Of course Evan was great in class last weekend...

Evan has really been excelling in class lately.  At the shelter he has been much more eager to meet new people and once you get him out of his kennel he walks right up to strangers looking for pets and nuzzles.  I took him out during a volunteer orientation the other day to talk about fostering opportunities.  Evan is a dog we would love to see in a foster home until he can get adopted.  It is quite the commitment because we need a special person who would be willing to continue his training until we found him a forever family, but we would provide them with guidance, support, food, medical, and a crate. 

As a community, we can change this dog's life.  He started off as a stray on Evan's Mill Rd years ago and we hope to see him in a loving home, whether that be permanent or foster by the end of th year.  While he is making great strides here, we know that he will go much further in a more stable and secure environment.  If you would like more information about fostering Evan or any of our other dogs please contact Laura at lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org.  I would love to set up a time with you to meet him and to discuss his future!

In the picture below Evan is playing with his friend, Nacho, who was just adopted yesterday.  It is an ongoing idea at PAWS that as soon as a dog plays with Evan they are sure to get adopted soon.  This is great for them, but we hate to see Evan watch all his friends go.  Let's make it Evan's turn this time!

Nacho and Evan's Play Date--We all had a blast!

A Stroll Around Freedom Trail

Last Saturday, the Canine PhD class took a walk around Freedom Trail.  There were people out and about, doing all sorts of things.  Evan met up with a young, exuberant, pit mix.  He doesn't always know how to introduce himself to other dogs, though he clearly wants to meet them, and they were content to sniff each other and say hello.  He really loves other dogs, and he gets so excited to see them.  He runs right up to them.  So, we need to work on letting him meet other dogs, without him pulling on the leash or acting overzealous.  That can be scary for some pets. 

 

This class ended another 6 week course and so next week we start with a whole new set of dogs and people.  I am very excited to meet everyone, and I know Evan will love it too.  We are going to keep Evan going to training so that he can continue to gain confidence and to give him a break from the shelter life as much as possible.

Someone came to the shelter not so long ago and spent some time with Evan.  Evan is so soft, so sweet, and so smart.  They just kept asking "what's wrong with him that he would be at a shelter for so long?"  They thought he was wonderful but they were worried that I wasn't telling them something.  We are always very honest with adopters because we want our placements to succeed for life.  Evan is going to need an owner who will continue working with him and will be patient with him as he adjusts to a new home.  He is healthy and vibrant, but he is scared.  There is a whole group of people who love him and will be available to help.  Evan gets so attached to the people who take the time to know him.  Someone will be very lucky to have him.

Sometimes dogs and cats are at the shelter longer than we would hope and there are a variety of reasons for it.  Pit bulls, black dogs, older cats and dogs are not looked at as often as their younger and smaller counterparts.  Sometimes it is something else.  People always tell me, when they come in, that they want their new dog to "pick them."  That can be a great way of adopting a new pet, but a lot of pets do not know how to "pick their person."  It does not mean that they will not bond completely with the wonderful person that will end up taking them home.  It just means that the stress of the shelter makes them more shy instead of outgoing.  These dogs may hide in the back of their kennels when people walk in, they may tremble a little.  They may also be so excited to go on a walk that they focus on smelling everything around them, instead of focusing their attention on the person that might be interested in adopting them.

If you come out to the shelter and see Evan in the back of his kennel, don't walk by him, ask someone on staff if you can take him out for a walk.  Even if you cannot adopt him, it is important that he gets to meet new people and have positive experiences with guests of the shelter.  He may be  shy, but he is absolutely kind hearted.  He has just never had a family to call his own and does not know how to ask for one.

 

Hanging Out in Inman Park

Evan and his friends walked around Inman Park last week as part of his training course.  There is one busy stretch of road that always puts Evan into a panic.  There is music playing from a nearby restaurant, cars driving by, people jogging on the narrow sidewalk, bicycles, and a food stand.  Meredith, the dog trainer, suggested that we sit for a little while at the stand.  We bought Evan some delicious treats from the lovely man that is their every week, and we let Evan lick cheese off our fingers.  He was thrilled.  I bet his old worst nightmare will become his new favorite spot!

After all the fun we had at the fruit stand we decided to go to the park, and we had Evan practice "place" on various podiums.  It helps build his confidence, and he is great at it.

 

All in all, it was another super fun class at Canine PhD.  We all had a blast.  Looking forward to this upcoming Saturday.

Good Morning!!

 

It is a great day at the shelter.  A new and very dedicated volunteer, Suzanne, has come out, and that usually means the dogs all get a lot of good quality time outside of the kennels!  I took Evan and Frannie out first thing this morning, and they were SO excited to see each other and to have the chance to play. 

 

They were moving so fast that it was hard to get a decent picture of the two of them.  Frannie would flip and flop and jump over Evan like a reindeer.  He loved every minute of it.

 

                                                            Tackle!  Pinned ya again!

Later, maybe we can go out with Zamora again and then work on some of our training exercises....

 

Pawsitively Proud

Evan is hanging out at the front desk today.  It is so important that he gets a substantial amount of time out of his kennel every day after being here for almost three years.  He seems to appreciate, so much, the extra attention and toys.  He is particularly fond of a squeeky stuffed bunny.  At the desk, Evan gets to meet new people from a comfortable distance.  He can also work on his training periodically, and the air conditioning is not half bad either.

He was a star in his class this weekend!  We took a long walk around Inman Park and saw lots of joggers, cyclists, other dogs, baby strollers, and other things.  To the inexperienced eye, he looked just like any other happy dog walking in a group, but we did still notice that his tail was held high and curled over his back so we know he did not completely put his guard down.  He was still communicating with us that he needed to be kept safe, and we assured him we would by not forcing him into anything he was not ready for, rewarding him with sniffing and chewing on grass, and praising him all the while.

Training Exercises

Evan loves playing with the chase it toy purchased for him by Charlotte.  His trainer, Meredith, wants to keep him engaged in play.  As we all know, a playful, well exercised dog is a happy dog.  It was great for him to be so active with Harriet because she was someone he did not know that well, and he really bonded with her.

Evan is walking on a short leash with Laura, a staff member he knows and trusts, while Harriet, someone less familiar to him, walks him on a long lead.  This way he feels safe because she is at a distance, but he gets use to her being there.

Meredith's 2nd Training Session With Evan at PAWS Atlanta

Meredith came out to the shelter to work with Evan and Laura yesterday!  We practiced having Evan go in and out of his kennel in a calm manner.  It was a really great exercise because it not only helped Evan, but it also started to help his neighbors get use to having another dog walk by. 

We also began working on helping Evan get comfortable with someone other than a staff member or longterm volunteer walking him on a lead.  We did this by having Laura walk him on a short leash and Meredith walk about ten feet away holding onto a long lead. 

Evan responded really well to both exercises, and he relaxed more quickly this time than the last time Meredith came to work with him!  These tasks may seem small, but they are huge to a dog that is living in the insecure environment of a shelter, particularly a pup like Evan who is incredibly sweet but also highly stressed out. 

One of the most fun things about working with a wonderful dog like Evan is seeing his progress, but it also neat to try out new, postive, and unique techniques.  Meredith is constantly doing research, talking to other trainers, and learning about new tools for the success of all of the dogs/people she teaches.  For example, we are going to start having everyone who walks Evan wear Lavender.  It is a naturally calming scent, but it will also give him a positive association with the smell that he will link back to Charlotte, Mike, Laura, and those who take him out for walks and entertainment most often.

This is Evan wearing his beloved cooling vest, which was donated to him, during his Saturday morning class at CaninePhD.  He is currently in his 3rd six week course there.