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Having had 375 dogs adopted last year, an average of more than one per day, Fairy Tails Pet Adoptions on Lexington Road is dedicated to serving its furry habitants.

To help make sure they’re comfortable, classes have been taking place for several weeks now and will continue for the foreseeable future.

Dogs currently available for adoption – as well as those that have been adopted and others – are welcomed to the Fairy Tails K9 Club dog training class at Depot Street beginning at 6:00 p.m.

This past Monday, July 17, was the same.

“Mostly here tonight are our foster dogs, but it’s open to the public,” said Heather Carter, owner of FairyTails Pet Adoptions. “[For] anybody that’s been adopted from us, we’ll sponsor their first training to come back…we’re just hoping to get good exposure for the dogs.”

According to its official website, FairyTails Pet Adoptions is committed to “saving lives one pet at a time.”

With other animals welcome, the 501(c)(3) organization has already fostered over 200 pets in 2023.

However, because some pets are from puppy mills, have been neglected, or have been subject to other challenges, not all are comfortable initially.

Dog training classes can help socialize the animals.

“A lot of them come from situations that are not the best surroundings. A lot of them would be euthanized, humanely or inhumanely, if they didn’t come to us,” said Sarah Fish, an employee of FairyTails Pet Adoptions. “They need somebody; somebody has to understand what they need.”

Among the dogs present was Buck, a cattle dog originally found to have mange that has been nursed back to health.

Ariel and Athena, a pair of shepherd mixes with different colored eyes, have also come up after difficult beginnings.

Sarah and her husband Bill, a frequent volunteer, have fostered many animals.

“We’re not just changing the dog’s lives. We’re changing people’s lives too,” Bill Fish said. “So many times, we hear the story of the dog changing somebody’s life. It’s touching.”

Debbie Howard, a postal worker by trade, led the class.

She has taught dogs independently for over 20 years and wanted to emphasize several skills.

“What I’m trying to teach the dogs are just some mannerisms where they can get out, and we like to be as motivational as we possibly can,” Howard said. “This is trying to mainstream them to make them a better candidate for adoptability. We want these dogs to go on and have good homes.”

The training class involved teaching multiple skills.

Among them were how to walk smoothly alongside their owners, turn around, and even crisscross as needed.

Also, emphasis was placed on teaching dogs how to sit on command.

During one drill, owners were even taught how to get dogs to walk to them as they started walking backward, though one hand always remained on the leash.

They were advised throughout training about how to practice good habits, even in unlikely conditions.

For example, if it rains, it’s best not to react too strongly, so the dog – many of whom were young pups – doesn’t sense something is wrong.

To dogs that came for the first time and may have had some nerves, they could watch to feel more at ease.

With much learned and some left to be learned, opportunities for training and education abound.

“It’s just really good to help them out and see them have a good future,” Bill Fish said.