ZENFULdog of the Month: Lola

Welcome to the September 2026 edition of ZENFULdog of the Month, featuring the petite but mighty Australian Shepherd, Lola! Lola’s retired pet-parents, Jay and Bill, adopted Lola from a local breeder in June 2023. Jay and Bill have always been active playing pickleball a few times a week, gardening, and taking care of their acres of rural land. When they wanted to have more regular exercise, like walking a dog every day, they went to see some pups at a local breeder. There, they instantly fell in love with Lola who was the runt of her litter. Lola seemed to them to be purposefully posing and sitting up as if to show that she was polite and the obvious choice. 

It wasn’t just her charming personality that won them over, it was also her striking appearance with one side of her face beige and the other side chocolate brown, one blue eye and one brown and adorable specks across her coat! Bill and Jay had never planned, or imagined, they would adopt such an energetic breed, nor did they “do their homework” on Australian Shepherds before falling in love with Lola, but they do not regret a thing! Lola is the perfect addition to their family of three and a beloved member of the ZENFULdog Training community!

Lola

Age: three and a half years old

Meet Lola’s Family

Jay and Bill have had dogs before, back when they were working and would leave them home during the day. But Lola gets, and demands, a lot of attention. They say she keeps them honest. While they may not have the same freedom they once did, since Lola is always by their side, they wouldn’t have it any other way. She is exceptionally well-behaved for her breed. She is not destructive and she doesn’t bark…even when turkeys stroll past the window! 

(Jay—Lola’s pet-mom): Lola goes to Jay for affection and emotional support. Jay is her security blanket.

(Bill—Lola’s pet-dad): Bill lovingly jokes that Lola is a ‘user.’ She knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. She goes to Bill for play, work and exercise but Bill admits he can be clumsy, and when he drops something or is loud, Lola runs to Jay to be soothed. 

Lola's Personality According to Jay and Bill: Lola is mighty and strong both physically and mentally. She is active, intelligent and determined. Bill and Jay laugh that when people see the photos of her, they will see a bit of a wild dog by the look on her face, but she just loves to play! 

They make sure to tire her out every day, not only with physical activity but also with mental challenges that keep her sharp and content. For Lola, mental stimulation is just as important as physical exercise, it helps her feel fulfilled and relaxed by the end of the day. Keeping her busy keeps her happy while also ensuring she does not let all her energy loose in the house, though they add that she was never destructive or even difficult as a puppy. 

Jay and Bill Share The Most Unique Thing about Lola: The most unique thing about Lola is the one-of-a-kind, unexpected bond she shares with her retired pet-parents, Jay and Bill. Seniors are not typical adoptive parents of an Australian Shepherd, but Lola keeps them on their toes and shares a loving, unique relationship with each of them and both of them. As a trio, they work wonderfully in sync, full of respect and affection.

Despite the odds, Bill and Jay say Lola is the perfect fit for them. They were worried at first that they would not be able to keep up with her, but now they feel they share a perfect, balanced dynamic, each with their own job and role to play.

Lola's favourite Treats/Foods according to Jay and Bill: Lola has some allergies so she is on a pescatarian diet. She eats vegetarian kibble, loves veggies, like carrots and cucumbers, and loves her fish treats! 

Lola’s Favourite Activities: Bill and Jay live in a rural area just outside a farming community, where winter brings towering snowbanks—sometimes six feet high after the plow passes. Lola’s favorite pastime is sprinting up and down those snowy hills for a good four kilometers. The bigger the snowbank, the better! 

As a true Australian Shepherd, Lola also loves to run 100mph completing hairpin turns and sudden stops. 

She has also been known to herd. She even herded her cousin, a Jack Russell Terrier, into their pantry once!

Jay and Bill Describe how Lola Unwinds After a Full Day of Activity:  After a full day of activity with Bill and Jay, and training with Kendra, Lola’s favourite go-to place to unwind and relax is under their bed. She sprawls out under the bed in pure contentment. As Bill and Jay say “a tired dog is a happy dog.” Lola rests there daily from about 4pm to 8pm., and when the clock strikes eight, it’s snack time…and boy, does she know when it is 8pm!

If Lola had a human voice: Jay says, and Bill wholeheartedly agrees, that Lola would sound like, and reminds them of, Taylor Swift. She is cute, smart, intelligent and she rocks whatever she does! She is self-made and pretty—she rocks!

