Meet Penny Lane! She's an eleven-month-old Irish Terrier Mix from Los Angeles, California here for our Two-Week Board and Train Program! She's incredibly sweet and cuddly, but finds it very difficult to listen to any commands, and struggles with most distractions, especially squirrels and other dogs. She often barks at them, and pulls all over the place on her leash. She also needs a little extra help with her potty training. Over the next fourteen days, we'll work on her obedience skills, help with her barking and reactivity towards distractions, work on her manners in and out of the house, help with her potty training, and show her how to be the best pup she can possibly be! Stay tuned for Penny Lane's two week transformation!
Pupdate: 1/19/2025
I picked up Penny Lane today and spent some time at the park to get to know her. She’s incredibly sweet and even hopped onto a few benches with me for some cuddle time. On the walk, she pulled quite a bit and barked at a few other dogs. She seemed fairly uncomfortable with all the distractions around.
During the drive home, she was quiet, which made for a smooth trip. Once we arrived, she spent some time exploring and sniffing around my home. She was a little nervous at first, but she seems to be settling in nicely. So far, Penny Lane has been a joy to have, and I’m excited to see her personality shine as she gets more comfortable!
Pupdate: 1/20/2025
Today, Penny Lane had a big training session at Whittier Narrows Park with several other trainers and their dogs. When we first arrived, she was quite reactive—barking a lot and pulling heavily on her leash at the other dogs. However, after a few minutes, she started to settle down, although she would occasionally bark when another dog moved or made a noise.
We spent most of our time working on her Heel command. My goal is for Penny Lane to walk calmly at my left side with her ears in line with my leg. This has been a challenge for her since she’s used to pulling wherever she wants, but with the help of the leash and her new E-collar, she’s starting to make progress. Once we got into the rhythm of training, her focus improved, and she didn’t bark at the other dogs for the rest of the session.
Once we made some progress, we practiced holding a Sit near the other dogs to help her get more comfortable in close proximity. She did fairly well, as seen in the video above.
After such a productive day, Penny Lane was ready for a well-deserved nap at home. On a great note, she’s also had zero potty accidents indoors so far—way to go, Penny Lane!
Pupdate: 1/21/2025
Penny Lane had a great training session at Almansor Park today! There were a few other dogs around, and I was really impressed with her progress—she passed by them without barking! She was still curious and interested in the other dogs but managed to keep her composure, avoiding both pulling and barking.
We continued working on her Heel, which showed noticeable improvement compared to yesterday. Penny Lane is starting to understand what’s expected of her, and I’m thrilled with her progress so far.
The most challenging part of the park turned out to be the pond. Penny was fascinated by the geese and ducks, watching them intently. She didn't bark or pull but was definitely interested and kept her distance from the water's edge.
We also worked on her Come To Sit command, which will be how we call her to us. The goal is for her to come to my right side when called, move around behind me, and sit neatly at my left with her ears aligned to my leg. It’s a tricky skill, and Penny Lane has a tendency to spin too far and end up in front of me. Using bits of her kibble to guide her into the correct position made a big difference, and she’s starting to get the hang of it!
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