Hugo | Standard Poodle | Studio City, CA | In-Training
- meganoffleashsocal
- 5 days ago
- 13 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
Meet Hugo, a two year old Standard Poodle from Studio City, California! This sweet and playful pup is here with us for our Two Week Board and Train Program. He comes to us with knowledge of some basic obedience commands, though he is easily distracted and can be selective with his listening. While he's generally a very good boy, he has some poor habits, such as pulling on the leash while walking and jumping all over people to say hello. He also comes to us with some other common issues, including an aversion to being inside of a kennel, a habit of barking excessively, and some separation anxiety. Hugo can also be a bit mischievous, and will play with household items he's not supposed to, such as toilet paper, shoes, and pillows. Over the next fourteen days, we will be working on improving his obedience, discipline, confidence, and manners to set him on the right track to becoming a well-behaved pup both on and off leash. Stay tuned for his transformation!
Pupdate 4/6/2025
Today Hugo and I spent the day bonding and getting to know each other at the park after he was dropped off with me. He warmed up to me very quickly and we became fast friends, though once the initial excitement of meeting me wore off he was generally much more interested in our surroundings rather than focusing on 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. We tested basic commands such as Come, Heel, Sit, Down, and Place. He would usually Come to me when called, but it sometimes took several asks before he responded, and once he got to me he was typically quick to wander back off again. When asked to Heel, he didn't seem to have a ton of interest in the command and would usually walk around wherever he pleased rather than following alongside me in a Heel. Hugo would sometimes walk without pulling, though if something caught his interest he would definitely pull quite hard in an attempt to get to where he wanted to go. He appears to understand the Sit and Down commands, though he was not always reliable about following through with them and would sometimes opt to ignore the command asked of him or do something else entirely. I also asked him to Place on some low, easy to reach objects, but he didn't seem to understand what was being asked of him. He would sometimes jump onto objects when asked, though he would often hop right back down without pausing to remain stationary. Throughout our visit at the park, Hugo also loved to jump all over me, and often did so while I was asking him for commands or whenever he felt excited about something.
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, though was a bit hesitant initially and needed a bit of encouragement to get him to jump up. He wasn't a big fan of entering the kennel, however with some patience and treats to lure him in, he was able to enter it eventually. Anytime Hugo 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. As such, helping him to build a positive association with the kennel will be important during his stay with me to ensure he sees it as a safe and comfortable space. We spent some time working on this when we got home, by tossing treats and toys in to entice him to enter it, and rewarding him heavily each time he did so. Once he was comfortable entering the kennel, we practiced gradually increasing the duration which he remained inside it, so that come bedtime he would be comfortable sleeping in it. He did whine and bark a bit at first, especially if I left his sight, though with some more practice throughout the day, he appears to be having an easier time settling down now. During mealtime, Hugo was a bit excited, and he barked and jumped on me as I made his bowl, so we'll need to work on his Food Manners as well. He didn't end up eating all of the food offered to him, though this is not unusual for him, and he also ate lots of treats during our kennel training which might have affected his appetite a bit as well. We also went out for a walk around my neighborhood today to help him become familiar with the area where we will be taking regular walks each day. When exiting the house to start our walk, Hugo was a bit impatient and 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. Overall, he seems to be settling in nicely, and we are so excited to begin this training journey together!
Pupdate 4/7/2025
Today Hugo and I visited a park, where we met up with some other OffLeash SoCal trainers and their pups! This provided a great opportunity to practice some training in close proximity to other dogs and people in a controlled environment. Hugo was a bit excited to be around the other dogs at first, though he quickly seemed to understand that they were all focused on their own training, which encouraged him to do the same. Today's goals for training included improving his understanding of leash pressure, introducing the e-collar, and beginning our work with the Heel command.
Pressure is a fundamental tool used in teaching basic obedience commands. The idea is that whenever pressure is applied, be it from a leash or e-collar, it is paired with a command. The pressure then remains present until Hugo 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 doing basic exercises with leash pressure only 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.
