Cash the Lab: The Christmas Joy Giver

For this Christmas, Cash and I took our holiday spirit and brought it up a notch or two to make everyone's day whenever we went somewhere. With the use of a tiny Santa hat, a bandana or scarf (depending on the day), we made people smile wherever we went. I thought we'd share some photos from our adventures! 

Happy Holidays from Cash the Lab and Esther! 

Rapid Rewards Deluxe Dog Training Bag with Belt by Doggone Good! ReviRew

Rapid Rewards Deluxe Dog Training Bag with Belt by Doggone Good!

Bags are extremely important when it comes to training dogs. I had been using a few that I had picked up in stores and all of them were hard to keep open or keep enough treats in them. I had seen this exact type on someone and noticed how large it was without being two large. There was a front pocket, side pockets, and even two small "slip" pockets where you could easily store money or Identification.

I bought mine on Amazon (because we all know how much I love Amazon) for around $20. I had also bought a Ruffwear flat waist belt that I was planning to put through the back loops so I could wear the treat bag right on the wearable leash. I have to say, it was one of the most exciting packages that I have ever received. (I realize that's a bit strange).

When I first received the package, I was very satisfied with my purchase. The quality of the bag is actually higher than I had originally thought. There are enough keyring holders that I can add a bag holder, my keys, and some hand sanitizer. I have also found that I can keep multiple types of treats by using plastic sandwich bags and they don't tend to get smashed as long as I do not lean my body against anything. 

The back loops for the belt fit perfectly with my leash and it makes keeping everything together much easier. I attached a keyring to attach my clickers and anything else I need as well. It holds up very well due to the way it is constructed. It has an inner layer that is breathable. It prevents it from getting too smelly, but the strength of the outside keeps it in shape. Other than being careful, there are no real restrictions when washing this bag. Unlike my other bags, the entire construction of the bag was well worth more than the price (hopefully, they aren't reading this).

Finally, they did not have this in a lot of colors, but I prefer black so it matches more items. For a useful accessory, I do not think having bright colors is necessary, but there are black, blue, purple, and red options. For some reason, the blue one is $8 more than the others. I am not sure why. 

Training Your Own Service Dog: What You Need to Know

Training Your Own Service Dog: What You Need to Know

 Training your own service dog is not an easy task--nor is it to be taken lightly. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does allow for handlers to train their own service dogs, but they are held to the same standards as organization-trained serviced dogs.

The question on many people's minds is which is a better choice and to me, it depends on the person. There are a lot of organizations that raise amazing dogs--and dogs that are trained from birth and have mother's chosen for their temperament usually have a higher success rate, but depending on the organization, getting a service dog becomes pricey and there's a long wait time. What about training your own dog? Well, if you've never worked with dogs, it might not be the best idea. You need to understand the basics of teaching your dog to act in public to doing tasks on command. There are some Internet website resources, but it takes a lot of time and effort, but the good part is that your dog starts to learn with you and your disability.


So how does your owner-trained service dog qualify as a service dog? Well, according to the ADA, the dog must be housebroken, have public access skills, and to be able to perform a task. When they are referring to a task, they mean a skill or cue that will aid a person when their condition worsens or when they need extra help. For instance, many people have their dogs pick up items when they drop them, open doors, let them know when the doorbell rings, and other tasks to help them with their daily routine. Anything that just requires the dog to just exist is not considered a task. For example: carrying medicine and comforting someone by their presence (this does not include pressure and distraction cues).

Risk. There is a high risk that your service dog will not be up for the job--especially if you get the dog as a puppy. I adopted Cash (I thought he was 4) at 8 1/2. He has a very temperate personality. He is not easily frightened and adapts to situations perfectly. He listens very well and is not loud. The reason why he makes the perfect dog to train is that he reacts to me so well plus, he acts very well in public. But how did I know this? I was around service dogs AND I had spent time with him before adopting him. With Cash, I can take him to performances, dinner, church, and he will lay under whatever I cue him to and go straight to sleep. Sometimes during a performance, he might get startled, but when I tell him to go to bed, he will go right back to sleep. Even when that happens, he still is quiet. This is what you want your dog to be able to do while in public. I am still working on him walking right next to me, but he is doing very well with it. It's about patience.

