May Update and Food Switch Up

So, again, haven't been on much lately.  I've been trying to get a new job (applied back in December and there are still so many forms I need to fill out and steps I need to complete!) so that's been keeping me busy, and stressed.

Also, just signed a lease for a new apartment too!  It's soooo much nicer than this place we live at in the Old North End (the gross part of Burlington).  It's got two stories, two bedrooms plus a loft, a living room, a kitchen, and two bathrooms.  It has it's own patio, a yard, a garage, and a pool and tennis courts!  And it's in a much nicer location and rent is less expensive than what we're paying now!  I'm especially excited for the yard- I'm going to set up Delilah's agility equipment and practice with her outside!

Some updates about Delilah:

Agility

We're taking our last agility class tomorrow.  Last week we did weave poles and she was having a difficult listening day.  Every time I let her off leash, she'd run away and dash under the shelving in the training facility and start pouncing on dust bunnies and hair clumps.  Everyone thinks it's super cute but she doesn't listen when she goes into "hunting" mode.  And it's only at this facility- I take her off leash hiking a lot and she does really well.  We practice agility outdoors off leash.  I've even brought her to work (at the dog daycare) with me and set up her equipment (weave poles, tunnel, jump) and she did great!  It's a similar environment to the training facility because it's indoors, there are a lot of other dogs in the building, lots of smells, strange people, clumps of fur... and yet, she still listens.  So I don't know how we can practice focus and impulse control if it's just that one place she has a lot of difficulty at.

But anyways, after paying for this new apartment, it's going to be a month or two before we financially recover, so we're going to take a short break from agility classes :(  Which is too bad but we gotta do what we gotta do.

Food

I've been getting free Zignature kibble from work so that's what we've been switching to these past few months.  I started her out on Zig Turkey because she was used to poultry protein and I figured that would be most similar to the duck and chicken based foods she was on.  She did pretty well on it but I don't think she was digesting as much as the Castor and Pollux Duck formula she had been on because her stools were larger and softer.

Since then we've tried another formula, Trout and Salmon Meal and she's doing really well on that!  Her coat is thick, bright, and soft; her stools are firmer; and she's been gaining weight (it's harder for me to see her pelvic bones).  Trout and salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which I think are playing a big role in the condition of her coat.

On Dog Food Advisor, Zignature has a high rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars with each formula ranging from 4-5 stars.  We're going to stick with this brand for now because it's a great food and I can get it for free!  The next formula I picked up was their Kangaroo formula- which I thought sounded very interesting.