Hello All. This is my first post. If there's a better place for this question, let me know. I'll move it or repost it in the right spot.

I have an approximately 7 month old Sheppard mix that I adopted a month ago. She came from a kill shelter in New Mexico and ended up in Colorado, where I adopted her in front of a Petsmart (Go figure -- I wasn't looking. There was just something about her that called out to me). I started her orientation and training using the techniques on a couple of Ed's beginning videos. After a week, we discovered she had distemper and had already gone through the first stage of the virus. Needless to say, the training stopped while we worked to keep Penny alive after the virus went neurological. I'm happy to say that she's been stable, although weak, for a week now. While we have a long way to go, I'm quietly optimistic she's going to pull through.

Aside from her being one tough little dog, I think part of her success is due to keeping her engaged as much as she could handle. I think her desire to live helped. I'm starting to think about simple training to engage her more, now that she's playing with toys again, is interested in her training treats, and is beginning to act like her original puppy self. I have to keep it low key for a while though. She is still very uncoordinated and doesn't have a lot of endurance.

Any suggestions on some simple training I can do with Penny to keep her engaged and that she can be successful with?

Thanks.

Greg

Welcome!
I am so glad your pup seems to be making a recovery, good for you for working so hard to give her a good life!

Hello and welcome. What a terrible thing for a pup to have to go through, will be thinking of her...

By simple are you meaning stationary exercises? I was thinking watch me, touch, speak, paw, settle, leave it...

Hi Greg,

You own a very lucky dog. How much endurance and coordination are you talking for this pup? How much physical therapy is this dog able to do?

How about teaching the beginning stages of the fetch? Like hold, then give? As she gets her coordination and energy back you can start adding distance. You can also work this into hydrotherapy sessions.

Thanks all for the suggestions. Those were exactly what I was looking for. I'm walking her around the yard to give her a little exercise. She walks and flops down, then gets back up and does it again. She lets me know when she's done so I'm not pushing her past what she's willing to do right now. We'll work on more endurance with longer walks and runs when she's stronger and no longer contagious.

I hadn't thought about hydrotherapy. It's a great idea. I'll look to see if there's anything available in my area. I'll have to watch her close though. She's on the skinny side right now and would probably just sink!

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Greg

Keep close with your vet, and guard your heart. Sometimes that vicious disease can come back for a second round.