Butler University...

...is my new favorite place. LOVED the piano pedagogy symposium yesterday and today. Makes me want to go back and get my masters of some sort in piano...

Mondog Park

So on my way home from my vacation in Michigan on Tuesday I passed through Chicago. It was a beautiful day so I decided to drive right along Lake Michigan on Lake Shore Drive (and Sheridan Road). It was close to suppertime for Juju (5:00) and on a whim I decided to stop off at the lake and feed Juju her supper. After I made this decision, I then had to find a spot to park. I passed a few places where I could have just pulled off on to the street, but I didn't. Eventually I got to the divided highway section of Lake Shore Drive and just picked an exit and found a place to park. I pulled off on Montrose Street. It ended up being further from the beach than I had planned, but as long as we were stopped I decided to walk Juju the few blocks all the way to the beach. As I got closer and noticed how many people were around, I wasn't sure if it was okay for me to have a dog on the beach. Aren't there some regulations about no dogs on the beach? But as long as I was that close I wasn't stopping until I got to the beach. Was I surprised, when I got to the beach, to notice DOZENS of dogs on the beach--off-leash and playing in the water!! Then I realized that they were in a fenced-in area with their owners. Whaddya know? I ended up at Mondog park--a city dog park! So I let Juju off her leash for a few minutes and we enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Limber Tail Syndrome

I thought Juju had a broken tail. Thursday night (July 3rd) we had a fun time out at Lake Superior and the beach at Little Presque Isle, then time at the Carpenter's house in Marquette. Juju had a VERY fun time in the water (she'd never really swam before) and playing with Zoey, the Carpenter's German shepherd. That night her tail was very sore and was hanging limp. She would try to bite me when I touched her tail and had a very hard time sitting down. Since it was Friday, the fourth of July, we thought of taking her to the vet, but they probably wouldn't be open until Monday. So we thought she'd just have to tough it out--after all, what can you do for a broken tail anyway? But it was kind of weird because no one remembered stepping on it, slamming it in the door, or setting a chair on it or anything.

Saturday Kristen talked to her dad, who is a large animal vet, and he suggested "limber tail syndrome," which is actually a fairly common condition in larger sporting dogs. So I looked it up online (see AKC Labrador Retriever Club's page on "Cold Water Tail.").

Another name for it is "cold water tail," which some dogs can get after an extended time swimming in cold water and lots of activity--both of which Juju did on Thursday night!! Most of the information I've seen says it's more common in labs--yes, Juju is part lab/retriever! Thankfully it's a condition which rights itself (after rest and possibly anti-inflammatory medication) in a few days to 2 weeks at the most. Now, after 4 days, Juju's tail is getting back to its upright perkiness and she's a little more back to her active self. Who ever heard of such a thing as limber tail syndrome??