We really want Mack to get adopted! Until then, we want him to have the best life possible so we are working with Canine PhD to offer him training so that he will be the perfect pet for some lucky person. Mack is such a loving dog, but he can be reactive when he is scared. Luckily, he would rather avoid something scary than go towards it. We are going to build up his confidence and teach him how to calm himself when exposed to new situations. This dog falls in love with people quickly and hard. He loves belly rubs and cuddling up in a tiny ball beside you when you are doing something else. He enjoys hiking, playing with other dogs, and tossing toys around.
He has been to two consultations at Canine PhD. He is in love with Meredith, and she seems to be pretty smitten with him too. She bought him a nice thunder shirt and some toys. We are getting started on the basics. We are getting him adjusted to his head collar, specifically his snoot loop. It gives us a little better control of Mack in class, but is a gentle tool to use. We have done some basic BAT training with him. This means we have him approach something that might be scary for him, at a distance, and then reward him for looking and turning around. He has learned some basic obedience like "sit" "down" and "side." He is doing a great job!
Right now, he can still get overwhelmed by working for too long so Meredith has recommended that we do short exercises. We work for five minutes, relax/play, work for five minutes, go on a walk, work for five minutes. Shelter life is so hectic that these short little exercises fit right in. There just isn't enough time in the day when you are taking care of so many wonderful animals!
