Thank goodness this week was significantly quieter, albeit busy & wet, than last weekend. Indeed between replacing license, bank card, and losing cards with contact information there has been minimal time to train with the kids. It shows that Ailsa has had her brain addled with hormones - at retriever class last week she first could not seem to find the bird dummies - ran right over them and when she did come back and find them she looked at the dummies like they were evil, smelly hunks of plastic to be brought back holding on to the least offensive piece with the incisors only (mind you, this is the dog who will fetch a dog poop bag fully loaded from the back yard and bring it through the famous dog door to deposit it proudly on my computer key board). After watching Faith at work she seemed to regain some of her focus.
In the meantime, Jura has been off at VetHab being worked on a daily basis come rain or shine. When I last reported he was safely in Raleigh, weighing in at 53 lbs. During the first week they were able to get him working on the treadmill underwater so that he could work for 15 minutes without running out of steam. He dropped 2 lbs. At the same time his ears cleared up as did the staph infection on his head.
The week of the 17th when I called he was plateaued at 50 lbs but he was now working alternate days with an 30 minute endurance run at 5 mph on one day and a strength run at 12 degree incline 3 mph, in 3 15 minute sessions.
This last week that hard work was apparently paying off as they reported that he is down to 48 lbs and "Back to his old self". In this week they have added a weight day where he runs with a pack containing 8 lbs. In addition, apparently the cracks in his pads are healing and they have been making sure that his coat is brushed daily as he runs in water up to his upper thigh (to add resistance). When I pick him up, I will have to groom him to remove the dead fur - springers have a double coat - the outer layer has the guard hairs which are relatively long and soft; the inner coat is "woolier" and when stripped out looks like liver fluff. This inner coat keeps them relatively dry and maintains body temperature but left in place it can make those nasty mats that some dogs get and the color of that material fades in the sun and on exposure to chlorine in the water.
Which remark made me happier last week? The fact that his weight is back in the 40s or that "the Old Jura we know and love is back"? Well, to know that "Jura" is back says boatloads - a) it reminds me that the staff at VetHab and Jura have a relationship, b) they know him, c) he likes to work and be active. Jura is basically a low maintenance dog in that he is inherently content so it is easy to forget he is there. On the other hand, if one engages him, he will light up and respond but the initiative has to come from the other person/dog. Left to his own devices he would happily go about life without people and be a couch potato - if he had a choice of activity, it would be to be in the field working birds! But if they are not there he is content to be content. It is pleasant to have a dog like that but I now appreciate that I have to watch out or I will forget he is there just because he does not demand my attention. I think that is what almost happened when he was out on the road.
I hugely miss Jura in the house and in my company - I derive a certain strength from his calm demeanor. It is just 2 weeks before I get to bring him back and I am already starting to plan how to make sure that he remains in the fit condition that he will be in from his 5 weeks in NC.
He will be surprised by the pretty sassy young bitch in the house - she was a true puppy when he left - now she has that young adolescent air about her. I think Ailsa will happily include Jura in her social duties as she is indeed pushy and unwilling to just lay around. Already she makes Baker play every evening; adding Jura to the mix will be more fun for her and I will be trying to figure out how to keep the yard from covering the floors of the house!
Here is hoping that Robin & Kathy share the super runs they had with Zipper & Briar respectively last weekend during the ASCA trial because I want to brag on Mr. Baker but he can wait :)
This is the last week of classes this session and bitter sweet as I love having watched the progress of all the dogs and knowing that some will not be coming back :( as their owners have accomplished what they wanted from classes.
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