So how are you training him?

I am training him using clicker training. So far, I have a laundry list of commands that I want to teach him. The first major cue I trained him (other than the basics) was to sit on my lap when commanded and bring me my emergency medicine. The lap command is used to apply pressure to my lap during sever panic attacks and psychogenic seizures. This technique causes my brain to start focusing on him and not the anxiety, but also restricts me from wandering off or focusing on something dangerous. I have started working with him to bring a laminated note to whomever I point to give them important emergency information if I cannot talk. I also plan to teach a lot of other techniques for PTSD, Psychogenic seizures, Anxiety, and low blood pressure. Even with my ideas in place, I have had to create ways to "shape" these commands into cues he understands. If you do not understand shaping, I highly suggest that you read up on it on Karen Pryor's website. Here are a few of her articles on the subject: Shaping Your Way to Success, The Ten Laws of Shaping, and Shaping Success.

Here are some links to my favorite Service Dog related articles and websites:

Choosing the Right (Service) Dog
FAQ: Service Dog Laws
Service Dog Training Costs
Tasks vs Work
FAQ-ADA Service Dog Laws
PHRA-Service Dog Laws (Pennsylvania)
Service Dog Laws by State
Karen Pryor Clicker Training


Service Dog Organizations
And a link to my favorite Service Dog Training Organization, Susquehanna Service Dogs. If you live in Central Pennsylvania, please consider donating to them--time or money. They are an amazing group of people and taught me so much. They have a list of items that they most often use and need on their website, which I will link below. Also, if you use Purina Pro Plan, please consider cutting out the weight circles and sending them to them so they can get money through Purina. Every bit helps!

Susquehanna Service Dogs

Product Comparisons: Hands Free Leashes

Product Comparisons: Hands Free Leashes

Outward Hound Hands Free Hipster Dog Leash Storage Accessory 5ft Leash Included

When I first got this Hands Free Hipster, I found it to be quite useful for walks, but as I started to take Thornwald out to stores, I found that I did need something that was not as uncomfortable. The product's pockets are hard to use and with clicker training, the pockets weren't in the right location nor were they the right size for treats. The leash that was included was an average leash, but with a larger dog, it was not a very strong leash. I liked that the leash was a dual clip leash that allowed me to clip it to any belt. I used the leash more than I actually used the hipster.

Ruffwear Roamer Leash

This was my most recent product and I wish I would have know that they also sell ones that do not extend. I found this in a hiking/outdoors store so the product was stronger than the other two options. At the bottom of the leash is a traffic handle so that I can walk Cash into a crowded area without worrying about him running off. With him training in public, I wish there was a D-Clip to keep the traffic leash short if I need to hold something at the same time as needing the leash shorter. I've been considering some options, but it would have been a nice feature. 

PetSafe Pet Hands Free Leash, Black

This was the first option that I had found and bought. I had connected my treat bag to the belt and used this for quite a while. It's a basic product that does what it says it is supposed to, but it is not an extremely strong product--If your dog does not stay nearby you through training, he might try to run off and you will most likely go with the leash. If it's a larger dog, he might be able to break the leash if he tried hard enough. For dog leashes, it's rather flimsy. It did work for Thornwald when he was a young service dog in training, but a larger dog might require a sturdier option. 

Overall, I found that each of these options did what they were supposed to do--free up your hands when walking your dog (or in my case, when I was shopping), but I find that the Ruffwear product is far superior to any other hands-free product that I have seen. The actually leash part is strong and durable--and multipurpose! The clasps on the hip clips and also for the dog clip are far sturdier than most that I see at pet stores. If you are looking for quality, durability, and longevity, I'd suggest their leash over the two other choices.

I bought the product at Eastern Mountain Sports, but they have the entire range of leashes on Amazon. I definitely suggest looking at the flat ones as well and looking at the many colors they have for each leash!

