Thorin spent the month with his advanced dog sitter. They enjoy regular walks in Pacific Spirit Park, often with other PADS volunteers or clients and their dogs. Thorin and his sitter are popular role models for younger dogs. His friendliness and exuberance make the walks fun for people and dogs alike, and his excellent behaviour makes it easy to keep the fun within manageable boundaries.
Thorin regularly accompanies his sitter to the gym, where he is a very welcome guest. While there, he gets to work on his greetings – the trainers and other clients love him – and practice waiting calmly in a down for an extended period. He has also been on field trips to Lougheed Mall, UBC, MacArthurGlen Mall and Home Depot this month, practicing the skills he needs to pass his public access test. As part of these trips, he rode on the Canada Line and several buses, including the very busy 99 B-Line. He also recently attended a “meet and greet” event at the Museum of Anthropology, where members of the public had a chance to interact with several different PADS dogs. He has continued to make weekly visits to Peak House, a halfway house for youth dealing with addiction issues, where he is a favourite of both the youth and the staff.
Thorin is working hard on the skills he may need for his future job. He continues to get better at staying calm and focused in high-distraction environments and at controlling his exuberance when meeting new people (and old friends!). He’s always eager to work and learn!
Thank you for all your support of Advanced Dog Thorin!
Advanced training location: West Coast
Submitted by: Margaret, AFD & PSTD Training Program Manager
