New Pack Member in Training

Say hello to our new pack member in training, Lenny! He just moved here from Nashville with his Mom & it's been a big change for him. He's not too sure about his new house, the stairs are a little spooky. He's only 2 & has only ever lived in one other home before moving here. He wasn't too sure about me either when we met today. Lenny will be going out with the rest of our pack as an Adventure Dog, but first I will get to know him 1 on 1 & work on building trust & learning more about him, his likes dislikes & what motivates him. Is he a treat guy or a toy guy?

We start our on boarding process with walks, followed by meeting one of our current pack members for a pack walk in a neutral spot. We also practice getting in & out of the car. From there we will assess if Lenny is ready to join the pack on our adventures to the dog park. This process is done at Lenny's pace. Today I spent extra time with Lenny during our visit. He wasn't so sure he wanted to go on a walk, I even got a growl & a lip curl. I didn't push him. I sat and fed him his favorite high value treat - hot dogs. Then we made it a game, I tossed them around for him to fetch up and he started to loosen up. He eventually stood by the steps and signaled he was ready to go outside. When we got out he had second thoughts. We stopped & waited, a few minutes passed and he stood in front of the gate to signal he was ready to walk, we did it!

I am so proud of him, we had a lovely first walk & he was all smiles & tail wags. Follow us all this week as I update you on Lenny's on boarding process. Tomorrow we have a 45 min long lead decompression walk planned. I am curious to see how he does when I arrive tomorrow? Will he be ready to go?