At A Glance
Luna is a 20-month-old Portuguese Water Dog who joined a 2 Week Board & Train with Dean at Off Leash K9 Training Northern Virginia. Her owners wanted a safer recall, calmer leash walking, and better behavior when guests entered their home. According to the family, Luna returned with stronger obedience, greater freedom during appropriate outings, and more manageable household manners. These improvements helped her owners feel more relaxed and confident during walks, public outings, and visits at home.
Dog: Luna
Breed: Portuguese Water Dog
Age: 20 months
Location: Northern Virginia
Program: 2 Week Board & Train
Trainer: Dean
Main Issues: Leash pulling, unreliable recall, jumping on visitors, and limited household manners
Outcome: Owner-reported improvements in recall, leash walking, place, and everyday responsiveness
The Challenge
Before training, Luna pulled heavily on walks and did not have the recall reliability her owners wanted in open spaces and on busy streets. When visitors arrived, she would jump on them and become difficult to manage.
Luna Needed Help With:
- Responding reliably when called
- Walking calmly on a leash
- Staying focused around distractions
- Greeting visitors without jumping
- Following the place command at home
- Developing safer everyday freedom
Improving these skills helped Luna become easier to manage on walks, more responsive around distractions, and calmer when visitors entered the home.
The Training Approach
Dean focused on strengthening Luna’s obedience in situations that reflected her family’s daily life. Her training included recall, leash manners, distraction work, and structured household commands.
Dean also supported the family throughout the program by providing daily updates and addressing their concerns about leaving Luna in his care.
Training Focused On:
- Building a more dependable recall
- Improving leash walking
- Practicing obedience around distractions
- Reinforcing the place command
- Reducing jumping during guest arrivals
- Strengthening communication with her owners
This practical approach helped Luna build more reliable obedience while giving her owners the tools and confidence to continue reinforcing her progress at home.
The Results
According to her owners, Luna returned with significantly improved recall and could disengage from distractions such as squirrels and other dogs when called. She also became easier to walk on a leash and responded more consistently during outings.
At home, the place command helped create calmer and more controlled greetings when visitors arrived.
What Improved:
- More reliable recall around distractions
- Easier and calmer leash walking
- Better focus during public outings
- Reduced jumping on visitors
- More dependable use of the place command
These improvements gave Luna greater freedom during outings while helping her owners enjoy calmer walks, more reliable responses, and better-controlled greetings at home.
Trainer Insight
Reliable recall is especially important for dogs living near traffic, open spaces, and busy public environments. It should always be reinforced carefully and practiced only in safe, appropriate settings. Combining recall with leash manners and household commands can give owners more control while helping the dog participate more calmly in everyday life.
Ready to Improve Your Dog’s Everyday Reliability?
Professional training can help strengthen recall, leash manners, visitor greetings, and communication between dogs and their owners.
Schedule a consultation today and take the next step toward safer outings, calmer greetings, and more reliable everyday behavior.
