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Mickey | American Staffordshire Terrier Mix | Torrence, CA In Training

Writer's picture: J VJ V

Meet Mickey, our newest student here at Off Leash SoCal! Mickey is a 2-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix from Torrance, CA, joining us for our famous 2-week Board & Train program. He’s here to work on unwanted barking, jumping during greetings, over-excitement on walks, not following direction, and lack of impulse control. Mickey has a high drive and eagerness to learn, making him a very smart pup. I’m excited to teach him new behaviors and put his mind to the test—stay tuned for Mickey’s 2-week transformation!

 

Today, the drive home went very smoothly—Mickey was quiet the entire time and super polite when getting out of the car, already showing attentiveness to me when responding to the commands “load up” and “load out.” He jumped right in without hesitation, which I was very pleased with! Before heading home, as seen in the video, we stopped by my local park where I typically take all Board & Train dogs for morning walks to practice training before tackling bigger adventures. I did this to spend a little time helping him get familiar with the area and me before heading home. Once home, he immediately made himself comfortable. After about an hour of desensitization of my home, yard & dog. We filmed our first training session, where I focused on his impulse control. Mickey shows a decent foundation for “sit” and “down” but lacks impulse control, so I worked on shaping his extended “sit,” “down,” and “place” commands, focusing on maintaining the commands as I circled him. I also started shaping his “come to sit” command and was very pleased with how well it went. Mickey loves to play and work, and I have a strong feeling he’s going to do great—stay tuned for Mickey’s upcoming Pupdates!

 

Pupdate 1/6/2025

Today, Mickey and I started our day with a brief morning session and began shaping “heel.” He was a bit resistant at first but quickly started to get the hang of it. Afterwards, we took a trip to a large park where we met up with some other trainers from our OffLeashSoCal team and their BNTs. This park is an excellent training ground, offering plenty of distractions like other dogs, squirrels, joggers, bikes, and strollers. These distractions actually helped build Mickey’s focus and attention as we practiced our U-turns on leash, reinforcing his responsiveness in more challenging environments. He did amazing today, as shown in the video, demonstrating how fast he’s learning by already performing “come to sit” and extended “sit,” “down,” and “place” very well. He’s incredibly smart and eager to learn. Mickey is also loading in and out of the car very politely, which I’m very pleased with. Stay tuned for Mickey’s upcoming pupdates!

 

Pupdate 1/7/2025

Today, Mickey and I started our day with a morning walk and then took a trip to Home Depot, where we practiced all aspects of obedience. Note in the video how well he is performing—staying attentive to me and quickly learning “come to sit” and “heel.” Notice how I incorporate the long line to help shape his off-leash obedience, allowing him to practice commands with added freedom while staying responsive. This method builds confidence and reinforces good habits as we progress toward off-leash reliability. We also practiced extended “sit” and “down” on “place.” Closer to the beginning exercises demonstrated in the video, you’ll notice I had to adjust the camera near two patient gentlemen looking for lumber. Mickey held his extended “down” on “place” until I gave him further direction. This is a huge accomplishment for a first attempt, as staying focused with that level of distraction can be challenging for some dogs. He passes with flying colors! It’s a great sign to see Mickey picking up training so quickly, showing his intelligence and eagerness to learn. Stay tuned for Mickey’s upcoming Pupdates!

 

Pupdate 1/8/2025

Today, Mickey and I did not start our day with a morning walk as the Santa Ana winds did not make an ideal setting for a pleasant walk. Instead, I decided to focus our morning and afternoon on a variety of training exercises. We practiced door manners, food manners, and some “heel” in the driveway, as well as car load-up and “come to sit.” Door and food manners are excellent ways to help build impulse control, and Mickey is showing amazing progress! Note in the video how Mickey gets a little anxious when asked to load up in the car when the UPS driver passed by—he initially defaulted to the side of the kennel instead of going inside. Notice how I reset him and turned the situation into an extended training exercise using “come to sit” and my body to block the side. Despite being a little nervous, working through this moment was a great confidence boost for Mickey, and he handled it like a champ. He’s a smart boy, and this experience will help him continue to grow. Stay tuned for Mickey’s upcoming Pupdates!

 

Pupdate 1/9/2025

Today, Mickey and I started our day with a brief morning walk, followed by a break in my yard to let him burn off some energy and a few training exercises before heading out for some errands. Mickey’s “heel” and “car load-up” manners are near perfect, and I believe we’re ready to start incorporating more off-leash exercises. In the video at Home Depot, you’ll see how I was able to drop the leash, and Mickey maintained “heel” and performed “come to sit” with the leash dragging, demonstrating his capability for off-leash work. The leash dragging shows his focus and responsiveness even without direct guidance at times, a clear sign he’s ready for more advanced training. Although he’s a bit startled by shopping carts, as seen briefly in the video, I’ll continue these training exercises around greater stimulation to help boost his confidence with louder noises. We practiced “greeting manner” as well. This needs a little work though I am pleased with his reaction to people. He managed to hold down during the greeting which was great! Overall, I’m very happy with his progress—stay tuned for Mickey’s coming pupdates!

