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About Home Again

Welcome to Canine Academy’s Home Again Initiative, where we believe that every dog deserves a chance at a happy, fulfilling life and are committed to making that a reality.

Home Again was started in 2023 by the staff of Canine Academy in Lancaster, Ohio, as a way to give back to the local community and impact a cause close to their hearts. By volunteering their time and training expertise, they help shelter dogs more easily find their forever homes. The Canine Academy staff quickly realized that the community need was bigger than originally anticipated, and started Home Again in order to scale help dogs find a home.

Our Mission

Home Again is focused on helping dogs most in need find the families who will love them forever. We enable more forever homes by building the skills and confidence of shelter dogs and fostering educational partnerships with the shelters and families who adopt. We understand that dog shelters, while serving a wonderful mission, can be stressful environments for their residents, who are likely to experience a change in demeanor and a backsliding of their family/household skills during their time in residency. The worst cases usually result in a dog that is not suitable for life with a family, and they are often returned to the shelters. Home Again aims to reverse this trend.

Through our comprehensive approach, we aim to address these challenges and increase successful, permanent adoptions.

Building Skills and Confidence

One of the key aspects of our work with Home Again is building the skills and confidence of shelter dogs. Our trainers find the gaps in skills between what the adoptive family needs from their new family members and then teach that dog those skills. We might work on skills such as walking calmly on a leash, having a consistent recall, and holding in a sit or place command until released. By instilling structure and obedience skills, we help the dog become more confident and well-adjusted while also increasing their chances of thriving in their new home environment.

Educational Partnerships

In addition to working directly with shelter dogs, Home Again harnesses the power of education and collaboration. We establish partnerships with shelters and families to provide ongoing support and guidance even after the adoption process is complete. Our goal is to ensure that both the dogs and their new families have the necessary tools and knowledge to thrive together. Our trainers go the extra mile to help families understand their new furry family members. From addressing specific concerns to providing in-home advice, we are there every step of the way.

We believe that by investing in ongoing education, we create stronger bonds between dogs and their families, leading to successful, lifelong companionship.

Join Us in Making a Difference

With Home Again, we are driven by our passion for dogs and the belief that every dog deserves a loving home. We invite you to join us in making a difference. Whether through volunteering, making a donation, or considering adoption, your support can help us continue our vital work and enable more shelter dogs to find their happily ever after. Together, we can create a world where no dog is left behind, where they are given the love, care, and understanding they deserve. Help us make a lasting impact and bring joy to the lives of shelter dogs and their forever familie

Meet Maximus (Max)!

Meet our newest Home Again doggo, Maximus (aka Max)—a loving, intelligent, and incredibly sweet 1 year old German Shepherd, ready to find his forever home! Max may have a touch of stubbornness and a mind of his own, but once he sees you as his leader, he becomes the most loyal and eager-to-please companion. Max has completely charmed our Home Again family, and is ready to come charm yours!

Max is initially nervous of new dogs and takes a minute to warm up. With support from his handler (and soon his new parents!) he handles new experiences like a champ and is able to greet untrained dogs and other people with success! He would do best in a home without other dogs.

Through our Home Again Program, Max has received professional training to prepare him for a smooth transition into his new home. But we don’t stop there! We’ll also provide comprehensive training for Max’s new parents to ensure a successful integration and lifelong happiness for both Max and his new family.

Max’s journey to a loving home needs your support. Please consider sharing his story to help make Max’s dream of a forever family come true! If you are interesting in scheduling a meet and greet with Max, please contact our team!

Meet Scrappy!

Canine Academy first met Scrappy, a 7 year old Dutch Shepherd/Pitbull mix, in 2022 when his then-owners asked Canine Academy to give Scrappy some much needed structure and boundaries. At the time, he struggled with difficult-to-control, outsized responses to other dogs. Scrappy thrived under his new obedience routine, which allowed the family to exercise Scrappy more consistently because of his new neutrality around dogs.