Product Review: Top Paw 3 'n' 1 Wet-Dry Glove

I was not sure how I was going to feel about this glove, but I had previously been using the Kong Zoom brush for his baths and I wasn't getting close enough to his skin. I just started using the  GNC Vitamin Enriched Natural Herbal Shampoo and I wanted the shampoo to get to his skin. The size of the bristles made it seem like I was able to wash more of his skin. It also seemed to distribute the shampoo well. Although, he is still itchy (you can't bathe dogs too often), I think this product was better than your hands, a traditional brush/zoom brush, or a wash cloth. 

Pros: the bristles allows you really work the shampoo into the dogs skin; having it on your hand allows for it to bend better to the dogs natural shape; it wasn't sharp and it helped shed some of his hair and retained it within the bristles. 

Cons: the size was too big for my hands (one size); it says you can use it to get pet fur off of furniture, in the bath, or as a regular brush, but I find that other than its use in the bath, it's not the best for the other two uses.

Dog Care Coupons Available Now!

Coupons.com
$1.00 off any (1) multipack of pedigree canned dog food or (6) singles
$2.00 off any (1) bag of Purina Beyond brand dry Dog food, any size, any recipe
$1.00 off (1) 4 lb. or larger bag of Purina Dog Chow Little Bites brand Dog Food
$5.00 off any (1) bag of NUTRO brand dog or cat food
$1.00 off any (2) Purina Beyond Natural Puree Meal Enhancements for Dogs, any recipe
$2.00 off any (12) cans of Mighty Dog Dog Food
Buy 1 Get 1 Free Purina Beneful 3.5 lb. or smaller.
$1.50 off (12) 13 oz. or larger cans of ALPO Dog Food
$3.00 off any (1) 3.5 lb. bag of Rachel Ray Nutrish Zero Grain Beef with Bison
$3.00 off any (2) 7.4 oz or larger packages of Purina Beneful Baked Delights or Beneful Healthy smile brand Dog Snacks.
Buy 2, Get 1 Free cans of Purina Beyond Wet Dog Food, any recipe
$1.00 off any (1) Milk-Bone Good Morning daily vitamin treats
$2.50 off any (1) of Kibbles 'n Bits 35lb or larger bag
$2.00 off any Hartz UltraGuard Pro Flea and Tick Topical Drops for Dogs or Cats
$3.00 off Pet Action Plus product
$1.00 off any (1) multipack of IAMS Dog canned food or (6) singles
$1.00 off Any (1) Betsy Farms Product
$1.00 off any (1) bag of Mil's Kitchen Treats
$5.00 off any one Pet Armor Plus

Nylabone
$5.00 off (2)  Nutrident Dental Chews for Dogs Product ($8.99 or higher)

PetCo
$30.00 eGiftCard when you sign up for repeat delivery by Sept. 19th

Canidae
Sign up for their emails and they send out valuable coupons for all their products. Right now, they have cat coupons, but sometimes, they feature dog coupons or send them directly to your inbox.

Dog Treat Reviews: Natural Value: Sweet Potato Krisps

When shopping at our local GIANT grocery store, I noticed some dog treats that were being hung up like chips. I was immediately interested when I saw that they were made rom sweet potatoes. This product was from the brand Natural Value, which claims that this product is made 100% in the United States. These treats (and all of their other treats) are 100% natural. They also claim on the bottom of the package that their product is a "Healthy Treat for Dogs", contains "no additives" and "no preservatives." It is also low calorie, low fat, soy free, gluten free, and wheat free. I do not remember how much the product did cost me, but I believe it was only around $2 or $3.

The ingredients listed are sweet potatoes and rice flour. Well, actually, only one sweet potato is listed, but that seemed a bit odd to me. The feed instructions were actually quite detailed. The calorie content was 2,904.5/kcal/kg metabolized energy and you are to provide 1 treat per 5 pounds per day. They even provided a cute math problem if you did not know how to set up the equation.

