Another senior walk

I had Arby and Sadie together out in Daneland again for much of the day. Sadie was complaining about it a bit. Seems that she prefers to be indoors. She has become pretty proficient on the stairs in just a couple days too, although she still doesn't come up them on her own. She's been fine being crated at night although I doubt that it's really necessary. She finally started laying on one of the dog beds in the kitchen instead of the bare floor. All things considered, she's beginning to act like she lives here.

I also got confirmation that Sadie had been to a vet in Kentucky before she came here. She had an exam, heartworm test (negative), and the parvo/distemper and kennel cough vaccines in addition to the rabies. She was also treated for a bladder infection. With all that done I'm not sure there's too much for my vet to do next week, but I think I'll suggest a senior blood panel so we can start her on something for arthritis if needed.

I took her out for a two mile hike today along with Arby. I wanted to see what both of them could do. Neither had any trouble keeping up with me for two miles. Arby was out front most of the time. Sadie walked next to or behind me as new dogs often do. But she kept crossing behind me and then moving forward, which has the effect of wrapping the leash around me. I got real tired of that real fast and just held her on a short lead on my right side, without giving her enough loose leash to walk behind me. That worked very well and she was very good, no pulling at all. We saw some other dogs and other people. Both dogs were interested, in a friendly way, but I had no problem just moving them along.

Sadie hasn't been eating very well since she's been here. I found that she was just a grazer when she was at the shelter and had food with her all the time. That doesn't work around here. I gave her some canned food on the dry this morning and she ate it pretty well. I took up the excess. This afternoon, after she walk, I gave her just some dry food and she cleaned up almost all of it, like a lab should.

Sadie, approx. 8 years old, lab mix.

Arby, 11 years old, mixed breed.