There is no registration fee for the team-based event, although each team member is asked to raise $25 in donations. Walkers raising at least $100 will receive an official t-shirt.
Community News for Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Northeast Phoenix, Carefree, Cave Creek and surrounding areas.
CITYSunTimes Web Exclusives March 2011 | Read the full SECTION
CITY PETS
A Humbling Experience: When Your Dog Is In Training
By Tom Murray
Many of you know that we have added a new addition to our family, Emmy, a one-year-old Dachshund mix rescue. As long as you are human, she is the sweetest dog that you will ever meet; as far as initial introductions to other dogs, not so much.
I figure, not a problem, I own a pet care facility that has a great training department, so I enroll the little psycho diva into the Villa La PAWS Puppy Training and Socialization class.
The training part has gone really well, sit, stay, down, targeting and having manners when being fed and leaving Hank’s food alone – a perfect little sister.
As far as the socialization piece, we were struggling a bit and it was never as apparent as when she basically flunked “RECESS.”
Wendi Faircloth, our wonderful trainer, always starts her puppy class with a socialization time. For the first 10 minutes, the dogs can do their obligatory sniffing and play with each other for a while. That works great for all of the dogs except the littlest in the class, Emmy. Every dog that would come up to get acquainted would be met with a snarl and growl. Then it happened, Wendi said “Tom please leash Emmy and keep he out of the socialization period.” My kid just flunked recess! Oh the embarrassment and major concern. In my lifetime, I only knew one individual who flunked recess and he is doing serious time in an Iowa correctional facility.
The snicker from the other class participants was also noticeable and I took Emmy aside to have a talk. I told her she had a responsibility as a role model because she was the owner’s kid. She gave me her diva look as if to say, “don’t push my buttons bubs.”
Fast forward, we just graduated from Puppy Training and Socialization class last night, well kind of. We have the certificate with an asterisk from Wendi, “please have Emmy attend doggie attitude boot camp AKA, Villa La Paws Daycare.”
She is going two days a week and I’ll keep you posted on her “It’s all about me attitude.”
To read more adventures of Hank and Emmy, visit http://blog.villalapaws.com. For more information, visit Villa La Paws Pet Resort & Spa’s website at www.villalapaws.com, or contact Tom via e-mail at tmurray@villalapaws.com.