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The road to recovery after canine surgery can feel overwhelming and restrictive. Between strict activity limitations, wound management, and preventing your dog from causing further damage, rehabilitation periods often leave pet owners feeling helpless and frustrated.

Lauren Langman and guest Alice share their first-hand experiences navigating this challenging journey, offering practical wisdom that transforms recovery from a limitation into an opportunity. Alice's powerful story of rehabilitating Bonnie, her Cane Corso mix, after double cruciate ligament surgery reveals how games-based training became her lifeline during a critical nine-month recovery period. For Bonnie—a reactive dog with separation issues—the stakes couldn't have been higher; damage to her surgical sites could have meant euthanasia.

What emerges is a treasure trove of actionable strategies that work even when physical movement is severely restricted. From creating enrichment opportunities that require minimal movement to teaching valuable stationary behaviors, you'll discover how to keep your dog mentally engaged while physically healing. The conversation explores environmental management techniques, identifying subtle signs of discomfort, and how to adapt training to accommodate your dog's specific recovery needs.

Perhaps most valuable is the revelation that rehabilitation periods offer unique opportunities to build skills that will serve you long after recovery ends. Lead walking, muzzle training, scent work, and boundary games can all be developed during these seemingly limiting times, creating a silver lining to an otherwise challenging experience.

Whether you're currently navigating post-surgery care, preparing for an upcoming procedure, or simply want to be prepared for potential future needs, this episode provides the emotional support and practical tools to transform rehabilitation into a relationship-strengthening experience. Share this episode with anyone facing the challenges of canine recovery—it might just be the guidance they need during a difficult time.

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