Wrigley | Mini Aussiedoodle | Riverside | In- Training
- priscillakhoroffle
- Jul 26
- 17 min read
Updated: Aug 8
Meet Wrigley! He’s a 13-month-old Mini Aussiedoodle from Riverside, California, here for our Two-Week Board and Train Program. Wrigley is a super smart, playful pup with a lot of heart — but sometimes that excitement gets the best of him. Whether it’s barking non-stop at dogs passing by, reacting to animals on TV, or pulling on leash during walks, Wrigley tends to get a little too worked up. He especially struggles with staying calm when meeting new people or when guests arrive, often jumping up, crying, and barking until he settles down.
Over the next fourteen days, we’ll be focusing on helping Wrigley stay calm and confident around unfamiliar dogs, improving his social skills, and working on impulse control both on and off leash. We’ll also be addressing his leash manners, door greetings, and overall obedience to help him become a more disciplined, well-mannered companion. Stay tuned for Wrigley’s 2 Week Transformation!
Pupdate 7/26/25
Wrigley made a loud and bouncy first impression! At pick-up, he couldn’t stop jumping on me for attention and was very vocal and overstimulated around nearby dogs. While he didn’t growl, he was clearly wired up and determined to get to them. He carried that energy into the car ride, too.
He had some hesitation getting into the crate at first, but once inside, he settled quickly. During our initial training assessment, we reviewed all the commands we’ll be focusing on over the next two weeks. While Wrigley showed that he does know some of them, his impulse control needs a lot of work—he tends to break position the moment he feels like it.
Knowing that Wrigley struggles with barking at dogs until he gets to meet them, I introduced him to my own dog, Pancake. We started with a visual barrier and ran through a few basic commands using the e-collar, which he was already familiar with. When it came time for their full introduction, I corrected any barking with the collar—and impressively, he caught on fast. After just a few reminders, he stopped barking entirely and the two had a fun, playful first meeting without any signs of aggression.
Wrigley has a lot of energy and a lot to learn, but he also has a lot of potential. We’re off to a strong start!
Pupdate 7/27/25
Wrigley is already showing promising progress, and since he came in with a bit of a head start on basic obedience, we’re focusing more on applying that training around real-world distractions. Today, we took things slow and steady by bringing our training into the neighborhood. This gave us the perfect opportunity to build on his heel position and begin sharpening his impulse control in a more stimulating environment.
We worked on structured walking—keeping him in a consistent heel beside me—and incorporated frequent stops where I’d mark with a cheerful “Good sit!” and have him hold that position. To build duration and teach him that movement doesn’t always mean he gets to move too, I’d step away from him for a few feet before recalling him with a clear verbal cue. After a few rounds, he started picking up on the pattern: wait for direction, don’t just assume. This is huge progress for a dog who tends to act before thinking.
At home, we took another step forward by introducing Wrigley to a second dog. This is an area where he’s known to struggle, often barking uncontrollably until he gets a chance to interact. But today, he surprised me—in the best way. No barking, no growling. He was definitely high-energy and eager, but remained social, curious, and playful. This calm, appropriate greeting is exactly what we’re working toward with unfamiliar dogs, and I was really proud of how he handled it.
His mornings are still full-throttle—he comes bursting out of the crate with all the wiggles and energy in the world. But instead of letting that overwhelm the house, I’ve been channeling it right into training. A short structured session outside this morning helped him settle down significantly, and once we got that initial energy out, he was much more manageable and focused throughout the day.
One of the biggest things I’ve noticed about Wrigley is that his high energy isn’t a liability—it’s an asset. His drive makes him very responsive once that energy is pointed in the right direction. Rather than trying to shut it down, we’re using it to fuel his engagement and precision in obedience. He’s extremely food motivated and eager to please, which is a great combination for learning. We’ll continue building on that eagerness to help him become more calm, focused, and consistent, especially in high-stimulation settings.
He’s off to a fantastic start—stay tuned for more updates as we continue working through his two-week transformation!
