Welcome to the May 2023 edition of ZENFULdog of the Month featuring Frank! Frank is an easygoing pug who loves to be on the go and participate in every adventure. He goes anywhere his pet-mom Amanda goes, without hesitation. He and Amanda are beloved members of the ZENFULdog community and love their ZENFULdog community right back!
Frank
Age: He is 1 year (and a bit) old
Frank’s birthday: February 17, 2022
Meet Frank’s Family
(Amanda—Frank’s pet-mom): Frank is Amanda’s “loyal friend and companion, Jeep dog co-pilot, bed-pug and so much more.” Amanda credits Frank for getting her out doing things on days she may have otherwise let pass her by. He also takes the guilt out of any relaxation time she indulges in at home when there is nowhere else to be.
(Craig—Frank’s pet-dad): While Craig has two large companion dogs of his own, Frank “owns a piece of his heart.” Craig loves to play and spend time with Frank—his “li’l homie.” Whether they spend their time gaming or watching football, Frank is “always 100% all in.”
(Frank’s fur-family—Orion, Odin, Darth Maul and Lord Vader):
Orion: a Malamute/Siberian husky “who likes to herd the other animals away from Frank and sneak away with his stuffed toys when he isn't looking.”
Odin: a Malamute/mix who “likes to watch from afar but comes in for treats and playtime. He also likes to drop pieces of his kibble for Frank while he is eating from his high dish.”
Darth Maul: a feline friend and shy rescue who “is finding his trust because of Frank's outgoing nature.”
Lord Vader: a black cat and “Frank's best friend who is just as outgoing, loving and boisterous as Frank (and who absolutely adores him).”
Amanda describes Frank's Personality: Frank is happy and he loves life. He is outgoing, friendly and loves people and other animals—and generally everything!
Amanda has a “mutt over” that Frank jumps into with no question so she can take him on biking trails as well as a moulded seat with a seatbelt in the Jeep so he is safe with the doors and top off in the summer. Frank wears his Doggles to keep his eyes safe and he doesn’t question anything as long as he is going somewhere to do something.
Amanda Shares The Most Unique Thing about Frank: Frank was bit as a puppy and sustained a major injury to his face. “He went to the emergency vet and was treated successfully (he did not lose his eye). [He] has minimal to no sight in one eye and paralysis on one side of his face. He in no way let this [incident] change his personality. He has no fear of other animals and insists on being friendly with the world.”
Frank's favourite Treats/Foods according to Amanda: Frank is a pug so Amanda says if he can eat, he will eat! Currently, he enjoys beef rollover for training, duck jerky for chewing and, of course, Dentastix or Greenies to brush his pearly whites.
Amanda Lists Frank’s Favourite Activities:
Playing with his stuffed toys and puzzles
Wrestling, playing fetch and tug of war with his people
Training
Going for drives
Visiting and socializing
How Frank Unwinds After a Full Day of Activity: Amanda notes that for pugs, napping is an art form. Frank “likes to be active with [Amanda] but he definitely can nap—especially in a sunbeam.”
If Frank had a human voice, which celebrity would he sound like?: Amanda believes Frank would sound like Tim Blaney who voiced ‘Frank’ from Men in Black. She adds: “The scene from the movie where ‘Frank’ is riding in the car with Will Smith singing “I will survive” is repeated in the house at least once a week. Our Frank wags his tail every time.”
Frank’s Training
Frank started at ZENFULdog with puppy classes. Frank was loved by dogs and people alike in his puppy classes. Kendra explains, “As a puppy, Frank didn't have much focus (because he was a puppy) but always had an excellent temperament. Amanda is great with him and teaches him at his pace so now after all her dedication at home and through private sessions, Frank has come a long way to be a focused skilled superstar. Amanda's goal is to have Frank be a therapy dog and he couldn't be a more perfect dog for the job. They are currently taking a break from skill/obedience training to enjoy some fun with Parkour classes, where they bring joy and laughter to each class. Frank and Amanda are very skilled in Parkour, it's exciting to see them excel at various disciplines. I can't say enough good things about the two of them! ”
Amanda Tells Us How Training has Shaped Frank: Amanda credits Kendra’s patience and encouragement for helping them progress toward their dream goal of training Frank to become a therapy dog. Amanda explains that Frank has “grown from wild puppy to playful adolescent but one with manners and skills and with the foundation to keep adding to his skillset.”
Amanda Describes Frank’s Biggest Training Challenges: Amanda’s family was used to having adult rescues in the home but not puppies. Frank was a challenge because he was both a puppy and a pug with the infamous stubborn nature of that breed. Amanda faced and unpacked a “whole bundle of firsts” while training Frank.
Amanda Describes Frank’s Biggest Training Success: “Frank’s biggest success through training,” Amanda says, “was finding out that he was interested in Parkour and enjoys it very much. In participating in Parkour, he has increased his skills in obedience as his reward for obedience training has become a Parkour circuit. The two will be forever intertwined and going forward will assist in Frank reaching the success he needs in obedience to achieve becoming a therapy dog.”
Amanda Describes Frank’s Most Rewarding Training Moments: “We were doing our rounds of socializing at local establishments and Frank was greeting people by sitting and letting them approach him. I was so proud at that moment. A little boy was so shy to approach and Frank patiently waited for him to come up and pet him. It was a gold star moment and I was so proud. We go to many local merchants who allow dogs in their stores to practice ‘meet and greet’ and observe. Kendra is a huge advocate for bringing our companions into public spaces but also for ensuring our animals show manners and are good ambassadors.”
Kendra adds: “Everyone loves Frank and Amanda, I mean they dressed up as Men in Black for our Hallowe’en event last year, they totally rock. The first day I met Frank, he arrived at my training facility by jeep with his pet-mom, wearing his goggles, probably one of my favourite moments meeting a new dog team. This duo is authentic and so cool.”
Amanda says that life with Frank will always be an adventure and she is very thankful to Kendra for the foundation and continued training.
A very special “Thank You!” goes out to Amanda for providing so much fantastic content for this feature. You can follow Frank on his Facebook page “Frank Ma Pug.”
You can also follow ZENFULdog Training on Facebook to stay connected to your like-minded dog-loving community every day!
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