Baxter on treadmill

Finally took some video with digital camera tonight. Uploading one to YouTube right now and another piece on Facebook. Will post links later when uploads are completed. The YouTube video should be at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6uQ3mNL7A8 when it is finished processing the upload.

More muddy feet

Just went to close the backdoor because Baxter had come in a minute or so ago and I noticed that his paws were awful muddy. I took him out with a towel to clean his feet and I heard water. I looked over and there was water pouring down from the faucet cover out back. The cover was still on (freeze cover) but water was coming down and the dirt underneath it had big foot prints in it. I took the cover off and turned the valve to shut off the water. It must have been running for a little while because it is very muddy right there. Not sure how he managed to get the water on with the foam cover still intact.

Antsy

Baxter seems energetic this morning. I took him for the usual 1.5 mile loop earlier. He played out back a bit also, but it is windy and cool. I was on the phone with my boss and I had to stop him from nibbling on the corner of the molding. Twice. I took him out back and threw him a stick. He has plenty of sticks to chew on out there. He did that for a bit and then came in. I gave him a kong with some treats in it and he messed with that for a while and finally I decided it was time for some treadmill. He did 7.5 minutes at 5% incline and 2mph. I am experimenting with more incline and think I can go a few more degrees with no problems. The pace is a tough one, but incline also makes it tougher, so I think that is the least innocuous way to do it for now.

I meant to mention that Cassie was doing much better on Sat. when I saw her. Of course then she was running around more and starting favoring off her bad leg again, but it seems that some crating did her well, but she gets totally stir crazy.

Friday night at the shelter

Well, things didn't go as quickly tonight. I was covering the 5-9 again and I got here a bit before 5 and the food was out for the dogs but I needed to walk them all in and then I needed to clean the outdoor runs. No CSRs tonight and it seemed to take me forever between getting the first one in and the last. I quickly cleaned outside and started back through getting the dogs out. The intake dogs had to wait until I got all the little dog room dogs out and then I carried out the intake dogs (well, most of them). I was getting flustered at how long the after dinner walks were taking but you need to get them to do all their business or you clean it up at the end of the night. I didn't quite make it to getting all the dogs their after dinner walk when I decided I needed to scoop up Maggie/JD because it was too cold out for them to stay out. I got the last dogs out and walked Cassie and put her back in. I checked the crates and cleaned up a bit and then brought Jessie back in and then the little dogs and then the intake room and then the big dogs. By then, it was around 8 and I still needed to do some more cleaning. I just finished and am taking a break before checking the doors/windows and turning off the lights/radios and letting the dogs go to bed. I have a little more time before 9, so I will go do a bit more cleaning and then call it a night. I am going to an Eagle court of honor for 9 boys from the old troop tomorrow, so Baxter has to spend the night here again so that I don't have to bring him up in the morning.

Thurs. night at the shelter

Here I am at the shelter hanging out while the dogs finish supper and rest a bit. Sarah is on vacation and lots of people are covering shifts for her. I was out last week so signed up for this week Thurs/Fri. I forgot that it was Chinese New Year or I could have signed up for more nights since I don't have any night time calls this week. Baxter came to the shelter with me. He has been coughing a bit over the last 2 days but Mallory told me had his bordatella in Dec. so it shouldn't be that. I gave him some Benadryl and it seemed to help until he was pulling hard on his leash and then he was hacking again. I will keep to the Benadryl and see how that goes. I brought him with me to the shelter tonight so he could see Karma and also so that I don't need to crate him at home. Ben is doing his senior project presentation this afternoon and I left the house a little after he did so that I could get here in time to ask any questions to Mallory and make sure I could get in. The spare keys are supposed to be dropped off to me tonight so I can lock up.

There is a new boxer mix here named Casey. She is totally off of her right rear leg. She has a knee surgery scar. There is a note on the board about doing a followup at ATA, but she is pretty lame on that leg right now and the knee looks oddly shaped to me. She is mostly boxer and has a natural boxer tail. She seems very nice, but underweight and injured. Sad.

Winter Time

Well, I was gone last week and Baxter stayed at the shelter so no blog posts. I picked him back up last Friday and I worked at the shelter on Sat. and while I was there Genieve was sorting doggie clothes. I picked out 2 jackets for Baxter as the weather has been turning cold. I walked him in his Fido Fleece yesterday and today. He doesn't like his paws messed with and you have to put his legs through the jacket, so that is a challenge with him squirming, but he looks warmer in it and he doesn't seem to mind it when it is on. He loves to go for a walk and it facilitates it, so he is ok with that.

From Baxter

Baxter has done a few more treadmill sessions. Tonight I had him up to 2.4 mph while I was feeding him jerky treats. He was fine at that speed but as I looked down, I saw his paws were very dirty/muddy and he was tossing dirt off the back of the treadmill. I only kept him on there like 5 minutes and then I had to take him out to clean his feet outside and then come inside to sweep.

This and that

We did more treadmill on Thurs. evening. Baxter did about 7.5 minutes or so. He kept going as long as there were treats to nibble from my fingers. He was doing 2.0 mph, so pretty good stuff. Ben did a little bit with him on Friday also. Today we had an adoption day at Petco and Baxter was very energetic. He was whining wanting to play with the other dogs. We only did like a 30 minute walk this morning and that was about it and he needed more.

I am gone next week so Baxter is parked at the shelter until I pick him up Fri or Sat. next week.