At A Glance
Ollie is a 6-month-old Labrador Retriever who enrolled in a 2-Week Board-and-Train program with Off Leash K9 Training in Spokane. He came into training with plenty of puppy energy and needed help with basic obedience, recall, pulling, jumping, and emerging reactive behavior. His program focused on building confidence, improving responsiveness, and helping him develop calmer, more manageable everyday habits. The training also gave Ollie structured opportunities to practice these skills around everyday distractions in a controlled setting.
Dog: Ollie
Breed: Labrador Retriever
Age: 6 months
Location: Spokane, WA
Program: 2-Week Board and Train
Trainer: Sandy
Main Focus: Recall, reactivity, confidence, leash pulling, jumping, basic obedience, and puppy manners
Outcome: A stronger foundation for reliable recall, calmer responses, better manners, and improved everyday obedience
The Challenge
Ollie was a friendly young Labrador with typical puppy energy, but he needed more structure and consistency in his everyday behavior.
Before training, Ollie:
- Did not consistently come when called
- Had high puppy energy
- Was beginning to show reactive behavior
- Barked at people
- Barked in response to sounds
- Reacted to passing cars
- Pulled during walks
- Jumped on people
- Needed stronger basic obedience
- Needed more confidence around everyday distractions
During his initial assessment, Ollie demonstrated some understanding of recall, sit, and place. However, his trainer identified pulling, jumping, reactivity, and inconsistent responsiveness as areas that needed additional work.
His training was designed to strengthen the skills he already knew while helping him become more confident and attentive in different situations.
The Training Approach
Ollie completed a 2-Week Board and Train designed to build foundational obedience while addressing his puppy energy and emerging reactive behavior.
Training focused on:
- Building a more dependable recall
- Reinforcing sit and place
- Improving command follow-through
- Teaching better leash manners
- Reducing pulling during walks
- Addressing jumping behavior
- Building confidence around people
- Practicing calmer responses to sounds and cars
- Improving engagement with his handler
- Helping Ollie manage excitement around distractions
The goal was to help Ollie learn to stay connected to his handler and respond more appropriately when something exciting or unfamiliar caught his attention.
The Results
The provided transcript primarily documents Ollie at the beginning of his program, so specific final improvements should be confirmed using the completed before-and-after video.
Throughout the program, his training was designed to address:
- More consistent recall
- Stronger basic obedience
- Better leash control
- Improved greeting manners
- Reduced jumping
- Calmer responses around people, sounds, and cars
- Greater confidence in different environments
- Better focus on his handler
- More manageable puppy energy
Ollie entered training with an early understanding of several commands and a friendly personality. His program was designed to build on those strengths while giving him clearer structure as he continued developing.
Trainer Insight
Young Labradors often have plenty of energy and enthusiasm, which can make recall, leash walking, and calm greetings difficult without consistent expectations. Establishing obedience early can help puppies learn how to direct that energy into more appropriate behaviors.
When a young dog begins barking or reacting to people, cars, or unfamiliar sounds, confidence-building and structured exposure can also be valuable. Teaching the dog to check in with the handler provides a clearer response when something in the environment captures their attention.
Ready for Better Puppy Manners in Spokane, WA?
If your puppy ignores recall, pulls on the leash, jumps on people, or begins reacting to everyday distractions, structured training can help build clearer communication, confidence, and more dependable habits.
Schedule a consultation today to discuss your puppy’s needs and explore available training options.