Dog Wheelchair

So throughout this journey, Gavin has walked a decent amount (even up hills) and the limp never worsened (I mean, it does while he is walking and gets tired, but after a rest it always seems to be the same). It is just painful watching him struggle with walking. We also did massage for a few months and no difference (with most things, I gave it 2 months..same for acupuncture and cold laser) although he did like it :) Just only so many hours in the day and if it doesn't help.....

The only place he barks like that is the beach! he does bark a little at the dog park when I play with him or someone has a chuck-it. You should see him in his cart when we are at my neighbors after a walk in his chair....he zooms around her place like a pro. He loves her place because she gives him treats...
 
Today I strollered him (Is that a verb?) to the park and let him walk on his leash on the little trail. It is maybe 2 blocks long. He was very happy and moved pretty quick! But he got labored after about 4 blocks distance and sat down/plopped down dramatically by the stroller for water.

So, he wants to walk on hos own but he gets exhausted very easily!
 
Update..we have done this for the past 3 days...short walks in the morning after being strollered to the park. He seems to really like it! In the evening I stroller him to the baseball diamonds and he uses his cart a bit (I let him dictate how long he walks, and he has seemed to want to explore at times).

regardless, I love my silly boy. He is still visiting me multiple times a night but I seem to sleep through it. I usually wake up with him hogging the bed in some fashion!
 
Doing this with Brooke also. I stroller her to the creek, get her out to sniff/wander/potty, then when she's tired back into the stroller and up onto the paved path for a nice walk. Just gotta keep adjusting, it's a challenge to figure it all out some times......
 
Sadly, I think me focusing on the wheelchair for the past 4 months has worsened his walking :( I do know that last year he was walking further without such severe laboring.
So I am trying to get him walking 2 blocks a day (to the mail, to the post office, to the UPS store, that's kind of our radius right now) and hopefully will work up to at least 4 (so we can go around the block and hit a stretch of grass).
And at night we do wheelchair walks that are more directed by Gavin.

And it is a HUGE challenge to figure it out..and things are always changing...and what you think is best isn't always.....
But then Gavin snuggles next to me on the couch and rests his head on my leg and all that goes out of my head :)
 
Today we went to a different beach. we met up with a friend at her dog training class for a bit, then walked in the cart about 1/2 mile to a beach. It was directly on the ocean, with a steep path down to the beach. Gavin went straight down, but we got wiped out by a few waves so I pulled him back up the path after 10 minutes (it was steep..). Gavin got to chill by the picnic tables while we waited for my friend and her aussie (shy girl). We met a dog in a front wheel cart; first wheelie dog we have seen. Very tired pup now.....I think we will stick with the harbor beach from now on :)

Gavin surprised me this morning. While in the garage getting ready to leave he jumped into the stroller on his own. And when I leashed him for a potty walk, he jumped down on his own as well. He usually waits for me to help him up, so I hope this means he is getting stronger from his short non-cart walks and not just that he really likes his stroller!
 
Now that is one tired pup!
It seems like the seep so soundly when they can no longer hear.

It is certainly a good tired!
 
He almost never wakes up after beach playtime EXCEPT when I unlock the front door to leave! It gives an audible click when the deadbolt unlocks and that sound will wake him if he is in the same room.
 
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