Inweekly 2021 Pet Issue

The Pet Issue 2021 Independent News | August 12, 2021 | Volume 22 | Number 32

TO ALL THE PETS WE'VE LOVED BEFORE FREE ▶

BE AN ALLY

By Savannah Evanoff

Photo Courtesy of Animal Allies Florida

Sharyn Berg is cool with being a "cat lady."

In fact, she's dedicated the past 10 years to it.

Berg started Animal Allies Florida in 2010 because she was doing a lot of TNR (trap, neuter and return), she said. She came across many stray cats that, if socialized, she knew could be adopted.

She has always wanted to help.

"I love kitty cats," Berg said. "They make them cute so we'll work very hard to help them, so that's what I do. Kitties are great because they can live together. Everybody thinks of cats being solitary, but they're really not. Cats in a rescue can live together in a room and get along well. They don't need to be walked. They're independent, but they're also very friendly and cuddly. It's really the best of multiple worlds."

PURR THERAPY

Animal Allies Florida primarily rescues cats from the streets, she said.

"We don't really take cats in from people because we feel that the cats on the street don't have anybody advocating for them," Berg said.

Today, Berg does less TNR and more maintenance of the cats they already have.

Some of the organization's cats live in what Berg refers to as "kitty halfway houses," which are foster homes. Volunteers visit in morning and evening shifts.

"The kitties get a lot of attention," Berg said. "We've got some great volunteers. We 212 1

have some people that have been coming to the kitty house once a week for over eight years. Their commitment just warms my heart. It's amazing."

The organization is always on the hunt for new volunteers, and their time can count toward community service hours for Bright Futures, she said.

"For the high school kids, I mean, come on, you get community service hours for playing with kitties," Berg said. "Yeah, you have to scoop a few litter boxes, but that's a pretty good deal, I think."

Volunteers primarily scoop litter boxes, change out water, wipe out water bowls and feed the cats. They sometimes administer medication.

"Not everybody's willing to medicate a kitty—sometimes it's tough," Berg said. "I never make anybody give shots or anything unless they want to learn. But putting eyedrops in kitties, they don't necessarily sit still all the time. But if they start out scooping to see how it goes and they are interested in training on how to give medications, I'm always willing to train somebody."

Plus, it's "purr therapy" for many.

"Volunteers can come on days that they don't work," Berg said, "but even when they do work, just to sit in the room and have a kitty climb on your lap and watching the other kitties play. Our kitty houses are completely different daytime and nighttime. At nighttime, they're really active and the cats run around and are very silly. It's fun."

If purr therapy wasn't convincing enough, it's easy to socially distance in the kitty houses, she said.

"You don't have to be around somebody, and you get to get out of the house and come play with kitties," Berg said.

The cats affect the volunteers, too.

Each has their favorite, she said.

A main goal is to socialize the kittens so they can be adopted and make great pets, Berg said. It's rewarding, especially with feral kittens that are afraid of you, she said.

"When that kitten starts to trust you, it's just affirmation of everything you're doing," Berg said. "It's so special when a kitty that is afraid of people is no longer afraid of you, that they trust you. That kind of trust is just amazing."

The organization also needs fosters.

Adoptions drop in the summer, Berg said.

She isn't sure what will happen this year because of the pandemic.

"Last year was just a big adoption year period, and we didn't have many returns, which is great," Berg said. "People stuck at home because of quarantine and things; we had more people looking to adopt. More people had time to adopt and get routines set and all that kind of thing."

Other needs are Friskies wet food, Purina One kitten dry food and donations for veterinarian costs. They spent $4,000 two weeks ago, she said.

HOW TO WIN A KITTENS' HEART

Berg has a few tips for how to build human-kitten trust.

The first—"Hungry kitties are friendly kitties."

"You don't want to starve them, but you want to figure out how much food you can give them when they're out of food and between feedings," Berg said.

Another big thing is to keep them in a small room until they come to you, she said.

