exploring new places, or simply enjoying playtime, Willow brought so much happiness and positive energy everywhere she went.
She also did an incredible job with her training. Willow worked hard, learned quickly, and showed great focus as she progressed through her commands. Her off-leash work, recall, and manners have all improved so much, and she handled new environments and distractions like a pro. She should be very proud of everything she accomplished during her time here. Willow will truly be missed, and it has been such a pleasure being part of her training journey. š¾
Morning Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Evening Feeding Amount | 1.5 Cups | Amount Consumed: | 100% | |||||
Arcadia County Park | ||||||||
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