Melody is a Belgian Malinois mix who landed in the Tucumcari city animal shelter as a puppy. Her owner, Lumii, adopted her last spring with the intent of training her as a service dog.
After a shaky start (baby Malligators are a HANDFUL, y’all), they enrolled in my spring obedience class.
The first week, Melody was reactive and easily distracted, and I wasn’t sure she had the temperament for the job Lumii had in mind, but Melody’s Mallie drive and intelligence and Lumii’s determination won the day, and this morning — in just their third lesson together — Melody demonstrated a down while a train rumbled by just a few yards away; executed a beautiful sit-stay and recall with a polite sit at the end; and closed out the morning by holding a loooooong stay, then offering an exuberant recall that really showcased the drive that makes the Belgian Malinois so well-suited to service work.
Melody is an awesome dog with an even more awesome owner. These are the results you get when you work with your dog every day. My skepticism is gone. If a dog-handler team can come as far as these two have in just three weeks, the sky is really the limit. I’m super proud of both of them.
Tucumcari Dog Training 
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