"When I was originally taught how to socialize feral kittens, they said pick them up and pat them, and eventually they get used to it," Berg said. "They don't. That's wrong because they still don't trust you if you have to run around them and catch them. A lot of times, when you catch them, they will start purring so you think you're on your way, but as soon as you let them down, they take off."

Playing with them helps, too.

"If you can get them playing, like with a laser toy or something where they can run around the room, [they] forget that they're not supposed to be afraid of you," Berg said. "A lot of times, that's a way to get them used to you. I recommend that people go into the room wherever the kitty is and talk to them or read out loud."

With kittens, you need to socialize them by three months of age.

"At four months of age, it's really pretty tough to socialize a kitten," Berg said. "You would think eventually they get over it, but a lot of times, they don't. Some do. You know, we have some ferals that we couldn't touch before and we can now, but some of them never do."

CAT EXAMPLES

Animal Allies has faced some new problems with feral cats.

Enter, Roscoe.

Roscoe was brought to an adoption event with a new problem that has arisen in feral cats—stomatitis, in which they become allergic to their own tartar. When she first started, she stumbled across it once every five years; now it's 10 times a year.

"It can get so bad that the cat's mouth hurts so much that they will quit eating and starve to death if they don't die of an infection first," Berg said. "If you pull out all the teeth, then they don't have any tartar and they're fine. The reaction, the inflammation and things, dissipates over time, and they live perfectly long, healthy lives."

At $1,000 a pop, that doesn't come cheap.

"We also feel that since it's fixable, it's a shame to have to put a cat down for something that we can fix," Berg said.

The vet suggested putting Roscoe down.

"I said, 'Well, if he's got stomatitis, we can fix that, right?'" Berg said. "She said, 'Well, true.' So we brought him home and, with the vet's help, got his teeth out, and his mouth is perfect now. He's a super friendly kitty."

Another common problem is what Berg calls "bottle babies." Meet Lucky.

"Her body temperature was already cooling down when we got her, but she's fine now, running around playing with kittens," Berg said. "She needed bottle fed, which was bottle feeding every two hours. We've got some—a few—great volunteers that do that. There's not many people that are willing to do that.

One of them is a guy, and he does a great job."

Spay and neuter is still a big issue and part of its mission, but no low-cost spay and neuters exist in the area anymore, Berg said. They have to drive to Panama City and Alabama to get surgeries done at a decent price, she said.

But Berg has some good news—something much needed these days.

"Both Santa Rosa and Escambia County are doing so much better with regards to feral cats, community cats," Berg said.

"We call them community cats because not all the cats that are living on the street are feral because of people dumping their animals and things. We have made some amazing strides in the last three years."

ANIMAL ALLIES FLORIDA aaflorida.org facebook.com/animalalliesflorida instagram.com/animalalliesflorida inweekly.net

PET DATES A guide to some regular and upcoming events that either are pet-friendly, benefit pets or give you an opportunity to adopt a pet.

REGULAR/ REPEAT EVENTS

YAPPY HOUR AT BODACIOUS BOOKSTORE AND CAFÉ Sundays from noon-2 p.m. is Yappy Hour at Bodacious Bookstore and Café, located at 110 E. Intendencia St. Pup cups and dog treats are available for all four-legged friends, along with $4 Big Jerk Soda champagne cocktails for the humans.

YAPPY HOUR AT RED FISH BLUE FISH Bring your pups to Red Fish Blue Fish Pensacola Beach, located at 5 Via de Luna Drive, every Thursday after 5 p.m. for $3 Chihuahua Cervezas and $5 Spicy Margaritas, and 5% of bar proceeds benefit The Friends of the Escambia County Animal Shelter. Learn more at redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.com/yappyhour.

CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTIONS Looking to add a furry friend to your household?

Animal Allies will be at Pet Supermarket, 6857 N. Ninth Ave., from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every Saturday with plenty of cats and kittens looking for their fur-ever homes. All cats are up to date on shots and tested negative for leukemia, and adoption fee includes spay or neuter with microchip and flea pill.

