Meet Frodo, he's an eight-month-old Terrier Mix from Los Angeles, California! This sweet and playful pup is here with us for our Two Week Board and Train Program, where we will work on teaching him basic obedience and manners. He has some knowledge of a few basic obedience commands, but is easily distracted by his surroundings and struggles to follow through reliably when asked to do something. He also comes to us with some undesirable behaviors such as pulling on the leash, barking excessively, nipping for attention, and displaying selective listening. Over the next fourteen days, we will be working on improving his obedience and manners to set him on the right path to becoming a well-behaved pup both on and off leash. Stay tuned for his transformation!
Pupdate 10/6/2024
Today Frodo and I spent the day bonding and getting to know each other at the park after he was dropped off with me. He was a bit unsure of me at first, and seemed a bit anxious about his parents leaving. I offered him some of his treats which seemed to help him feel more comfortable with me, and soon he warmed up to me and happily accepted affection from me as well. While walking around the park, he seemed a bit nervous about his surroundings, but also was eager to explore around. His attention span is definitely on the lower end, and overall he was much more focused on investigating everything around us rather than listening to me.
While at the park, I tested his current knowledge of commands to get an idea of where his starting point is and what areas may need some extra focus going forward. He would usually Come to me when called, but it often took several asks before he responded, and once he got to me he was quick to wander back off again. When asked to Heel, he didn't seem to recognize the command at all and was almost always at the end of the leash. He often would walk ahead of or behind me, and didn't seem interested in walking alongside me. He was able to Sit when asked, though sometimes it took several asks before he followed through, and he wasn't the best about remaining in position as he was quick to break command as soon as he got bored or took interest in something around us. He wasn't able to perform Down on command, and seemed a bit too unsure about everything to settle into this position. He was able to Place on some low, easy to reach objects around the park, but he often needed some extra encouragement as he seemed to lack confidence when working with unfamiliar objects. He didn't seem to have the best understanding of leash pressure either, and would often freeze in place or try to pull or flail against the leash when pressure was created in an attempt to guide him for any command. He also seemed to think it was pretty fun to bite at the leash, which was funny to watch at first, though is something we will of course be addressing to ensure this behavior does not continue.
After our time at the park, it was time to head home and get him settled into my home. He was able to jump into my car without any help, and went into the kennel with just a small amount of guidance which is a good display of Car Manners. Anytime Frodo is to ride in a car with me, he will be secured in a kennel for his utmost safety. He will also be in a kennel at home during nighttime or any other time he is unsupervised. Upon arriving home, he had some time to explore around and become familiar with his new environment. When I offered him some food he jumped on me a lot and was very impatient for his food, so we will definitely be working on improving his Food Manners. Later, we went out for a walk around my neighborhood to help him become familiar with the area. When exiting the house to start our walk, Frodo kept trying to run out the door as soon as it was opened, so we will also be working to improve his Door Manners to make sure he can respect the boundary a doorway creates as this will help keep him safe. After our walk, he had a nap in his kennel and relaxed happily inside without any fuss. He seems to be settling in nicely, and we are so excited to begin this training journey together!
Pupdate 10/7/2024
Frodo and I worked around my neighborhood today, where we focused on introducing him to the e-collar and Come to Sit command. There were still some basic distractions such as a few other dogs, bicycles, people, and squirrels, but the relatively calm environment helped to promote learning and focus.
Pressure is a fundamental tool used in teaching basic obedience commands. The idea is that whenever leash pressure is applied, be it from a leash or e-collar, it is paired with a command. The pressure then remains present until Frodo follows the pressure and performs the behavior or command being asked of him. The moment he follows through, the pressure immediately turns off and a reward is given. We spent some time training with leash pressure first before introducing the e-collar to ensure he understood how this concept works, as leash pressure is the most simple form of pressure due to the clear directional guidance it provides. Once it was clear that he understood leash pressure, we began adding in a new form of pressure from the e-collar. By pairing these two forms of pressure simultaneously, he will come to understand that each pressure has the same meaning. With time and practice, the goal is for this to allow the leash and e-collar to be used interchangeably, and eventually create the opportunity to begin training with the e-collar only, without the need for a leash! For his first day, he did a great job and seems to be catching onto it quickly. Be sure to check out today's video for an in-depth e-collar tutorial.
