Update:
Team Cashew has sent us an update, and we love how they are settling into life together!
Simon had this to say:
“Firstly, a huge thank you to every breeder, foster home, trainer, and volunteer that had a hand in Cashew’s raising. It’s an incredible achievement.
Cashew has transitioned into our lives with incredible awareness and sensitivity. Our old chocolate lab, Chico (14 yrs), is nowΒ evenΒ learning some of Cashew’s cues. We live in a semi-rural area, so much of his general skills training and public access stuff happens when we go into our hamlet of Sechelt to go shopping. Many stores now know him by name.
He has come to quite a few shows I’ve played at, loud venues, strange folks, sticky floors. He assumes his observance at my partner Kara’s side in the audience and comes to visit me by the stage between sets. His life with us has a lovely duality that he manages with grace and intelligence; Kara takes the dogs for walks daily, fun off-leash trail walks, whereas I feed and groom and work on an array of skills almost daily. We’ve begun a ritual of using the retrieve sequence to get him to pick up all his toys and put them (not always successfully) into the toy bin. He loves to snuggle in the evening and is a bundle of kisses in the morning.
I live with chronic pain and mobility issues, and Cashew is quick to comfort me when I’m having a bad spell. Things this past month have been a bit different since my neck issue, but before that, Cashew and I went into town regularly as he was my copilot for all errands. I couldn’t love him anymore.”