For more information, visit aaflorida.org.

THE FOOD ALLY PET FOOD PANTRY The Food Ally Pet Food Pantry is a program of 400 Paws, Inc. that aids pet owners in Escambia County by providing food and basic items. The pantry is open on the fourth Sunday of every month from 1-3 p.m. or until food runs out. 400 Paws is located at 1147 Creighton Road. For more information, visit facebook.com/400paws.

UPCOMING EVENTS

BOW WOW BINGO Get your game on and help support 400 Paws with Bow Wow Bingo on Friday, Aug. 13. The snack bar

will open at 6 p.m., and bingo will start promptly at 7 p.m. Cost is $10 for 10 games with half split between the 10 winners and the other half to 400 Paws. Bottomless mimosas are $12. For more information, visit facebook.com/400paws.

BARK & BRUNCH Join 400 Paws, Inc. for a relaxing day with homemade brunch and bottomless mimosas Sunday, Aug. 29, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Leashed and well-behaved pets are welcome and will receive a special treat. Brunch is $15 and the bottomless mimosas are $10. Reserve your spot by Aug. 25 by emailing kim@400paws.org. 400 Paws is located at 1147 Creighton Road.

400 PAWS PET ADOPTION EVENT Local animal rescues and shelters will have loveable pets available for adoption at the 400 Paws, Inc. Pet Adoption Event Saturday, Sept. 18, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 1147 Creighton Road. The inside event will have more than 6,000 square feet with plenty of

room to socialize as well as a quiet room for cats. There will also be an outside grassy area to walk dogs and a private meet-andgreet room for potential adopters. For more information, visit facebook.com/400paws.

BARKTOBERFEST Pensacola Humane Society's Barktoberfest is back. The festival will take place Sunday, Oct. 31, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Vendors interested in joining the fun can contact Pensacola Humane's Jessica at jessica@pensacolahumane.org.

A NEW LEASH ON LOVE A HOPE's annual adoption event, A New Leash on Love, will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at Bagdad Mill Site Park. Animal rescues and shelters from all over will be bringing their fully vaccinated and fixed pets ready for their forever home. Interested in setting up a booth as a rescue, food vendor or pet retail? Have a group of interested volunteers to help us out? Please email events@ ahope4src.com for more information.

PARK IT Beulah Regional Park 7820 Mobile Highway Bill Dickson Park 3151 Fenceline Road Lexington Terrace Community Center 700 S. Old Corry Field Road Regency Park 8245 Fathom Road River Road Park 1 14484 River Road, Perdido Key (dog beach behind Lost Key Golf Club)

From the beach to Bayview, here's the scoop on all the best local parks for pups.

CITY OF PENSACOLA

Within the city of Pensacola, dogs are welcome to explore all city parks while on a leash. Dogs are allowed off-leash within the designated dog parks at Bayview Park and Roger Scott Athletic Complex.

Bayview Park Dog Park & Dog Beach 2001 E. Lloyd St. (on the south/20th Avenue side of the park) Roger Scott Athletic Complex 2130 Summit Blvd. (between the pool and the tennis center) More information at playpensacola.com August 12, 2021

CITY OF GULF BREEZE

The City of Gulf Breeze operates a dog park for off-leash play as part of Shoreline Park South.

Shoreline Bark Park 800 Shoreline Drive (near Colley Cove Drive)

More information: cityofgulfbreeze.us/ parks-and-recreation-department/shoreline-south

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

The county maintains the following dog parks, open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park 10370 Ashton Brosnaham Drive

More information: myescambia.com/ our-services/parks-and-recreation/ parks-and-community-centers

PENSACOLA BEACH

Pensacola Beach is home to two dog beach areas where owners are invited to enjoy the beach alongside their pup.

Though referred to as "dog parks," the one catch is dogs must remain on-leash while at the beach at all times. Signs are posted to clearly designate the boundaries of these dog-friendly areas.

