Dog Trainer's Log

Friday, August 27

No problem getting Splash to eat her food when it’s doused in Panacur(R), so the first dose of the hookworm protocol is in. I upped her meal to a heaping cup and a half. She’ll get that twice a day until I can get 5-7 pounds on her. She’s really track-lean.

Splash slept all night, like a little curled-up rock. When I woke up at 4:30am, she woke up – but was patient enough to let me use the bathroom and eat her breakfast before going out. She is willing to pee on the six foot lead, but hadn’t pooped at all until this morning. Very subtly, she stepped off the sidewalk into the wet grass, squatted and relieved herself. On lead.

She’s having bad gas, no doubt from all the stress of travel and diet change and life upheaval. I think I’ll add some probiotics to her meals after the last Panacur dose of this cycle.

Madi and Splash have worked out (for now) who gets cuddled from which position. If I’m laying or sitting on the couch, M. is on my left shoulder and Splash stands on my right side so that I can be petting and touching both of them at once. Splash knows that Churro is in his cat crate, and he’s hissed at her a couple times. Splash seems to have taken that as “this is the line, don’t cross it” and she looks but leaves him alone.

She’s tried the stairs a couple times, but can’t figure out how to come back down yet. She won’t jump up on the couch or even put her feet up there. She respects gates – both dogs are behind the gate in the foyer right now, drying off from our morning walk. M. is pacing. Splash is stretched out with her head on her paws, patiently waiting.

Oh – and she takes treats from my hand now. She LOVES cheese – goat cheese, string cheese, cheapo bright orange cheese puffs. A junk food hound.

I really need to take some pictures!