Scrappy’s owners again contacted Canine Academy in 2024 because the family had to make a move into a space that would not allow Scrappy. Knowing that Scrappy would have a difficult, if not impossible time being rehomed from a shelter due to this breed and due to probability that the shelter environment would cause big reactions from Scrappy, Home Again took Scrappy in as a foster.

While at our farm, we’ve been with him regularly to sharpen his obedience skills and ensure he is ready for a new forever family. Scrappy would do best as an only dog, and is a great companion to chill with. He’s goofy, loving, and incredibly well-trained!

Scrappy’s adoptive family will receive lifetime support for Scrappy’s obedience training. Contact us today if you want to meet your new best friend.

Nala's Success Story

Nala, formerly Lyra, was a longtime resident of the Fairfield County Humane Society. When the staff at Canine Academy met Nala, she had been adopted and returned to the shelter four times.

Nala is a spirited girl who had no real experience living with a human pack in a home environment. Her chaotic behavior, while completely understandable, was too much for her hopeful families to work through.

Home Again brought Nala to the Canine Academy campus, where Nala immediately benefitted from the calmer grounds, spacious outdoor rec areas, larger private kennels, and a whole team of employees ready to play fetch.

From there, Home Again taught Nala the basics of walking nicely on a leash, coming when called, and the critical off command to help Nala understand boundaries.

Nala was soon adopted by her new forever family, and Home Again was excited work with them to help Nala integrate into her fifth, and final home.

Home Again taught Nala’s new family all about her new skills and how to call upon those skills to help her succeed in a home environment, with kids and other animals. Today, Nala enjoys a peaceful family life, and a forever crew of besties to play fetch with!

Piglet's Success Story

Piglet, formerly Marble, was placed as a foster dog from the Delaware County Humane Society. Though the shelter was open about Piglet’s hearing impairment — Piglet is completely deaf — they were heavily medicating the energetic pup so that he could better tolerate the stressful shelter environment.Piglet’s foster family did not have a chance to meet the real Piglet prior to bringing him home.

Home Again received a call from Piglet’s family in crisis. Though they desperately wanted to provide Piglet a forever home but were on the verge of sending him back to the shelter.The rambunctious pup had no manners, no recall, no ability to play nicely with the family’s cat, and was displaying a lot of anxiety.

Due to Piglet’s hearing impairment, his training costs would have been too much for the family. But they knew that a deaf bully breed, especially one with a return on his shelter record, would have very poor chances of a successful adoption.

Home Again worked with Piglet to establish a nonverbal communication system and establish the ground rules and obedience skills necessary to succeed in his new home. We continue to work with Piglet’s new family to provide the support they need as they work to learn and speak Piglet’s new nonverbal language, and new skills and manners that make him a better housemate to his family while growing in his own confidence as he realizes he has a forever family who can communicate effectively with him. Today, Piglet enjoys going out and about as his family’s constant companion.

Woody's Success Story

Woody is a 1-year-old Finnish Spitz/Boxer mix. Woody had been living with his original owner since he was adopted as a puppy from the Fairfield Area Humane Society. Due to personal health concerns of his owner, Woody was surrendered to Canine Academy and enrolled in our Home Again program.

Woody had little boundaries before training and would chew on anything in sight, pull on the leash, and run the opposite direction when he heard his name. His puppy energy was still evident and impulse control was limited. Woody is a very smart dog who needed the right tools to be successful.

Woody benefitted from learning basic obedience commands which has allowed him to use his energy for good by using mental energy to comply with commands when given. Woody’s trainers worked to help him understand what behaviors were wanted and unwanted.

Woody was adopted by a family who recently lost two of their three dogs. Woody’s fun, loving personality made a great companion for their remaining dog. His new family can now seek support when needed and communicate with Woody through commands. Woody now lives out his days traveling to Florida, taking daily walks, and snuggling with his family and dog sibling, Moose.

Home Again