Jake's Story: A 90 lb Lab With No Manners, Now a Joy to Walk

Where Jake started

Jake is a year-old Labrador retriever who weighs about 90 pounds. His family describes him as a love. They also describe a dog with "no manners or self-control," and they did not blame him for it. In their words: "Totally our bad."

A dog that big and that eager is a lot to handle on a leash, and a walk was not something his owner looked forward to.

The training journey

The family sent Jake to stay with Joyell for the one week board and train. While he was away, she kept them up to date every day with pictures and videos of his training.

Pickup day was not in a quiet room. The family met Joyell at Lowe's, in public, to go over what Jake had learned. She showed them what he knew, then had them show it back to her, so they left knowing how to do it themselves.

What actually changed

• Out in public. Jake's hand-over happened in a busy store, and his family called the change in him amazing.
• Walks. The weekend after pickup, his owner took him on walks alone and wrote that it had been "glorious."
• The people, too. His family wrote that the change was in them as well as in Jake. His owner now walks him calm and confident.

★★★★★

“We sent our year old, 90 lb lab, Jake, for a week of board and train. He is a love but had no manners or self-control. (Totally our bad). On Saturday, we went to pick him up and go over his training. In LOWES. In public. And the change in him-and us-is amazing. […] This weekend I have taken him on walks-by myself-and it’s been glorious. I am calm and confident. We follow her instructions and for the first time I am really loving taking him out just to walk. And he loves it too.”

Sue DeFrancesco, Google review, December 2022

What it changed for his family

For the first time, his owner wrote, taking Jake out just to walk is something to love, and Jake loves it too.

The family is also honest that they are still working on it. They follow Joyell's instructions and call Jake a work in progress. Even so, in their words: "I cannot describe the change."

Why Jake's story matters to us

Big, friendly dogs like Jake are some of the most common dogs we meet at Off Leash K9 Training Myrtle Beach. Nothing is wrong with them. Nobody has shown them what to do yet. A week of daily training gives the dog the skills, and the hand-over gives the family the confidence to use them.

Jake came for a one week stay. To see how our stays work and who they fit, read our board and train page. If you would rather learn alongside your dog from the first day, see our private obedience lessons, or everything we offer on our services page.