 

Pupdate 1/10/2025

Today, Mickey and I started our day bright and early, tagging along with my daughters for school drop-off before embarking on a big training adventure. We headed to a large park to practice obedience, followed by a stop at Petco where Mickey worked on extended “sit” on “place” and demonstrated his impeccable greeting manners with some friendly admirers. His stunning looks and cheerful demeanor make him a magnet for attention! We continued our day with lunch, where he practiced holding an extended “down” while we ate, showing remarkable patience and focus. To wrap up, we visited Dick’s Sporting Goods, practicing off-leash heeling with a leash drag and more greeting manners. Mickey is such a friendly, easygoing dog, and his ability to learn so quickly is truly astonishing. His enthusiasm for training makes every session so enjoyable, and his trust in me is growing stronger each day. He’s not just learning commands; he’s truly thriving in every environment we explore together. Stay tuned for Mickey’s upcoming Pupdates!

 

Pupdate 1/11/2025


Today, Mickey and I began our day with a morning walk, followed by a visit to our local park and field to practice off-leash obedience. In the video, you can see how well he is recalling during our field session. Afterward, we headed to Target, where Mickey got to practice in a busy, crowded shopping environment. He did well and is steadily progressing toward being fully off-leash. Currently, he’s working with a leash drag still and I feel confident I can phase it out as early as tomorrow or Monday. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be introducing him to more crowded settings to refine his off-leash obedience further. I’m impressed with Mickey’s progress and his ability to stay focused even in busy environments. He does need to be reminded to stay on my left at times but I am noticing this improving with every session. His consistent improvement reflects the quality of his training and dedication. Mickeys Rash, note in the pictures has also improved since yesterday applying the Neosporan helped a lot and have re applied it today. Stay tuned for Mickey’s upcoming pupdates as we reach new milestones together!

 

Pupdate 1/12/2025

Today, Mickey and I dedicated all day to training, with only a few breaks in between, to proof his off-leash obedience. We started with a morning walk and continued with training exercises near my home and in the yard. I focused on reinforcing his food and door manners, and he impressed me by successfully leaving his food untouched for two minutes and waiting at the door for the same duration, all off-leash, with minimal e-collar guidance. These exercises not only tested his patience but also boosted his confidence and trust in me as his handler. Spending this time together allowed us to strengthen our bond, making him more attentive and eager to please. In the video, I captured some playtime in the yard with my dog, showcasing how well they get along. The video doesn’t capture this but also wanted to share that Mickey is very respectful toward my cat and attentive to my guidance. The progress we’ve made is exciting, and I feel this structured training has significantly enhanced his ability to trust and respond to me in various situations. With big plans for training and adventures ahead, I’m thrilled to see Mickey’s continued growth! Also wanted to note his neck rash is looking a lot better as shown in the pics, and am continuing to apply the ointment in the morning and before bed time. Stay tuned for Mickeys upcoming pupdates!

 

Pupdate 1/13/2025

Today, Mickey and I embarked on an exciting adventure, working on off-leash obedience training at a park in Cerritos with other trainers from our Off-Leash SoCal team and their board-and-train dogs. The session was designed to challenge the dogs with increased distractions in a new environment, and Mickey rose to the occasion beautifully. We started with basic commands like “sit” and “heel,” gradually increasing the difficulty with longer distances and more distractions, such as other dogs training / playing nearby, squirrels, joggers & bikes. Mickey stayed focused and responsive, even during recall drills like “come to sit” and advanced commands like “extended sit”, “down,” & “place” holding his position until released. His confidence and composure were evident throughout, showcasing how much progress he’s made. This type of training builds trust and strengthens our bond, and I couldn’t be prouder of how far Mickey has come. We are continuing the same treatment with his neck rash with Neosporan in the Morning & evening time. The rash seems to be improving daily note in the pictures. Stay tuned for Mickey’s upcoming pupdates!