Pupdate 7/28/35
Today’s pupdate is about Wrigley’s come to sit! I demonstrate in the video above what a few repetitions of the command looks like. The key to this command is how they make the u-turn behind me to end up in a sit by my left leg, where the heel command also starts.
On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain their attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time. Even as they’re coming towards me, I watch for signs of them slowing down or walking away, which is when I will tap them again and remind them with “come”.
In the video, I am also reminding them with “sit” when they are in the right spot, but that will be faded out so they know that the “come” command includes the sit at the end.
When they are sitting by my leg, I praise them with “good come!”, throwing the command back at them.
As they become more reliable with the u-turn motion, we start recalling them from higher distraction environments and from farther away.
When we are done with the command—or any command—I release them with their word “Break!” and give them lots of love.
Pupdate 7/29/25
Today was a big training day for Wrigley—we headed to the park to work alongside other trainers and their dogs, which gave us the perfect environment to focus on his reactivity. Knowing how easily he gets overstimulated, I made sure to run him through a training session earlier in the morning to help release some of that excess energy. It made a big difference. When we arrived at the park and saw several dogs already there, he was much more composed than I anticipated.
Instead of the usual barking outburst, Wrigley gave a few growls and the occasional bark, but nothing compared to the intensity I saw on pick-up day. We jumped right into heel work, using that structure to help him stay mentally engaged and prevent pulling or lunging as we approached other dogs. Maintaining that position helped keep his energy directed and his focus on me, rather than letting his excitement boil over.
We also practiced “place” in a busy area, which required a lot of focus from him. Although he still whined a bit—something that’s pretty consistent for him, even when other dogs aren’t present—he stayed in position and didn’t try to run off. His whining tends to be his outlet when he’s full of energy, and it’s something we’ll continue working through with exposure and repetition.
Walking past other dogs in heel gave us another great opportunity to reinforce calm behavior. Anytime Wrigley barked or growled, I gave him a correction, and it didn’t take long for him to figure out that vocalizing wasn’t the right choice. He’s very smart, and you can see him thinking things through in real time. While the habit isn’t totally gone yet, he’s already showing way more self-control than when he first arrived.
There were a couple moments where dogs placed right in front of him, and Wrigley broke his sit to go over and sniff. While it wasn’t ideal, it also helped confirm something important—his behavior isn’t rooted in fear or aggression. He’s just overwhelmingly excited to interact. That over-the-top energy spills out as barking and whining because he simply doesn’t know what else to do with it yet.
All in all, today was a huge step forward. With continued structure, calm leadership, and consistent expectations, we’re teaching Wrigley that he doesn’t need to bark or lunge to express himself—he just needs to listen. He’s making great progress, and we’re just getting started!
Pupdate 7/30/25
Today’s pupdate is about Wrigley’s place command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the place command would look like.
On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain their attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time.
When they are either in a sit or down on the place object, I praise with a “good place!”, throwing the command back at them in the praise.
There are four rules when it comes to the place command:
The place object must have defined edges or boundaries (a dog bed, towel, or bench are good place objects.)
Only place on objects your dog is allowed to be on. Don’t place on the bed if they’re not allowed on the bed, and don’t place on the antique table if they’re not allowed to be on it.
Always get the “win” when practicing the place command. If they struggle to place on a tall object, help them up. Consistently following through with the command builds confidence in your dog and accountability.
The duration they are expected to be in place is built over time. We start low, a few seconds or minutes, before building up the time they are in place over many repetitions.
Once they are in the place, there are three things we work on:
Duration: how long they stay in place
Distance: how far away we can be while they stay in place
Distractions: how many things can go around them while they stay in place
In the video, I am working on all three, as both people and dogs pose as great distractions. They have learned to remain in place even when people are around, even petting them.
When we are done with the command—or any command—I release them with their word “Break!” which allows them to do whatever they want.