Come to Sit is an important command to begin practicing early on in Frodo's training journey, as having a solid recall is important for any pup's safety and obedience training, and will be especially crucial for his safety if he is to be allowed off-leash. The goal for Come to Sit is for Frodo to come when called, approach my right side, circle around my back, and finish with a Sit facing forward on the left side. He is asked to hold this Sit until released with "Break", or given a new command. This ensures he not only comes when called, but also that he remains stationary until told otherwise. The Come to Sit maneuver when completed in its entirety also sets him up to be in the perfect position to begin walking in a Heel. We introduced the Come to Sit command today by combining the verbal command "Come" with guidance from the leash and stimulation from the e-collar to grab his attention and guide him towards me. Once he came over to me, he was then guided around and to my left side where he was asked to perform a Sit. With each successful repetition, I made sure to give him lots of praise and rewards to build up a positive association with the command and the action of coming to me when called. He'll need some more work with this command before he is consistent with it, though for his first day with this command, he did a good job!
Pupdate 10/8/2024
Today Frodo and I visited a local park, where we focused on two commands, Off and Heel. We introduced these commands in the morning while walking around the neighborhood, where the distractions were a bit lower. This helped him to have an easier time relaxing and focusing on learning. In the evening, we walked over to the park to continue practicing his commands around slightly more distractions. The park was not super busy today, but there were still common distractions around such as people, dogs, children, and lots of small animals.
Frodo is often easily distracted, as he tends to focus on his surroundings even when asked to perform commands. Moments like this are a great opportunity to implement the Off command. The goal for the Off command is for Frodo to stop whatever he is doing, and focus on his handler. This is a very versatile command, similar to "no" or "leave it", and can be used in various situations, such as to interrupt fixation on distractions, barking, jumping on people, eating or sniffing things he's not supposed to, or any other behaviors that are undesirable or inappropriate at that time. The verbal Off command when paired with leash pressure and the e-collar allows us to interrupt the behavior and help him to refocus so that he is in a better mindset to listen for upcoming instructions. Once the Off command is given, it's beneficial to immediately follow it with another command such as Sit, Come, Heel, etc. Once he stops whatever behavior he was doing, asking him to set his focus on a task will help keep his attention away from what initially distracted him or caused the undesirable behavior. Frodo has shown good progress in understanding the Off command so far, and with each repetition, he seemed to be quicker to respond and refocus when prompted. However, more work will need to be done in various situations before he is fully reliable with the command.
Heel is another important concept for Frodo to begin developing early on in his training. The goal for the Heel command is for Frodo to be able to follow directly alongside me on my left side, and maintain that position while walking unless released or given a new command. This precise positioning takes a lot of practice to master, but it will effectively eliminate pulling on the leash or veering off in different directions, and allow his handler to take the lead on walks instead of him trying to pull them around wherever he pleases. To introduce this command, I kept the leash short but loose, and ensured he stayed on my left side in roughly the Heel position as we walked. If he began to veer off, pull ahead, fall behind, or otherwise create tension on the leash, he was given some guidance with the leash, stimulation from the e-collar, and the verbal command "Heel" command was given until he returned to the desired position. During Heel, his sole focus should be following his handler's lead, and as such he needs to remain neutral to and ignore his environment, which will take some practice to accomplish. As he gets better with this command, he will have an easier time staying in the Heel position without as much guidance needed, and will need to be given reminders less frequently. Overall he did a good job today and seemed to catch on pretty quickly!
Pupdate 10/9/2024
Today Frodo and I visited a local shopping strip, where we trained around different kinds of distractions. The shopping strip had a variety of distractions present, including people, other dogs, birds, food, and noisy street traffic. Frodo did seem a tad nervous here with all the distractions around, though he was able to follow through with his commands with decent reliability despite this. He sometimes had a tendency to freeze or try to flee when something spooked him, such as a loud noise or a sudden movement nearby, though he was able to recover quickly when asked to refocus and provided some guidance with the leash.
