After weeks of hard work and treat-filled training sessions, Oso has graduated canine boarding school and went straight into the arms of his forever family! Oso had found his way back to our care years after being adopted as a puppy, so we wanted his second chance to stick. We quickly noticed that Oso presented poorly in a kennel, especially around other canines, and struggled with loose leash walking and basic commands. Even with these behaviors, we loved Oso’s goofy personality and knew he had potential to become an incredible pup. Thanks to a grant from the PEDIGREE Foundation, we were able to send Oso to Modified K9, a four-week canine boarding school that changed Oso’s life for the better. 
Every week our team would receive updates on Oso’s progress with videos of him picking up all kinds of new skills. Towards the end of his time at Modified K9, Oso knew the commands, “sit, stay, down, wait” and “come” like a pro. He stopped pulling on the leash and redirected well if he became distracted by a squirrel or a stick on the ground. He could sit in his kennel quietly as other dogs paraded past him. He even enjoyed play time with the other dogs and fit in as one of the pack. 
As Oso’s time in boarding school was coming to a close, we feared that returning to the noise of a shelter environment would deteriorate the progress he’d made. It’s proven that just a few days in a shelter can negatively impact a canine’s behavior. Despite our efforts to provide consistent enrichment, long walks, and lots of love, it’s never ideal for an animal to stay in our care long-term. So, we worked diligently to promote Oso and his progress on our social media, making him available to adopt directly from boarding school. We knew Oso’s perfect person was out there…and after a few weeks of promotion, she found him!
Oso’s adopter met him at Modified K9 and immediately realized what an incredible pup he is. She was able to learn more about his progress with his trainer to hopefully continue his development in his forever home. Oso’s thriving with his new companion—enjoying adventures in the great outdoors, cuddles, and lots of tail wags. We are so grateful to his adopter for seeing Oso’s potential just as we did, and for providing him with a life of love and comfort. 
This success story wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of the PEDIGREE Foundation and the commitment to his training at Modified K9. We can’t wait to help more dogs like Oso reach their full potential through our K9 Boarding School Fund. If you would like to donate to this fund and allow more dogs to access the training they need, you can visit our webpage here.
This project has been supported by a grant from PEDIGREE Foundation. 
Formed in 2008 by the makers of PEDIGREE (r) food for dogs, PEDIGREE Foundation is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping dogs in need find loving homes by supporting the good work of shelters and dog rescue organizations throughout the country. Through no fault of their own, more than four million dogs end up in shelters and rescue organizations every year, and nearly half of them never find a place to call home.
