KAILANI | VIZSLA | BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA
Meet Kailani, an 8-month-old Vizsla with a heart full of potential and a whole lot of energy to burn. She’s just joined us for our two-week board and train program, and we’re so excited to have her! Kailani’s a sweet girl who struggles with recall and tends to get skittish in high-distraction environments. What she really needs is a confidence boost and some clear structure to help her thrive.
She comes from a loving family who’s committed to helping her live her best life—whether that’s running freely in wide open spaces or just being a well-balanced, happy pup. The goal? Building trust, focus, and reliability so they can enjoy all the adventures ahead together. Stay tuned—Kailani’s transformation is going to be a good one!
Pupdate 2:
Date: April 23, 2025
Weight: 33.12lbs
Morning Feed: 1/2
Evening Feed: 3/4
Training Highlights:
Today I began introducing leash pressure to Kailani as part of her foundational training. The goal is to help her understand how to turn off the pressure by making the right choices. For example, when I guide her into a sit, I apply gentle, steady pressure on the leash—not as a correction, but as a directional cue. As soon as she follows through and settles into the sit, I immediately release the pressure to mark the moment she gets it right. This helps her start to associate the release of pressure with compliance, laying the groundwork for clearer communication and better responsiveness as we continue her training.
Pupdate 3:
Date: April 24, 2025
Weight: 33.19lbs
Morning Feed: 1/2
Evening Feed: 1/2
Training Highlights:
Today, we continued reinforcing Kailani’s commands, focusing not just on what she does but how she responds in the moment. Kailani is the type of dog who can get really amped up with just a little bit of verbal praise. While it’s great to see her enthusiasm, constantly keeping her in that high-energy state can make it harder for her to stay focused and in control. So instead, I’ve been intentionally praising her calmly and only when she’s doing exactly what we want—whether it’s holding a position, walking nicely on leash, or responding to a command. This helps her associate praise with calmness and clarity, rather than excitement and overstimulation. It’s all about creating balance: reinforcing good behavior while also teaching her how to regulate her energy and stay composed.
Pupdate 3:
Date: April 25, 2025
Weight: 33.20lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
Today, we’re introducing a calm dog distraction to Kailani. The goal is to teach her that when she’s around other dogs, she doesn’t always have to react with excitement or lose control. Instead, she can practice being proactive—focusing, staying composed, and making better choices. By exposing her to calm, neutral dogs, we’re helping her learn that other dogs don’t always mean playtime or chaos. It’s about building her impulse control and showing her that calmness is rewarding too.
Pupdate 4:
Date: April 26, 2025
Weight: 33.20lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
Kailani is making significant improvements in her leash manners, showing a noticeable difference in how she walks in the heel position. She is staying much closer to my left side, maintaining a tighter and more consistent heel with far less pulling or wandering. Along with her leash work, Kailani is also gaining a lot more confidence around new dogs. While she can still be a bit submissive during initial introductions, she quickly warms up and transitions into playful interactions, which is helping her continue to build social confidence. Although she is progressing nicely in these areas, Kailani still needs some guidance with her down command, as she isn’t always consistent or confident in performing it when asked. Overall, she is making wonderful strides and becoming a more well-rounded and self-assured dog.
Pupdate 5:
Date: April 27, 2025
Weight: 33.20lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
We are currently focused on building confidence with Keilani, as she can be quite hesitant when it comes to trying new things. One of the key exercises we are using to support her is the “place” command, which encourages her to trust herself and her environment by stepping onto and staying on a designated surface. This exercise not only challenges her in a safe and structured way but also helps her develop a sense of accomplishment. Throughout the process, Keilani needs a lot of patient guidance and reassurance, as building confidence takes time and consistency. With each successful attempt, she is slowly becoming more comfortable and willing to take on new challenges.
Pupdate 6:
Date: April 28, 2025
Weight: 33.20lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
Keilani has made significant progress in her training, especially with her potty habits. She is now consistently going potty right away when brought to the designated potty area, showing that she’s beginning to understand the routine. Her response to the “down” command has also improved noticeably; she’s becoming quicker and more reliable each time it’s asked of her. Additionally, Keilani is excelling with her “heel” command, maintaining great focus and walking nicely alongside without pulling. Overall, she’s showing tremendous improvement and is clearly putting in the work during her training sessions.
Pupdate 7:
Date: April 29, 2025
Weight: 33.25lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
We’ve started transitioning into off-leash training, and she’s adapting remarkably well. She tends to stay close to me without attempting to run off, showing a growing sense of trust and connection. When startled by unexpected noises, her recall has been impressive—she quickly returns to me without hesitation, which is a strong indicator of her responsiveness and focus. While she still needs some additional guidance and consistency with her “down” command, she’s making solid progress. One area where she’s truly excelling is her loose leash heel; she’s walking calmly by my side with minimal corrections, which reflects her overall improvement and willingness to engage.
Pupdate 8:
Date: April 30, 2025
Weight: 33.39lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
Keilani is making great progress overall, especially when it comes to her potty training—she’s now consistently using the designated potty area at home, which is a big improvement. Her obedience work is also coming along nicely; she’s doing tremendously better with her heel and sit series, showing much more focus and consistency during our sessions. While she still struggles a bit with the “down” command, we’re committed to practicing it daily and are seeing gradual improvement. Her dedication and responsiveness are encouraging, and we’re confident she’ll continue to make steady strides with continued training.
Pupdate 9
Date: April 31, 2025
Weight: 33.39lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
Today we took our training session to Lowe’s to introduce Keilani to a variety of new distractions in a real-world environment. It was a great opportunity to challenge her focus and reinforce her commands outside of the usual settings. She’s showing noticeable improvement with her “down” command, responding more consistently and holding the position even with people and noise around. Her recall in public has also been impressive—she’s coming back promptly when called, which is a big step forward in her training.
Pupdate 10:
Date: May 1, 2025
Weight: 33.39lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
We took our training session to Home Depot today, and I was so proud of the progress she’s making—especially with the “down” command. It’s becoming noticeably easier for her, and she’s showing so much more confidence when performing it, even in a busy, distracting environment. One of the biggest wins was that I didn’t even need to hold her leash the entire time; she remained focused and responsive throughout the session. Being able to train in a public space like this is a huge step forward, and she absolutely crushed it. Great work, girl!
Pupdate 11:
Date: May 2, 2025
Weight: 33.39lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
We’ve continued our training sessions at a new Lowe’s location to expose her to different environments, sights, and sounds, which is helping build her confidence and focus. The “down” command is showing marked improvement—she now responds with minimal guidance, even in a distracting setting. Impressively, she’s able to perform all her other commands off-leash with consistency and reliability. Her recall is excellent, and her leash manners are solid, demonstrating just how far she’s come in her training journey.
