March 28 - Drum roll, please...
28th March 2019
As you might remember from our post of late February, we were all a bit baffled that Blue had worked so hard all that month but that the scale didn't show it. You'll also recall that everyone on Blue's team was determined to figure out why that was.
Thirty days later, everyone's, especially Blue's, creative thinking and hard work has paid off. Blue now weighs in at 102 pounds! That's down 2.5 pounds, or not quite 2%, from when this all started.
Although a human might be disappointed at what might seem like slow progress, this is good, healthy weight management for a dog, especially a dog spending time at a shelter. Just ask any veterinarian.
On top of that great news, everyone who sees Blue often has noticed that his body is changing. Leaner from the chest back, the faint beginnings of the right kind of rib protrusion, narrower at the withers, and so on.
And then there's the improved endurance. Having walked Blue every Sunday morning for the last 2 months or so, I'm here to tell you that the dog that could barely manage 2 flat miles is now powering up hills after 4 miles and 2 hours of steady walking. (Okay, maybe there's a few sniffing and marking breaks mixed in there, but you get the point.)
Finally - and I admit this is as subjective as it gets - I have no doubt that Blue is gaining confidence in being outside and meeting other hikers (from a distance, of course), whether they sport 2 legs or 4. The dog that had to be coaxed out of the Humane Society transport van's travel kennel is now leaping for the pavement after the door barely opens. The uncertain observer of strangers and their dogs has now become quiet and calm on busy trails. (Keeping it real here, deer and squirrels still get Blue plenty fired up. But on my planet, that's pretty much called, "being a dog".)
Blue met a new friend, sort of, on his visit to Liberty Park this past weekend. As we waited by the side of the trail while an especially fast hiker flew by, Blue was startled when this fellow waved and said, "What a great looking dog". Pretty much the only time Blue has pulled hard over the last 3 or 4 weeks was over the next 5 minutes as he tried to catch up to say thanks. After the hiker finally faded out of sight, Blue stopped and sat for a minute. If I didn't know better, I'd swear he was a bit sad.
As we close out this update, it's important to understand that it's not just the hiking once a week that's helping Blue to a better life. Many staff and volunteers are on Blue's team now. From the veterinarian watching over him to the staff members making sure that no hot dogs, peanut butter, or dog biscuits find their way into his treat bucket, to the specially-trained playgroup organizers who have introduced Blue to this remarkable exercise program (1 hour in a playgroup gives a dog more exercise than anything I could do in half a day), it's been a group effort from day one.
Just don't tell Blue that. Because, like every dog, he's convinced this is all about him.
Check us out on Facebook this Monday as we update you on Blue's epic hike this coming weekend. We'll see you back here on April 11.
PS: We mentioned in Monday's Facebook post that there would be a surprise in this update. Besides the great news about Blue's progress, he's decided that his worn-out and unfashionable harness has to go, now that he's a trail-walking phenom. In the next few weeks, you'll see Blue sporting a state-of-the-art hiking rig that should enable him to walk more comfortably and even carry some of his own stuff. And the best part is, whoever adopts Blue gets to take this home with him.
More about that in 2 weeks. See you then.
Ted
