Jynx | Rottweiler | Bakersfield, CA

ByAileen Medina

Meet Jynx! She is a 6 months old Rottweiler staying with us for our 2 week board & training program. Jynx is a confident, social pup with a lot of energy. She’s great with people and dogs, loves to play, but has a few challenge points we’ll be working through. She’s currently working through food possessiveness and crate frustration. Meal times and snacking can cause her to show reactivity, we’re focusing on slowing her down and building trust around resources. Crate whining is a work in progress, but will improve with consistency and structure during her stay. Stay tuned as we help this incredibly sweet and driven pup grow into a solid, well-balanced adult.

 

Pupdate 2

For Jynx’s first day and being in a new environment and working with her brand her leash, she did great! She got to meet my personal pup today and finished all of her meals.

Food consumed: 100%

Pupdate 3

Jynx did a great job on our neighborhood walk today! She’s showing progress with staying more focused and responsive, especially with all the interesting scents around. We’re currently using the figure-8 slip leash method, which gives her gentle guidance and more structure when she gets the urge to pull ahead or wander too far while sniffing. She did have a few moment where she stopped and tried to tug the slip leash off—something we’re continuing to work through, but overall, she settled in nicely and walked well beside me for most of the outing.

Food consumed: 100%

Pupdate 4

Jynx’s food drive has been a big help as we introduce new commands like “place.” Over the last few days, we’ve used leash guidance to build her understanding, but today she took a big step forward—responding to just my verbal cue and food rewards. She was focused, eager, and clearly starting to grasp the concept. Excited to keep building on this momentum!

Food consumed: 100%

Pupdate 5

Jynx has been super eager to work and is really excelling with her training in a structured environment! She’s showing great focus during sessions and doing very well with her obedience at home, especially when given clear direction and tasks.

She’s a high-energy girl, though, and that drive doesn’t turn off easily—so once she’s back home, it’ll be really important to stay consistent with her training. Regular structured work, walks, and engagement will help her stay on track and prevent any backsliding.

Walks have improved a lot—she’s doing noticeably better on leash using either the prong collar or the figure-8 slip leash. Both tools are helping her stay more tuned in and responsive without as much pulling or distraction.

Food consumed: 100% – Seems extra hungry and always super eager to eat all meals

Pupdate 6

We’re working on holding the command until you say it’s time!
Whether it’s a sit, down, or place—your dog should stay put until released, even when the door opens. This builds impulse control, respect for boundaries, and safety. Start with low distractions and short durations, then gradually increase. Reward calm, patient behavior!

Food consumed: 100%

Pupdate 7

Nice long walks using a prong collar have been a great way to add structure to Jynx’s daily routine. With her naturally anxious personality, physical and mental exhaustion are key otherwise, she can become vocal in the crate. Consistent exercise, training, and boundaries are helping her settle more calmly

 

Pupdate 8

We’ve been focusing on impulse control and food manners everyday using half her food before meals! Since Jynx can show some possessive behavior around food,  we’re helping her build better habits by feeding her in her crate after training sessions. Giving her structure and space has helped her feel more relaxed and confident at mealtime

Pupdate 9

Learning big lessons through play!  Jynx has been working on reading other dogs’ signals—taking a step back when warned and adjusting her energy to match her playmates. Social skills in progress and that happy face says it all 💪🐶 She can at times be too playful so it’s important to understand when a dog wants space

Food Consumed: 100%

Pupdate 10

We had another successful day of socializing with other dogs, walking in the neighborhood and completing commands at home.  Jynx is eating all her meals consistently, no matter the time. Her anxiety still shows up at mealtime, so I run her through some place-to-place drills first to burn energy and help her settle. Feeding in the crate after that has been working well to keep her calm and focused.

Pupdate 11

Jynx continues to make steady progress! She’s showing more focus during training, especially when we use food & tools that give her clear guidance right from the start. Her energy is high early in the day, so we’ve been front-loading sessions with structure to help her settle into a working mindset.Working through obedience before meals and feeding in the crate has helped create a calmer routine, this also has greatly helped with her barking in the crate. 

Pupdate 12

We’ve been using the slip leash in a figure-8 method for Jynx, and it’s been helpful in guiding her gently and reinforcing basic leash manners. However, due to her strength and the high energy she comes out with right at the start of our sessions, the prong collar has proven to be more effective in achieving quicker, more consistent results.

The prong provides clearer communication and helps manage her excitement more efficiently, setting the tone for a productive session. We’ll continue using the tool that supports her best learning and ensures safety for both Jynx and whoever is walking her 

Aileen Medina

Aileen has always had a huge love for all animals, especially dogs. She has been working with and assisting training dogs since she was about 14 years old. She has been lucky enough to get mentored from a young age by multiple professional trainers, and is continuing to learn new tips and techniques everyday while working with different breeds of dogs. Read more about Aileen here.