Cuteness aside, did the product taste good? Well, I was not about to taste a product that was meant for dogs so I had my trust sidekick do that honor. Cash tried them and he did not hold back when eating them. I almost didn't get a picture! Even thou

Unless there's a recall or I find incriminating evidence against this company, I do find this product to be a good treat for my dog. He likes it and it's made from healthy ingredients. I saw that they do sell them at some dollar trees. If that's so, the price is well worth the product! I give it a 8/10 only because the product, because it is a light, crispy piece, easily breaks into little pieces at the bottom of the bag. It makes it inconvenient to give to your dog.

If you would like more detailed information about this product, here is the link to the product on the brand's website.

Positive Reinforcement vs. Negative Reinforcement

Before volunteering for Susquehanna Service Dogs, I had never considered the difference between positive and negative reinforcement. It was something that never really came up in conversation. I was always passionate about positive reinforcement for humans, but I had never considered either side for animal training. Then, I started volunteering for Susquehanna Service Dogs. They started by teaching us about associating positive behaviors with positive emotions or food. This of course would work differently based on the subject, but for the labs, it works. As they handed me this (not actually) small bundle of joy, I started to use clicker-based training and regular dog food to show him that certain behaviors were preferred. Whenever he did something that was not appropriate, I would redirect his attention with a sharp distracting noise, another command, or a toy, depending on the situation. 

Now is this just for service dogs? And my answer is no. When I picked Cash up, he rarely looked at people in the eyes and was afraid to make mistakes. His past owners laid the groundwork to his training, but whenever he does something wrong (either on purpose or unintentional), he would back up and look afraid. I knew he had been negatively trained. He was afraid of humans hurting him and he wasn't sure why he was hurt in the past. 

This is the reason why I am so supportive of clicker training. The purpose of clicker training is to associate specific behaviors with a positive memory--thus encouraging the behavior. Ignoring other behavior and encouraging the positive behavior. For Cash, I would have him on a leash and I'd talk to him and he'd look up at me (not fully at first, but I gradually increased my standards) and I'd click and treat. He started associating our interactions with a positive feeling. When he had an accident (with his body formerly in starvation mode, it happened a few times), I lowered my voice and pet him. I gave him a treat. I made sure he knew he was not in trouble. 

For cash, his behaviors that I'm trying to discourage are mostly just distraction and marking his territory. I distract him marking his territory and am working in the bathroom cue (I'm considering the bells), and I make a loud disturbance noise and keep walking when he tries to mark items. He's starting to get better with that and I am quite pleased. 

So does this mean that clicker training is the only type of training that should be used? I have no idea. I am not an expert, but the idea that a simple click whenever the dog does something correct and it's associated with a positive action. Relatively until the positive action is not needed... That means there's something there. 

If you think your shock collar works better, think again. Fear creates servitude, but no loyalty. Maybe not every dog is fearful, but if I escaped from someone that shocked me when I had no idea what I was doing wrong... I'd run like hell. It's the association and consistency that negative reinforcement is lacking. 

I recommend reading:

It not only will make you think about training dogs, but also how you interact with people. It's a great read and I highly recommend it. 

My Weekend Adventure:My First Roadtrip

Cash went on his first road trip to my parents house. This was a bit nerver wracking for us because I am moving in with them soon due to medical problems and their cat hates other animals. Good thing Cash likes car rides! It put him in a good mood! 

When we finally got to my home town, we visited a few places and he even got to play with a cat. 

Everything was working out and my parents cat, Clark, although scared, was more cautious than hostile. We got home in the evening and the next morning was our reunion so we had to get things ready for that. 

The next morning, Cash and I got ready as normal when my Dad left the door open and Cash got out. He ran around all of our neighbors' yards and "marked his territory." He finally stopped about a half hour later, but I wasn't happy and I definitely need to find a place to work on recalls with him. For him, he just wanted to secure the place--he didn't want to run from me. 

After his morning exercise, we left for the reunion. It's by a pond and at first, I was sure that Cash would not be in the pond, but I finally let him run around and swim without a leash. He had a blast and even chased the paddle boat. 

His favorite activity of the day was watching volleyball. He ran back and forth with the ball barking along with the game. I've decided that he's not allowed at soccer games. He'd go insane. 

