Leo Schoonbee - Training Photos, Videos and Updates

Pawsitive Notes - Tracking Leo's Milestones

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  • ​4/2/21 - Leo was definitely a bit shy at first but it wasn’t long until he warmed up to everyone and enjoyed a long game of fetch. He’s been super sweet to us and hasn’t bothered any of the other dogs at all. ​
  • 4/7/21 - Leo went on his first walk with us and he did great. We didn’t see and dogs up close so there was no reactivity issue. He didn’t really pull too much but he benefited from a few small corrections to keep him focused. 
  • 4/9/21 - Leo continues to do amazing on his walks and obedience and his next big step is working on his socialization/ continue working on his resource guarding issues.
  • 4/14/21 - Leo’s been going on lots of walks lately. He’s been experiencing some reactivity towards other dogs, especially if the other dog is reactive as well. After correcting and diverting his attention away from the situation, he usually calms down quickly and can continue with the walk. He recently experienced extreme anxiety on a walk when confronted with a reactive dog, where he tried to bite the leash and escape, grazing our hands and knees in the process. Leo is clearly having a traumatized reaction to the presence of reactive dogs, and will need additional time and training to overcome this fear. Because of these delays in his progress, we have not yet been able to begin work on his resource guarding issues, and are hoping to do so in the coming days.
  • 4/18/21 - Leo is making incredible progress! He went on a successful pack walk with trainer dog Jack (Pictured), and showed no reactivity to Jack at all. This weekend, he successfully met trainer dog Drogo through on leash, with no reactivity, and then met Drogo several times through the fence, with no reactivity or aggression. (See video) We are very proud of Leo's progress, and will continue to work on pack introductions in the coming days.
  • 4/21/21 - Leo’s still doing well on his walks - he doesn’t react to dogs that are far away but he does react when they get close to him. We are working with him to manage his trauma response, and to learn to handle these interactions appropriately. He continues to bond with us, and is getting used to the other dogs in the environment. His obedience training is stellar, and we are working with him to maintain it.
  • 4/25/21 - Leo’s having a bit of anxiety lately, so we’ve been taking him out on extra long walks multiple times a day, and luckily have noticed that the exercise does help. He’s still very on edge with other strange dogs he doesn’t know, and reacts to them. On the other hand, his obedience is going amazing. He’s always so excited to learn and work. Leo has had a few more trauma episodes on-leash, where he reacted to another dog approaching and displayed heightened fear and anxiety, which was redirected onto the leash and handlers. We are working to resolve this reactivity as it surfaces.
  • 4/28/21 - Leo’s been reacting to dogs a bit more while he’s on his walks. We’re still working on minimizing his reactivity, and he seemed to be doing better for a bit. We brought trainer dog Jack back to work with Leo, and they had a successful pack walk, and even spent some time close together in the dog run! Leo remained happy and calm, and at ease with Jack's presence. We will work to build on this foundation to increase his confidence around other dogs.
  • 5/9/21 - Leo’s doing great with his obedience and he crates up perfectly. We’ve definitely seen an improvement on his barking as well. He is still exhibiting fear and trauma in the presence of other dogs, so we are continuing to emphasize that he is safe, and introduce controlled interactions with the trainer dogs.
  • 5/15/21 - Leo experienced a traumatic reaction when he saw another dog, and redirected on the handler (Mark). We were able to correct the behavior, and continue the walk, guiding Leo through another encounter with a dog. He is responsive to the training, but will need continued reinforcement to eliminate the triggers.
  • 5/20/21 - Leo's resource guarding was evidenced when he tried to attack one of the trainer dogs who got too close to his crate while he was eating his food. We only feed the dogs in their crates for safety, but this reaction revealed the extent of his resource guarding issues. We are working to correct this with him.
  • 5/25/21 - Leo has been enjoying the sun in the dog run, and we've been reinforcing his confidence through play. He loves to cuddle with us, and we are continuing his pack walks, as well as controlled introductions with the trainer dogs on-leash, and through the fencing. Leo shows a strong desire to learn, and thrives on praise.
  • 6/15/21 - Leo is showing less reaction to other dogs while he is eating in his crate, which is a positive sign regarding his resource guarding. He continues to excel in his obedience work. His leash walking is improving, but he still needs an experienced handler, as he experiences reactivity and will redirect onto the leash and handler.
  • 7/3/21 - Leo had a breakthrough today, spending time off leash for the first time ever with trainer dog Drogo! He displayed some fear and insecurity, but with reassurance was able to have a successful introduction. We are so proud of Leo!
  • 7/9/21 - Leo had another successful session off leash with Drogo, and began to show signs of relaxation and confidence. We are very pleased with Leo and his milestone progress!