Day 26 (10/06/17): growth assessment, great trip to park, food, training

Chimera had his monthly visit to his amazing chiropractor, and I took Terra along for socialization. She was ready to greet everyone at the clinic. It was all women on staff, and I'm sure she recognized the setting as similar to our regular clinic, where she's comfortable. You couldn't tell that she's normally shy with strangers.

The doctor noticed that her front feet are a bit "easty-westy" (turning out to the side), and said that it's because her bones have grown but the muscles and tendons haven't caught up and aren't strong enough. She said to cut back on the extra portions I was giving her. She also said that otherwise she's looking good, and not to compare her growth to her siblings, but just look at the dog in front of me. I'll keep bringing Terra along on Cai's appointments, so Dr Wallace can watch her growth and keep an eye on things for me.

At twilight I got her out to Arroyo Park in Davis. She showed a big jump in her comfort level with people walking toward us and passing us. She still sometimes retreated and/or hid behind me, but other times she stood her ground and air scented and wagged her tail, and a few times she even stepped toward the strangers!

We also cuddled and wrestled and ran around. So much fun!

On the way home.

I still gave her a small amount of bacon fat with the organ meat in her ground meat at breakfast. At dinner I skipped it, and added her supplements instead. (She hasn't been getting the supplements since the diarrhea.) She seems to really like the fish oil, and I added some water from cooking chicken. She ate it all with gusto.

Training updates:
Stand-stay: still switching up duration between 1-5 seconds to get her really solid on it.

Mat: she finally would step onto the mat with her front feet, then pause and look up with that "where's my click?" look! Next step is adding duration.

Chin rest: just started this. Easy-peasy because she LOVES physical contact. Rather than shaping or luring, I just placed my hand under her chin and gave multiple rewards in a row. I'll keep repeating this until I see little movements of her head toward my hand.

Target stick: mostly review; she will now follow it easily in a circle.

Touch (hand target): adding the verbal cue and getting her to look for it and follow it.

Nose work: still at the first step of choosing to place her nose by the tin while I hold food in the other hand. I had been using a treat toss to reset and switch hands, but she started staring at the floor rather than offering duration at the tin. After two sessions with no reset treats, just lifting my hands away to reset, she had some duration.