We worked on shaping the table some more last night. Ike isn't quite sure where I am going with this. He is laying down beside the table with one paw on it. Occasionally he is laying down on the table. Hooray! He doesn't seem to get that I want him to lay down on the table. That might be because right now the table is a very similar color to my rug. Hmmm....not exactly what one calls setting their dog up for success. I will have to move downstairs into my mud room which has a lovely 70's era orange rug, a nice contrast to my yet unpainted plywood.
He understands I want a down - he just isn't able to discriminate where yet. It would make the most sense if I just finished making the table and then worked on it. Otherwise, hmmm, I might just have to start over anyway. Ah well, it is an excellent training exercise for both of us. My patience grows daily! ; P
I heard from Dr. Warner yesterday. All of Ike's bloodwork is completely normal! Apparently he just has a slow metabolism!! I am going to call her back - I was half asleep when I spoke with her so am afraid I didn't ask all the questions I wanted to. Like, does this mean he is just the size he is supposed to be!? : P
I was running late again this morning so Ike got to deal with a gaggle of teenagers; and he was such a good boy. He continues to amaze me!! per the recommendation of my rawfed list (they can be a bit nazi-like about food) I have stopped giving Ike any treats that aren't just meat. I am mixing in some evo cat food and dog food with his regular jerky type treats. Theories abound that dogs store the food their bodies reject as fat, etc. I am not sure I totally buy in to the theory but it certainly can not hurt to try cutting out Charlie Bears, etc.
2 months ago
6 comments:
On the dog food thing- I've found that with most dogs, it's the grains that add the weight. And what are Charlie Bears? Mostly grain. Just like humans, most of us gain weight with carbs, and the most easy source of carbs is grains. It's why the Atkin's diet has been so popular.
Yeah, no more Charlie Bears for Ike. Poor dear, he really likes the egg and cheese ones!
So why not just cook him an egg mixed with soy cheese?
Hmmm...good idea!!
Do you have a way to elevate the table off the ground just a wee bit? If I take the legs off of my as-yet unfinished table, it is still 3" off the ground. Might help make the difference.
I think you rushed the "laying down" part and didn't pay enough attention to the "on the board" part first. If he knows he's ONLY getting cookies while on the table, and that being off the table is being ignored right now, when he starts laying down, it probably won't even occur to him to even try it off the table because treats don't rain on you from heaven when you're off the table. Make sense?
Yeah, I think you are right. I think I am going to finish my table this weekend and take a step back, And then it won't match my rug anymore!
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