Dopey, a Pit Bull from Hidden Hills, CA went through the Balanced Canine Training SoCal Board and Train Program. Dopey was trained by Cristian Loza in Fullerton, CA.
Pupdates:
Meet Dopey! Dopey is a 1 year old Pit Bull coming from Hidden Hills, CA who has joined us for our 2 Week Board and Train program. Dopey comes to us with jumping on people, food aggression, and lacking respect for boundaries. Dopey is typically an amazing dog to his owners but needs help having a better understanding on what it is to truly have respect for everything and all things in general. Over the next two week we are going to improve on his behavior with the use of obedience training. Check in to see his progress with me as his trainer!
Pupdate 12/23/2023
Today was my first day meeting Dopey and he was very explosive upon meeting him biting the leash nonstop. I applied a prong collar just for today to help with pulling and immediately he started to engage with me more just from putting it on. He was very energetic and needed to let out some energy. I gave him time to see if he needed to go potty but he didn't so we made our way back to my hometown and at the park near a dog park to work on some engagement. When we arrived to the dog park we stayed on the outside practicing name calling, heel, and sit. When Dopey saw the dogs he was somewhat distracted by them but simple use of leash pressure and praising him when he listened he was able to desensitize himself and become more confident around me. We made our way back home and Dopey was very respectful seeing my parents and younger brother. Dopey also got to greet my other dogs through their crates and he was respectful in those moments as well. He seems to have settled and hasn't barked while being inside his crate, even when having the other dogs out.
Pupdate 12/24/2023
Last night when feeding Dopey he didn't show any display or aggression towards me when petting him or asking him to wait for his meal. While he ate I walked behind him to pet him and he did flinch but continued to eat while being petted. As the days go on I will continue to monitor him and try different things to see if there is any aggression towards food since Dopey is known for this.
Today I focused on improving Dopey's walking since he pulls and can't keep a proper position when walking with a person at the moment. If a dog can't walk straight, what I do in the video is ideal practice to help educate dogs to help further the distance in our walks. I took Dopey to a park in a specific area where I worked on his heel obedience command. When asking a dog to heel they are coordinated to stay on the left or right hand side. I have been keeping Dopey on my left hand side and preventing him from pulling or traveling across me. Each time I turn left or right I say heel at the same time so both are paired up together. Each time Dopey does well with this I reward him verbally with "good boy". I stop Dopey randomly with his sit obedience command to help structure him when walking and for better engagement as we progress our obedience into longer durations. Once I'm done practicing with Dopey I will say "break" with a lot of positivity to make the moment fun and memorable which helps in the long run when educating dogs.
Last video is an e-collar tutorial on understanding how our offleash e-collar works and the proper functions when working with dogs.
Pupdate 12/24/2023
Today I took Dopey on an early walk this morning. He tried to lead in the beginning of our walk so we worked on our heeling back and forth throughout the neighborhood. Once he started to settle on our walk we made our way back home for some obedience training. We had our first session practicing in front of the house and once we were done we took a break before going to the backyard to practice door manners. We have yet to practice this and Dopey is redirected in the beginning but quickly builds confidence and lets me pass the door without much issue. When walking back he gets excited seeing me walk towards him so if he seems as if he's gonna get up I will tell him "sit" to get his attention back towards me. As the video continues around the 1:55 mark, Dopey goes into an automatic sit right when I open the door. This is an indication that Dopey is aware of what to do in the moment so I challenge him and walk out without saying anything else and he remains in the backyard. When walking back I ask him to place and sit and as I walk away he follows me so I walk him back onto the place pad and finish our practice.
Throughout the whole practice Dopey hasn't tried to jump at me or show so much overstimulation from before knowing there's a structure each time I take him outside and ask him for his obedience. He has yet to show me any aggression feeding him outside his crate. I fed him once while he was inside his crate and pet him on the head while he ate and he was simply eating. We will be meeting some of our friends who train dogs soon to work around other dogs! Happy Holidays!
