At A Glance
Drago is a 14-month-old dog who enrolled in a 2-Week Board and Train with Off Leash K9 Training in San Antonio, TX. He came into training as a sweet, large young dog who struggled with jumping on people, settling down, and feeling comfortable in unfamiliar environments. His family had already built a solid foundation with sit and down, so his program focused on recall, place, heel, confidence building, and calmer behavior around new experiences. He also practiced staying focused and responding more reliably while working through everyday distractions in different settings.
Dog: Drago
Age: 14 months
Location: San Antonio, TX
Program: 2-Week Board and Train
Trainer: Tanner
Main Focus: Jumping, confidence, unfamiliar environments, settling, recall, place, heel, and desensitization
Outcome: A stronger foundation for calmer behavior, improved confidence, and more consistent obedience
The Challenge
Drago already had some useful obedience skills, but his size, excitement, and uncertainty in unfamiliar environments created several everyday challenges.
Before training, Drago:
- Jumped on people
- Did not always recognize how his size affected greetings
- Became timid in unfamiliar environments
- Could become overwhelmed by new surroundings
- Had difficulty settling down
- Had a solid understanding of sit
- Had a solid understanding of down
- Needed stronger recall
- Needed more work on place
- Needed more consistent heel behavior
His parents had already spent time teaching him basic obedience, giving Tanner a solid starting point. The next step was helping Drago use those skills more reliably while building confidence in new situations.
The Training Approach
Drago completed a 2-Week Board and Train designed to strengthen his existing obedience while helping him become calmer and more comfortable in unfamiliar environments.
Training focused on:
- Strengthening recall
- Building a more reliable place command
- Improving heel
- Reinforcing sit and down
- Reducing jumping during greetings
- Teaching Drago to settle more appropriately
- Building confidence in new environments
- Introducing unfamiliar situations through structured exposure
- Improving engagement with his handler
- Helping him respond more calmly when something felt unfamiliar
Desensitization and confidence building were important parts of the plan because Drago could become timid or overwhelmed when entering new environments.
The goal was to help him stay connected to his handler and make calmer choices rather than letting uncertainty or excitement take over.
The Results
The provided script documents Drago at the beginning of his program, so specific final improvements should be confirmed using the completed before-and-after video.
Throughout the two weeks, his training was designed to address:
- More dependable recall
- Stronger place responses
- Improved heel behavior
- Calmer greetings
- Better ability to settle
- Greater confidence in unfamiliar environments
- More consistent command follow-through
- Better engagement with his handler
- A stronger overall obedience foundation
Drago entered training with solid sit and down commands already in place. His program focused on building around those strengths while improving the skills and behaviors his family found more challenging.
Trainer Insight
Large young dogs can be friendly and affectionate while still becoming difficult to manage when excitement leads to jumping or an inability to settle. Teaching clear greeting expectations and structured commands gives the dog more appropriate ways to interact with people.
Confidence also plays an important role in obedience. A dog that becomes overwhelmed in unfamiliar environments may struggle to respond even when the command itself is familiar. Gradual exposure, consistent guidance, and predictable expectations can help the dog become more comfortable while staying connected to the handler.
Ready for Better Manners and Confidence in San Antonio, TX?
If your dog jumps on people, becomes overwhelmed in new environments, or struggles with recall, place, or heel, structured training can help build clearer communication and more dependable everyday behavior.
Schedule a consultation today with Off Leash K9 Training in San Antonio to discuss your dog’s needs and available training options.