The dog beaches are open sunrise-sunset daily, except during turtle season (May 1-Oct. 31) when open the hours change to 7 a.m.-sunset.

Pensacola Beach Dog Park East Located at Parking Lot 28.5, which is the first parking lot past Portofino

Pensacola Beach Dog Park West Located at Parking Lot 21.5, which is the first parking lot past the last condos on the Gulf More information: visitpensacolabeach. com/things-to-do-dog-beach

HIKING WITH YOUR PUP

If you're feeling up for a nice, long walk with your pup, consider the following local trails.

Jones Swamp Wetland Preserve and Nature Trail Jones Swamp offers a greenway trail with several trailheads and parking available.

The trail culminates on the east at Lexington Terrace Dog Park.

1131 or 198 Patton Drive; 700 S. Old Corry Field Road More information: myescambia.com/ourservices/parks-and-recreation/parks-andcommunity-centers Bay Bluffs Preserve This 42-acre nature preserve along Scenic Highway features trees, walking paths, boardwalks and Bay beach access.

3400 Scenic Highway Edward Ball Nature Trail Explore this half-mile boardwalk through Thompson's Bayou, a hardwood swamp.

11000 University Parkway, UWF Main Campus, trail access behind Building 10

More information: uwf.edu 13

GIFTS FOR THE PET WHO HAS EVERYTHING

ADOPTION OPTIONS

By Savannah Evanoff Dog boots Ever lost a flip-flop walking across the dock after a trip to the beach only to realize your feet are now burning at the temperature of an air fryer? Your dog probably feels the same every time you take him or her on a walk down a concrete sidewalk in the middle of summer in Florida.

Do your dog's poor paws a favor and purchase some dog boots. The boots will not only protect their paws but also look pretty dang cute.

FOR CATS

A laser toy or feather teaser In her interview for this very Pet Issue, Sharyn Berg, the founder of Animal Allies Florida, suggested earning a cat's trust by playing with them with a laser toy. In other words, a laser or feather teaser that your cat can chase around the room will only make them love you more.

Cats are a low-maintenance animal.

These are not only super affordable playthings but also safe bets to ensure that your cat's claws are everywhere in the room besides your thigh. Double win.

Pets have it ruff.

Long naps. Constant cuddles. No meowing or barking back.

All jokes aside, though, pets do occasionally have to deal with their im-purr-fect humans, which means suffering being left in their crate for an hour too long, waiting to be let out to use the bathroom or being chastised for talking a little too much during the Zoom meeting.

No pet owner is perfect. So the next time you want to suck up to your beloved furry friend, consider a-paw-logizing with one of these gifts.

but nowadays, home surveillance cameras are more affordable than ever. And, let's face it, it's an investment into you and your dog's happiness.

There are a variety of cameras offered to meet your specific needs—ones that connect to an app on your phone so you can watch your dog while at work, ones with two-way audio so you can speak high-pitched sweet nothings to your dog and remind him or her to stay off the couch and even ones that come with a cube to hold treats.

Yep, next level.

FOR DOGS

An embroidered collar Calling all boujee dog owners.

Now, does your dog need a collar with its name stitched across it that you ordered on Etsy? No, probably not.

Should you get one anyway? Heck yeah.

Plus, this is just one more way your neighbors can identify your dog the next time he or she digs a hole under the fence.

A dog DNA test Find out the breed of your dog's parents with one of the many dog DNA tests on the market. While this might seem more like a gift to you than your dog, it can benefit your dog in many ways by giving you some insight on their breed. This can help you better select dog food or grooming styles, assess your dog's behavior and provide valuable information to a potential dog trainer. Plus, it's just fun to see what two dogs united to create your sweet pup.

Some of the most popular brands offering a DNA testing kit are Wisdom Health (wisdompanel.com) and Embark (embarkvet.com).

