Charlie, a Labradoodle from Glendale, CA went through the Balanced Canine Training SoCal Board and Train Program. Charlie was trained by Jose Ayala in Compton, CA.
Meet Artemis! She is a six month old Australian Shepherd who has joined us for our Two Week Board and Train Program. Artemis is here for basic obedience, leash pulling, potty training, jumping to greet, and barking at other dogs. She is not aggressive, but Artemis likes to make her presence known and will bark at other dogs from a distance. She loves attention, so she will pull heavily on her leash to walk towards people, and will jump to be greeted on occasions. Although she has been working on her potty training, she still has a few accidents in the house. Over the next fourteen days, this loving pup will be working on building a solid foundation, so that she may become the best pup that she can be. Check in to see her progress!
Artemis and I went for a walk at a local park shortly after pickup. Throughout our walk, Artemis would pull heavily on her leash, and would occasionally jump up behind me. To prevent her from repeating those behaviors, I began to work on Heel with her. Like Apollo, I used the same approach of turning in the opposite direction, and guiding her with leash tension back towards me. Since Apollo will be on your left side, I began to condition Artemis to walk on the right. She was having difficulty staying on the right, and would sway back and forth from right to left. To keep her from doing so, as soon as I noticed Artemis making an intent towards my left, I immediately made a quick u-turn and walked in the opposite direction to keep her on my right. She is a little stubborn, but she is learning to stay on my right. I will continue working on it with her during our morning and evening walks. She did not eat out of her bowl, but I was able to hand feed all of it to her.
Artemis and I worked on come to sit today. I used the same approach in teaching her, the only difference is Artemis will be sitting on my right side rather than my left. She is much more energetic, so our walks in the morning have been helping reduce some of her energy so she can train in a calmer state. I introduced her to the e-collar and she responds well to it at a low level. After a few reps of working on her recall, once I saw Artemis begin to understand the concept more, I began to implement the e-collar. By saying the command once, I give her a few seconds to follow through on her own. If she does not respond, then I give her a stim the second time as I am saying the command to work her through it. She still needs more practice, but she is making good progress. She did very well overnight in her kennel, and did not have any accidents.
Artemis and I drove out to the pier today and worked around distractions in a public setting. Initially, Artemis did try and pull away from me a few times, but with leash tension and e-collar stim, I was able to keep Artemis on track. She did very well not barking at people or other dogs throughout our time there. I was also able to introduce her to place, in which she did great in. Once I introduced her to the object and gave her back legs a little boost, Artemis began to place on her own. We met with other trainers and she was able to walk alongside another pup and pose for a picture as well. Her come to sit still needs a little more practice, but I am working on having it cleaned up. She received many compliments on her good looks, and for her good behavior.
Artemis and I worked on building her confidence more by having her continue to place on objects that may seem challenging for her. Today we worked on a park bench in which she did really well with. There are instances in which Artemis does need a running start to motivate her more, but once she gets comfortable, I can walk her towards it, ask her to place, and she follows through. Her recall has also been improving, and she is sitting close to my right more and not off to the side. Our morning and evening walks are also helping Artemis from barking at people and other dogs. She also continues to do well with her potty training and remains accident free.
Artemis and I worked on down today. She had an idea of the concept when we began to work on it, but she still needed a little guidance in following through. I used her kibble as a lure to help her into going down, but there were a few instances in which she gave me her paw instead. I used my left hand to hold her kibble in front of her nose, and used leash tension with my right hand for further assistance. She had a little trouble and would sit up at times, but I reset her by asking her to sit, and repeating the process as needed. It took some time, but once she went into a down, I rewarded Artemis with her kibble, released her with a “break,” and praised her for a job well done. Remember to take breaks in between sessions to avoid frustration if need be, and always remember to remain patient when teaching your pup something new.
Artemis and I worked on her stationary positions with a minimal amount of people walking by serving as a distraction. We began with a walk around the park to get rid of some energy, so she can work in a much more calm and relaxed state. She did very well with her sit as well as her down, by not getting up and wanting to interact with people passing her by. This coming week, I will be gradually increasing the amount of distractions, working her around other dogs, and begin leash dragging exercises with her. I am happy to report that Artemis continues to remain accident free. We enjoy each other’s company and love hanging out after our sessions.