Pupdate 12/26/2023
Today I took Dopey to Hillcrest Park in Fullerton, CA to work his obedience training and to see how he is being in a park. Dopey did really well for being at a park he's never been to. When performing his obedience command throughout the park we didn't have much issues besides when some people passed by us he was interested in them enough to walk towards them but each time I would say off he would always walk back towards me. We stopped by a fountain and Dopey didn't want to go up the platform aside from the fountain probably because of the noise. I would physically get up myself to show Dopey I can do it and eventually would follow through. After some time practicing he was able to go up with ease each time I asked him to go up by saying "place". We passed by one person with a dog and all I needed to do to keep Dopey's attention forward was by saying off the moment Dopey's eyes made contact with the dog. Dopey doesn't mind dogs but as long as I keep him in his obedience by talking to Dopey he will keep a calm manner. By the end of our visit we stayed by my car practicing his load up since Dopey likes to instinctively go inside the car without an obedience command.
At home I've been giving him time to smell my personal dog Hunter through the crate so they can become familiar with one another.
Pupdate 12/27/2023
Today I took Dopey to a park in Los Angeles to work on his obedience around other trainers from offleash. When we first arrived I was thrilled to see Dopey not react at all seeing any of the other dogs. Dopey genuinely would give me his attention when saying "off" which is a universal no to all things. We immediately started our practice under a gazebo around our friends from offleash.
In the video above is our practice of all commands such as recall, sit, down, place and paw. We also practiced greeting manners with two of our friends who are aware of how to pet a dog. As we practice in the video I try to be as energetic as I can by instigating Dopey's impulses which rarely happens. I walk around him several times at a fast pace hoping this would excite him but he remains still until given his break. When asking for Dopey's recall I first will ask for the word "come" then "sit". As he makes his way to me I continue to say come until he's made his way around me into his heel position followed up by the sit command. I place Dopey followed up by sit and I pretend to break him by lifting my hands up and this makes him break his position. I redirect him back onto the pad and finish up our practice with a paw command being creative.
Our second practice was greeting manners which went really well. The last video clip of Amanda petting Dopey right in the beginning she tries to pet the top of his head but quickly puts her hand under his mouth since Dopey looked uneasy for the brief moment. As she pets him he settled and let her pet him for as long as she wanted.
Pupdate 12/28/223
Today I took Dopey to Brea Mall in Brea, CA to walk around and do some obedience training. When we first arrived Dopey wasn't too energetic upon arriving but tried to lead in front of me. As we made our way inside the mall Dopey quickly adjusted and we made our way around the mall. We met up with one friend from offleash and upon seeing the Winnie the Great Dane Dopey had no reaction and was very respectful when Winnie was training around him. When practicing down or sit Dopey had a few moments of being redirected but was able to hold his sit and down for more than two minutes. We were stopped by some people who wanted to greet the dogs and Dopey did well each time he was greeted by a stranger. By the end of our visit when leaving the mall I let the leash drag and Dopey did fairly ok but would drift off at times. Each time he would try to create space I would use the e-collar to get him back into his heel and this would work so walking back to the car came with ease.
Pupdate 12/29/2023
Today I took Dopey to Almansor park in Alhambra, CA for some exercise and more obedience training. This park has numerous people here early in the morning so we wanted to get as much exposure as we could.
In the video above we are practicing all of our obedience commands keeping them conditioned as people are walking around us. When training Dopey he tries to take advantage of placing himself down how he wants so I keep redirecting him for his down to be better in alliance to me. Even if he is next to me he will try to adjust himself how he desires so that's something we are working on in the very beginning.
When walking away from him he was acting on impulse trying to follow me so those moments need to be redirected as well.Once we practice offleash he seems to settle by this time and show more confidence when training. The only obedience command he seems to be lazy with is his recall but we have plenty of time to keep working on it.
