A few weeks ago, Robbie sprained one of his hind limbs. It was a minor sprain, but significant enough that his vet advised us to give him 2-3 weeks off to recover. Unfortunately, while Robbie loves to sleep, he loves to run even more. We knew this was going to be hard, and at first it seemed hopeless as to how we would be able to limit his bouncing, running, and leaping while still giving him some kind of mental & physical exercise. We also knew it would be really hard to tell him not to help me, something he enjoys and sometimes does without being asked. We got it done though, because we love and need him. I came up with a list of activities we could do together, and tried to do 2-4 things on that list each day. All activities were either low impact for his hind leg or didn't require him to move around. We did pull him from public access, since that was the responsible thing to do. I am happy to say, though, that we are starting week 3 of his recovery, he is doing great, and we can slowly start bringing him back to full speed. Mental StimulationGuided Find Task - I'm teaching Robbie to find people while on leash, walking out in front of me searching for the person while guiding me to them. This task will be for times when I get separated from people in public and get lost due to brain fog or just all turned around and can't find my people again. Since this is an on-leash task, it doesn't encourage Robbie to do mad dashes like the other version of his "find people" task. Short Distance Retrieve - Robbie has been learning the word for my shoes, and picking those up from a few feet away to bring to me. We've also been working on picking up miscellaneous items, walking 2-3 feet, and dropping them into a basket, then going back to basket to bring me each item in turn. Food Puzzle Game - This is a favorite of Robbie's! We hide a bit of his food in the pockets and he has to pick up puzzle blocks or move sliders to reveal the reward. Back to Basics - Staying sharp with heel recalls, walking slowly, backing up a few steps, walking on the right side, and learning names for left and right turns. Target with Laser - For long distance retrieves, I'm teaching Robbie to recognize the red dot from a laser and look at or move his head towards it for several seconds. This is always done while he is in a very calm state of mind, so that he doesn't develop obsessive behavior with the laser, and will never be used for playtime, only the task of fetching items from far or targeting a specific item that might not have a name. Physical ExerciseTwice Daily Walks - Since the treadmill wouldn't be forgiving if he tripped (lots of scrabbling), Robbie is restricted to normal walks for his recovery. He gets two walks for 20min a day, at a slow pace. I've been switching it up here and there, giving him some structured walks and some loose lead walks. Twice Daily Yard Time on Long Line - We've been taking Robbie out on a 15ft line to rein in his zoomies though he still tries a jolt of running every now and then! At this time, I walk through the yard with him, encouraging him to move about and sniff the world. How We'll Bounce Back (Slowly)Week 3: Where We Are Now
Closing NotesNot being able to have the assistance of my service dog for a few weeks has been difficult, but not impossible. It's been a challenge to find ways to fulfill his mental needs and allow him to help me without being harmful to his recovery, but we've done it and we're so close to the end when he can himself again. It's all worth it, no matter the inconvenience to me because it's important that he remains healthy for as long as possible, and service dog life can be grueling some days. The hardest part hasn't been having not having his help - it's been restricting his playtime, and knowing how much he is asking me to play and run and bounce with him. One more week...
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Growing up, I always either took our pet dog to the vet to have her claws clipped or did at home with my father’s help. Jess jumped on people a lot and we knew it was time to trim her claws when her exuberance would leave long red marks on our arms and legs. Clipping with standard guillotine style nail trimmers was normal, and I never thought differently until the trainer who helped us with Robbie instructed us on how to use a Dremel for doing claws. Luckily for us, Adam already owned a Dremel, and knew how to use it. In this post, I’ll go over why it’s important to keep your dog’s claws short, what a Dremel is, how to introduce it positively, the steps for working on your dog’s claws with it, and additional tips about dremelling. At the end, there will be a short video of Robbie's claws being worked on. Every owner should be able to do a general health check on their dog, on a daily or at least, weekly basis. In this post, I'll discuss the key areas an owner should check, how to go through a health check with your dog, and how to handle problems if they arise. Doing a daily health-check on your dog will teach your dog to be comfortable with being handled in numerous different ways, which can make it easier to take them to the vet. Plus, if they are training to be a service dog, this counts as extra socialization. In addition, I'll talk about the importance of keeping a healthcare journal for your dog. Keeping a Healthcare JouranlAs important as the training journal, it is important for both pet and service dog owners to keep track of their dog's overall health. Especially if your dog has chronic problems that require frequent trips to the vet. Reasons to keep a health journal are:
Whether you live in a big city or a one stop sign town (like I do), finding a good vet that will respect you, will understand that your service dog needs extra special care & handling, and will not try to take all your money can be really hard. In big cities, there is a vet clinic every few miles. In small towns, there might be a livestock/pet vet 20 miles away who WILL try to handle your dog like it's an ornery bull, but your best bet is going to be driving to the nearest large city which could be up to an hour away. In this post, I will talk about what to look for in a vet, why service dogs need special care, and how to stand up for your dog's health. Why Service Dogs Need Special Care/HandlingWe spend a lot of time getting our dogs desensitized and well-socialized to all kinds of experiences. It is vital that our dogs don't create negative experiences with certain people and environments, so that they can help us better. If we allow someone to mishandle our dogs, they will see it as us allowing them to be hurt because while they take care of us, it is our duty to protect them from harm. We can never fail our service dog. They are more than medical equipment and deserve our care, just as much as we need theirs.
Why Boots are UsefulTo the outside observer, boots for a dog seems silly and frivolous. I was that outside observer two years ago. I thought people who got boots for their dogs wanted them to be dressed up like a kid. When I saw pictures of service dogs with boots on, I thought it was to keep their claws from scratching floors or maybe to keep their paws clean inside, but that was it. Below are some possible justifications for your service dog having boots.
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My Name is Sally...I have a condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. This blog is about my journey training Robbie, a dog who helped me regain independence, confidence, and achieve the impossible in the face of my disability. It continues on with the training of Austin, Robbie's successor. Check Out... - "More than a Dog" was published on a site called The Mighty Categories
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