After enduring her first, and only heat cycle, Cinder returned to our home last week. So far her once inverted vulva has remained out (normal) and besides for some behavioral issues at the puppy coordinator's home, she continues on her journey to be a guide dog.
Being without a dog for an entire week, after Neva left, left us to ponder why we raise dogs and to appreciate their presence. The house sure was quiet without our canine trainee. We concluded that the benefits definitely outweigh the negatives
Since we only have Cinder for a couple more weeks before she gets rotated again, we jumped right back into the process. She attended her puppy playtime and a hockey game on Saturday. The Badgers played well, scoring eight goals which meant four fog horns. We were well stocked with her dog food, so she never moved when the horn sounded - just received positive reinforcement.
On Sunday, Cinder went to Mounds and faced aisle after aisle of temptation (food, toys, dogs). Next we needed to get Lisa a Valentine's day present, a new washer and dryer. Lisa was excited; Cinder not so much. She held her down stay through the sales/purchase process and was much better behaved than the other customers' children. The last stop of the day was lunch where we met a potential puppy raiser. Cinder watched eat, but the staff felt sorry for her and gave her a dog biscuit.
The washer and dryer were delivered on Monday which was a great test for calm greeting and staying in her "place" while the delivery staff was in and out. She passed this test with flying colors and also an unexpected visit in the evening from a door-to-door salesman.
We found some of Neva's raw meat in the freezer and have been supplementing Cinder's diet. She needs to add a few pounds. No digestive issues!
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