The last video clip is our practice of an extended down while leaving Dopey's sight. I have been working on leaving his sight a lot around the house so I took this practice outside with the help of an assistant. I leave Dopey's sight and my assistant is keeping an eye on Dopey behind the camera until I come back to release him. Dopey shows his true confidence after being outside for some time and once I make my way back around I say "break" and Dopey jumps on me but quickly realizes he wasn't supposed to and applies his behind back down. I act overexcited to get him used to this praise so every time he hears me speak like this he won't mind it.
Pupdate 12/30/2023
Today it was raining early in the morning so Dopey and I took a lot of time this morning working on house manners. We went for our usual walk in the morning but did this offleash and Dopey did very well. When returning home I dried him off with a towel and worked on his obedience training first working on his recall. It has been improving but Dopey likes to have random moments of stopping behind me and just go into a down. Each time I use the e-collar to get his attention back towards me he will shift his body back into a better position.
In the video above is our playtime together with a tug of war toy. Dopey has been known to be possessive but has never shown any of these behaviors with me. Even when first working with him with a toy once I said off he knew immediately to let go but would try to grab it the same time I would. As the days went on we always took some time playing together even if it was without a toy. There were a few moments when Dopey thought it was ok to nibble on my hand or think its ok to play bite but redirecting him and showing him praise when listening seems to always make him happy. Even putting my fingers near his mouth doesn't seem to bother him at all.
As the sky cleared Dopey went to a park near my house to practice all of his obedience commands with duration and longer distances when being asked to go or be recalled.
Pupdate 12/31/2023
Today's video starts off with us practicing some door manners after some training at a park near my house. Dopey can perform his door manners confidently allowing me to do as I please around the house without having to redirect him. Once I walk out the house with Dopey I will ask him for his heel and once he hears it he follows through coming to my left hand side.
Dopey has been known to show possessive or aggressive behavior with his food but has never shown me any signs of these body languages or behaviors. What was once noticeable the first time feeding Dopey was his body flinching when being petted but from that moment he never looked back at me or growled directly towards me. I walked around him in every direction to see if there was a certain area he doesn't want a human near him but Dopey has been fine always being respectful since he's been here. In the video above is our usual practice of him waiting for his food and at times Dopey can be really excited. Having Dopey perform other obedience commands before being given his break helps him settle but if there are any moments he breaks position redirecting Dopey will always help. When petting him as he eats he's always acts the same as displayed in the video above. I have also fed Dopey inside his crate and pet him while eating and nothing has occurred.
Pupdate 1/1/2024
Today I took Dopey to La Mirada Regional park in La Mirada, CA to train with some of our friends from offleash.
In the video above I have a microphone set up to hear all of my explanations of how to navigate Dopey and when to ask for his obedience if he makes a mistake. Dopey can perform all of his obedience with very little use of the remote now. Being vocal and consistent throughout Dopey's experience outside helps benefit the overall experience of what he's going through. Dopey has shown so much commitment in just a short week of training and really brings out his attentiveness to performing these simple commands.
After the video ended we made our way around the park once since its was very large to walk around. Dopey started to walk really slower than normal so I knew he was tired and ready to go home. Feeding him went well as always, even trying different variations of distractions Dopey remains eating rather than questioning his surroundings.
Pupdate 1/2/2024
Today I took Dopey to work on his offleash obedience training. We walked around a few times to have Dopey familiarize himself with the area. He showed no sign of nervousness nor was there anything about today's setting that bothered him. Once we made our way around the outlet we started to focus on offleash obedience in areas with open space. Dopey was able to perform everything he knows with few redirections but not many! We had multiple kids run past Dopey and he wouldn't flinch or react.
In the video above is Dopey and I walking through Citadel with ease. Dopey can keep a good pace when he realizes he's around so many people so he tries to stay as close to me in a genuine way. Any time Dopey starts to keep his attention away from me I'll tap my leg to keep him engaged. I place him and ask for his down obedience command and he has no issue holding it. After about more than two minutes I ask for his recall and he makes his way around me for his reward. We continued to train around the foot court where Dopey started to get sleepy and tire out since he was up so early this morning. He would start to go into automatic downs indicating he wants to relax so I took him home.