He made a lot of friends and hopefully, started to get over his fear of toddlers. By the end of the night, I forgot to take him home before the fireworks so I ended the night with a panicked Labrador lapdog. I felt bad, but we both survived.

Sunday, we spent most of the day at home. And Monday, we took a walk around town. Nothing too exciting until later when we visited the cats again! Cash really likes cats. Maybe someday, him and Clark will be friends? Ok, probably not. 

-Esther

I Bought My Best Friend

For some people, they don't understand the special bond that many people have with their pets. It's how real their dedication is to you and the joy when you get home from work--try finding a human with that kind of consistency. But, at the same time, we purchase and own our furry "best friends." 

I believe the way that society treats pets is a main factor in why we have so many pets that are mistreated and it's not headline news--that we can just kill animals because there's just too many without any remorse, but refuse to eat a hamburger because your against eating meat. Why aren't we upset about about these animals (an unknown number to me) being killed for no reason? At least the cow was killed to feed someone. 

This is what the pet industry is about--money and convenience. It has nothing to do with the lovable animal that you promised to love. Would you move and not take your child with you? Animals have a shorter life than children and are far cheaper, but since they are pets, they are traded and discarded without a second thought. And if they aren't raised well (by someone that couldn't care less) they end up practically unadoptable by most people's standards. And why? Because a family was too lazy to teach them basic manners--bet people would be up in arms if a child acted as badly as some animals. 

As much as I hope "paying" for my best friend means that the money goes towards helping animals, it will not go far if people do not take pet "ownership" seriously. 

Right now, I do not hold any cards in the shelter business, but I would like to volunteer in shelters and train dogs to make them seem more appealing. I want to teach people simple ways to make their dogs behave better. I'd like to show anyone going to adopt a dog or that refuses to spay/neuter dog the sad/scared eyes of the overpopulated shelters. Don't send this new family member back there and don't take a chance that a new generation will struggle to stay alive because there's no one to adopt them. Maybe seeing this for themselves will open their eyes--or maybe it won't 

There's nothing wrong with purebreds. There's something wrong with taking a chance for puppies when you aren't taking care of them yourself or have people to adopt them out to... Meaning they will most likely end up either strays or surrendered if not adopted out. 

For me, Cash is one of the sweetest dogs that I have ever met. And raising Thornwald taught me a lot. It's not about whether or not they were breed to be a certain temperament or if they were adopted as from a shelter, it's how you treat them and appreciate the love that they will almost always give to you. 

Our problem is how we think about pets rather than pets being the problem. Think about it. 

Kong Connect: US Only?

Kong Connect

I've been looking at numerous pet websites, trying to find coupons and promotional lists that send coupons. I have been a big fan of KONG since I started to raise Thornwald. I love all the products that I have tried so I joined KONG Connect hoping for good quality emails and some coupons. What is it? Well according to their website:


KONG Connect really means two things--the connection we all have with our pets and the joy that comes from connecting with the whole pet-loving world. KONG Connect is about both of these ideas--and we'd love for you to be a part of it. 

So sign up for our KONG Connect email and get insider access to the world of KONG--personalized just for you and your pet--to keep them happy, healthy, and having more fun than ever.

As a member of KONG Connect, you'll receive

• Coupons and offers exclusively for members
• Sneak peeks of our new products
• Contests and promotions
• Your KONG newsletter
• Fun and helpful ideas to help strengthen the bond with your pet

I'm not quite sure what I signed up for, but if they send me KONG recipes and coupons, it's worth it for me. Has anyone else signed up for KONG Connect?

*Update! They sent me a $2.00 off coupon for their treats with the purchase of a KONG Classic Toy and a $0.50 coupon off of any KONG Cat toys. I didn't even know they made cat toys!

Esther

Nylabone Products: Product Coupons

Nylabone Savings

I have to admit that I have bought quite a few of the Nylabone products in the last year. One of the best parts about buying the products is that they often include coupons inside the package!

They have a club Nylabone (which I just enrolled in today-7/24/15) and they had a special coupon to print out. The coupon was to save $5.00 with the purchase of two Nutri Dent Dental Chews for Dog Products (8.99 or higher).

