Our Impact

Before going to the Weekend Dog Playgroup Project, Splash was a really anxious dog; however, after just two days of small, positive interactions with other group members, Splash was showing big improvements! He accepted help from his humans and was so relaxed that he took a nap in the car on the way home from the group! Through group sessions, Splash was able to gain confidence and be more comfortable around other dogs and his humans. He has progressed more since and is comfortably interacting in the group and playing using his voice, something he would never do before. The Weekend Dog Playgroup Project community showed up for Splash and created a safe space for him to gain confidence and make some great dog friends!

The first time that Bunny went to a dog park was a terrifying experience. She was rushed by several big, aggressive dogs that pounced on her, growling and snarling. She became fearful of any other dogs and was not interested in interacting at all. When we first met Molly, I was overwhelmed with her openness, her confidence with Bunny, and her unending generosity and kindness. Throughout several training sessions, she helped us build up our confidence in each other and strengthen our relationship. She helped me understand the reasons behind dog behavior as well as many helpful strategies, not only for helping Bunny be more polite, but also for teaching her how to be a dog. Thanks to Molly’s guidance and the welcoming, familial atmosphere of the group, we had a fantastic time. The more we learned, the more Bunny’s confidence grew. Each week, she’d get a little bit braver. Each week she saw other dogs having fun, interacting, and demonstrating appropriate dog behavior. We continue to attend Playgroup and ask Molly for advice all the time. But the progress that Bunny has made in just a few short months has been remarkable. We are so grateful to Molly and the Weekend Dog Playgroup for the incredible support and love they show us.

We are so thankful for Molly and the fellow pet owners and participants in the “Weekend Playgroup”. Brittany was a Pandemic pet adopted from the local county animal shelter. She was an energetic ~9mos old that LOVED people and kids. It took us several months to figure out ways to effectively correct and/or redirect her behavior and even longer to “read” her vocalizations around us. It was definitely a learning process that, at times, we almost gave up on. She seemed to like being around other dogs, but she had a hard time trying to dominate some of them. Being able to ask other owners about their dogs tolerance for other dogs and explaining to others about her reactions, which allowed her to be around other dogs and learn that she didn’t need to show or tell every dog she interacted with that she was a “top-dog”. We worked at having her interact or at least coexist with other dogs without her reacting. Eventually, she started calming down around other dogs at the park, on her walks and while out at other public places. Now we can take her to the playgroup and she runs with and interacts with the other dogs and we haven’t had to remove her. We are thankful for the playgroup for allowing her to learn how to be content and play around other dogs.