Pupdate 7/31/25
Today’s pupdate is about Wrigley’s field trip to Home Depot, and it was a great chance to challenge his training in a new environment—with a new handler! My fiancé took the leash for some of this session to help Wrigley learn that commands can come from anyone, not just me. At first, Wrigley kept glancing back at me with a slightly confused look, especially during heel, but to his credit, he followed along really well and stayed engaged throughout the session.
Home Depot had plenty of distractions—carts, loud noises, people walking by—and even another dog. When we passed the dog, Wrigley definitely perked up and got excited. He tried to rush toward them, but the big win was that he didn’t bark at all. This is a huge step forward from where he started. His reactions around unknown dogs are still a work in progress, and we’re continuing to teach him that charging up to say hi isn’t acceptable, even if his intentions are playful. It’s clear now that he’s not trying to be aggressive—he just really wants to interact and doesn’t yet know how to do that politely.
On the obedience side, Wrigley’s leash skills are looking solid. His heel was consistent even in the busy aisles, and his come-to-sit is much cleaner and more automatic now. He’s clearly understanding the expectations, and his responsiveness to direction from a new person was impressive.
The biggest area we’re still focusing on is impulse control. Wrigley has a lot of energy, and it tends to bubble up in the form of popping out of sits or downs without being released. He’s getting better each day, but teaching him to hold steady—especially when excited—will be key to helping him stay calm and reliable in any setting.
All in all, today’s outing showed just how far Wrigley has come already—and where we’ll keep pushing him to grow. He’s making great strides, one distraction at a time!
Pupdate 8/1/25
Today’s pupdate is about Wrigley’s sit command! I demonstrate in the video above what a couple repetitions of the sit command would look like.
On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain their attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time.
When their butt touches the ground in a sit, I praise with a “good sit!”, throwing the command back at them in the praise.
Once they are in their sit, there are three things we work on:
Duration: how long they stay in their sit
Distance: how far away we can be while they stay in their sit
Distractions: how many things can go around them while they stay in their sit
In the video, I am working on distance and duration. Each time they are in the sit, I walk around them, getting farther away as we progress, and also leaving them in the sit for longer. This teaches them to have stability in their commands rather than breaking it whenever they please.
As we get to practice in busier areas, we will naturally have a higher amount of distractions to train with, and their stability in the sit will increase drastically.
When we are done with the command—or any command—I release them with their word “Break!” which allows them to do whatever they want.
Pupdate 8/2/25
Today, Wrigley joined me for a training trip to the pet supply store—and it was a big day for working on off-leash reliability and managing his dog-related excitement in a more public setting. This was one of the first times we worked with leash dragging, and without a leash in hand to guide him physically, Wrigley showed how well he’s starting to understand and respond to direction from both my voice and the e-collar alone.
When there were no dogs around, he was a total rockstar. His heel was sharp, even with the leash dragging on the ground, and he stayed focused as we navigated the aisles. We also worked on his impulse control in sit and down. While his energy does make it hard for him to hold a down for very long, he’s quick to correct himself and return to position after a prompt. That eagerness to get back into the command shows that he’s starting to connect the dots—even when his body wants to bounce around.
Place work continues to be one of his strengths. Wrigley loves jumping up on things when asked, and the store gave us a few opportunities to use benches and product displays to reinforce that skill in a real-world setting.
The biggest challenge—and biggest learning moment—came when we moved closer to the grooming salon. With dogs coming in and out, we stood at a corner of the store where Wrigley had a clear line of sight to the activity. His first instinct was to bark and break command, especially when a dog passed close by. But with consistent, well-timed corrections, he began settling more quickly and learning how to manage his excitement. While he still whined and grumbled here and there, he stayed in place and worked through the moment with me instead of reacting.
One of the most encouraging moments came when we walked directly past the grooming salon—dogs visible just a few feet away—and Wrigley simply looked with curiosity and kept moving in heel without vocalizing. That’s a huge improvement from earlier in the week.