I have not yet tried the Nutri Dent Dental Line, but I might the next time I see a good deal on them. It expires on 8/23/15, but that's still enough time to possibly use the coupon. You can see the coupons they have available here.

Pet Newspaper Coupons: July 26

Pet Coupons in the Sunday,  July 26 Newspaper

Here is a list of the pet coupons that will be in the Sunday paper this week. 

Coupons do vary by location, but there are a  lot of coupons this coming week!

Kibbles ‘n Bits $2/2 dry dog food 3lbs+ (9/20)

Purina $1/1 8oz+ alpo dental chews, tbonz, variety snaps or wholesome biscuits dog snacks (10/26)
Purina ALPO B10G2 free dog food 13.2oz cans up to $1.78 (10/26)
Purina Chow $1.50/1 4lb+ dog chow or puppy chow bag (10/26)
Purina Chow $4/1 16.5lb+ dog chow little bites dog food (10/26)
Purina Friskies $1/1 dry cat food bag (9/30)
Purina Friskies $1/24 cans, 2 12ct variety packs or 1 24ct variety pack wet cat food (9/30)
Purina Friskies $2/1 pull ‘n play pack (9/26)
Purina Friskies Buy 1 12ct variety pack or 12 cans wet cat food, get 1 16oz pull ‘n play pack free up to $6.99 (9/26)
Purina Mighty Dog B10G2 free dog food single cans up to $1.50 (10/26)
Purina Tidy Cats $3/1 lightweight clumping litter (10/27)

Target Only Coupons

Iams $1.50/8 wet dog food single cans/tubs excludes multipacks (8/22) 
Iams $3/1 4.6lb+ dry cat food (8/22) 
Iams $5/1 12.5lb+ dry dog food (8/22) 

Purina Fancy Feast $3.50/25 3oz wet cat food cans excludes multipacks (8/28) 
Purina $2/1 wet dog food multipack (8/28) 
Purina Free $10 Target giftcard with 2 10lb+ dry dog or cat foods excludes kit & kaboodle (8/28) 

Short Guide to Couponing:

Store-specific coupons can be combined with manufacturer coupons.

Most stores that double coupons, will only double to a dollar. 

You can look for coupons in packages when you buy products (very valuable coupons!) and on their official sites.

Some pet stores will accept coupons and have their own coupon benefits. 

Target Specific Guide:

You can use coupons from their Cartwheel App, Target-specific coupons, manufacturer coupons, and your 5% savings from using your Target Card all on one item. It is not common, but it is important to look for savings in multiple areas. 

Don't forget to check Coupons.com for printable coupons. 

Cash's Diet So Far... And How Shelter Life Failed Him

When we first picked Cash up at the Lancaster SPCA, I knew he was underweight, but I did not realize how underweight. The next day, when we took him to see the vet, they weighed him at 50 lbs. If you do not know the average weights of labrador retrievers, the average female labs is between 55 lbs and 70 lbs and for, males between 60 lbs -80 lbs. You could see the entirety of his rib cage sticking out. When they adopted him to me, I was told to fill out some paperwork, that he should get some good food, and that the weird yellows scabs on his back would just come off with a good bath.

My experience with the Lancaster SPCA? Not very good. When he came home with me, I realized that he was not really eating. We tried everything until we decided to purée some chicken and heat it in the microwave. He loved it. I started to add different food with the chicken. I bought a dog food only food processor to grind up his dog food to add to the mixture and then finally Pedialyte. He would eat this meal up. After almost a week, I had finally moved him up to eating solid dog food. There were a few times he did throw up, but most of the time it was not food, just digestive enzymes.

Food Cash Would Eat The First Week*

Puréed Chicken (to a liquid) and warmed up

Ground Purina Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin and Stomach Formula

Pidalyte (Rite Aid Brand Equivalent) 

*It is important to note that I am not veterinarian, but I did consult with professionals and I did adapt what I was told to what Cash would eat. In addition, just like a human with an eating disorder, dogs that are/had been starving should be introduced to meals slowly. They should have small meals throughout the day so that their bodies are not trying to digest too much at once. 

