Bella | Chihuahua Pitbull Mix | Bakersfield, California
Every so often, a dog comes along who captures your heart instantly, and that’s exactly what happened with Bella, our Chihuahua-Pitbull mix. She’s taken to our family like she’s been with us forever. Bella’s quirks and lovable qualities have already made her a unique part of our household. From the moment she joined us, she bonded effortlessly, quickly becoming part of our family. Bella’s sweet and affectionate nature made her feel right at home from day one. She’s a fast learner, picking up her name almost immediately and showing incredible promise with training. Whether it’s mastering basic commands or adapting to our routines, Bella’s intelligence shines through, making her a joy to work with. Even though she’s still new to us, Bella already listens remarkably well, and her attentiveness has made training such a positive experience. But like all dogs, Bella has a few areas we’re working on together. She’s a bit too eager to meet every person she encounters, so we’re helping her understand boundaries to avoid overwhelming new friends or getting into tricky situations. Bella also seems afraid of water, making bath times and beach days a bit challenging. We’re introducing her to water gradually, hoping she’ll become more comfortable over time. With her quick adaptability, Bella is sure to blossom as she grows more at ease in her new home. It’s a joy to watch her learn, develop, and become an even more confident and loving member of our family. Stay tuned for updates on Bella’s training progress and all the fun (and a few challenges) we encounter along the way!
Pupdate 2:
Date: 11-6-24
Weight: 19lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
Today, we introduced leash pressure training to help her become more comfortable and responsive on the leash. This approach encourages her to adjust smoothly to new environments and builds her confidence in different settings. She is eating all of her food consistently, showing that she’s settling in well and adapting positively to the changes in her routine.
Pupdate 3:
Date: 11-7-24
Weight: 19.12lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
Today, we continued reinforcing commands with Bella, who is proving to be an incredibly fast learner. Her intelligence shines through in every session, and she responds well to positive reinforcement, especially when treats are involved, as she is highly food-motivated. Bella has settled in wonderfully and is particularly friendly with her training mate, Chubbz, the French Bulldog. She also does very well with other small dogs, demonstrating her sociable and adaptable nature.
Pupdate 4:
Date: 11-8-24
Weight: 19.18lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
We continue to reinforce the “heel” command, and she’s doing an amazing job with the “heel to sit” series, responding consistently and with focus. Her leash manners are improving steadily, showing real progress with each session. It’s clear that all the hard work is paying off, and we’re excited to see her skills strengthen further.
Pupdate 5:
Date: 11-9-24
Weight: 19.19lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
We will continue to reinforce Bella’s obedience with the “commence” command, gradually incorporating more public distractions to strengthen her focus. Bella is steadily improving her leash manners, showing better control and responsiveness. While she generally does well with dogs her size, she can be a bit standoffish around larger dogs, so we’ll work on building her confidence in those situations to ensure she feels more comfortable.
Pupdate 6:
Date: 11-10-24
Weight: 19.19lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
Today, we trained at our Bakersfield location, focusing on exposing her to various distractions to build her resilience and attentiveness. We reinforced her command skills and added new challenges to further her progress. She’s showing significant improvement with her heel-to-sit transition, performing it confidently. However, she still needs some additional guidance to master her down command, which we will continue to work on in the coming sessions. Overall, she is making great strides in her training journey.
Pupdate 7:
Date: 11-11-24
Weight: 19.53lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
Today, we introduced Bella to some challenging distractions by taking her to Lowe’s, where she had the opportunity to practice her commands in a busy environment. She managed to walk on a leash confidently and successfully perform her “sit” and “down” commands, though she still requires a bit of guidance with “down” to complete it consistently. Bella continues to excel with her “place” command, demonstrating her growing focus and adaptability in new surroundings.
Pupdate 8:
Date 11-12-25
Weight 19.55lbs
Morning Feed all
Evening feed all
Training Highlights
Today, we trained at Lowe’s to further expose Bella to human distractions and help her build confidence in busier environments. Although she’s generally comfortable around people, Bella can be a bit skittish with sudden, loud noises like forklifts or the rattling sounds in the lumber area. Aside from these noisy distractions, she does very well around other humans, showing steady progress in adapting to the activity around her.
Pupdate 9:
Date 11-13-24
Weight 19.67lbs
Morning Feed all
Evening feed all
Training Highlights
Today, we trained Bella around the playground, exposing her to plenty of distractions with kids running and playing nearby. Despite the activity around her, she performed exceptionally well, especially with her heel-to-extended-sit series. Each day, this command seems to come more naturally to her, showing how much progress she’s making. Great work, Bella!
Pupdate 10:
Date: 11-14-24
Weight: 19.67lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
Today, we took our training session to Home Depot to expose her to a range of public distractions. This setting provided the perfect environment to challenge her focus and obedience skills. She handled the bustling surroundings exceptionally well, successfully extending both her sit and down commands. Her ability to stay calm and responsive amid various noises and movements demonstrated impressive progress.
Pupdate 11
Date: 11-15-24
Weight: 19.70
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
Today, we took Bella to Lowe’s, and she did an incredible job handling all the distractions in such a busy environment. Her focus and composure were impressive, showing just how much progress she’s making in her training. Bella continues to improve and level up with each session, demonstrating her potential and willingness to learn. Keep up the fantastic work, Bella—you’re doing great!
Pupdate 12:
Date: 11-16-24
Weight: 19.79lbs
Morning Feed: all
Evening Feed: all
Training Highlights:
Bella is doing an incredible job with her training and continues to impress with her progress. She handles small children and other human distractions with ease, maintaining her composure and focus. During our session at Home Depot, she successfully held an extended sit and down, even in the midst of a busy and distracting environment. Bella is demonstrating excellent control and consistency in holding her commands, which highlights her growing confidence and discipline.
