Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Many dog owners believe that they train their dogs when they are puppies and then the training is over. But dogs, like people, learn and grow over the entire course of their lifespan. Most of the website and our conformation and performance stories have focused on Kanzu and Kuyu. But Ema has a special place in our pack and she continues to delight everyone who knows her with her ongoing progress and life journey. For reasons that are unclear, Ema had 4 homes before she was 18 months when she came to her forever home with us. See Ema’s Story to learn more about her early days with Linda. Ema’s ‘habilitation’ has been a long but steady and delighting process. As she nears her 8th birthday, Ema has reached yet another amazing milestone.

Accompanying her best friend and dog walker-trainer extraordinaire, Chris Ashton from Enlighten Dogs, Ema attended a pack hike with more than 20 other dogs and their owners-families. Enlighten Dogs hosts a monthly hike or nature walk open to the public for dogs and their people. This hike was at Prospect Park in Redlands and Chris and Ema led the pack. This is an accomplishment that seemed impossible not very long ago. But with Chris as Ema’s leader, she has learned how to be part of a canine pack without dominance and aggression. She has continued to grow and learn and as a result, her world is opening up and she can now have many wonderful new experiences that never would have been available to her without continued training and conditioning.

So, who says your dog is too old to change or learn. And who says you can’t teach old dogs new tricks. Ema is here to tell you she is living proof that even an old dog, who had a very difficult start can learn and change and keep getting better and better. The process isn’t easy but the rewards are well worth the investment .

Click Here for info about Enlighten Dogs pack hikes http://enlightendogs.com/category/free-pack-hikes