Artemis and I worked on socialization with another pup by having some playtime in the front yard. Artemis did very well running around with her buddy Charlie, and did not bark or whine at him when wanting to interact. They spend a lot of time together at home, as I have them both out while they roam around the house. Giving Artemis playtime with another pup helps her release pent-up energy, and helps her develop social skills. It can also reduce boredom which can sometimes lead to destructive behavior, and it gives mental stimulation as it keeps the mind active.
Artemis and I worked on leash dragging exercises at a local park. We took a walk around the park to release some of her energy, and once I felt comfortable with Artemis, I dropped her leash and continued making our laps throughout the area. Artemis is a fast walker and did get ahead of me a few times, so I stepped on her leash, turned in the opposite direction, asked her to heel, and got her back on track. Once in a calmer state, I worked on the rest of her commands, which she did really well in, except for her come to sit and place. She was having quite the trouble with her recall, as it was her first time working on it with no leash guidance. To help Artemis work through it, I took a few steps back if she stopped when coming towards my left, and I also used hand guidance to point her in the right direction. With repetition, Artemis began to follow through. The same was done for place, but since it was a new object for her, I still gave her leash guidance to assist her, and after a few reps, Artemis began placing on her own. For the next few days, Artemis will continue to work this way as I prepare her to begin working off leash. As for her potty training, Artemis continues to do well with no accidents around the house nor in her kennel. I am also having her go on the grass instead of concrete. Training your pup to go on grass instead of concrete can be beneficial as grass can absorb the urine, reducing odors and making cleanup easier. It can also provide a more natural environment for your pup to do their business.
Artemis and I worked on some off leash conditioning today. We practiced a few times with her leash dragging, and once I felt that she was ready, I proceeded to removing her leash. She did very well with all of her commands, but had a little trouble maintaining her sit. During a few exercises in our session, Artemis would go into a down after about a minute in her sit. To work her through it, I lifted her up by her collar and used the same approach of five second increments when adding distance. It took some time, but Artemis eventually followed through. She is just about ready to begin filming for her final, and it will be one of the main focus points for the remainder of her program.
Artemis and I have been working on her door manners. During the initial phases of her program, Artemis would want to be the first one through. I began to work her through it by asking her to sit or down whenever we approached a door. She began to understand the concept, but on different occasions, Artemis would sit up and try to walk in or out on her own. Anytime that happened, I closed the door, reset her, and repeated the exercise as needed. I worked with a long line on her, and gradually increased distance when I saw consistency in her duration. She has been doing very well and has made great progress, as she can now wait patiently by the door until I release her to go on through.
Artemis and I have been working on her greeting manners. She loves attention and would always want to jump on anyone who wanted to greet her. With repetition throughout training, Artemis has learned that in order to be approached and greeted properly, she has to remain in a stationary position, while being in a calm state. If she sat up, I would reset her and ask the person who was greeting her to take a step back. I worked on it myself and with my niece and nephews. Artemis has done great, and can now be properly greeted without her having to jump. She continues to succeed with no accidents in her potty training. Like Apollo, I will go over the potty training with you during her turnover.
Artemis and I worked on her final earlier this week and she did really well putting everything that she has learned together. Like her brother Apollo, she is just as bright and thrives in her training. She has learned how to remain in position with distractions all around her, and she has also learned how to be social around other pups. Always remember to take her out on walks so that she may release some energy and train in a calmer state. She is a very confident pup, and it is a real pleasure working with her.
Artemis and I worked on place a little more today. Since she is very confident, I challenged Artemis by having her place on different objects with different texture. She was quite hesitant initially, and would only place her front paws on the object. Since she needed a little assistance, I put a leash on her, and guided her onto the object with a little tension. She had a little trouble on the rock she placed on considering the shape of it, and would slide off of it a few times. With repetition, Artemis was able to figure out how to remain on the rock without my assistance. She continues doing well with her potty training, and when I feel like she needs to go, I lead her to the door and go outside with her. At times, she will go and come right back in. Other times, she will go and want to stay outside, so I take advantage and give her some playtime.
Artemis has completed her Two Week Board and Train Program. Thank you for trusting me with Artemis as well while she was with me these past two weeks. She was a great pup to work with, and I am really proud of all that she has achieved. I am looking forward to having her reunite with Apollo, and for the opportunity to work them together. Her final video will be coming soon, but here is a sneak peek of Artemis working on food refusal. She was a great co-pilot, and I am going to miss her companionship. Remember to always remain consistent with training, keep it positive, and most all, have fun. Thank you Artemis!
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