Wrigley still has work to do around unfamiliar dogs, but his ability to recover from excitement and return to obedience is getting better every day. He’s learning how to stay in control, even when everything in him wants to do otherwise—and that’s what this training is all about.
Pupdate 8/3/25
Today’s pupdate is about Wrigley’s down command! I demonstrate in the video above what a few repetitions of the command looks like.
On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain their attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time.
When their elbows touch the ground in their down, I praise with a “good down!”, throwing the command back at them in the praise.
Once they are in their down, there are three things we work on:
Duration: how long they stay in their down
Distance: how far away we can be while they stay in their down
Distractions: how many things can go around them while they stay in their down
In the video, I am working on all three. Each time they are in the down, I walk around them, getting farther away as we progress, and also making gestures that they think means attention. This teaches them to have stability in their commands rather than breaking it without the word “break”.
Every time they break the command, I tap the remote and remind them to “down”.
As we get to practice in busier areas, we will naturally have a higher amount of distractions to train with, and their stability in the down will increase drastically.
When we are done with the command—or any command—I release them with their word “Break!” which allows them to do whatever they want.
Pupdate 8/4/25
Today, we headed back to the park for another group training session with several other trainers and their dogs. This kind of setup is an excellent way to test Wrigley’s progress—especially when it comes to managing his excitement and staying calm around unfamiliar dogs.
As we approached a group of three dogs and their handlers, I was really proud of how Wrigley handled himself. He didn’t bark at all, which is a huge milestone for him! While he was definitely alert and interested—whining a bit and giving the occasional huff—his vocalizations were minimal compared to where he started. I corrected any whining or signs of building excitement as they came up, reinforcing that our goal in these moments is calmness and quiet focus.
Wrigley is still a very high-energy dog, and true “settling” doesn’t come naturally to him—but we’ve now reached a point where he can walk on a loose leash heel right past other dogs without pulling, barking, or making a scene. That’s major progress. Even with his energy buzzing beneath the surface, he’s learning to stay composed and follow direction.
Some commands, especially those that require a bit more coordination like his come-to-sit, still need polishing. When he’s distracted or overstimulated, he sometimes forgets the U-turn behind me into the finish position, and we have to go back to some light leash pressure to guide him. But with a few repetitions—even with dogs nearby—he was able to recall what was expected and perform the command with much more confidence and accuracy.
The biggest win today was seeing Wrigley demonstrate leash-drag obedience around a group of dogs. I left the leash on and dragging for safety, just in case he got overwhelmed or tried to bolt, but I never had to grab it. He stayed with me, followed commands, and proved that he’s beginning to internalize the calm, respectful behavior we’ve been working so hard to build.
Wrigley’s not perfect yet, but he’s right on track. His drive and eagerness are being channeled into control and structure—and it’s paying off every day.
Pupdate 8/5/25
Today’s training adventure took us to the mall—a perfect environment to test Wrigley’s off-leash obedience in a busy, distraction-filled setting. For the most part, he handled it beautifully. We worked on all his key commands without a leash in hand, and his focus was steady, his responses crisp. The only real hiccup came when we encountered another dog. The sight of them got Wrigley a bit jittery, and this time he did bark. I immediately corrected him, and after about 30 seconds of holding some tension, he redirected his attention back to me. From there, we were able to use that moment as a teaching opportunity—rebuilding his obedience and calmness even in an emotionally charged situation.
One of our main focuses today was his off-leash come-to-sit, which is looking sharp. He’s much cleaner and more consistent in the way he swings behind me and into position. The only challenge was the mall’s tile floor, which was slippery and made it hard for him to plant himself comfortably. To work around this, we moved to a carpeted area and repeated extended sits there, which gave him a better footing and helped reinforce the skill without the extra struggle.
We also took advantage of the mall’s water fountain for a place command challenge. Many dogs find fountains distracting—or even intimidating—but Wrigley hopped up onto the platform without hesitation. He was curious about the water, leaning in to watch it, but he stayed in place the entire time. That confidence and willingness to follow direction, even with something new and unusual in front of him, is exactly what we love to see.
