Now that Asa is down to one eye, his ophthalmologist said it is really important to protect that eye, not just from GRPU but from injury while playing. Dr. Nick recommended Rex Specs goggles. Thankfully, Asa loves dressing up, so he isn’t opposed to goggles, but they do take some getting use to wearing. After carefully watching the training videos, Dad and Mom came up with a plan. A plan that Mother Nature changed and did it her way! She knows what motivates Asa!

Starting last week, they would show Asa the goggles, place them on his face, while giving him a treat and teaching the new command of “gear up.” To be honest, I’m not sure Asa even noticed the goggles because those were some really good treats. As the week progressed, they would leave the goggles on Asa’s face for slightly longer durations. That’s when our normally Agreeable Asa wasn’t so agreeable. He would paw at the goggles, shake his head, and flop on the floor trying to remove them. This of course worried Mom and Dad, and they would promptly remove them. Yet they were determined to carry on his the training as advised by the videos, and his ophthalmologist.

Then the snow came. Not just any snow either. A good old fashion blizzard with predictions of 8 to 12 inches of snow. Asa was determined to go out and play. It was then that Dad and Mom realized Asa was completely focused on the snow and playing fetch in it. What if they tried slipping the goggles on him, telling him to “gear up,” and then let him outside with all his enthusiasm to play? Would he be so focused on the snow that he’d ignore the goggles? Or would they distract him from playing?

They gave it a try, and it worked! Asa was playing fetch again!!! Asa was so focused on fetch and making snow angels that it wasn’t until after being out there for awhile that he realized he was wearing the goggles and started pawing at them. By then it was getting cold on my paws, so I was more than happy to go back inside, to celebrate Asa’s triumphant return to playing off-leash.

Do we have a lot more training to do with the goggles? YES! We’re not always going to be so lucky as to have a major snowstorm to distract Asa. But it showed us it is possible to get him accustomed to wearing them, thus protecting his right eye, and getting him back out being active and having fun!