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Lat_Rat - Kenz has had 3 or 4 lots of acupuncture back when it first started over Dec/Jan/Feb. She got back to 90-95% good so we thought we would try the physio just to see if we could get any further progress. I am not really sure what I am doing at the moment. The chiro vet had a look at her the day after I took her to the specialist but wouldn't treat her because she was so over being poked and prodded he said rest her for a month or so and then bring her back but she ended up having physio today anyway. I just wish I had a crystal ball - 6-8 weeks crate rest seems to be the "norm" for treating biceps tendonitis (and thats what the physio and specialist to some extent advised) but the chiro vet didn't think it was the best course of action. I am struggling with what decision to go with because I am not sure if my reluctance to follow the specialist/physio is because I am really finding it hard to crate her and restrict her so much. Sorry having one of those nights and just want what is best and not really sure what is best .

Poor Toby RV - hope he bounces back quickly.

On-lead RS and you walk around the outside.

Told you it was extra cheap RS . The one here is like $8 but you have to book 10 swims to get that rate otherwise I think its $9 a swim.

She is getting weekly cartrophen injections (but thats more to prevent further damage to her joints which is probably not causing the lameness at the moment). She had lots of trigger points (both shoulders and opposite rear leg and back) which the physio worked on today so hoping that should settle it all down again. Kenz had both xrays and ultrasound scans at the specialist. X-rays showed some slight degeneration in her elbow but nothing significant - might have been the result of the injury. Ultrasound scan showed some evidence of a chronic healing lesion in her right shoulder compared to the left but ruled out major biceps tendon damage. Crate rest is the treatment for biceps tendonitis. She is very tight on that side compared to the left side. Not really sure what else I should be doing - specialist said if she was still lame after 3 weeks of crate rest to take her back and we would talk about steroid injections or option b was going in and having a look and then doing surgery if necessary.

That doggy pool wasn't to expensive from memory - a lot cheaper then what it costs here. Well physio has been and its not great news. Kenz has another 4 weeks of crating ahead of us . Then pending how she is doing we can gradually increase her exercise starting with leash walks only .

Crate rest is just frustrating us both .

I should clarify in the situation RS described and where something "scared" the dog I would react differently and probably give an additional command versus the dog just deciding that whatever it had found on the ground was worth sniffing and not paying attention which is when I would excuse myself.

Wuffles I would probably use a NRM and ask to be excused as this is what I would do at training. She would be given a NRM and put away. Not a problem I have encountered so far with Kenz in a trial though.

Great news about Ruby RS - wish I could say the same about Kenz oh well hopefully the physio helps.

Yep that is what she means by snatch and grab Staranais. Runs out grabs the first one they come to and then puts it down again. Ness was bad for doing that. The unopened food containers are so that they start using there nose and getting use to there being other things out in the pile but they aren't able to grab and bring back. You can hide the article behind the containers so they are having to search for it as well.

Hmm definitely think your halo must be shining brightly after training 5 red kids and to have all 5 work nicely in the one session think you deserve bonus halo shine .

Go Soakie - well done TerraNik fantastic work.

Sounds like Poppy is doing well with her Open JulesP . No training happening here - zero incentive to get myself out on cold nights to train Ness and Kenz is on Day 12 of crate rest and driving me insane! Here is hoping the physio has a few other ideas tomorrow not involving crating for another week. The crating is making bugger all difference to her soreness level and in fact if anything I would say she is more sore then she was. I just want to go back to having a not broken Kenz - she really wants to be doing stuff and its hard going on both of us. The longer its going on the harder its becoming.

way to go Strauss - soon he can hang up his show shoes as well. Then you'll have to find something else to amuse him .

Staranais I know it wasn't until i had at least 3 or 4 articles out that Ness started to actually use her nose. It was Ptolomy's suggestion to me at the time to just keep adding articles fairly rapidly and at some stage she would start using her nose and rely less on the visual. Before that I was either tossing or going out and placing the article.

Do they come complete with red dogs Ptolomy .

Yikes poor Toby and poor RV - sometimes I wonder if the dogs cope better then we do when the manage to damage themselves.

Fantastic news Ptolomy - glad to hear Scoota is on the improve .

RS I am sure you could find a million and one uses for the space blanket - especially if you are going to be camping for retrieving .

I bought a Road Refresher bowl for the car and a space blanket. Space blanket for putting crates on at training/trials and the bowl because I am fed up with the girls spilling water over my backseat . So yep NEED not want. Besides I have a limpy dog and I needed cheering up - grrrrrrr over a week and a bit crate rest and she is still sore .

RubyStar - to late have already been shopping - URGH but at least I resisted over doing it to much just things I need.

I will say I was lucky with my youngster - I tend to agree with bedazzledx2 its not an overly hard concept to teach the dog to find the article that smells like you. I already knew from when we played at the park that I could toss a stick and without fail Kenz would only return with the stick I tossed. If she couldn't find it immediately then she would keep hunting until she found the one I threw. Sue Hogben suggested teaching it by getting a whole collection of assorted items all that the dog could readily retrieve and then use long grass. Each time you asked for a retrieve you varied the item. Therefore the dog was effectively learning to find the article that you scented not a particular type of article. I had no issues when we went to using normal trial articles of any time. She has hardly made a mistake and was working a full pile in not very many nights. We haven't tried cloths or UDX scent matching yet - might be something to start on when she is back to being able to train.

Dog Scout method is good as well Staranais.

Litigation is expensive and mostly to be avoided at all costs. Its not a pleasant experience for either side. Put it this way you wouldn't go suing somebody unless the monetary damage was significant.