We focused on two commands today, Place and Down. Frodo has some understanding of Place, and we have been practicing Down here and there in previous days, but today's session was centered around getting these two commands up to speed with his other commands as he sometimes struggles to perform these commands depending on the circumstances.
The goal for the Place command is for Frodo to jump or climb onto a designated object, such as a bench, a bed, or another object with defined borders, and hold a stationary command while remaining on the Place object until released or given a new command. While he does seem to understand this command and is able to Place with good reliability when working with low, easy to reach objects, he sometimes is a bit underconfident when working with new objects or ones that require more skill to get onto or stay balanced on. He also is prone to breaking the Place command if he gets bored, distracted, or otherwise chooses to no longer remain on the object. We spent some extra time today working to improve his confidence, skills, and patience with Place by practicing with lots of different objects, working around more distractions, and emphasizing the implied stay that comes with the command. He did a good job overall, and while sometimes he needed some extra encouragement or physical guidance from the leash, he was able to perform Place on command with just about any object once he had been introduced to and helped through the first attempt or two.
The goal for Down is simple in concept, with the expectation simply being for Frodo to lie down completely when asked, and remain there until released or given a new command. However this command can be difficult for some dogs, especially for pups like Frodo who can tend to be a bit nervous, easily overexcited, and struggle to relax in certain situations. While at home with no distractions Frodo has shown good understanding of this command and is generally able to perform it on cue without needing any extra help, and he's pretty good about remaining in position until released. However when additional distractions are added he tends to be much more hesitant about entering the position as well as remaining in it. He made some progress with Down today and did a good job overall about holding the position, though there were several times when he would break his Down due to something spooking him, and he would need to be asked to re enter it. He was able to enter the Down without help with mild distractions which is already an improvement from previous days, though in busier areas he almost always needed some assistance. We'll continue focusing on improving his confidence and creating a positive association with this command so he can learn to perform it regardless of the environment.
Pupdate 10/10/2024
Today Frodo and I visited an outdoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The mall had a fair amount of distractions present, including groups of people and children, other dogs, food, birds, and music. Frodo did seem a bit overwhelmed at first, though did seem to gradually settle down over time. Overall he still seemed a bit on edge though, and was prone to getting spooked by things around us.
There were a few instances when a nearby distraction would cause him to break position or try to flee momentarily, leading to the leash being needed to prevent him from doing so. This happened in instances such as when a loud noise happened such as someone dropping something, or when something fast moved by such as a skateboarder. He also had a tendency to freeze when spooked as well, which was sometimes then followed by flight. We will continue working to address this issue, so hopefully it will not impact his ability to safely be allowed off leash around distractions. Overall Frodo did well with his Heel, though this is the command he seemed to struggle with the most today. While walking in a straight line he generally did very well and understood exactly where to remain alongside me, though when making turns he would sometimes get confused or frustrated, and end up falling out of position. There were several instances when he would try to "put on the breaks" and refuse to continue moving with me when making a turn, and sometimes he would even try to turn the opposite way and walk away from me or try to fight against the leash guidance. Using the e-collar in these moments and continuing to walk in the intended direction seemed to help him understand that this behavior would not be successful in getting me to stop or change directions to where he wanted to go. Frodo did good with his Come to Sit overall, though depending on the level of distractions around he would sometimes need to be asked a few times for his recall or be guided to me physically before he would begin making his way to me. His stationary commands saw some improvement today, and he did especially well about performing Down when asked without needing physical guidance. He did sometimes break commands before released, though his average time has increased to around thirty seconds even around moderate distractions, which is a big improvement from what it was just a couple of days ago when he would hardly stay still for more than a moment or two even in quiet environments.
