Shasta split her time this month between the Okanagan and Vancouver. She is spending a bit more time at dog parks and is sharpening her social skills with other dogs. Sometimes she comes on too strong at first (crouching, barking, wanting to play) and then can be scared by the overexuberant responses of the other dogs. Her recall continues to be quite good, even in high-distraction environments. Shasta spent quite a bit of time with small children this month and was always very gentle and tolerant.

Shasta’s food thievery hit a new low a few weeks ago when she jumped from the front footwell of our SUV, over the back seats, and into the cargo area to eat a roasted chicken from a bag of groceries! On the bright side, her non-stop searching for food makes her very easy to train, and she picks up new skills quickly.

Now that the fall rains are here, Shasta has become fixated on puddles and standing water. When she finds a puddle, she stomps her feet in it and does zoomies all around it. She loves the rain and being wet.

This month Shasta visited a high school, went to a hockey game, a farmers’ market, two Halloween parties, on the SkyTrain and the SeaBus, the motor vehicle branch, a golf tournament, a physiotherapist and dentist office, a gelato shop, coffee shops, and the pumpkin patch. She met two other PADS dogs while out and about.

Submitted by:Β Lisa Heiberg