Rescue dog Indy stars in agility, safety training
By Jim Duff
Andrea Bottomley, Jael Blanchard and Indy work with the First Cavagnal Pack on the fundamentals of safety around dogs.
HUDSON - Confronted by the howling cub pack, Indy looked more startled than threatening.
Nevertheless, she gave the kids the excuse to make like trees.
Indy, along with Foxy's Canine Companions instructors Jael Blanchard and Andrea Bottomley, was the centre of attention at Ecole St. Thomas last Friday as the 1st Cavagnal Pack's cubs and leaders participated in an innovative new program to teach dog-safety awareness to kids.
The 'safety around dogs' program is a creation of the American Kennel Club, but until now hasn't made an inroad into Quebec, where the rate of injuries among kids from dog bites has reached epidemic levels.
The program concentrates on the fundamentals of dealing with dogs, from approaching strange dogs to taking care of one's own companion animal.
The centrepiece of the program is teaching kids to 'make like a tree' when encountering a threatening or loose dog. The concept teaches kids not to run away, yell or make loud noises, but to stand very still, cross your arms across your chest and avoid making eye contact with the animal.
As taught by Foxy's Canine Companions, the program includes a 'dog bite prevention pledge' signed by each of the cubs. They promise not to stare into a dog's eyes (dog-speak for a challenge for power), tease or bother sleeping or feeding animals.
Indy was the perfect instructor - patient, friendly and a natural ham who loves to entertain.
It's hard to believe this was the same animal who came into Rosie Animal Adoptions from a local pound when euthanisation day was looming.
"She was eight months old, starving and neglected, totally untrained and as wild as can be," says Andrea. "She arrived at her foster home, where Jael was waiting to greet her."
It didn't take Blanchard long to realize that Indy had huge potential to become the dog she was looking for to do agility, flyball, ski-joring and obedience with. She was very willing to please, very smart, and very eager to learn.
Today, the three-year-old Indy is at the top of her game. She excels in agility competitions and has won many titles from the Agility Association of Canada, including Starters Dog of Canada, Starters Games Dog of Canada, Agility Dog of Canada, Advanced Games Dog of Canada, Masters Jumpers Dog of Canada and Masters Snooker Dog of Canada.
She is also the canine educational representative for Dogz R Uz, working with the children in the Kidz n Dogz Safety Around Dogz programs in schools and scout troop programs.
"Indy went from a dog no one wanted to a dog everyone loves to be with," says Andrea. "Indy is also helping to dispel the myth that rescue dogs are all problem dogs and cannot be trained. Indy is a living example of what can be accomplished by a rescue dog."