Pupdate 10/11/2024
Today Frodo and I visited a park, where we worked on all of his commands around distractions. The park had a good amount of distractions present, including people, other dogs, toys, children, and lots of small animals. Frodo seemed to be feeling less anxious at the park than he has been in more busy public places like the malls and shopping strips we visited recently. He was a bit excited even, and was sometimes distracted by our surroundings but understood to settle down and focus on training whenever he was asked to. We took advantage of his playful attitude and made sure to have lots of fun playtime together during breaks to encourage a positive experience for him and to serve as a reward for jobs well done!
Frodo did well with his Heel overall, and while some minor mistakes were made here and there when he became distracted by something, he was often able to correct himself with minimal to no leash pressure needed. He would sometimes stop briefly to stare at interesting surroundings, such as a dog playing fetch nearby, though with a reminder of Off followed by the Heel command he understood to direct his attention back to me and catch back up into the proper positioning. His Come to Sit was great today, and he always seemed eager to come running right to me whenever he was called. He did very well with his positioning as well, and seemed to understand where to go and how to position himself once he got to me. He would sometimes sit slightly crooked if he wanted to look at something nearby, though he was able to correct himself when prompted.
Frodo's stationary commands were very good today also, and he was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place anywhere asked of him with great reliability. He seemed calm and confident with each of these commands, and was able to perform them without any physical assistance. He did especially well with his Place command, and eagerly jumped onto anything he was prompted to without hesitation, even brand new objects we have never practiced with before. He was able to remain in his stationary positions consistently for well over a minute, which was fantastic to see!
Pupdate 10/12/2024
Today Frodo and I visited an outdoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The mall was decently busy, with lots of people, other dogs, children, music, and food. Frodo was a bit nervous overall today, though he ended up doing a pretty good job with his commands despite this. He mostly seemed to be unsure of the children that were running around and playing noisily nearby, as he would tend to shy away from them if they got close and struggled to perform or hold his commands when they were around. He wasn't too bothered by people walking around us though, and seemed to easily ignore most of the dogs we encountered as well.
While Frodo did a good job with his commands overall, he did have a few moments when he would display either a flight or freeze response when feeling particularly nervous due to something in our environment. He was usually able to snap out of his freeze moments pretty quickly once he was verbally reminded of the command we were working on, though he often needed some leash pressure to help him refocus and interrupt the flight response. When using only the verbal cue paired with the e-collar, he would often try to continue in the direction he was going, and didn't seem to snap out of it until the leash physically prevented him from continuing away. We used only a short five foot leash today, but he would often reach the end of that distance in these moments. Tomorrow, we will spend some time working with a long leash around distractions to test how far he is willing to flee away from his handler in these moments, as this will give us a good idea if off-leash work will be safe to attempt in the near future.
Pupdate 10/13/2024
Today Frodo and I visited an indoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The mall was busy, with groups of people, other dogs, food, music, and other distractions all around. This was all quite a lot for Frodo to take in, and needed ample time before he began adjusting to the busy environment. We ended up spending much of our visit in quieter areas of the mall so that Frodo could feel comfortable. We did venture into busier areas for periods of time, though once Frodo became too overwhelmed, training was no longer productive so we took frequent breaks from these areas to allow him to decompress when needed.
We practiced with a long leash today to give him ample physical freedom, which is a great way to test how Frodo might behave while off leash, while still having it readily available should it be needed for any reason. By reserving the use of leash pressure only for when he truly needs it, we can encourage him to problem solve, make his own choices, and use his knowledge of commands to follow through with what is being asked of him. When in quieter areas of the mall Frodo did a great job overall with staying focused, on task, and following commands without the use of leash pressure. He never strayed too far from me, and was generally quick to follow through with commands on the first ask. He sometimes needed slight leash pressure to correct minor positioning mistakes for commands like Come to Sit or Heel, but he was typically able to correct himself without this physical guidance.
