Meet Denver
Dog Name: Denver
Breed: Golden Retriever
Age: 1 year, 9 months
Location: Fredericksburg, VA
Main Issue: Jumping, nipping, overexcitement, distracted walking, and inconsistent recall
Program: 2-Week Board & Train
Outcome: Calm greetings, improved loose leash walking, more reliable recall, stronger duration sit/place, and calmer behavior around people and distractions
The Challenge
Denver is a classic young Golden Retriever: friendly, fun, and always ready to engage. This is a real example of board and train dog training in Fredericksburg, VA for a high-energy dog whose excitement made everyday life harder than it needed to be.
At home, Denver greeted people with full-speed energy. He would run up, jump, and get mouthy, especially when he was excited or trying to initiate play. Over time, that can turn into constant management—warning guests, grabbing a collar, or feeling like you can’t comfortably have people over without a plan.
They didn’t want to keep managing chaos at the door or on walks. They wanted Denver to be calm, responsive, and easier to live with.
Out on walks, distractions made things even tougher. Denver knew a lot of basic obedience, but his focus didn’t always hold when the environment got more interesting. Sometimes he hesitated on commands. Sometimes he drifted mentally. And when recall isn’t consistent, it’s hard to feel confident giving a dog freedom or trusting them to respond quickly.
The Diagnosis & Solution
Denver didn’t need more tricks. He needed consistency, impulse control, and obedience that works when excitement and distractions show up. That’s the foundation of our real-world training approach, and why the two-week format can be so effective for young, high-energy dogs.
Trainer Kobe assessed Denver’s obedience in real time and pinpointed where distractions were breaking recall and duration. From there, the plan focused on tightening the basics and proofing them so they held up in real situations—not just in a quiet setting.
During the two weeks, the focus was on:
- calmer greetings (no jumping/nipping)
- better engagement around distractions
- tighter recall (“come” that follows through)
- stronger duration sit/place
- improved loose leash walking
Lower the chaos during greetings
We started by improving the home-life behaviors owners feel the most: jumping, nipping, and overexcited greetings. The goal wasn’t to remove Denver’s personality. It was to give him structure so he could greet people calmly and reliably.
Dial in the obedience foundation he already had
Denver already knew come, sit, down, place, and some heel. We dialed them in so he responded faster, with less hesitation, and with clearer follow-through. We also strengthened duration so positions held up longer without Denver popping up when something changed.
Distraction proofing (turning obedience into real life)
Dogs can look great in the house and fall apart outside. Distraction-proofing bridges that gap. We worked Denver through increasingly distracting situations so he learned that obedience still applies when real life is happening around him.
Recall + duration sit/place
Recall needed to become dependable, not optional. We improved Denver’s recall so “come” became more reliable, even when distractions popped up. We paired that with stronger duration sit and duration place so he could stay settled and accountable until released.
The Results
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After the 2-week Board & Train, Denver’s progress showed up in the moments that matter: calmer greetings, easier walks, and better focus around distractions.
Specific Improvements Achieved
- Loose leash walking improved: Yes
- Greeting manners improved (no jumping/nipping): Yes
- More reliable recall: Yes
- Better duration sit/place: Yes
- Calm around people and distractions: Yes
What those results look like in the real world
The biggest change wasn’t just that Denver could do commands—it was that he could do them with better focus when life was happening around him. Walks felt smoother, greetings were calmer, and duration commands held longer instead of falling apart when distractions showed up.
The Owner’s Reaction
Denver came in overly excited and easily distracted. After two weeks, his greetings were calmer, his recall improved, and his obedience became much more reliable around distractions.
Ready to Transform Your Dog?
If your dog jumps, nips, pulls, or tunes you out around distractions, you don’t have to live with that stress. A structured plan can change what daily life feels like.
