In the grand history of the Relaxation Protocol,there are tales of dogs melting into the ground. Heads down, faces relaxed, they settle in no matter what. Well, with Lilly, that never happened. I had to reward the tip of the hip and ask for it. I had to specifically shape putting her head down. We call this training tool slash trick CHIN! Here’s a video of the finished product. …
Last Friday, I worked outside on the front patio while Tom began installing new windows in my office. I don’t typically work on Fridays during the summer (a tiny bonus of being self-employed), but since he was busy, and I was in NO mood to clean house, I worked. After spending hours and hours and hours transcribing interviews, I got camera happy. Here are some tricks I thought you might enjoy seeing.
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It’s been a week since the blood tests with no news, so I called the veterinary hospital to check on results. I left a message and got a call back from one of the technicians. I don’t have details like the actual values to share, but I’m told everything is “perfect.” Lilly is a healthy, healthy, healthy girl with “excellent” thyroid levels, no signs of any adrenal problems, solid kidney, liver, pancreas, etc. numbers. That’s not what’s causing the set-back. …
I had a brainstorm over the weekend. I simply need to think about Lilly’s recent and rampant displays of fear and reactivity like I would if she were vomiting. I wouldn’t get mad. I wouldn’t get frustrated. I would be worried. Just like an upset tummy or a bad limp, Lilly’s recent behaviors are merely tell me she does NOT feel well (in one way or another). …
The following alert came via the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association late last week. It seems a dog brought to the U.S. from Iraq had rabies. Authorities are concerned about the people who handled the dog and the other dogs potentially exposed during transport. It’s a good reminder that pet care and health are not the same in every country. …
It was another long, tough week around Lilly-Town. We nearly gave up and came home from class several times. Here’s how it went. …
There’s a new handler in our Sunday classes who has a somewhat shy/fearful standard poodle. We’ve already bonded a bit over our shared challenges, so she felt comfortable suggesting
that I have Lilly tested for Addison’s Disease while I’m at the veterinarian today. Great … one more thing to worry about. …
Spurred on by a sense that summer slips away, Lilly and I went on our first real hike Saturday at Centennial Cone Open Space, a county open wildland-like park. Elayne at Days of Speed biked there recently too. Weekends can be busy, so we usually avoid them. BUT, we needed an outing since our
usual foray to the Farmer’s Market isn’t an option right now. I’m happy to say the hike was
uneventful. Nothing scary happened — no rattlesnakes, no mountain lions, no rude dogs (or people). We did, however, see another dog pulling …
This week’s class took place along a busy, outlying trail. Lots of pedestrians, bikes, other dogs. But, there’s good shade in many spots and a creek/ditch for swimming. Despite
set-backs recently, I went with an open mind. I was ready to click anything that resembled something I want. That meant weathering a couple odd moments. …
It’s finally starting to warm up around here. Summer, it seems, may have finally arrived. And, that means … Lilly is losing her winter undercoat. I knew the winter was rough (cold,
windy, long), but the extent of hair she’s losing, tells me that her little body knew it too. …
