The last phase has involved training me about exercise and leftover food. As part of my recurring and annual weight loss program, which began last November, I began taking Islay for short walks each day at the office, generally around 11:15 am. A couple of weeks later, it is now a daily event when we're together at the office.
Next I decided to extend my walking to thirty minutes a day (weather permitting), so I slay and I began walking down the bikeway/walking which runs next to my property. It's a half-mile to the next intersection, so we just go down and back in about twenty-five minutes.
After a couple of days, when I came home Islay made it very clear she expected "her" walk, by bouncing up and down and conveying very clearly that it was not to be just out on her rope, but a full-fledged opportunity to widdle from hither to yon and, more often than not, have a whopping great dump.
Even when I'm tired, Islay is most persuasive, and almost all of the time, we have the walk together, and I always feel better for it.
As to leftover food, I didn't give the other dogs much in the way of uneaten human food, except in their own dish. When Karen and I eat in the tv room or - rarely - in the living room, I slay triangulates on the plate resting on a coffee table or something similar and navigates into a position where she has a shot at getting to it.
In doing this she sometimes gets into a position where she could fall and hurt herself, so now we've been trained to put the plate or bowl down on the floor so that she can munch in safety.
Our last visit with Dr Ostrander included a discussion on food....he said that he thought that dogs of previous generations might have lived longer eating table scraps than the fancy doggy diets of today, so if Islay likes chicken noodle soup, toast bits, peas, and such, can there be much harm.
At this rate, I expect I'll be teaching Islay how to drive the car soon.
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