Sam | Malinois Mix | Manhattan Beach, CA | In-Training
- Jose Ayala
- Sep 3, 2023
- 9 min read
Updated: Feb 29, 2024
Meet Sam! She is an eight month old Malinois mix who has joined us for our Two Week Board and Train Program. Sam is here for basic obedience, leash pulling, jumping to greet, and nipping in a playful manner. The goal for Sam is to have her listen to commands, keep her from nipping and jumping on people, as well as keeping her from barking at anyone that passes by her home. Sam needs structure in her obedience, and over the next fourteen days, she will be setup for success and build a strong foundation, in order to have her become the best pup that she can be. Check in to see her progress!
Sam and I spent the morning getting to know each other. We established a bond by going for a stroll around the park. Throughout our walk, Sam would heavily pull on her leash, be easily distracted by the smell of grass, and would also want to interact with any person that passed us by. To teach her into not doing so, I introduced her to Heel, which is a technique that consists of having Sam walk next to me on my left side. Anytime she would pull away from me, I would turn in the opposite direction, and give her leash tension to guide her back towards me. If she fell behind, I would move forward a little faster, use leash tension, and verbal encouragement to have her catch up. Sam still needs some practice, and by taking her on morning and evening walks everyday, we will apply Heel to those walks from here on out.
Sam and I worked on her recall today which is known as Come to Sit. This consists of having Sam come towards my right side, going around behind me, and sitting on my left. She does well when I ask her to “Come” towards my right, but would eventually stop behind me at times and not fully go around. To work her through it, I took a few steps forward and used leash tension to bring her into position on my left. Since she is food motivated, I also used treats as a reward anytime she followed through. She is making very good progress, and I will continue to work on it with her, slowly begin to fade out the treat rewards, and mainly use praise for a job well done. She did great through the night in her kennel, and she is adjusting to her new home for the next two weeks.
Sam and I worked on her Place technique today. Place consists of having Sam getting onto an elevated object and remaining there in a Sit or a Down. It builds confidence in a dog, and it can also serve a great purpose if there is a knock on your door. Teaching Sam took some time as she was very hesitant about the object initially. Once I introduced her to the object, Sam would begin to pull back on her leash and not work on the behavior. When I tried to use leash tension as guidance, Sam would jump over the object and try to avoid it every time. To avoid frustration, I ended our session with a water break and let her rest until she was in a calm relaxed state. After our break, I tried a different approach that consisted of getting onto the object myself, having her follow, and rewarding her with a treat for working through it. By utilizing this approach, Sam began to follow through, and is now building her confidence by placing on different objects.
Sam was introduced to Down today. This technique can be one of the most difficult to teach a dog considering it being a submissive position. To teach Sam, I used treats and leash tension. By putting the treat by her nose, I began to lure her towards the ground, and slightly used leash tension to assist her into going Down. She did come out of her position a few times, but I reset her and repeated the process. I took my time working on it with her by rewarding her with any sort of intent she made. After a few reps, Sam was able to follow through, but would turn on her back or sideways looking for belly rubs. To correct that behavior, I tried a different approach which consists of placing my foot on her leash, and gently applying just enough pressure to have her go into a Down. It has been working a lot better and she does very well following through.
Sam and I drove out to a public setting to work on her commands around people distractions. We began with a walk around the pier to have her adjust to her surroundings, and she did very well adjusting to them quickly. Throughout our walk, anytime she made an intent to approach someone, I would give her leash tension, ask her to “Off,” and ask her to “Heel,” to get her back on track. She did very well at understanding what I was asking, and followed through with her behavior. Sam was having trouble maintaining her Place, as she would only hold it for a few seconds and then try to come off. Anytime she tried to come out of it, I would step in right in front of her and remind her to Sit. Sam was able to work through it, and I will continue to work with her in public areas to keep her following through on a consistent basis.
Sam and I continued to work on her Place a little more. She has made an improvement and is learning not to come out of it until I let her know that it is ok to do so. We worked in a public area with minimal distractions and she did very well. Sam was able to maintain her position and made no intent of sitting up or jumping off. Our morning and evening walks have also helped her progress, as we are now loose leash walking on our Heel exercises. Her recall is great, and Sam is no longer laying on her side or back when I signal her to Down. As she continues to thrive in her training, Sam and I will be practicing with a fifteen foot long line in the coming days, as she will begin to work on having her hold her stationary positions with added distance and distractions.
