Future Service Dogs Take Their Final Pizza Test at Pazzi This Weekend 🍕🐾

This weekend at Pazzi Ristorante Italiano, something extra special is happening — and it involves pizza, patience, and some very impressive dogs.

We’re honored to welcome the graduating service dogs from The Academy of Canine Excellence as they complete one of their final real-world training stages right inside the restaurant. Their challenge?

🔥 The Leave-It Pizza Challenge 🔥

A fresh cheese pizza placed right in front of them.

Eyes off the pie. Total self-control.

It sounds playful, but this test represents months (sometimes years) of discipline, focus, and trust. Service dogs must remain calm in busy public environments filled with smells, movement, and distractions. A warm pizza within reach is the ultimate impulse-control exam.

The Academy of Canine Excellence is a locally owned Albuquerque organization that has spent over a decade training service and specialty dogs using force-free, positive reinforcement techniques. Their dogs go on to assist individuals with mobility needs, PTSD, anxiety, diabetic detection, autism support, and other life-changing services. These animals aren’t just pets — they’re trained partners that help their handlers live safer, more independent lives.

By bringing graduating dogs into a lively restaurant setting, trainers simulate real-world scenarios service animals will face every day. Passing the pizza challenge proves they can stay steady no matter what’s happening around them — even when surrounded by the irresistible aroma of Italian cooking.

For the Pazzi team, it’s a privilege to be part of this milestone. Restaurants are social spaces full of energy, and allowing these dogs to practice in a supportive environment helps prepare them for their future roles in the community.

If you see a focused pup sitting politely near a pizza this weekend, you’re witnessing a graduation moment in action. These dogs are on the brink of changing someone’s life.

We’re proud to support local organizations doing meaningful work — and we’ll gladly share our space (but not the pizza 😉) to help these incredible animals succeed.

If you or someone you love is interested in service dog training or professional canine programs, we highly recommend this knowledgeable and compassionate team. Learn more about their services here:

👉 https://www.abqk9academy.com/

Happy National Pizza Day 🍕🐕