Feeding Dopey has been going really well and I have also tried working on several variations of feeding him inside and outside the crate. Keeping Hunter close by to Dopey's crate while eating never seemed to bother him as well. I have placed my hands next to his face while he eats and he continues to do just fine each day.
Pupdate 1/3/2024
Dopey was very vocal this morning indicating to me he needed to go potty. He immediately went to the door we use every morning to go for our walks and started to scratch at the door. Once I opened the door he only took one step out outside and went potty. Most of his boarding I've never heard him cry to go potty but if he does inside the crate its most likely for him to use the restroom.
Today I took Dopey to Anaheim pet & feed to do some minor shopping but train Dopey inside as well. When we first arrived Dopey was calm and happy to be in another new setting. While walking around Dopey stayed close to me as we walked slowly. As I was picking out some items inside the store some of the employees who passed by saw Dopey and noticed how calm he was for his size. There were other dogs inside the store that would react or bark towards Dopey and he would remain quiet ignoring the dogs each time I asked for his off obedience command. Dopey would check up with me giving me complete contact and as he does this I always follow up with his praise.
We focused mainly on Dopey's recall inside the store since he has some moments of being lazy to do this. Practicing in a small aisle helped closing distance when walking
around me to end up in his heel position. Tomorrow we will go to a busier environment for more exposure practicing more offleash obedience.
Pupdate 1/4/2024
Today I took Dopey to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood CA, to walk around and perform his offleash obedience. When we first arrived Dopey was excited momentarily but as soon as I asked for his heel he kept his composure and we made our way to meet up with our friends. When seeing the other dogs he seemed somewhat excited so I simply asked for his off obedience command and he checked up with me as usual. In the video above is one of our practices walking along the walk of fame
We made our way up and down the walk of fame passing by numerous people and this didn't bother Dopey whatsoever. Dopey did really well performing all of his obedience without any issues or redirections. After some time I took Dopey's leash off of and only focused on the remote to e-collar. Dopey did really well even when walking through some crowds at times. Many people passed by giving comments on how well behaved he was with the other dogs. I talked to one person who was interested in seeing Dopey up close, even though he never asked to pet him he was thrilled to see a dog similar to his own doing the obedience Dopey was displaying. We ended near the shopping center taking a break before going home.
Pupdate 1/5/2024
Today is Dopey's last day of training so I started off his morning with a walk early in the morning with Hunter. They both did very well walking together since the beginning of Dopey's boarding. Once we made our way home we started off with house manners first before practicing in the front of the house.
In the video above is our freestyle practice of all commands and some new ones. Something I want you as the viewer to see is my hand signs and gestures each time asking for an obedience command. Dopey has been learning his hand signals as much as hearing the commands verbally. He can have a few seconds of processing what I'm asking but eventually he will follow through. Some of the new things I've taught Dopey is come to heel, down with distance and a kiss command.
The second video clip is how I practice teaching Dopey how to give someone a kiss. I talk to Dopey with much affirmation but in a low tone so I don't over excite him too much. As soon as I'm at face level with him I will say "kiss" and if he licks me I will say good boy and pet him for his reward. The last video clip is Dopey walking with my younger brother who's very aware of how to train a dog and keep a structure. My brother Nick only walks Dopey to the corner and back keeping a consistent heel. Nick places Dopey into an extended down and walks away and around him before being told to break. When Nick breaks Dopey he does it in a calmer manner for him since Dopey is aware Nick is younger.
Dopey's visit throughout his board and train has been eventful each day that we've gone out to train. Dopey was never difficult to work with even though he had a history of some misbehaving behavior. Dopey showed me more of a confident dog who has the ability to learn and visit anywhere and everywhere. Dopey was known for being possessive with toys and food but the first day training him and getting to know him I have yet to see what was said about my gentle boy. We had more ups than downs and with each day passing by Dopey gave me his full trust making it easier to help educate him and help him become the best dog that he could be. Dopey is ready to go back to his family!
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