Sam and I did some training at an indoor shopping center. She adjusted very well to her surroundings, and did great throughout our walk as I did a little shopping. I also went ahead and worked on building her confidence more by having her Place on a different shaped object and surface. She was very hesitant to begin with and was a little uncomfortable considering the size of the object, but by working her through it with leash tension, verbal encouragement, and a few treats, I was able to have Sam feel comfortable enough to Place on the object. One of her main concerns was how she was around people and would pull on her leash to try and approach them. We worked on it as we walked through the mall and she made no intent at approaching anyone. She remained by my side the whole time, and I was even able to have lunch while I had her in a Down next to me, with no reaction as people would walk right by us.
Sam and I went out for a walk around my neighborhood and worked on some leash dragging exercises. I began working in an enclosed area such as my backyard to ensure that Sam would not veer off. After a few sessions, I was comfortable enough to take her out and practice around the block. She enjoys playing with my son, so I had him record me and serve as a distraction at the same time. She did very well maintaining her Heel, and not looking back or trying to approach him as we passed on by. We also worked on her recall, and even though it still needs a little cleanup, she is adjusting on working on it with no leash tension. Sam and I will continue to work on leash dragging exercises for the next few days, as she prepares for her off leash experience.
Sam and I took a trip to a local Home Depot today and worked on her distance and duration with a long line. We began on a walk throughout the aisles to have her adjust to her surroundings and she did very well. Making our way through the aisles, we made a stop in the lumber area and worked on some noise desensitizing. Sam was not startled and ignored the loud noises of wood being loaded onto shopping carts, and she also remained in a Sit as a forklift passed us by. She is doing good with her distance and duration, as I am able to get to the end of the long line without Sam coming out of her stationary positions. She was also able to work around customers who served as a distraction, and she made no intent to approach or greet them.
Sam and I have been working on her Door Manners. In the early stages of her Program, Sam would Sit when I would ask her to, but once I opened a door, she would almost immediately come out of it and want to go through. To correct her behavior, anytime she sat up as I opened a door, I would close it, reset her, and repeat the process as needed. Once she began to understand what I was asking, I was able to step outside while she remained in position. There were times in which someone would pass by, and she would get up and start to come out and bark. This was one of the behaviors that needed conditioning when her Program began, but by reminding her to Off and remain in a Sit or Down, Sam was able to follow through. In the video clip, you can see the mailman pass by, and although it did distract Sam, she was able to remain in her position with no reaction, and achieve her door manner goal.
Sam and I drove out to a local park and began working on some off leash exercises. In the beginning of our session, Sam was very distracted by the grass smells and would try to veer off and go smell it. To keep her from doing so, I corrected her by using the E-Collar at a level that she responds to, along with a verbal Off. Sam responds to the E-Collar at a low level, but the higher the distraction is for her, the higher I have to raise the level on it. Throughout our walk, she remained next to me during our Heel, and although Place was a little trouble for her initially, considering there was no leash guidance involved, Sam was able to work through it. She is just about ready to begin working on her Final, which will be the main focus for the remainder of her Program.
Sam and I have been working on her Food Manners ever since her Program began. It was difficult for Sam to wait for her food for a long period of time. She did Sit or Down when I served her, but at times, she would almost immediately come out of her position and go straight to her bowl. Anytime that happened, I picked the bowl up, reset her, and repeated the exercise. It did not take Sam long to understand what I was asking, and as days went by, she held her Down longer and waited for my cue. By remaining consistent and patient with Sam, I was able to help her reach her goal, and she can now patiently wait for her food in a stationary position for about two minutes.
Sam and I have been working on her Greeting Manners. She has come a long way and has made great progress when someone approaches her to say hello. During the initial stages of this exercise, Sam could not contain herself when anyone came close to her, and she would immediately get up to make an approach and try to jump on them. By working with her at home with some of my family members, Sam began to understand that she can only be greeted if she remained in a calm relaxed state without coming out of her Sit. If she did come out of her Sit, I would ask that person to take a step back while I reset her, and we would try again. It was a long process, but by remaining patient with her and working on it everyday, Sam has followed through, and can now be greeted without the worry of her jumping on anyone.
Sam has completed her Two Week Board and Train Program and is ready to come home. I would like to thank you for trusting me with Sam while she was under my care, and for also giving me the opportunity in being her trainer. We established a great bond and became great friends. I will miss having her around the house, and I will also miss her companionship. Sam was amazing throughout her Program, and I am looking forward to showing you what she can do. Her Final will be coming soon, but in the meantime, here is a clip of Sam showing some of her off leash skills. Thank you Sam!
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