Perla and Bodie are proving to be a fantastic duo having passed their SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue on leash obedience evaluation with flying colors. Not only did they execute all 10 items on the list thereby qualifying them to move forward with their goal of becoming a working dog team, but they even performed advanced level obedience at Penmar Park in Los Angeles, a very busy and popular park for dogs and humans alike.
This particular day at Penmar Park when Perla and Bodie arrived for their evaluation, there was a little league softball game going on (Bodie’s favorite toy is a ball!) as well as loose dogs running around, mothers walking with strollers, cars driving by, opening and closing doors and planes flying overhead to name a few of the big city distractions; but that was no problem for this human and K9 team as they had been practicing everyday in a public park by their house for weeks prior in similar conditions. When Bodie arrived to Penmar, a park he’d never been to, he and Perla walked the perimeter of the park to check the area and practice their obedience test items before the evaluations start.
Once Bodie was ready, the evaluator was notified and he began the on leash obedience canine good citizen test. The first item on the list is to shake the evaluator, a strangers hand with the dog in a seated position. The next item is that the evaluator and stranger would pet the dog in a seated position. Finally, Bodie had to meet a dog and stay in a seated or down position (Perla’s choice) while meeting another dog! These were probably some of Bodie’s hardest items as when we first met Perla, Bodie was a very outgoing, excitable and popular dog around both people and dogs. Whether he was on a walk making new friends, at a dog park, swimming in a pool or hiking the wilderness, Bodie just loved to make new friends and be the center of attention! With his 114 pound chocolate lab frame, he’d jump and play like a puppy at 3 years young! In just 8 weeks, with Perla’s calm and assertive energy, Bodie passed all three of these items, but the test became a higher level of advanced when a pack of 8 dogs with a dog walker crossed through our evaluation site. The dog walker prepared himself as did Perla and Bodie and our evaluator and his dog, and the dogs walked by as Bodie didn’t even give them a second glance and stayed in a sit until he was given his next command. Truly an outstanding job!
From here, Perla performed the walking on leash portion of the evaluation as Bodie stayed glued to her left side, keeping slack in the line the whole time. Right turn, left turn, about turn, fast pace, slow pace and regular pace, Bodie completed this task without a hitch. Perla was advised to have her dog stay for the sit, down, come and emergency stop portion of the test. With only one command and a hand signal, Bodie sat and stayed as Perla dropped the leash, turned her back and walked 40 feet from her dog. She turned back to Bodie, called him to her with an emergency stop 20 feet before he got to her, he sat, laid down with Perla’s hand signal, and came to her with her command as he came around to her left and sat. You could see and feel the joy between Perla and Bodie knowing they had just nailed two thirds of their evaluation. Perla praised Bodie with a pet on the head and Bodie, feeling Perla’s contentment, rejoiced as he sat and took it all in.
The last part of the evaluation required Perla to leave Bodie and walk out of site for 30 seconds to a minute while the evaluator held her dog. The requirement is that Bodie sits without moving until Perla returns and takes the leash. Perla walked away from Bodie as the evaluator held him in a sit position while Perla hid in the dugout of the baseball field. When she was called to return to her dog after the allotted time, Bodie had not moved an inch. He was calm and obedient for the entire exercise.
From Bodie’s pristine appearance to his advanced obedience skills in a busy urban setting, needless to say Perla and Bodie walked away with a certificate of completion confirming that Bodie is able to perform the necessary obedience skills to move forward with their purpose for starting training with SoCal K-9 Search & Rescue, to become a working dog with a job.
Perla and Bodie have continued their work with our search and rescue team with a combination of therapy dog work at our local nursing homes here in Santa Monica/Venice as well as scent work to be an asset in emergency situations for live find search and rescue. We couldn’t be more excited to have such a talented and dedicated duo a part of our team. Congratulations Perla and Bodie! We know you will be helping many people in the future to find joy and peace through your service to our community.
