ZENFULdog of the Month: Levi

Welcome to the June 2026 ZENFULdog of the Month featuring Levi! Levi’s pet-mom, Carissa, adopted him when he was just 8 months’ old. Levi was loving and clingy from the start but also nervous and reactive. Thanks to training and building trust with Carissa and the ZENFULdog Training community, Levi and Carissa have both become more confident and trusting in their bond and ability to overcome any challenges that come their way!

Levi

Age: 4 1/2

Levi’s Family Life

Carissa about Levi: “Getting to see the dog Levi has become today from four years ago especially throughout the last couple of months has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life. I’m so proud of how far Levi has come and grown and I can’t wait to see all the successful things he will do in the future.”

Levi & Elliott (Levi’s human brother): Elliott is two years old and when Carissa asked him what Levi means to him, he said ‘happy.’ From Carissa’s point of view, they act like real siblings: they’ll have disagreements, but not long after, you’ll find Elliott playing and Levi laying close by watching.

Crystal (Levi’s human nonna) about Levi: “Levi is like a baked potato. He can look hard on the outside but he’s soft and fluffy on the inside. Whenever I need a cuddle, Levi is always up for the challenge. He’s sweet, clingy and loves his people.”

Levi & Ajax (Levi’s fur-friend): Ajax enjoys walking with Levi and looks for him when she feels unsure. They recently have had some supervised play time and she loves the idea of having a playmate.

All About Levi

Levi’s Personality According to Carissa: Levi is a very sweet, loving dog but is also very pushy and needy. Levi loves to make sure you have no personal space and will always try to sneak in as many licks as he can. Sometimes Levi is too good at sharing his feelings with Carissa and letting her know when he is upset with her decisions: “Levi is also really smart, he always finds a way to figure things out and is always up for a challenge to try new things, whether it’s new tricks or walking somewhere new or even adding new dogs to our walking group.”

Carissa Tells us What is Truly Unique about Levi: Something unique about Levi is that he always has his tail up, and not just up straight, it’s always shaped as a question mark: “Levi can also always find at least a few spots to roll on during every walk, no matter where we go or what the weather is like.”

Levi’s Favourite Activities According to Carissa: Levi loves going for walks, once he knows they are getting ready to go, he whines and spins around the whole time until they leave: “When we are walking, he enjoys chasing small birds and sometimes he gets brave and wants to chase the geese, but I never let him since they kind of scare me. Levi also loves bringing anyone his ball to throw or you can often find him carrying it around and chewing on it. Levi also enjoys parkour and overcoming the challenges that come with it.”

Carissa Tells us How Levi Unwinds after a Full Day of Activities: Levi unwinds by having a snack most nights then goes to Carissa for full body scratches or a massage. After that, he lays down with Carissa until he’s ready to go to bed and then heads to his crate.  

Levi’s Favourite Foods & Treats According to Carissa: Levi’s favourite meal is supper when he gets raw good food: “he always does a happy dance when he knows you’re bringing his food.” Levi’s favourite treats are rollover, dehydrated liver, chicken sticks and he really enjoys cream cheese and his pill pockets. 

If Levi had a Human Voice: Carissa thinks Levi would have a unique, funny voice similar to Jack Sparrow. 

Levi’s Training

Carissa and Levi have been training with ZENFULdog Training since January 2026. They started with Private Classes, then Movement and Parkour once Levi felt confident enough to join. They are hoping to join in on group walks in the future.

Levi’s Biggest Training Challenge According to Carissa: Walking Levi was Carissa’s biggest training challenge with him. He struggled with anything that had wheels and moved. He was also reactive to people and dogs, so walking was difficult since everything seemed to trigger him.  

Levi's Biggest Successes/Improvements Through Training: Training has given Levi the confidence to be around new people, dogs and in new places. He also looks to Carissa for guidance and trust that she will make sure he has enough space to feel safe: “Training has helped us both with being more patient with each other. I feel like we are more connected.”

Most Rewarding Moment(s) of Training in Action: Watching Levi build confidence and interest in exploring new things makes Carissa so proud: “We worked hard on building trust and it shows on our walks as Levi will check in with me and look to me for guidance. I used to feel so isolated on our walks since we had to keep a large distance between us and the one other dog we could walk with. Now with all our hard work, we are able to walk with 6 different dogs, at a distance where I am able to have a conversation and Levi still feels safe.

I used to also find it overwhelming walking Levi with my son, but now that we both have more confidence and trust in each other, the three of us are able to enjoy our walks together.”

ZENFULdog Training’s owner and trainer, Kendra, adds: “Levi is one of the most adorable boys you’ll ever meet. He greets the world with a big open-mouth smile, a constantly wagging tail and a signature way of settling with his hind legs stretched out behind him that’s just too cute. 

When I first met him, Levi was quite nervous around me and struggled with anxiety around both people and dogs. With space, time and choice, across just a couple of sessions, he began to build trust at his own pace. Now, he happily seeks out connection by leaning in for butt rubs and accepting treats with confidence. It feels like an incredible privilege to know he feels safe with me.

Levi first came to us for private training, and since then has enjoyed participating in our Movement Challenge Program and parkour classes. He continues with private sessions every two weeks, where we support his ongoing confidence, fitness, and life skills.. What’s most important is that so much of his progress comes from the work happening outside of class. His guardians, Carissa and her mother Crystal, are consistently supporting him every single day. Through thoughtful management, structured routines, training practice, enrichment, and a deep respect for his nervous system, they have built a lifestyle that allows him to truly thrive. They also maintain a strong relationship with their veterinary team, which is an important part of his overall wellbeing. It truly takes a village, or better yet, a compassionate, educated and respectful community, to help dogs succeed.

Levi began his journey needing careful management and support, and today he is able to regulate himself more effectively and even co-regulate with Carissa in group classes around other dogs and people. Watching him relax, engage, and genuinely enjoy learning, knowing it comes from safety rather than pressure or suppression, is incredibly meaningful. I couldn’t be happier for Levi and his guardians. He is always ready to try new things, especially if it involves obstacles.”

A heartfelt “Thank You!” to Carissa for providing fantastic and inspiring content for this feature! Don’t forget, you can also follow ZENFULdog Training on Facebook to stay connected with your like-minded, dog-loving community every day!