Welcome to a special June edition of ZENFUL Dog of the Month featuring not one but three dogs—Ivy, Ginny and Lily—who are all part of the same family with pet-parents Eva and Kevin.
Ivy, Ginny and Lily
Respective Ages: 12 years, 12 years and 12 months
Meet Ivy, Ginny and Lily:
Ivy is a Husky mix from Iqaluit who Eva and Kevin adopted as a one-year-old. She had been adopted and returned twice previously and the reason soon became clear to her new pet-parents. She was (and is) what they now understand to be a ‘typical’ northern dog. She has extreme energy, intelligence, attitude, prey drive and confidence—quite a package!
Ginny is another rescue that came into Eva’s and Kevin’s lives a few months after Ivy. She is a Hound retriever mix completely different from Ivy. She is happy to walk or run a bit but prefers to be nose to the ground. She has a more relaxed nature and is a sweet, gentle soul.
Lily is a Mini American Shepherd and has a mix of both Ginny’s and Ivy’s best qualities. She has high energy, intelligence and confidence while also being a sweet, gentle and social dog.
Eva describes Their Personalities:
Ivy is the leader of the pack—she is smart and focused on what is happening around her while still very energetic.
Ginny is sweet and gentle, mostly off in her own world and she really appreciates a soft sofa.
Lily is a blend of the other two with the gentle personality of Ginny and Lily’s high energy drive (and everything that goes with that).
Eva Shares The Most Unique Things about Them:
Ivy is extremely loyal to all her family members and can barely contain herself when reunited—no matter the time span.
Ginny has the best sense of smell of the three. Eva and Kevin call her GPS Ginny because she knows where they are when they drive to one of her frequently visited locations such as trails, parks, their cottage or Kendra's (ZENFULdog). Ginny starts whining when they are approaching these spots—usually from about a kilometre away. She gets more excited the closer they get and will sigh despairingly if they drive past!
“Lily has the ability to carefully analyze her humans and question why they apparently have lost the plot...again.”
Their Favourite Treats/Foods:
All three are guaranteed to pay attention to peanut butter.
Lily shakes with anticipation when she hears the popcorn maker.
Their Favourite Activities:
Ivy's favourite activity is definitely Canicross.
Ginny loves to run with her nose to the ground and gets very excited for Cani-Trail.
Lily's favourite activity is Parkour first then everything else as long as she can meet people and dogs.
If They Each had a Human Voice:
Ivy would sound most like Yoda—feed me you will!
Lily would be Emma Watson as Hermione from Harry Potter—smart and bewitching!
Ginny would sound like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music.
Their Training
Eva Tells Us How Training has Shaped Ivy, Ginny and Lily:
Lily: Lily met Kendra as a 3-month-old puppy for her first puppy class. Her pet-parents, Eva and Kevin, quickly began to understand what they needed to do to allow her to become a social, confident and well-adjusted puppy.
As Lily progressed through the puppy classes, it was evident to Eva and Kevin that she enjoyed them and they eagerly awaited each next step.
Lily now participates in Parkour classes (which she loves), Cani-fit classes (to help an active dog remain that way) and Canicross—teamed with Ivy (fantastically fun). She also goes on as many Cani-Trail walks as possible which are always a great time for Lily who wants to greet all her friends—canine and human alike.
Eva Tells us How Ivy and Ginny are a bit of a different training story:
“Ivy and Ginny spent most of their adult lives on a hobby farm where they did not have much opportunity to see or meet other dogs. As they were not very well behaved in more social spaces it spiraled (couldn't take them so didn't). Their reactivity just escalated to the point where Ivy would turn on Ginny in any situation. This resulted in walks that had to be very early morning or very late at night or diving into a wooded area or running off through a field or other ridiculous behaviors to avoid meeting other dogs (sometimes even people). Once the dogs became part of a neighborhood it was clear something (other than moving) had to be done.
Luckily, Lily had arrived and we met Kendra. After a month or so, the question of old dogs and new tricks came up. Kendra assured us it was possible to make some changes even in senior dogs. Much work with much guidance was done and to our complete amazement, Ginny and Ivy can now go on Cani-Trail outings. I would never ever have believed it! It is fantastic—like having new dogs! Ivy's envelope got pushed even further by putting her in Canicross. She just loves it, gets right down to business and goes. Happily, she tolerates Lily who is somewhat less focused!”
Eva describes Their Biggest Training Challenges:
Lily’s biggest training challenges have been ‘stay,’ ‘wait’ or ‘settle.’
For Ivy and Ginny, the biggest training challenge has been managing their reactivity.
Eva describes Their Biggest Training Success:
Lily is becoming more thoughtful and a better listener.
It is huge that Ivy and Ginny show up for Cani-Trail and are successful!
Eva describes Their Most Rewarding Training Moments:
Ivy and Ginny: The most rewarding moments for both Ivy and Ginny have been their ability to walk with us in a neighborhood and not react when they see other dogs. Six months ago, this would have been unheard of. Also, their ability to join Cani-Trail and enjoy it.
Additionally, for Ivy, it has been her ability to run with the fantastic Canicross group. She enjoys it so much—she walks right into her harness to get ready!
Lily: Most rewarding moments with Lily have been watching her progress as she continues to improve her skills (and with much enthusiasm). Her improved focus and ability to respond to requested tasks amazes her pet-parents who are sure she must speak English!
Kendra adds: “Eva and Kevin are the coolest, nicest people, if they include you in their inner circle—count yourself lucky! The same can be said of their loveable and unique dogs that I absolutely adore. Together they are this beautiful, energized team of awesomeness.
Lily is the cutest, sweetest dog who loves literally everyone. She has this joie de vivre she exudes at all times. When I think of her, I immediately smile and think of that swinging fluffer butt! She always wiggles, from head to toe, when she greets me and that makes my day every time. She is smart, playful, and always willing to give something a try. She rocks Skill Training, Fitness and Canicross but I would say she lives for obstacles—Parkour is where she really shines! The bigger the challenge, the happier Lily!
Ivy is a beautiful, wild, strong-willed girl that I respect and love. She has that sass I love that only a northern dog can rock. She doesn't miss a beat and will be bored if you do not challenge her. I love watching her eat up the ground with a big smile on her face as she pulls and races down the trails during Canicross. She loves to work and really tolerates a lot from the younger dogs learning manners. There is such beauty in seeing a dog do what she loves and what she was meant to do.
Sweet, sweet Ginny—when I think of Ginny I think of gentle things like butterflies on a summer day. She seems to befriend all the biggest dogs on trails and loves to lead the way on every hike. She speeds ahead with a wiggle in her butt and a smile on her face—seemingly not a care in the world. She is a gentle soul who I think loves the simple things like enjoying all the amazing smells around her—nose to the ground is her happy place!”
A very special “Thank You!” goes out to Eva for providing so much of the content for this feature. Don’t forget that you can follow ZENFULdog Training on Facebook to stay connected to your like-minded, dog-loving community every day. Happy June!
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