Pet camera If you own the kind of dog who gets lonely and decides to chew up half of your sneaker collection, this might be the gift for you. It might sound pricey, 414 1

Gourmet treats Has your dog been extra awesome lately? Instead of picking up a run-of-the-mill dog treat from the grocery store, consider treating your pet to a gourmet treat from a local pet bakery or baker or even making your own at home. Pinterest and Instagram are loaded with recipes.

While the treat will probably disappear in your dog's mouth in less than five seconds, he or she will love for you for thinking of them.

Cat carrier Maybe you don't take your cat on every outing, but that doesn't mean you won't need to someday travel with your cat in the car. Maybe you will take your cat to the veterinarian, vacation or to your next home.

Buy your cat a cozy carrier that not only makes them feel safe but also keeps their fur from permanently suctioning to the fabric of your car.

Self-cleaning litter box Yes, that's right, they now make litter boxes that scoop the poop for you. This technological advancement saves you time and gives your cat that clean bathroom feeling everyone loves.

Cat bed Cats can climb anything and everything and always seem to find creative nooks to curl up and sleep. But that doesn't mean your cat doesn't deserve an upgrade. And in this day and age, upgrades are available.

Your cat can sleep like royalty—think memory foam, orthopedic cat beds. Consider buying the sleeping chamber your king or queen deserves.

Scratching post How many times have you watched your cat scratch the couch cushion or the dining room chairs? Asking as your friend.

Give your cat's claws an alternative. The internet is full of scratching posts—some with four pillars that stack up taller than a bookshelf and others in the design of a cactus or sunflower that can blend into the aesthetics of the room. Plus, if working remotely is a thing of the past, your cat needs a cure for boredom while you're gone all day.

If you're in the market for a new pet or just looking to volunteer in some way, here's a round-up of local and regional shelters, rescue groups and animal-centric nonprofits.

A Hope 5755 Washington St., Milton ahope4src.com Alaqua Animal Refuge 914 Whitfield Road, Freeport, Fla. alaqua.org Animal Allies Florida aaflorida.org Escambia County Animal Shelter 200 W. Fairfield Drive myescambia.com/community/adoptable-animals Feline Friends of Destin felinefriendsofdestin.org Friends of the Escambia County Animal Shelter facebook.com/ecasfriends Hotel for Dogs & Cats 4110 Creighton Road h4dc.org Junior Humane Society juniorhumanesociety.com Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescue nwflgdr.com PAWS (Panhandle Animal Welfare Society) 752 Lovejoy Road, Fort Walton Beach paws-shelter.org Pensacola Humane Society 5 N. Q St. pensacolahumane.org Phoenix Rising Rescue (Pit Bull Rescue) 40 W. Nine Mile Road phoenixrisingrescue.com Redfox's Animal Rescue facebook.com/redfoxsrescue Santa Rosa County Animal Shelter 4451 Pine Forest Road, Milton santarosa.fl.gov/animals Save Underdogs Rescue, Perdido Key saveunderdogs.com SOCKS (Save Our Cats & Kittens) 498 Carmel Drive, Fort Walton Beach saveourcatsandkittens.com SouthBARK southbarkanimalrescue.org inweekly.net

READER PET PHOTOS Every year, we ask you, our devoted readers, to send us photos of your pets, and, every year, you do.

When we started this issue, we had no idea it would become an annual thing, but we’re so glad it did and that you guys still think it’s fun to email us photos every July. Thank you for making The Pet Issue special, year after year, for a full freaking decade.

