Welcome to the June 2024 edition of ZENFULdog of the Month featuring Kayla! Kayla, a sweet-looking rescued Chinese Crested Mix, is loved and cherished by her adoptive pet-parents—Finola and Ben. This adorable family has been part of the ZENFULdog Training community for over 2 years!
Kayla
Age: 6
Birthday: May 27th
Meet Kayla’s Family
(Finola—Kayla’s pet-mom): Kayla is a wonderful companion for Finola: “She has a little couch in my office and stays by me while I work. I tell everyone she is my little ‘dog daughter.’”
(Ben—Kayla’s pet-dad): Kayla adores Ben and shows it every chance she gets. While Ben may not always appreciate the intense ‘face washes’ Kayla insists on giving him, he loves her and her unwavering love and devotion.
(Kayla’s pet-grandma): Finola’s mom visits from Montreal for a few nights almost every week and Kayla stays right by her from the time she wakes up until she goes to bed. They are very close and have conversations all day long!
(Kevin—Kayla’s pet-uncle): Finola’s brother stays with them every couple of weeks and Kayla always spends some time by him on the couch even though her favorite spot is beside Finola’s mom.
Kayla's Personality According to Finola: Because Kayla is a rescue, Finola and Ben do not know who the father is but they were told he might be a Terrier. With a mostly hairless body and very few teeth, she looks more like a Chinese Crested than a Terrier.
Finola Shares The Most Unique Thing about Kayla: Kayla has a unique connection to squirrels. When she was a puppy, the squirrels would sit on the fence and talk to her while she would tilt her head and listen intently: “People comment on how she ‘sits pretty’ but she learned that from the squirrels and she does it all day long to let us know that she would like to be fed.”
Kayla's favourite Treats/Foods according to Finola: Kayla's hands-down favorite meal is slow-roasted duck with Brussels sprouts!
Kayla’s Favourite Activities: Kayla loves to go for walks and race around the yard but her favourite outing is going to the Starbucks drive-through for a pup cup.
Finola Lists how Kayla Unwinds After a Full Day of Activity: Kayla's favourite way to relax is curling up under a soft blanket next to one of her family members: “She makes little caves for herself on the couch and in her bed, even in the summer.”
Who would Kayla sound like if she had a human voice?: The first celebrity that came to Finola’s mind is a young Bette Midler—loud and feisty!
Kayla’s Training
Kayla and Finola started training with ZENFULdog Training over two years ago with Private Training sessions due to Kayla’s anxiety. After that, they moved on to Parkour and Canine Fitness group classes.
Finola Tells Us How Training Has Shaped Kayla: “Kendra has been wonderful with Kayla from the start and her ability to build Kayla's confidence and let her feel safe has completely changed her demeanor around other dogs and new people.”
Finola Describes Kayla’s Biggest Training Challenges/Successes: “Kayla's extreme fear and anxiety were very difficult at the outset, as she would constantly bark around other dogs or if anyone came near her. Kayla has made huge advances since she started training with Zenful. She trains easily in a group setting now even with new dogs and is super happy and excited every time we pull up to our fitness class.”
Finola recalls Kayla’s Most Rewarding Training Moments:
“The most rewarding [training] moments have been seeing her confidence grow weekly and watching her try to engage with some of the other dogs which I thought was impossible before we started training with Kendra.”
Kendra adds: “I love Kayla! She is the sweetest girl with just a touch of sass—which I admire. She has a very loving and supportive family. Finola is an absolute gem and a joy to have in our programs. It's crystal clear that Kayla adores Ben and her pet-grandmother, whom we have also had the pleasure to have in classes.
Kayla began her training with us building confidence around other dogs and people in our space. To do this, we had help from dogs, Ren and Bandit, to show her that dogs will respect her boundaries and she has the right to her pace to feel safe and comfortable in anyone's presence.
Since then, she has walked into our group programs like the queen she is which we are all happy to see.
Finola and her family have supported her growth and built her confidence with patience and relationship-building training. She has developed amazing skills and athleticism in her fitness program and loves to show off her parkour skills. Each class, Kayla rocks the most adorable attire that we all admire and I swear she struts—as she should!
Finola and Kayla have a beautiful relationship and we love seeing Kayla show interest in new dogs and set boundaries we respect. We all love giving her attention. Kayla and her family bring so much joy to each class they attend, we are lucky to have them!”
A very special “Thank You!” to Finola for providing fantastic content for this feature. Don’t forget you can also follow ZENFULdog Training on Facebook to stay connected to your like-minded dog-loving community every day!
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