However, his ability to focus and stay calm was vastly different when around major distractions, which severely impacted his performance with commands. When given the physical freedom to make choices with the long leash, he made several different attempts to leave my side to flee from situations, areas, or distractions that made him uncomfortable. Despite attempts to recall him verbally and with the e-collar, he was simply too overwhelmed and anxious to follow through, and would not stop fleeing until the leash physically prevented him from doing so. He would tend to feel nervous if a large group of people walked past him, and sometimes tried to run under people's feet which was dangerous as he could accidentally trip someone. He also seemed scared of the fountain area, and he would often refuse to walk with me towards it, and even try to run away in the opposite direction from it if given the chance. We ended up spending a good amount of time in this area working to desensitize him to it and create a positive association around it which did help over time, though we needed to take many breaks during this process to ensure he didn't get too stressed out. Today's video showcases one such session in this area where he was allowed as much physical freedom as was safely possible, and we captured several different moments when he displayed freeze and or flight responses.
While today's session didn't go as well as we would like, it did serve to give us an understanding of Frodo's limits. We will continue working towards Frodo's training goal of being off leash, though Frodo's safety and well-being is a top priority. We will be proceeding with extra caution and only attempting off leash training if we feel he can safely do so, and being selective with the types of environments off leash training may be practiced at. Based on what was observed today, it appears Frodo has the potential to do excellent work while off leash when in calm, safe environments where he can feel relaxed and focused. However in busier environments where Frodo is prone to anxiety and flight responses, keeping him on leash may be necessary.
Pupdate 10/14/2024
Today Frodo and I visited a park, where we continued to practice each of his commands around distractions. The park was decently busy, with other dogs, people, children, and small animals. The grassy fields also served as a good distraction due to all the interesting smells on the ground. Overall Frodo was a bit distracted here and there when in busier areas of the park such as by the playground or near other dogs who were running around playing fetch, but he seemed more relaxed overall and wasn't too nervous. Some things spooked him here and there which did cause some flight responses, though he was able to recover and be recalled before he got too far, which was good to see.
Frodo did well with his Heel overall, though he did have some instances where he would not want to go in a certain direction, and either freeze or attempt to turn around and go in the other direction. This seemed to occur when walking towards areas of the park that were busier, as Frodo appeared to prefer the quieter areas and was hesitant to move towards sections of the park with higher volumes of distractions. Whenever Frodo tries to freeze or flee during Heel, it's important to hold him accountable for the command and not stop with him or turn around to follow the way he wants to go, and instead reinforce the Heel that was asked of him. While Frodo has a solid understanding of where he is supposed to be when the Heel command is given, he still seems to occasionally test the boundaries and try to get out of the command by freezing or fleeing, in hopes his handler will give in and let him break the position. During Heel, he needs to accept his role as a follower while his handler leads, not the other way around. He was able to Heel without leash pressure for most of the time, though during moments when he attempted to turn around or freeze the leash was needed to get him back on track with the position.
Similarly, Frodo occasionally would try to refuse recall for Come to Sit if he was asked to come to me in a direction he did not want to go, though by remaining consistent with the command and ensuring he came all the way to me this did see some improvement. Recall, like all other commands, is not an optional, so every repetition needs to be successful. If he attempted to refuse recall with only the verbal cue and e-collar as reinforcement, then the leash was used to physically bring him to me. If we were to give up asking for his recall and allow him to effectively ignore it, it would be detrimental to his progress. His positioning for Come to Sit was good overall, though when he was feeling a bit nervous about something he would occasionally make small mistakes with his positioning and need to be asked to reposition. The most common mistake he seemed to make was laying down instead of sitting, though he was able to correct this when prompted. Frodo's stationary commands were strong today, and he was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place each without leash pressure. He was pretty good about holding his positions as well, even around distractions.
Pupdate 10/15/2024
Today Frodo and I visited a park, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The park had lots of distractions around, with plenty of people, playing children, other dogs, bicycles, toys, and small animals. This is a park we have visited together before, so the environment was somewhat familiar to Frodo which did seem to help his training today.
Despite the busy surroundings, Frodo ended up doing a great job here overall. He was a bit nervous around the busy areas of the park where there was lots of noise and movement, though he didn't try to flee at any point and managed to maintain a good level of focus. He was more prone to making small mistakes with his commands when the distractions were increased, though with just a small amount of guidance from the leash he was able to correct himself and follow through with commands correctly.