Atlas Chris Olson

Baxter Terry Cherry

Bomber Quinton Williams

Brad Blake Dailey & Cody Martin

Buster Terry Cherry

Clementine Luna Zepp & Evan Butts

Coco Moose the Destroyer Justin Dahlstrom

Damsel & Kit Renee Smith & Tim Bednarczyk

Dazzle Elli Gentile

Huck John & Leonor Nowak

Issy Tasha Bronson & Nick Fury

Julep Lizzy Chaloupka

Kane Allie Jackson

Laila Ali Amber Stepter

Malone Jamie Ilano & Edwin Agabin

Mango Gloria Deniz

Mason Terry Cherry

Mia & O'Lover Deb & David Jansen

Monet Grey Barona

Olive & Hamilton Mallory & Rick Appleyard

Pepper Terry & Nancy Oseien

Piper Carol Gentry

Rocky Emily Giorlando

Jordan West

Stewie Courtney & Miller

Tequila Marianne & Joey DeGrado

Tuna Sean Mullins

Vegas Darrin Land

Rosina Blake Dailey & Cody Martin August 12, 2021

Scout Lizzy Chaloupka

Rosie

15

"A TRAINED DOG IS A HAPPY DOG"

By Savannah Evanoff

Allison Silk / Courtesy Photo

Allison and Nathan Silk want your dogs to be so well trained that they don't need a leash.

The two dog trainers started with Off Leash K9 Training 30A after searching for training options for their own dogs—their "happy goofball," a chocolate lab named Douglas, and their lazy snacker, a blue nose pitbull named Barbara.

With a bit of help from their 7-year-old daughter, Olivia, they have trained hundreds of dogs with Off Leash over the course of the past two years. They offer a board and train system, in which the dog stays with them for two weeks while they train and send videos and photos to the owners, and a private lessons program.

"What we live for is watching these owners come in and ask their dogs to walk with them and the dog is perfectly at their left and off-leash and listening and checking in on them," Allison said. "It's brilliant. Our YouTube videos that we post, seeing that difference between the day that the dog gets dropped off, and trying to figure out how to follow through with a command and they're usually jumping and pulling on things or chewing on stuff or trying to get away from you on that leash. And then you see them 14 days later, and it's still a happy, hilarious dog, but look at what they're doing. It's just the coolest thing."

Allison answered a few questions about their training style, when to seek training for your pup and more.

INWEEKLY: How do you decide if your dog needs to be trained?

ALLISON: A trained dog is a happy dog. A lot of times, whenever people get their dogs 616 1

and their family pets, they expect the dogs to just have that understanding. Now, in my eyes, any training is better than no training at all, so even just a little bit of effort is going to be the best bet for any dog.

You're going to get what you put into it. Like with children, if you don't teach them their ABCs, it's no wonder that they don't know them at the end of the day. With a dog, if you don't ever teach them what their name is, or how to sit, or how to have their manners and mind their business, it shouldn't be a shock when you take them out into a public place. If they lose their minds, it's understandable because there was no guidance. So the more guidance and the more presence that you can have in that dog's life, the better, the happier they're going to be.

Ultimately, any owner should be an advocate for their dogs. That's what we work on, as well as not only teaching these dogs how to mind their manners to the best that they can but also teaching the owners how to maintain and follow through with that and keep their dogs just as happy. The best part about owning a dog is being able to take it everywhere with you. Any training at all will help that immensely.

INWEEKLY: Tell me about what style of dog training you do?

ALLISON: Whenever we work with a dog, our motto is any breed, any age, any size. We definitely stay pretty secure to that motto.

A lot of times, you'll see trainers out there working with a dog because it's a German shepherd, but we work the dog because it's the dog in front of us. It doesn't matter what breed it is, that doesn't mean it's gonna have the same issues as every German shepherd or golden retriever. We don't do any kind of forceful submission. Along with our motto of any breed, any age, any size, we also make sure that our number one concern at the end of the day is the dog's safety, their health and their happiness. We don't want a dog to go home militant; we want the dogs to go home meticulously obedient and still the happy goofballs that we know that they are.

INWEEKLY: What do you teach the dogs?

ALLISON: We do a lot of basic and advanced obedience. Our basics (are) recall, sit, place, down, heel, break, off. We'll do door manners. A lot of it is based off-leash, (like) how to load up into a vehicle safely.

