Vet Day!

Today was Zane's last vet visit for awhile. He was 21.2 lb. Discussed the parvo issue with the vet, and she told me that the manufacturer they use believes in their vaccine and will cover the costs of treatment if your dog gets parvo after receiving two of their doses. She also told me that last Tuesday, they had 5 parvo puppies in the clinic. Parvo is still rolling strong here. And the family who had the sick puppy. . . they've lost two of the three. I'm assuming they've had no vaccinations.

I also measured Zane - 15. 75".

He went to Bella's agility lesson this morning. He practiced his sits, downs, eye contact, and hand push before class. After class he got to meet a new puppy. This was a very exuberant puppy in an x-pen, and we just sat outside the x-pen. Zane sniffed and got chicken. Things seemed to go ok, then Zane started barking. It wasn't a nice, excited "let's play" bark, so I moved him back and we played "look at that" with the puppy. I'm hoping that given a couple of intros, Zane will be ready to play with him.

After Zane's vet visit, he had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He got bit by a harvester ant. He started whining and limping, so I assumed he had a sticker in his foot. But no. . . the ant was still stuck to him, still biting. I pulled him off, but he was whining and limping for at least 30 minutes. He laid in my lap like the most pitiful little thing. He's fine now. But I do admit those things hurt! And they can hurt a long time. I got bit by one, and for 2 weeks the nerve below where I was bit twitched on and off.

This evening we played a bit with free-stacking. He needs some work there. Actually, he's not that bad. . . he's challenged with a handler who isn't as good at the conformation stuff as the obedience and agility stuff.

There is a plastic toy "grabber arm" that one of my daughter's left out in the yard. Zane likes to pick it up. So I started to click every time he did. Now he gets the game and will pick it up for a click/treat. Who thought of learning a retrieve with a large plastic toy? But since he picks it up naturally, I can capture the pick up and work from there.