Austin Dog Training: Fearful Lab Mix Gains Some Confidence

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Client’s Name: Amanda

Dog’s Name: “Tessa”

City: Austin, TX 78721

Breed: Rescue Pit/Lab Mix

Likes:Tessa LOVES chasing any ball that squeaks, and she loves playing in water weather it be in a kiddie pool, or a big river!

Pet-Peeves: Tessa really dislikes going to the vet because she’s afraid of all the noisy dogs there.

Favorite Toy: Any ball that squeaks and she could play fetch with it all day long!

Favorite Treat: Tessa pretty much likes anything edible. But I think her favorite would be bananas and chicken!

Favorite Walk: Tessa likes to go to the barn with me when I ride because then she gets to run around and play in the big fields with her best dog friend Squirt!

Best Trick: Sit, Point Toes, Lay, Shake, Stay.

Arrival Story: My mom is a counselor who goes to peoples houses, and she saw Tessa as a skinny, mangey, wormy, 4 month old puppy (but she looked like she was only 8 weeks old with how malnourished she was) at a clients house. That client said nobody knew where she came from so she just fed her when she came up to her house. The next week when my mom came back Tessa was still there and the client said that still nobody would claim her and if mom wanted her she could take her. My mom did, good thing too because the next day there was a really hard freeze that Tessa never would have survived!

Why Training / Sit Means Sit: Because we had to keep Tessa separated from everything for the first two months we had her because of her mange issue, she didn’t get socialized much at all. By the time the vet gave us the all clear to let her around other dogs, she was 6 months old. Now anytime there is a new dog, especially a big dog, she is SUPER afraid of it! So the training is for us to help her feel comfortable around other dogs and people. We chose Sit Means Sit because we really liked the trainers approach to training, and when we went to the evaluation, Tessa immediately responded to the trainer, which was a very big thing for her!

Motto: “Piggy!” When we first got her she had a huge belly from worms, and when we fed her she wagged her tail just like a pig the whole time she ate! And she will eat anything edible!