Overall, today was a win. Even with a bark at another dog, Wrigley bounced back quickly, stayed responsive, and proved that his off-leash skills are holding strong in the middle of a busy public space.
Pupdate 8/6/25
In today’s video, we focus on all of Wrigley’s core commands—this time with the added challenge of working around other dogs. We started the session on leash to help set the tone, since being around dogs can still be a big emotional trigger for him. Luckily, he had already spent a few minutes near these dogs before filming, so he was much more composed. There was no barking or whining during this session, which gave us a great opportunity to get lots of solid, distraction-proof reps in.
At the start, you’ll notice Wrigley was a little more distracted than usual. He needed a bit more guidance to follow through on his commands, but after settling in, I felt confident enough to drop the leash and let it drag. From there, we worked on heel around the other dogs to challenge his off-leash accountability. Without that physical connection, he still stayed in position and responded to verbal direction—a big step for a dog who once barked nonstop around new dogs.
His biggest challenge today was the down command. Being near dogs gets him emotionally charged, and that made it hard for him to stay calm in a down position. He was fidgety, alert, and ready to pop up at any moment. So, we slowed things down and worked on extended downs—giving him time to learn how to stay grounded and relaxed, even when his instincts are telling him to get up and react.
These quiet, calm repetitions are helping him learn that he can stay still, even when he’s excited inside. It’s a tough skill for a high-energy dog like Wrigley, but every time he holds that down just a little longer, we’re building real emotional control.
He’s making steady, meaningful progress—and we’re seeing more and more signs that he’s learning to think before reacting.
Pupdate 8/7/25
Today’s pupdate is about Wrigley’s heel command! I demonstrate in the video above what a good repetition of the heel command would look like.
On the remote, I use the black ‘S’ button to mark each command as I give them. This helps catch or maintain their attention as we are working on the training. I say the command and press the black “S” button at the same time.
The heel command is different from all the other commands in that it is a moving command. The dog is joining your motion rather than assuming a position in one spot. The moving position I am teaching them to be in is right next to my left leg, where their face does not go past my knee. That is the heel position we are working towards.
The dog should start and stop the heel command in a sit next to your leg. When they are in position, I say “heel”, tap the remote, and move forward at the same time. I keep walking, and whenever they leave the position next to my leg, I remind them with “heel” and another tap on the remote. We are essentially creating a safe zone near your leg where they aren’t getting reminded to be in heel.
It is important to praise your dog while they are in heel to reinforce that position. I remind them, especially when they’re in a good heel position, with “good heel!” to mark the correct position for them.
When coming to a stop, give your dog a heads up by saying “and Wrigley sit”, and stop walking on the word “sit”. This alerts your dog to the change in pace, allowing them to predictably sit at the end of your heel.
To further practice, we will work around distractions such as other people and dogs, and reinforce the command as we go. We will also move the command off leash when they are ready, which will follow the same pattern as on leash.
Pupdate 8/8/25
Alongside his obedience work, Wrigley has been making great progress with his everyday manners—skills that make a big difference in his self-control and overall behavior at home and in public.
Food Manners – At mealtime, I can put Wrigley in a down while I set his bowl down. I tell him “leave it,” and he waits without touching the food until I give the release word, “break.” This helps him practice patience and impulse control, even with something he really wants right in front of him.
Car Manners – When we go somewhere, I can have Wrigley sit in front of the car while I open the door. He waits until I say “up” before getting in and going straight into his crate. This keeps him safe, prevents bolting, and helps him transition smoothly from one place to another.
Door Manners – Whether we’re coming or going, I can put Wrigley in a down by the door. He stays there as I open it and only comes when I call him inside. This prevents him from rushing through and helps him stay calm during transitions.
These manners might seem like small details, but for Wrigley, they’re powerful exercises in patience and listening. They’re also everyday opportunities to practice the same impulse control that’s helping him succeed in his obedience training.
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