When in quieter areas of the park where the distractions were far off in the distance, Frodo was noticeably calmer and had a much easier time with his commands. Mistakes were few and far in between, and he was able to train with almost no leash pressure needed to guide him for any commands. When practicing in these quiet areas, we held onto just the very end of the long leash to provide Frodo with increased physical freedom to make choices and problem solve. Despite having this physical freedom, he understood to stick close to me for commands like Heel, was able to be recalled for Come to Sit from increased distances, as well as hold his stationary commands of Sit, Down, and Place while I was at a good distance away from him.
Pupdate 10/16/2024
Today Frodo and I visited an indoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The mall wasn't overly busy, though there were still a decent amount of distractions such as groups of people, a few other dogs, and music. Frodo was a bit unsure about the environment at first, though he seemed to settle down and adapt to the location pretty quickly. Even when feeling a bit nervous, he didn't try to run off at all which was great to see. He was a bit less consistent with commands while in busy areas of the mall where there was lots of foot traffic or other commotion, though he seemed able to stay just calm enough to follow through with commands with a decent reliability. He generally relied on the leash more for guidance in these busy areas, though we continued to give him chances to perform commands without help from the leash whenever possible to help him continue growing and making progress in this area. There were also some quieter areas of the mall where we spent some time practicing commands in an environment where Frodo could easily focus and let his obedience skills shine! When he was able to feel calm and focused, Frodo did an amazing job performing his commands without leash assistance.
We also had some great opportunities to practice Frodo's Greeting Manners today, as many nice people wanted to say hello to and pet him. The goal for Greeting Manners is for Frodo to be able to meet or greet people calmly and politely, whether in public or at home. Frodo came to us with a habit of getting a bit overexcited when greeting people, and was prone to jumping up on people or nipping at their clothing to get their attention. As such, this is an important area of his training and is something we have been working on whenever the opportunity arises, whether it be at home with me or my guests, or out in public with new people. To help Frodo learn the desired manners, we first have him perform and hold Sit or Down directly beside his handler, as this gives him a task to focus on and discourages him from breaking the position. When having a new person greet Frodo, it's important to inform them of his training and the expectations set for him, that way they can help reinforce the training appropriately. All praise, attention, and affection should be reserved strictly for when he is stationary, calm, and following instructions. If he is rewarded when behaving poorly, then the training will be inconsistent and be detrimental to his progress. Staying consistent with these manners is key to his success, as he will come to understand that poor behavior only delays or prevents him from getting what he wants, which is to say hello to people and get attention from them! He did a good job with his greetings today, and was very calm and polite overall. He was a bit shy at first with some people, so we made sure to advocate for his space when he needed it and give him the time he needed until he felt calm and interested in the greeting. He ended up loving every person he met today as usual, and thoroughly enjoyed all of the attention he got!
Pupdate 10/17/2024
Today Frodo and I visited the Santa Monica Promenade! We continued to work on each of his commands while training around numerous distractions. The location had many groups of people, other dogs, music, food, and some areas had some busy street traffic as well which provided additional noise distractions like cars honking and loud engines.
Despite the busy surroundings, Frodo did a great job staying focused on his commands. He occasionally seemed a bit nervous and distracted for brief moments, though he was able to stay relatively calm and collected and was able to perform commands reliably.
Frodo also had lots of opportunities to practice his Greeting Manners again today, and he did a great job overall! He was very friendly and loved all the attention he received. When the person petting him was calm and followed the guidelines set for proper greetings, Frodo did an excellent job with staying in his position without any issues. There were a few instances where the person greeting him was a bit too enthusiastic with the baby-talk or crouched down to his level while petting him. This would in return sometimes cause Frodo to get a bit too excited and break his position to stand up and try to approach them, though the moment he was reminded to he understood to return back to his position and that he would not receive the attention he wanted unless he did so.
