04/11/2026
Had the pleasure of doing drop in visits with Kuzco & Azula last weekend and we ended the weekend on a HUGE step in mine and Azula’s relationship.
In the 3ish years I’ve been pet sitting them the only physical contact I’ve had with her is me putting on or taking off her harness. She doesn’t seek me out for affection, she gives me a wide birth if we’re moving around the house or back yard, she doesn’t even like eating her meals if I breathe wrong in the vicinity. Our relationship, much like her relationship with everyone except for her mom, is one of peaceful coexistence at best.
On our last walk of the weekend Kuzco was walking right beside me and Azula was on the other side of him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Azula reach her head across Kuzco’s back to sniff my hand and when I looked down she even gave it a little nudge (which is wild in and of itself). I thought is she looking for a treat? There’s no way, she can’t be. Up until this point any time I’ve tried to give her a treat on a walk she jumps away from me and looks incredibly uncomfortable. She’s happy to take them if I throw them but never from my hand. I decided to give it a shot and wouldn’t you know the girl actually took it and seemed happy to do so!
The video on the second slide was later in the walk, after many more treats and her being annoyed that I was trying to film it (my first attempt at filming she stopped taking them all together). The picture following that is an exact replica of my face after she took the first treat. I was terrified to emit any noise that would indicate excitement just in case I spooked her and ruined the whole thing. 😂
These breakthrough moments with dogs whether it be in training or pet sitting, big or small are my favourite part of working with dogs. Earning their trust, seeing the “aha!” moments & seeing them progress in any way is exactly why I love what I do. 💜
Sorry for the long post!
