Chance is 60 joyous pounds of wagging tails, energy, and enthusiasm. Like so many animals who are high-energy and require extra training and attentiveness, his former owners decided they couldn’t keep him and he ended up in the Summit County Animal Control and Shelter.

When Chance was transferred from another shelter to Summit County in April, volunteers and staff noticed that he was “acting out” and displaying general signs of anxiety and nervousness. They decided to enroll him in a program called “T-Time,” which is a canine behavior modification program designed to make dogs more adoptable.

“He was very mouthy when he first came to us,” Lisa Spaulding says of Chance. The training helped him stop chewing leashes and shoelaces as well as excessive drooling, often a result of separation anxiety.

Teaching old dogs new tricks is entirely possible with a little time and patience, Chance is proof of that.

Not everyone has the time or resources for a dog, but volunteers are always needed to play with and walk the dogs at the shelter. It’s a great compromise for those who are looking for some canine cuddles and also ensuring that more animals don’t end up in the shelter due to temporary work and living accommodations.

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