Zeke | Husky Mix | Los Angeles, CA. | In Training.
- heatheroffleashsoc
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
This handsome fellow is Zeke, a one-year-old Husky mix from Los Angeles, CA, who has just joined us for our Two Week Urban Board and Train Program!
Zeke is a young, energetic pup who has been described as quite the handful when it comes to his excitement out in the world. With leash pulling, barking, whining, and lunging at both people and other dogs, his enthusiasm has often made it difficult for him to focus and take direction. Even something as simple as coming when called or listening to commands can become a challenge when all that excitement takes over.
With that being said, Zeke is definitely ready for some guidance, structure, and a chance to learn how to channel his energy in a more productive way. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be working closely with him on building his basic obedience, improving his manners both inside and outside the home, and helping him develop the ability to settle, focus, and truly listen.
We’re excited to get started with Zeke and can’t wait to watch his confidence grow as he begins this journey toward becoming a more balanced and well-mannered companion!
7/12/2026
Today was Zeke’s very first day with me! We started things off with a walk at the park to help us get to know each other a little better while also giving me an opportunity to assess what he may already know. I quickly learned that Zeke does know how to sit—though it’s more on a “when he feels like it” basis! He also wasted no time trying to pull me toward anything and everything he found exciting, so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to begin introducing the heel command.
Whenever Zeke pulled in one direction, I would give a quick pop of the leash and immediately change directions. It took some time and plenty of repetition, but after a while he began catching on and started paying more attention to where I was going instead of dragging me toward every distraction. We also worked on his sit command by applying gentle upward leash pressure toward the back of his ears until he chose to offer the behavior on his own. In addition, we introduced his come to sit command, which will serve as the foundation for building a reliable recall throughout his training.
At first, Zeke did fairly well with these new exercises, but after a little while he made it very clear that he wasn’t particularly interested in working anymore. He began biting at the leash and trying every maneuver he could think of to avoid what I was asking of him.
Rather than giving in, I patiently worked him through
each command where we hit a snag. While some of his successes may have been a bit reluctant on his part, they were successes nonetheless! The distractions around the park certainly added to the challenge, as Zeke would have much rather spent his time frolicking wherever he pleased. Once he made the choice to walk nicely with me, I rewarded that good decision by letting him explore and sniff around for a bit, which he thoroughly appreciated.
After our walk, we loaded up into the car to head to his home away from home for the next couple of weeks. I was pleasantly surprised when Zeke immediately hopped into the car and settled right into his crate—good boy! He handled the car ride very well, which was another great thing to see. Once we arrived at my house, I gave him time to explore both inside and outside, and he seemed perfectly content checking everything out. When he noticed the other pets in my home, he became quite whiny and excited, but that’s completely understandable. He simply wanted to meet everyone and make some new friends!
Overall, Zeke faced his first day with plenty of curiosity and bravery, sprinkled with just a little bit of sass. The sass is completely understandable considering we had just met! I have no doubt that as he settles into his new routine, his confidence will continue to grow, and he’ll make wonderful progress over the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for more updates on Zeke’s training journey!
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