My First Time in Lancaster City: I'm Not a City Dog (Yet!)

Even though we live in the Lancaster area, we do not go into the city. There is nothing in the city that I cannot buy outside of the city with free parking. The only resource in the city that I use are the Lancaster General Health resources (doctors and emergency department).

Knowing Thornwald needed to visit a city, I decided that a day in Lancaster would be perfect! I had it all planned. I was going to take him to Central Market, the Lancaster Art Museum, the Library, City Hall, and a few stores. My plan was to get him used to walking around busy streets with new sounds and to visit places that he might visit with a handler. I had him walk over new textures and go to places with new smells.

Our first stop was Rite Aid, and even though he has visited numerous Rite Aids before, he was distraught over how crowded it was in this store. We then continued to visit Central Market. He did not do too badly at the market, but I did not want to keep him there too long because he was having a lot of difficulty keeping focused with all the food smells. I wanted him to leave successful! We practiced stopping at crosswalks and when there was a lot of traffic sounds, I made sure to give him treats to help calm him and associate the sounds with a positive vibe. I was even able to get him to sit and pose on a sewer grate! \

Unfortunately, for young Thornwald, the experience was overwhelming.  Most of our time was spent walking, but when we made it to the Library, he freaked out and started to jump on me and bite my legs. I took him out of the Library and he calmed down. I am not sure what element about the trip freaked him out, but for now, I will be slowly introducing him to the different smells and sounds of the city. Hopefully, we will be able to visit a city for more than an hour before he gets stressed.

Dog Parks are For the Dogs (But People Can Enjoy Them, Too!)

Until I became Thornwald's puppy raiser, I had never visited a dog park, but I soon learned that a Labrador Retriever puppy needs much more exercise than a walk or two a day can provide. Whenever the weather was bearable, I would take an hour or two to drive him to the park so he could run around and play without being restrained by a leash or with me trying to keep up! I researched the nearby dog parks and there are two in my area, one requiring a yearly membership, so we ventured to Beau's Dream Dog Park to see if it was an appropriate outing location for Thornwald.

When I had first researched the park, I learned that this park had received a makeover in 2013 as the winning recipient in the 2012 Beneful Dream Dog Park. The park is an amazing facility and offers a variety of surfaces and activities for the dogs to participate in while they visit. Even though the park is small (something that they could not change), the way that the design is set up creates enough resistance and surfaces that dogs tire out and still have enough room to get their required exercise to remain healthy.

I take Thornwald to this park quite often and I have found that most of the dog parents are respectful of the property and watch their dogs. I have also found a strong community within the owners which I did not expect. On numerous occasions, other dog owners have helped me watch out for Thornwald and I have returned the favor. He has several dogs that he has become fast friends with and it is so sweet to see them interact. On several occasions, I have seen other dogs protect Thornwald when other dogs have become aggressive. This does not happen as often, but it is great to know that his dog friends look out for him.

The facility is absolutely stunning. There are water fountains for the dogs, a splash pad, turf "grass," a tree that throws tennis balls, bone shaped benches, and even a shaded area with chairs for the dog parents.

Going to the dog park is one of Thornwald and I's favorite activities and I am glad that not only the residents of Lancaster have kept the park nice, but the city also provides support and tennis balls. It is a great resource and it has solved my puppy energy problem.

Hiking is Hard Work!

As part of my medical treatment plan, I have been instructed to start exercising more often. As much fun as just exercising at home really is, I decided that this spring/summer/fall, Waldo and I would take up hiking! I took advantage of the first real non-winter day and loaded the car up for a trip to the Middle Creek Wildlife Preserve for a day of hiking.

There is an actual welcome center when you get to the site. Inside, there is an area for children and an observation area in addition to the museum. Waldo and I first went hiking on the conservation trail. Waldo was very distracted by the wildlife, but we did spend a lot of time focusing on loose-leash walking and leave it. Luckily, I did not end up falling, but he did pull me a down a couple hills...

After going on the trail, we then proceeded to the observation area next to the lake. There were a lot of interesting people and dogs. We tried to get a glimpse of the waterfowls, but they were a bit too far for us to see. I'm including some photos of our trip.

There weren't that many waterfowl left, but it was interesting to see how many people were interested in watching these birds. We might go back when it is warmer, but for the distance, I think that Waldo and I have a lot of interesting options closer or the same distance that we still need to hike! We will definitely return, but for now, we will be trying out a few more trails in the mean time.

Tracking Purchases/Mileage for Susquehanna Service Dogs

While raising Waldo, it is important to track the money that I spend and the miles that I drive towards his training. This year, I started with an envelope that I kept all my receipts, but I soon realized that come next March, I'd be kicking myself for it. I needed a better solution.

I realized that every receipt needed to be easily found, but a monthly report would be best when actually preparing taxes. I decided that I would enter each receipt into an excel spreadsheet. I would include the date, amount, store, items purchased, and file number. For each receipt, I assigned a file number so that I would be able to easily find any receipt if I need to reference it at a later time. This way I wouldn't have to worry about finding the dates and keeping the receipts in order. If you've ever combed through receipts, you probably realize how different each receipt is concerning date and amount. An uniform number at the top right of every receipt allows a clean, easy organization system. I will organize these receipts by uniform packs of receipts that are labeled with their contents. This way, the small papers won't fall around. I haven't quite decided where I am storing the receipts, but I will most likely use a small shoe box organizer on my bookshelf.

This system will be great when doing my taxes next year for receipts, but what about mileage?

I will be tracking my mileage in another page of the same workbook in excel.  I'm going to state the date, the purpose, and the miles. This will keep all the information together in one file!

I hope my ideas help you and I will update this post with pictures once I take them!