Heel is an important concept for Hugo to begin developing early on in his training. The goal for the Heel command is for Hugo 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 4/8/2025
Today Hugo and I visited a local park, where we trained around distractions. The park wasn't overly busy, but did have a variety of distractions including people, children, dogs, and small animals such as birds and squirrels. During today's training, we focused on introducing the Off command and the Come to Sit command.
Hugo 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 Hugo 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, jumping on people, barking, 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/or the e-collar allows us to quickly 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. Hugo has shown good progress in understanding the Off command so far, and with each repetition, he seems to be quicker to respond and refocus when prompted.
Come to Sit is an important command to begin practicing early on in Hugo's training journey, as it will be our main form of recall. The goal for Come to Sit is for Hugo to come directly to me when called, and circle around to perform a Sit on my left side. The Come to Sit command when performed in its entirety, ensures that he not only comes when called, but also requires him to sit beside his handler and not leave that spot unless released or given a new command. By having him Sit on the left side facing forward, we are setting him up for success to begin walking in a Heel, as he is already in the desired position for it. We introduced Come to Sit today by combining the verbal command "Come" with some other visual cues to grab his attention and encourage him to move towards me. If he failed to begin coming to me on the first ask, leash pressure and e-collar stimulation were added to provide clear communication and guidance. Once he approached me, he was guided around to my left side, where he was then asked to perform a Sit. As we practiced more, he began to rely a bit less on the leash pressure to grab his attention and guide him, which is a good sign of progress! With each successful repetition, I made sure to reward him with lots of praise and affection, to build up a positive association with the command and 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! His most common mistake was sitting sideways facing me, instead of facing forward. This is a pretty minor mistake overall, though will be something we'll work to correct and clean up over the coming days.
Pupdate 4/9/2025
Today Hugo and I spent the day working in various areas around my neighborhood. My neighborhood tends to be pretty quiet overall, though some common distractions are often present including people out for walks, other dogs, and the occasional bird or squirrel. Lawns, trees, bushes, and other foliage also served as a good distraction, as Hugo's love for exploring scents was a good challenge to work with during training. During today's training, we focused on introducing and working with the Place and Down commands.
The goal for the Place command is for Hugo 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. We first introduced this command at home using a familiar object, a dog cot. He is comfortable climbing onto and relaxing on the cot in his own time, so this was a good object to use and help set him up for success. We used some leash pressure to guide him onto the cot while giving a hand signal and the verbal Place cue, which he quickly picked up on. Once he seemed to understand the behavior, we began pairing the leash pressure with e-collar stimulation as additional reinforcement and communication when needed. Once he was successfully performing Place with familiar objects, we moved on to practice with other types of objects such as tree stumps, rocks, low walls, and other types of objects we found around my neighborhood. He did well with this overall, and while he was sometimes a bit hesitant with new objects, just a bit of motivation and encouragement helped build his confidence and willingness to Place on cue. We will continue practicing this command with different objects in a variety of environments to improve Hugo's skills with this command!
The goal for the Down command is for Hugo to lay down completely when asked, and remain in that position until released or given a new command. He seems to understand this command already, though before today was generally unreliable about actually performing it when asked, let alone remaining in the position until released. So today we worked to improve his reliability by always holding him accountable, and worked to further his understanding of the implied stay when asked to perform commands. If he didn't Down when asked the first time, leash pressure and e-collar stimulation were added to reinforce it, and he quickly understood this and was much better at listening on the first ask. If he broke the command by standing or sitting up unprompted, he was asked to return back into the position and encouraged to hold it until released. We kept the duration on the shorter side to set him up for success today, though as we continue to practice this we will be increasing the duration gradually so he can learn to remain in this position for extended periods of time. We will also continue adding in more distractions so he can be reliable with the command in any situation or environment.
