At A Glance
Two American Bully puppies worked with Erica at Off Leash K9 Training in Dover, DE to improve listening skills, confidence, and everyday responsiveness. Although the male puppy was already a fairly good listener, he often followed his sister’s unwanted behavior instead of making better choices independently.
The female puppy struggled more with listening and consistently following commands. Through structured training and clear communication, both puppies made meaningful progress. The male became more confident making better choices on his own, while the female showed a major improvement in responsiveness and obedience.
Dogs: Two American Bully puppies
Trainer: Erica
Program: Dog Training Program
Location: Dover, DE
Main Issues: Inconsistent listening, copying unwanted behavior, low independence, and unclear owner communication
Outcome: Better responsiveness, improved confidence, stronger obedience, and clearer communication at home
The Challenge
The two puppies had different training needs. The male already listened fairly well, but he was easily influenced by his sister and often followed her unwanted behavior. His owner wanted him to become more confident and make better choices independently.
The female puppy had greater difficulty listening and responding consistently. Her owner also recognized that learning how to communicate expectations clearly would be an important part of maintaining progress at home.
The puppies needed help with:
- Improving overall listening skills
- Responding more consistently to commands
- Reducing copied unwanted behavior
- Building independent decision-making
- Increasing confidence
- Strengthening everyday obedience
- Helping the owner communicate expectations more clearly
The Training Approach
Erica worked with both puppies through structured training focused on clear communication, individual confidence, and more dependable obedience. Each puppy received support based on their specific behavior and learning needs.
Training also helped the owner understand that lasting improvement depends on continued practice and clear handling after the puppies return home.
What training focused on:
- Strengthening basic obedience
- Improving responsiveness to commands
- Encouraging independent behavior
- Building confidence in the male puppy
- Improving listening skills in the female puppy
- Creating clearer expectations
- Reducing the tendency to copy unwanted behavior
- Giving the owner tools for continued practice
The Results
After training, both puppies returned home with noticeable improvements. The male became more confident, making better decisions instead of automatically following his sister’s behavior. The female showed a major change in her listening skills and began responding much more consistently to her owner.
What improved:
- The male became more independent
- Confidence increased
- Copied unwanted behavior decreased
- The female’s listening skills improved significantly
- Responses to commands became more consistent
- Everyday obedience became easier to manage
- Owner communication improved
- The family gained tools to continue training at home
The owner described the female puppy’s progress as a complete turnaround and expressed confidence in the foundation Erica created for both dogs.
Trainer Insight
Training two puppies from the same household often requires helping each dog develop individual confidence and responsiveness. When one puppy regularly follows the other’s behavior, individual practice can help both dogs learn to make better choices without relying on each other.
Erica’s work with these puppies also highlights the importance of owner participation. Clear communication, consistent expectations, and continued practice at home help dogs understand what is being asked and maintain the progress made during professional training.
Ready for Better Listening and Stronger Puppy Obedience?
If your puppies struggle with listening, copying each other’s behavior, or responding consistently, structured training can help build clearer communication and more dependable habits.
Schedule your consultation today to help your dogs develop stronger obedience, greater confidence, and better responsiveness at home.
