At A Glance
Kona is an 11-month-old Old English Sheepdog puppy who entered a two-week training program with Off Leash K9 Training in Dover and trainer Erica. Her family wanted more reliable obedience and recall, better control around people, and fewer jumping behaviors. They also hoped stronger training would give Kona more freedom outdoors, allow her to go more places, and help build greater trust in everyday situations.
Dog: Kona
Breed: Old English Sheepdog
Age: 11 months
Location: Dover, DE
Program: Two-week training program
Trainer: Erica
Main Focus: Recall, jumping, leash pulling, Sit, Down, Place, Heel, reliable obedience, and everyday control
Outcome: Training underway to build stronger obedience, better recall, improved leash control, and more dependable everyday behavior
The Challenge
Kona entered training as a happy, energetic puppy who needed a much stronger obedience foundation. During her initial assessment, Erica tested several basic commands and found that Kona had limited reliability across the skills being evaluated.
Before Training, Kona:
- Jumped on people
- Needed more reliable recall
- Needed stronger overall obedience
- Did not appear to know Place
- Did not reliably perform Sit
- Did not reliably perform Down
- Did not know Heel
- Pulled heavily on the leash
- Pulled harder when she saw something she wanted
- Needed better everyday control
- Needed stronger handler responsiveness
Her family’s goal was not only to teach commands. They wanted Kona to become trustworthy enough to enjoy more freedom and participate in more activities.
The Training Approach
Kona’s two-week program focuses on establishing a stronger obedience foundation while improving the behaviors that were limiting her freedom.
Training Focuses On:
- Strengthening recall
- Building reliable Sit
- Developing Down
- Teaching Place
- Introducing Heel
- Improving leash manners
- Reducing leash pulling
- Addressing jumping
- Building stronger handler engagement
- Improving command consistency
- Developing better impulse control
- Creating more dependable everyday responses
Erica’s day-one assessment provided a clear baseline by showing which behaviors Kona did not yet understand or could not perform reliably. That starting point allows her progress to be measured against the same skills at the end of the two-week program.
The Results
The supplied transcript documents Kona before training and does not include her final results.
Her Program Is Designed to Improve:
- Recall
- Sit
- Down
- Place
- Heel
- Leash manners
- Jumping
- Handler engagement
- Command reliability
- Everyday control
- Overall obedience
Specific claims about reliable recall, reduced jumping, improved leash behavior, or completed obedience should only be added after Kona’s follow-up footage confirms those changes.
Trainer Insight
Young dogs often need more than basic command exposure before owners can confidently give them additional freedom. For Kona, skills such as recall, Heel, Place, Sit, and Down can provide practical structure both at home and in public. Better leash control and reduced jumping can also make outings easier to manage. The goal is to build enough consistency that Kona’s family can trust her responses in more situations rather than relying on obedience only when distractions are minimal.
Ready for Better Puppy Obedience in Dover, DE?
If your puppy jumps on people, pulls heavily on the leash, struggles with recall, or lacks reliable basic commands, structured training can help build clearer communication and stronger everyday control.
Schedule a consultation today with Off Leash K9 Training in Dover to discuss your puppy’s needs and available training options.