Lola’s Training 

Lola has participated in several ZENFULdog Training classes like Skills, Socialisation, Novice Tricks, Recall, Parkour and Private Training with Kendra, who, they say, just happens to be her favourite person in the world.

Lola’s training was, for a long time, focused on Parkour. But one day, Lola suddenly decided she was done with it and made it clear to Jay and Bill that she had shown everything she could do and was ready for something new. Jay and Bill listened to her cues and shifted gears.

Now, Lola has taken to nose work (sniffing and tracking) and they say she has picked it up like a blood hound. She loves it! Living in a rural area means plenty of distractions like turkeys, skunks, and other wildlife, offering endless scents to explore. She does her job beautifully, always finding the scent Bill picks for her to track. 

Jay and Bill Tell Us How Training Has Shaped Lola: Lola was the runt of her litter and started life with little confidence. Her mother abandoned her pups too early, leaving Lola without the nurturing she needed. It took time for her to find her footing, but with Jay and Bill’s love, patience, and guidance, and training with Kendra, she’s blossoming beautifully. Each day, Lola grows stronger and more self‑assured, proving just how far care and compassion can go. 

Jay and Bill Describe Lola’s Biggest Training Challenges/Successes:  Lola’s biggest training challenge has been maintaining focus when distractions arise. Thanks to consistent training and socialization, Jay and Bill have seen tremendous improvement.

Knowing that life in a rural area meant fewer distractions and social interactions, they made sure Lola had opportunities to play with other dogs at local kennels, even before meeting Kendra. 

Lola is learning to warm up to people, but they are still a work in progress. Because their property is large and unfenced, Jay and Bill are also working on keeping her close when something catches her attention in the distance. There’s still progress to be made, Lola is naturally curious and loves to watch every car that passes, but where she once hid from things that intrigued her, she now approaches them with confidence and curiosity.

Jay and Bill recall Lola’s Most Rewarding Moments of Training in Action: You’d hardly believe Lola is the same dog she once was when you see how much she loves shopping now. She struts into stores like she owns the place. She is confident, curious, and perfectly well‑behaved. 

Jay and Bill add: When Australian Shepherds get annoyed by something, they never forget. If Lola walks past a house and the door slams, she’ll refuse to walk by that house again! She also adores every dog she meets, big or small, and doesn’t play favourites. Lola loves them all equally. 

Kendra adds: “Lola is a spirited, loving and intelligent dog who has been incredibly lucky to find two of the most wonderful guardians in Bill and Jay. They are special people who remind me just how beautiful the human spirit and heart can be, and what kindness, patience and understanding can inspire in a spirited dog.

Lola is also a wonderful reminder to our dog community that there are so many ways to fulfill our dogs. Sport, competition and titles can be incredibly rewarding for dogs and their people, and I absolutely love seeing teams pursue those goals. But they are not the only way to give a dog a rich and meaningful life. Sometimes fulfillment comes from understanding who your dog is, listening to what they enjoy, and meeting them where they are—and that is something Bill and Jay do beautifully.

Lola has absolutely rocked our group classes, including Parkour, Trick Training and Recall, but some of my favourite moments have come during our monthly private sessions, where we can focus entirely on Lola and how to support her individual needs. Together, we’ve been working toward helping Lola safely enjoy more freedom off-leash on their acreage while also giving her meaningful mental enrichment and opportunities to use her incredible brain.

Bill and Jay go above and beyond for her. Whatever they set their minds to, they come back to our next session having worked together and somehow managed to rock it. One of my favourite moments was when they taught Lola to come and deliver a gift to me—it was absolutely brilliant and such a wonderful example of how much fun can be found in teaching a dog something simply because they enjoy doing it together.

Lola can spin, jump over legs and tackle all kinds of creative challenges, and when she recently seemed ready for a break from Parkour, Bill and Jay listened. Instead of pushing her through something because she had previously loved it, they followed her lead and explored tracking and scent work—and Lola has been loving having something new to investigate.

That, to me, is what truly beautiful dog training looks like: partnership, curiosity, trust and a willingness to listen. Bill and Jay don’t just train Lola; they know her, advocate for her, and continually look for ways to help her thrive as the wonderful dog she is. They remind me that fulfilling a dog isn’t about following a formula or asking them to fit into our idea of what success should look like. It’s about getting to know the individual dog in front of you, listening when they tell you what they need, and finding ways to help them feel safe, engaged, curious and wonderfully alive. And Lola, with Bill and Jay beside her, is doing exactly that.”

A heartfelt “Thank You!” to Bill and Jay for providing fantastic 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!