Days went by and Cash would be more and more eager to eat so I decided to slowly introduce solid food into his diet and it worked. He does take longer to eat it, but it worked. He is now back on a solid diet and even though it takes him a while, he seems to be enjoying it. When he went back to the vet due to his digestion system being a little off (mostly his #2 schedule), they put him on I/D dog food for a healthy digestion system. I'm not sure if it is working since he's only been on it for a little while, but only time will tell

Now how much did he weigh at this visit? 58.7 lbs. That is a huge difference in a little more than a week. I was so excited that all the work that it was making a difference. His entire attitude had changed and you could see it in his face. When I saw him, I knew I needed him and I didn't know why, but now I know, he needed me just as I need him. 

And now for the official weigh in/weight gain photo:

Day 1 of Retraining

As some of you might know, Cash was trained in a way that causes fear in him with certain commands and he rarely looks up at you. Now that he is eating solid food, I started retraining him to reassociate the negative associations with positive ones. I started with sit and just attention. With sit, I tried using the verbal and hand signal together and then moving the food away from him as a type of 'reset,' but he must have been trained not to follow the food. I had to call him to come to me in order to get him to stand up if the command stand wouldn't work. (His ability to listen to commands comes and goes). I realized that in order to go any further with his retraining, we needed to focus on attention and associating him being an equal with me. I started with every time he looked up at me, I'd click and treat. Much like the focus problems of a puppy, he was not looking at me--in his case, he didn't feel comfortable looking up at people--almost in shame. It was similar to the two times he threw up and looked at me like I was about to hit him. I gave him a good head scratch and snuggle that time. I will most likely try to start with that next time and continue to reassociate the skills he knows with good thoughts. 

Training Thornwald taught me so much about taking care of dogs and what  capable of as a person. Cash needs me and he's capable of great things. I'm thinking that he'd be a great therapy dog for retirement homes once he reassociate said training. He smart, sweet, and lovable. 

Let's Go Out to the Dog Park!

I love the local dog park and Cash needed to go on a walk. I don't walk him every day, but he had been eating consistently and we had a lot of time to get there and back. 

We went to Beau's dream park and at first he was a little shy, but after a while he was running around and playing with all the other dogs. It was cute to see him interacting with everyone. I could not believe how easily he adapted to the park. 

It was so funny because he kept trying to catch tennis balls. At one point he captured one and layed down to guard it. 

He didn't like the sprinkler area when it was on, but people weren't turning it on anyways. The other dogs got him to drink a good amount of water, which pleased me since he was exercising. He was trying to mark quite a few things, but I'm not a fan of that particular behavior. Other than that, I got a lot of great advice and saw a lot of people I had not seen in a while. It was definitely wonderful. 

We will definitely go again this week sometime. Hopefully, he will have some more meat on his bones then. 

Being Adopted: The a Good, The Bad, and The Scary

As many people know, the Lancaster SPCA does not have a good reputation and after adopting a dog from them, I can understand why the rumors started. Cash (his name from the microchip), refuses to eat most the time and doesn't look up at you. But, he is the sweetest, kindest dog you could meet. He knows a lot of commands and when he's not too tired, he follows me around the house. 

The first night, I was able to get him to eat a cup and a half of dry food, but he threw up some of it. Yesterday, he had some chicken broth/chicken puréed to almost a liquid, threw up a little of it, but digested most of it. 

He is slowly getting more trustworthy. I might take him to play fetch somewhere safe. He probably would like that. He only looks me in the eye when I am at eye level so I wonder if he was abused. His skin/hair is in bad condition. Dry, yellow, flaky, skin, but it's getting better with some tlc that the lcspca didn't give him. I just don't understand why they didn't mention he wasn't eating nor given information on feeding him properly. It seems a tad bit dishonest. (They had him for two weeks)

Either way, I will make sure he stays healthy. I won't let the little guy down. :) The vet said 50 lbs and the pet store said 60lbs. Either way, he needs to be around 70-75. Maybe even 80 depending on how much muscle he is building.