Leah and Her Assistant Buddy

In this free class, Leah Will, Wishbone volunteer and animal behavior specialist, will teach interested volunteers how to conduct Canine-ality and Puppy-ality assessments.

You may recall that Leah was featured in our March newsletter.  Since January of this year she has been conducting the ASPCA SAFER assessment on the dogs that come through the Allegan Shelter.

Our next step is to start implementing the Canine-ality Program.  Understanding each dog’s personality better helps us match them to the right forever home.

There are two parts to this program; the first is assessing each dog at the shelter to get a good idea of their individual energy level and temperament, second is an adopter’s survey that any potential person interested in adopting a new dog or puppy would fill out.

With the survey results we can then match them with dogs that have the energy level and temperament potential adopters are looking for.  This will decrease our return rate as well as increase the positive experience that our potential adopters have at the shelter.

If you are interested in learning how to conduct Canine-ality and Puppy-ality assessments, contact Leah at (616) 856-3403 or email her at trainer@thebalanceddog.org.  The class will be held Sat. June 23 at 1pm at The Allegan County Animal Shelter.

For more information on Leah and her work, visit her website at: www.thebalanceddog.org