 

Pupdate 1/14/2025

Today, Mickey and I started our day with our usual morning walk, followed by a few errands, and made a stop at the dog park for some additional distractions. Mickey demonstrated impressive off-leash obedience at both Petco and the park, sticking to me like glue. In the video, you’ll notice a brief moment when we struggled to maintain the heel position as a dog approached, causing some disruption through the fence. This startled Mickey, and I took a moment to regain his focus, successfully redirecting him by reinforcing his attention on me. This experience was valuable in showing Mickey that as long as he stays focused on me, his handler, everything will be fine. We never recommend taking dogs directly into a dog park due to the potential for negative experiences, but I find that using the fence line and other dogs as controlled distractions is highly effective for training. Mickey’s recall is near perfect, and I’m extremely pleased with the progress we’ve made today. His neck rash also seems to be improving, with small gains every day, and I’m continuing the ointment in the AM and PM. I also picked up 4lbs of his Purina Pro Plan food Lamb & Oat Meal Formula which you’ll notice in the photos. Tomorrow, we’ll be joining other trainers and their board-and-train dogs at Cerritos Mall for training exercises around large crowds. It’s exciting to watch Mickey grow in his confidence and skills, and I look forward to sharing more of his progress soon. Stay tuned!

 

Pupdate 1/15/2025

Today, Mickey and I embarked on a fun trip to the Cerritos Mall for the first time. At first, he was frightened and didn’t seem to know what to do with himself while walking on the slippery marble floors. Nevertheless, I gave him the extra push and guidance he needed. After a short desensitization period, he was back to himself and performed his off-leash skills. Note in the video Mickey holding his extended sit, down, and place commands fairly comfortably. You’ll also notice that he experienced a moment of confusion when placing on the bench. To help him reset and succeed, I utilized the “come to sit” command from a greater distance, which allowed him to refocus and regain his composure. This approach not only reinforced his understanding of the command but also built his confidence in responding under challenging circumstances. Once reset, Mickey performed the task with renewed clarity, demonstrating his ability to adapt and learn in a new environment. Despite the initial hesitation, he showcased remarkable progress as we navigated the busy mall. By the end of the trip, his confidence on the slippery floors and his overall engagement had improved significantly, making this a valuable training experience. Mickeys neck continues to improve as well and sticking to the same treatment. Stayed tuned for Mickeys upcoming pupdates!

 

Pupdate 1/16/2025

Today, Mickey and I started our day with our routine, beginning with an off-leash walk this morning and some playtime in my yard. We followed this with training and another trip to Cerritos Mall, where I’m thrilled to report that Mickey excelled in our mall experience, performing with flying colors. In the video, you can see him confidently executing extended commands like “sit,” “down,” “place,” “heel,” and “come to sit.” I couldn’t be more proud of him! His obedience and attentiveness in the mall environment were remarkable, demonstrating his growing confidence and focus. While he momentarily hesitated getting onto the place bench due to a brief distraction, with some guidance, he quickly corrected himself and resumed his focus, which shows his ability to recover and stay on task. It’s incredible to see how Mickey’s training is translating into real-world settings with such poise and precision. He’s proved himself to be a quick learner, mastering not only commands but also the art of staying calm in a busy environment. His ability to adapt to new challenges and maintain his focus reflects his impressive growth. Each outing is another opportunity for him to build on his skills, and he’s showing consistent progress every day. Stay tuned for Mickey’s upcoming pupdate!

 

Pupdate 1/17/2025

Today, Mickey and I began our day with an off-leash walk and some playtime in the yard before diving into training and tackling new challenges. At Home Depot, Mickey rode in a shopping cart to help boost his confidence and focus, and the results were outstanding—he remained calm and attentive, flawlessly performing commands like “sit,” “down,” “heel,” and “place,” even in a busy environment. Despite initially feeling unsure, he responded beautifully to redirection, demonstrating his trust and quick adaptability. He also completed a short extended down exercise on the cart, holding the position with unwavering focus. Later, at Cerritos Mall, Mickey continued to excel, confidently executing commands like extended “sit,” “down,” “place,” “heel,” and “come to sit” in the busy and distracting surroundings. His composure, responsiveness, he continues to adapt to real-world settings with consistent progress. Mickey rises to any challenge with confidence and poise. Last note his neck looks better than yesterday and continues to make progress, staying on top of the ointment treatment. Stay tuned for Mickey’s final pupdate as he completes this amazing journey!

 

Pupdate 1/18/2025

Today, Mickey and I started with our daily off-leash walk, followed by some playtime in the yard before heading out on our final adventures together. Our day began at Cerritos Mall, where we continued regular obedience work, but our stay ended early when security noticed our impressive off-leash exercises. We then visited Bella Terra Mall, where Mickey demonstrated an amazing training exercise, placing on logs—a challenging surface that required focus and balance. His ability to maintain his position and await further instruction reflects his capacity for high-level obedience. Training exercises like these are instrumental in developing a dog’s confidence, adaptability, and trust in their handler. His neck continues to make progress. Mickey has truly shown remarkable progress throughout his training journey, and I’m proud to have been part of it. We concluded the day with more exercises at home, reflecting on his transformation and the bond we’ve built. Mickey will be deeply missed, but I’m grateful for the growth we’ve achieved together. Bye, Mickey Boy—until we meet again!


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