Pupdate 4/10/2025
Today Hugo and I visited an outdoor mall, where we practiced all of his commands around distractions. The mall had a decent amount of distractions present, including small groups of people, other dogs, food, music, and birds. There was also a busy street nearby, which added some additional noise distractions such as car honks and loud engines.
Hugo did seem a bit excited when we first arrived and was keen on wanting to explore around the new area, though the longer we spent here the easier time he had staying focused on me. One main distraction for him was groups of people, as Hugo loves people and has a tendency to want to say hello to them. Hugo is of course naturally adorable, so many people who see him will to baby talk or make noises at him, which tends to make ignoring them even more difficult for him. One focus of today's training was working around people and focusing on using the Off command whenever he began to take too much interest in a person nearby. Doing this helps to prevent unwanted behaviors before they happen, because if left unchecked Hugo would likely choose to run over and jump on everyone he sees!
Hugo was able to Heel well overall, and was generally very good about sticking right beside me as we walked, matching my pace, and following my lead. If a person walked by near us, he would sometimes try to veer off slightly, though as we worked to discourage this by using the Off command it became less and less common. He responded very well to leash pressure for Heel, and proving just a small amount of leash pressure was often enough to help him correct himself if he made an error. Ideally, we want him to Heel without any leash pressure needed at all, though this will be a gradual process and the fact that he is no longer pulling against the leash pressure is a great step towards this goal! Hugo's recall for Come to Sit was solid, and he always came right to me whenever I called him. Sometimes he would Sit slightly out of position, though this was easily adjusted with some light leash pressure. He was able to perform Sit, Down, and Place each with good reliability, and didn't have any notable issues with them today. We practiced adding in some longer durations for these positions as well as having him perform them around more distractions, and he ended up doing a good job!
Pupdate 4/11/2025
Today Hugo and I visited an indoor mall, where we continued to practice each of his commands around distractions. The mall was pretty busy, and had some crowds of people, other dogs, food, and music to serve as distractions.
Hugo started our session here off strong, and maintained a focused mindset throughout our entire visit! He did occasionally get slightly distracted from time to time, though he never let a lapse in focus affect his commands and was always able to shift his attention right back to me each time he was prompted.
He was able to Heel with great consistency here, and was able to remain in a Heel with ease even as we passed by major distractions such as big groups of people, food on tables, and other dogs. His Come to Sit was reliable, and his recall was always immediate without the need to ask him again. He sometimes would Sit ever so slightly crooked, though this was a minor flaw and did improve with more repetitions during the course of the session. He was able to Sit, Down, and Place each with good reliability, though every now and then he would need to be asked a second time to perform these commands if he was a bit distracted. After the second ask with some added reinforcement, he was always quick to dial in his focus and enter the position asked of him. He was also able to remain in these stationary positions for a good period of time, and was often able to hold positions for a minimum duration of at least one minute, even with plentiful distractions around tempting him!
I also wanted to touch briefly on Hugo's kennel training journey thus far with me. He sometimes is still a bit hesitant to enter the kennel when asked to, though at this point he will always enter willingly when a treat is tossed inside. We've been working to gradually fade out the need for this food lure by doing repetitions of him entering it and rewarding him after he enters it instead of before. This still needs some work, though this practice does seem to be improving his feelings about entering the kennel. Feeding him in his kennel also seems to be helping him build a positive association with being inside of it. During his first day with me, he was prone to whining, barking, and vocalizing while in the kennel, seemingly in hopes that doing so would lead to him being let out. It's important to not reward this behavior in any way, and to ignore him when he is doing this. If he is let out while vocalizing, he may associate the behavior with getting what he wants, so to avoid this he should only be released while he is calm and quiet. With consistent practice of this, he has quickly caught on that doing this would only delay or prevent him from exiting the kennel, so the behavior has naturally become discouraged. For the past several days now, he has come to understand that the kennel is a quiet, safe space for him to relax and sleep in, and has been treating it as such. He will sometimes whine a bit if I leave the room or exit the house while he is in the kennel, though this tends to be very brief and cease after a minute or two.
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