How Shugah, a Cane Corso Puppy, Developed Stronger Obedience in Honolulu, HI
At A Glance
Shugah is a Cane Corso puppy who entered an on-leash board-and-train program with Off Leash K9 Training Hawaii to build stronger obedience, better leash skills, improved confidence, and more reliable everyday manners. When Shugah began training, she understood basic commands but was inconsistent in her responses. She also needed significant work with heel, door manners, command stability, and following through with recall.
Dog: Shugah
Breed: Cane Corso
Age: Puppy
Location: Honolulu, HI
Program: On Leash Board and Train Program
Trainer: Lauren, Senior Trainer
Main Focus: Obedience, place, recall, down, heel, confidence, and door manners
Training Goals: Build stronger obedience, improve command consistency, develop confidence, and create better everyday manners
The Challenge
When Shugah arrived for training, she had already been introduced to several basic commands, but she was not yet responding to them consistently. She knew a little bit of the sit command but demonstrated what Lauren described as selective hearing. Shugah had also previously worked on the place command with Lauren, giving her some familiarity with the behaviour, but she still needed to develop greater stability.
Her recall was fairly good, as she would typically return when called. However, she did not consistently complete the expected response by returning and sitting. Shugah also lacked confidence with the down command and was a complete novice when it came to heel. Instead of following her handler’s pace and direction, she tended to move where she wanted, at the speed she wanted, and would jump on her owners.
Door manners were another challenge. When a door opened, Shugah viewed it as an opportunity to head outside rather than waiting for direction.
Before training, Shugah needed work on:
- Consistent response to basic commands
- Place command stability
- Recall completion
- Down command confidence
- Heel skills
- Walking with her handler
- Jumping on her owners
- Door manners
- Impulse control around open doors
The Training Approach
Shugah’s On Leash Board and Train Program focused on building a stronger obedience foundation while addressing the specific behaviours she demonstrated at the beginning of training.
Because Lauren had worked with Shugah previously, she already had some familiarity with the place command. Training continued to develop that behaviour with an emphasis on stability.
Training focused on:
- Strengthening basic obedience
- Improving command consistency
- Developing place command stability
- Reinforcing recall
- Teaching a more reliable return-and-sit response
- Building confidence with the down command
- Introducing and developing heel
- Improving walking skills
- Addressing jumping behaviour
- Developing better door manners
Shugah’s training addressed both obedience skills and everyday situations that required her to listen to her handler rather than simply follow her own impulses.
The Results
After two weeks of training, Lauren described Shugah as a very different dog compared with the puppy who arrived at the beginning of the program.
The completed training video documents her progress following the two-week program.
The training addressed improvements in:
- Obedience consistency
- Place command stability
- Recall
- Down command confidence
- Heel skills
- Walking behaviour
- Door manners
- Overall obedience
Lauren expressed pride in the work completed with Shugah and presented her progress following the two weeks of training.
Trainer Insight
Shugah’s starting point demonstrates how a puppy can understand individual commands without consistently following through with them.
Her training focused on turning existing knowledge into more reliable obedience while also addressing confidence, leash skills, jumping, and door manners.
For a Cane Corso puppy like Shugah, developing clear expectations and stronger obedience can help create a more structured foundation for everyday interactions.
Ready to Build Stronger Obedience for Your Puppy in Honolulu, HI?
If your puppy struggles with inconsistent obedience, leash skills, jumping, recall, or door manners, structured training can help establish clearer expectations and better everyday habits.
Schedule a consultation today to discuss your dog’s training needs and available programs in Honolulu, Hawaii.