Pupdate 10/18/2024
Today Frodo and I visited an outdoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The mall was pretty busy, with plenty of people, other dogs, food, music, and other distractions around. We also visited with his buddy, Sky the border collie! Frodo loves Sky and they always have lots of fun playing around together at home, so he was a great distraction to train around while working at the mall.
Frodo was slightly nervous about all the busy surroundings at first, but ended up doing a fantastic job overall! He seemed to adapt to the environment more and more the longer we spent here, and with this was able to remain relatively calm and focused on his training. He sometimes needed a small amount of leash pressure to help him through a few moments of uncertainty, though for the majority of our visit the leash remained loose and unused. Despite Frodo's occasional moments of nervousness, he did not try to run off at any point and was keen on staying by my side throughout our time here.
Pupdate 10/19/2024
Today Frodo and I visited a park where we put all of his learned skills to use to have a great last day together! The park was full of all kinds of distractions, but Frodo didn't seem too worried about his surroundings and did great with his commands. He also had lots of fun playing, relaxing, and exploring around the park with me. Frodo is not only excelling with his skills and manners while out in public, but he has also made huge transformations in his behavior inside the home as well! House manners are something we have been working on little by little each day since day one. Even seemingly mundane day-to-day tasks can provide excellent opportunities for training. These manners include areas such as Food Manners, Door Manners, and Car Manners.
The goal for Food Manners is for Frodo to be able to hold a stationary command while his food is prepared and set in front of him. He is then asked to remain in that position until he is released before he can get up and eat his food. Frodo tends to get excited about his food, and in the early stages of his training, he was prone to jumping on me or counters when anticipating food, and rushing to the food bowl the moment it was set down. As he progressed in his overall obedience and impulse control, he quickly replaced his bad habits and learned to be polite and patient even when faced with very tempting distractions such as food directly in front of him!
Another area of manners we have been working on is Frodo's Door Manners. The goal of Door Manners is for Frodo to hold a stationary position while near a door and remain there until released or given a new command, such as Come or Heel. He is asked to hold the position at the location asked of him, and not break the command even if the door is left open, if someone is knocking on it, or if people walk in or out of it. This practice teaches important boundaries, and prevents impolite and possibly dangerous behaviors such as trying to escape through open doors, shoving past people when walking through doors, or rushing over to jump on people who enter through the door. With daily practice, Frodo has made great progress with his manners related to doors, and understands to follow instructions no matter what distractions the door may create. Having proper Door Manners is also a great way to set Frodo up for success with in-home Greeting Manners as well, as he is prompted to hold the position asked of him and is discouraged from jumping on or barking at people.
Having good Car manners makes transporting Frodo easy, safe, and as hassle-free as possible. The goal for Car Manners is for Frodo to be confident and able to jump into the car when prompted without needing any physical assistance. Once in the car, the goal is for him to willingly enter a kennel when asked, without needing to be physically guided or lured inside. When he first came to me he was a bit underconfident about jumping and slightly hesitant to enter the kennel, but he is now able to both jump and enter the kennel effortlessly and with zero hesitation.
Frodo has made such an amazing transformation in these past two weeks, and the differences in him are truly night and day! Before the program, he had a tendency to immediately become overexcited and overstimulated by everything around him, causing him to struggle to pay attention or follow commands. He has since learned to stay calm, focused, and neutral to his surroundings even in busy places. He has also replaced many poor habits with good manners, and by adding structure and consistency into his daily life he has come to understand how to make better choices. We have resolved many issues that once were common with him, such as leash pulling, excessive barking, and chewing on furniture or stealing household objects. He still has a ways to go in his journey with building confidence and reducing anxiety in certain situations, though his progress with this has been astounding in such a short period of time. While he may seem like a whole new dog, he is still the same silly, loving, and playful pup he always has been, and with his new obedience skills he is even more of a joy to be around and take with on all sorts of adventures! Frodo has been such a pleasure to train and share my home with, and I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to help this good boy become the best version of himself! The sky is the limit for this pup, and I know he has a very bright future ahead in his continued training journey with his family!
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