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June 5 - Amazing Blue - The Sequel

January: 104.5 lb
Late April: 97.6 lb
Early June: 91.4 lb
Weight lost in May: 6.2 lb
Total weight lost: 13.1 lb
Percentage of body weight lost: 13%
Goal weight: 85 lb
Pounds to go: 6.4 lb

As anyone who has been on a journey similar to Blue's knows, the first few weeks or months of any change in diet and exercise usually deliver the biggest results. Sustaining that over the long haul is the real challenge. So, Blue's team was that much more blown away by his progress in May. This puts Blue within about 6 pounds of his goal weight. A BIG round of applause, please!

As important as the weight loss is the improvement in Blue's strength and endurance. The hikes Blue and I take together are just the tip of the iceberg on that. Playgroup sessions every week, field trips and walks by other volunteers, and the changes in Blue's regular meals and treats that the always-busy kennel staff have faithfully followed, have all worked together to make for a more energetic and - and those who know Blue all agree on this - happier dog.

Unless one of you picks up the leash from me - and nothing would be more welcome than that - Blue and I are going to continue our adventures on the Buckeye Trail along its entire length through Summit County. As those of you who have been following Blue's adventures already know, he and I have started on the sections closest to the shelter and within Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We're going to stick with that plan as we walk north from Peninsula to the Cuyahoga County line over the next few weeks.

My own dogs and I have scouted that route over the last few weeks. Although parts of it will be challenging for Blue, nobody is out to set any speed records here. However long it takes for Blue to do this safely and comfortably, that's how long it takes. We'll keep you posted on our progress here in a few weeks and on Facebook every Monday, and we'll continue to ask you for your support to the tune of $10 for every mile Blue completes. We hope you keep following along and that you help us reach our $5,000 Pound of Cure goal.



Since all this started back in January, I've had a few questions come my way about how I keep Blue safe and happy on the trails. (Actually, it's the other way around, but don't tell him that.) Well, I've been hiking with dogs since I was 12 years old, and I am, as the song goes, much older than that now. From that experience, and from our friends at the National Park Service, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and the American Red Cross, following these 5 common sense rules will make it much more likely that your walk will be successful for you, your dog, and everyone you meet in the backcountry:

  1. Leash your dog. So many well-intentioned hikers break this rule because, "my dog loves everybody he meets", "my dog listens every time I call him back to me", or "my dog needs more exercise than being on a leash allows". The public lands that allow dogs on trails, like Summit Metroparks and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (which, by the way, is one of the few national parks that permit dogs at all) all have 6-foot leash requirements, and for good reasons, including: an encounter between leashed and unleashed dogs can be problematic because the leashed one has no way to escape; unleashed dogs can harass wildlife or other hikers; or your loose curious loose dog can arouse, say, a skunk. Please think twice before breaking leash rules. Your dog, my dog, and all your fellow hikers will thank you.

  2. Pick up and carry out your dog's poop. Unlike deer poop, coyote poop, rabbit poop, snake poop - you get the point - it doesn't belong in the backcountry. Plus, all those other animals distribute their waste throughout the woods. Your dog leaves his gifts behind on or near the trail. Imagine 100 dogs walking that same trail that day.

  3. Not every dog is up for every hike. When Blue and I first started, 1 mile on level ground at a slow pace was all he could comfortably handle. Now he's up to 7 miles on rolling terrain with no problems, even on hot days. However, we rest when he decides it's time for a break, we stop for a drink at least once every hour, and I'm always ready to cut a hike short if Blue tells me it's time to go home. Point being, if your dog hasn't grown up hiking, ease him or her into it slowly. Hike his or her hike, not yours.

  4. Don't let your dog meet other hikers or their dogs without their permission. In other words, don't assume that just because your dog loves every dog and human, they will too. That doesn't mean those other folks and their 4-legged hiking buddies aren't nice. It just means they may need time to warm up to strangers. (Actually, safely introducing dogs that haven't met before requires extensive knowledge and training, something every HSSC volunteer learns early in their time at the shelter.)

  5. Finally, carry some basic canine first aid supplies and consider taking a course, like the one offered by the American Red Cross, in pet first aid. Your dog, just like you, can get injured in any number of ways out there. If you know what to do if that happens, it'll help everyone get home safely.

Join us back here in about 2 weeks for our mid-month blog post, and every Monday for our Facebook update. In the meantime, please consider donating to Blue's Pound of Cure fundraiser, which you can find right here.

Also, and even more important, please spread the word about how hard Blue is working to find his forever home. Because Blue is someone's perfect new companion. He or she just doesn't know it yet.

See you on the trails!

Ted

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