Jake |

Jake

Photo of Jake courtesy of Julie Melfi Photography(www.juilemelfiphotography.com)Jakey

Jake is so intelligent that I feel as though I need to have him working all the time. He’s quiet and mellow, not at all hyper, and he loves everyone. In the last year took a massage class from Rubi Sullivan at Heal (www.healnw.com), Foundation Agility from Bobbie Lyons, and Canine Freestyle dancing from Carrol Haines at Pup-A-Razzi. He loved them all! He gets the biggest grin when he’s dancing, and he’ s such a natural!

Bobbie Lyons, at Pawsitive Performance (www.pawsitive-performance.com) taught the Foundation Agility class. She teaches a lot of classes at PetUtopia, and at locations around Portland. We love Bobbie’s class because she was very careful with Jake’s hips, keeping the jumps low, and allowing him to experience the same fun as other dogs! Here are a few pics from our class. You can always tell when Jakey’s having fun – he gets this huge grin on his face as big as the PetUtopia logo!

Over the Jump!

: Thru the tire

If you are wondering why Jakey is wearing a coat during class, it’s not a coat to keep him warm, it’s a coat to keep him cooll! Jake got hot during Agility class, so he wore the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler Cooling Coat. We tested a lot of cooling coats, and this was one of the models that passed the test! Jakey’s dad wore the cooling coats to work during the summer, and found this to be one of the best! He even wanted a people version for himself!http://www.petutopia.com/Dogs/Out_and_about/Outdoor_activities/swampcooler.htm

Jakey steals a kiss from Auntie Meg

: Okay, I’ve had my kisses, I’ll come out now!

Thanks to Auntie Valerie Thompson for these photos of Jake.

We also took Freestyle Canine Dancing from Carrol Haines, at Pup-A-Razzi (www.pup-a-razzi.com)i! Jakey loves, loves, loves to dance!

November 23, 2010: Jake Gets Physical Therapy

Jake is 10.5 years old now, and feeling it more every day. We started dance class with Carrol at Pup-A-Razzi again in early November, and last Sunday we took a Core Conditioning class from Bobbie Lyons at InBark, in Tigard. Jakey loved taking the core class, and we are back on the ball safely, as well as starting some new exercises!

We added one new thing to the mix – physical therapy with Dr. Carol Helfer. Jake is not your normal Lab when it comes to water – he’s terrified of water, and can’t swim. We tried one session of underwater therapy at anohter location with nightmarish results. Jake tried to climb the walls to escape the underwater treadmill. I was afraid he would do the same with Dr. Helfer, but she eased him into the exercises, over a period of time, and he’s a smilin’ boy in the water now! The photos below are from today’s session with Dr. Carol.

He looks worried, but he’s really focused on crunching treats…
a big help when it comes to convincing a Lab to do anything!

In the photo above the water is just starting to fill the tub …. and the treadmill is off.

The tank continues to fill, and is over his ankles … the treadmill is on …

Dr. Carol has Jakey turn around to get his treats …. and he’s fine.

Jakey takes a break.

The water is not quite at the level that she wants, but this is as much as she puts in today. She has him walk for a minute, then take a break…. then walk a little longer, and take a break.

Moving along ….