I watch North Wood Law and they made a comment that it takes 2 years to train the K9s. How long to train your pup after he leaves you guys?
They can get a dog ready in about three months and then there is three weeks that the dog works with their recipient so if north Woods’s Law is counting from the day they are born it’s pretty much the same.
It must be easier to let them go that way and know they are getting a good home instead of seeing them die on you.
The basics only. And that the dogs all learn the same basics. Like ‘rest’ is the command that they use for stay. All eating the same food. A lot of the focus is on giving the puppies exposure to as many things as possible. Stores, staying quiet under the table at human mealtime, traffic, city noises, a field trip to the airport, train ride, animals, bicycles, walk by flags and banners. Big blow up things. etc etc. Today he got his first walk in the woods.
We have been giving the wolf (german shepard) down the street treats for about 2 months now when we go for our walk. At first, you had to drop it very quick and even after that, had to count your fingers! She now listens and will sit/lay for the treat to be dropped into her bear trap jaws. Absolutely no more viscous barking at either of us while walking past, but we haven't walked past whenever she is outside either. She favors 99 lbs a lot more than me as when I walk by myself, she'll get her treat and then look up the street where I came from and then back at me as if she was asking "Where is 99?" We did get the owners OK for all of these antics. He works-we don't.
Might be nearing the crossroads with the rainbow bridge. Old man Billy Bob started vomiting late Tuesday night he didn’t improve much yesterday until I got home and metered a small amount of water to him then took him out and he made a beeline for the creek where he decided to undo any controlled water intake. Then proceeded to try and wander off in the woods. I finally found him around 830 last night and got him inside. He couldn’t muster the energy to stand this morning so he’s now spending the night at the vet pending improvement on antibiotics and stomach settling medication. I hate to see him suffer but he had a good bit of life in him escaping me last night. He’s 14 or so years old and I’ve bracing for this for a while.
So some decent news- vet thinks this is onset of kidney issue that can be treated with an inexpensive medication. I picked up the human version and dropped it at the office and spent some time with him. While not a 100%. He looks and acts a lot better than when I dropped him off. Vet still says he has some concerns about masses he can feel on his abdomen, to me they aren’t discernible, but we’ll see if he improves on this med. he’s eating small amounts and drinking plenty of water but he’s not concentrating his urine and this drug is supposed to stimulate his petuitary gland to make the kidneys do their job- vet says it’s his best guess with no guarantee
