It’s safe to say neither the Friends For Life staff nor the trainers at Urban Tails would have been comfortable with Andi around children prior to the Second PAWportunity Program. With her aggressive behavior and strong reaction to new situations, it would have been too risky.
During week three, Andi had a fantastic training session with the help of a unique duo-a set of young twins. While on a leash, Andi and her trainer gradually worked up to the twins as they ran around and played near-by. Eventually, Andi was relaxed around the pair, even allowing the kids to throw treats and toys to her. This made it a very fun training session for Andi! While we feel Andi is best suited in an adults-only household, this training session shows that Andi is improving and learning to relax more in new situations.
Andi’s basic obedience and manners skills continue to improve. Going through doors, Andi gets to practice “sit” and “stay” behaviors so she doesn’t push her way through, a major problem upon her arrival at Urban Tails. While playing off-leash, the trainers practice Andi’s “come” cue several times. The trainers simply make training a part of Andi’s daily routine so the skills she learns are always practiced.
“Any moment you are with your dog is a training opportunity,” says Urban Tails Senior Trainer Monica Body.
Stay tuned as we see Andi through the final week of her extreme makeover.