With your bigger breeds, sometimes it's

difficult to get a dog to realize that their legs work. Sometimes it can be dangerous for someone to try and lift up their dog and shove them into their vehicle. With the smaller dogs, we don't expect them to jump 5 feet into the air to get into a vehicle, but we still want them to understand there is a way, and a safe way, to do it.

We do work with some aggression cases as well. We do work with some dogs who have had some bad manners in the past where they're very reactive, not only with people but also with other dogs.

INWEEKLY: What's the most challenging part?

ALLISON: I think my most challenging is probably what I enjoy the most out of this. I really like working with any size.

Currently, I'm working with a 120-pound, 1-year-old Irish wolfhound who's about as big as a pony. He's definitely an eye-catcher out in public. And the smallest dog I've worked with was 3.4 pounds. My biggest challenge is just seeing what each dog is going to teach me. Every time I pick up a new dog for a board and train, they're going to teach me something different, really pushing the limits as far as, "We can train this. This is amazing." It's one thing to see a golden retriever walking off-leash, but it's phenomenal when you've got a 3-pound fluff ball walking off-leash with you as well.

I think those are the biggest challenges because you're not only providing that advocacy for a dog, but you're also gaining their trust and having a bond with them.

You do have some dogs that come through who aren't big on affection, and figuring out different ways to bond with them and really get that trust with them is a very good challenge.

INWEEKLY: Have you had any dogs that have really stuck out to you in terms of how far they came?

ALLISON: Oh, yes. Handfuls, actually. Over the past couple of years, we've definitely had a lot of stories we have heard that have been heartbreaking rescue dogs who have come through where we've immensely helped their families, working canines who have come from working lines that have not only challenged us with volunteer commands, but with their strength and their capabilities to move. We match it and we challenge them. Finding a way to be able to challenge those dogs as well and keep their minds moving to dogs who have come through who have never had affection before and don't understand why we're wanting to pet them or even understanding their name or trying to just figure out what it's like being in the home environment, those are probably some of my

favorites. At the end of the day, when they go home after training with us, those are the dogs that really pull at your heartstrings and still to this day could make me cry just thinking how amazing that transition is. Coming in and you're starting from scratch with a dog who knows nothing but being abandoned and being tied up, and now they have this loving family who wants everything for them, and they want the best. That's what we want to provide them, is the most obedient and well-behaved and loving dog. When you drop them off on that 14th day and a family comes to pick them up and that dog runs into their arms, it's enough to make a grown man cry.

INWEEKLY: What are you and your husband's strengths?

ALLISON: We really just boost each other up.

If I feel not so confident about where a dog is, we can utilize working with one another, where we can swap a dog for a couple of hours and see if that dog is still having the same issues with me as it was with him and vice versa.

INWEEKLY: How does Olivia handle the training?

ALLISON: She's 100% involved in it. Whenever we have a dog come in for board and train, her first question is, "Are we babysitting or are we training this dog?" If we tell her we're training, she gets a little upset because she knows she's not allowed to touch the dog until we allow her to. Once we feel comfortable and confident with where the dog is, that's when she gets involved. She is full hands-on ready. She knows all of the commands, how to appropriately work with a dog, how to appropriately introduce herself to a dog. She's learned a lot, especially for a 7-year-old. She's got the best impulse control when it comes to fluffy creatures because of what we do. She's very respectful of other people and animals out in public.

She does get mildly embarrassing sometimes when someone's walking out in a public area and if their dog is barking and jumping and yapping, she will stop dead center and look at them and say, "My parents are trainers. Your dog really needs some help."

We've tried to get her to understand she does not need to solicit for us, but she's very much a force to be reckoned with. I'm very afraid that once she gets to a point where she's old enough, she's going to boot us out of the company and just take over.

She has her aspirations of having a rescue ranch and having all of these dogs and breeds of animals and just taking every single one in. We're also active fosters. So when we foster a dog, she's 100% involved. {in} OFF LEASH K9 TRAINING 30A 30adogtrainers.com facebook.com/30adogtrainers inweekly.net