This week was all about proofing — taking everything the dogs have learned and putting it to the test in the real world. Kayla loaded up the entire group and headed to a local park to work the dogs in a completely new and unfamiliar environment. New smells, new sights, new people, and plenty of distractions — this is where training either holds up… or falls apart. Up to this point, the dogs have been learning and practicing in a more controlled setting. Now we’re asking a different question: Do they actually understand the commands, or were they just performing in a familiar routine? Throughout the session, Kayla worked each dog through their core obedience: Heel with focus despite distractions Sit and Down with duration Place in an open environment Recall with competing stimuli You’ll see moments where the dogs succeed, and moments where they struggle — and that’s exactly what we want. This is how we identify gaps, build clarity, and start creating reliability. This phase is where training starts to become real. Not just obedience in the training room… but obedience that holds up in everyday life. We’ll continue building on this by increasing difficulty, reinforcing expectations, and helping each dog gain confidence and consistency no matter where they are.

We are nearing the home stretch with our April group. At this point in the program they have all learned everything they need to from a skill standpoint. From here on out it's reps. Lots and lots of reps in harder and harder scenarios.

This took some work. Taken over the course of 3 days, this video shows how I was able to take Rip from an extremely defensive and possessive state of mind to a place of clarity. This is not a behavior you fix with corrections, especially with a strong confident dog like Rip. He needs rules, but those rules have to be fair and make sense to him. This is just a foot in the door, we aren't near the finish line yet. This entire process was simply to set the stage for me to fully address his possessiveness.

This week we made a big jump forward in training. We began layering in the e-collar over the obedience commands the dogs already know. This allows us to start building clear, consistent communication at a distance and gives us a way to reinforce commands in real-world situations—not just in a controlled environment. At the same time, we introduced distractions. This included new environments, added movement, and controlled exposure to other dogs. The goal here is to start teaching the dogs how to stay focused and responsive even when something more exciting or stressful is happening around them. This is where training starts to become more practical. It’s no longer just about knowing the command—it’s about choosing to follow through despite distractions. You’ll likely notice moments where your dog is working through hesitation or testing boundaries. That’s normal and expected at this stage. This week is all about building clarity, accountability, and confidence as we raise expectations. We’re setting the foundation now for reliable, real-world obedience moving forward.