New Motivation

Yesterday was a big day both at work and during training.  After yesterday, I am really in a good place right now.  I am so encouraged at both work and with training the Goldens.  Yesterday was the interns' and residents' last day at the hospital.  I am going to especially miss the oncologist resident.  I have never gotten to observe or help out with oncology at all at my clinic back at home.  He took the time to explain any questions I might have.  I really like helping out with oncology because we see the same patients again and again.  Oncologists must really develop a relationship with their clients.  The disadvantage to oncology is that there are often not a lot of happy endings.  In vet medicine, we use chemotherapy to try to put cancer into remission or to give the dog a better quality of life while we can.  We do not administer the drugs in as high of doses that are used for humans.  We do not want to dogs to get sick, have their hair fall out, and lose their appetite.  We just want to make them comfortable.  The oncologist sat down and talked to me for quite some time about vet school.  I am the youngest working at the teaching hospital- I will be starting my junior year in undergrad in the fall.  He gave me his opinions and told me that I was on the right track.  Who knows... maybe I will be a doctor when the oncologist resident comes back from Brazil!  I cannot wait to push myself in vet school.  I want to be boarded as a specialist.  As it stands right now, I really am interested in theriogenology and oncology.

I took the Goldens to the club last night for the first time in two weeks.  We all needed that.  I worked Layla's running dog walks.  I have been really discouraged lately because it seems that in every session she is no longer leaping the contact, but her strides are always off so that she ends her last stride on the dog walk too early.  Teresa suggested that it may be the timing of me throwing the ball.  I really tried to pay attention to the time I was releasing the ball last night.  It worked!  In our 2nd and 3rd sessions (we did 3 sessions total last night), Layla hit 100%!!!  I am so proud of her.  I told Layla on the drive home that I needed that more than anything.  Sometimes we just need a confidence booster to remind us what we are working for.

Jade is really coming along.  I am not pushing him nearly as hard as I did Layla.  I made some mistakes with Layla that I do not want to make with Jade.  Layla is so soft (Jade is not at all) and drilling her way too young had some negative results.  Jade has a completely different personality and working ability than Layla, but I still do not want to burn him out.  Jade thinks all training is so much fun, and that's exactly what I want!  Last night we reviewed signals for sit, down, and stand.  I worked a few stays.  Jade is really understanding his left and right directionals.  He can also heel the length of one of the obedience rings.  In another session, we did some chase games, tables, and wobbly board.  I have already started Silvia Trkman's Cik/Cap work at home and I will start Susan Salo's puppy jumping too soon.  There is just nothing this puppy cannot do!

Very soon, we will be going to the vet to get a vaccination for Jade.  I cannot wait to see by the scales how much he has grown since the beginning of June when I last weighed him.

I included a picture of my handsome man.  He really shot up in the last week or so!