Francois the Poodle

Dear PRBJ, Here is an update on our adoption of Francois the Poodle, for your Success Story web page, if you wish. I have also attached a recent photo. Francois the Poodle We adopted Francois, a medium size Poodle mix, in December, 2008, renaming him Pascal (after the French philosopher). Pascal came to us perfectly house and crate trained, and bonded with us very quickly. From the beginning, he behaved well in our house and yard. But there were some rough patches in the early months, especially on walks, when Pascal's anxieties and fears led him to bark and lunge at cars, bicycles, children and other dogs. We started using the Gentle Leader, and Stuart worked patiently with him, using clicker training and rewards. After a few months, Pascal calmed down and learned good walking behavior. Now he thinks that a noisy passing car or a bicycle flashing by means he should sit and get a treat. The lesson to be learned is that sometimes it may take time and patience for a rescued dog to feel calm and secure in his new environment. We went to a Basic Manners course, where Pascal learned come, sit, down and stay. He has learned how to be good at the vet, at the groomer, and at the kennel. Now that he is secure and sure that he is safe, he loves to go on walks, run at the dog park, play with the dog next door, jump through a hoop, shake hands, and to go on trips with us. He enjoys human and dog visitors, but thinks that his basic job in life is to stay beside Stuart. Each day, he brings joy to our home and our lives. Thanks to everyone at PRBJ! Stuart and Joyce L. August, 2010