Retraining after surgery

[Kathy]

For the last two months we have been dealing with Tia having a torn her ACL.  She had surgery 3 weeks ago.  She is confined to her crate except when I do range of motion exercises and she has to go outside to relieve herself.  I have been sleeping on the couch because she can't do stairs and to get to the bedrooms you have to go up and down stairs.  We have maybe as long as till April before she can go back to working as a service dog.  Through all of this her training has gone out the window.  When I take her out she drags me around the yard even though I have her rear in a sling and a leash on her.  I have been correcting her but she is a high energy dog and when she gets out she wants to burst out and play.   Does anyone have any ideas on how to get her back to the nice obedient dog I use to have?  By the time she can work again it will be like starting all over again.  I am tired and hurting from supporting her so she doesn't use her hind leg.  I haven't been out of the house except for vet visits.  Sorry I am so Wah but this has been hard on us all.

[Kathy]

Well we are about 10 weeks out from surgery and I have been working on Tia's fetching.  She is remembering and is heeling on her walks with my husband pretty well.  I just thought I would update you.

[Kathy]

Well Tia is back to work and she is acting like nothing happened.  The only corrections I have to make are that she wants to walk faster than I can, and she still wants to sniff everyone that we pass by.  Her leg is still easily stressed so we don't work much.  The hardest part is we have to limit her play.  She is still full of energy and wants to play hard.  She can never wrestle with Buddy (our other dog) because she could blow her knee or the other one.  We can't let her run a lot for the same reason.  Getting her energy out is taking a lot of thought.  She has to act like an older dog and she just doesn't understand that she can't do all of the things she wants to.  I just thought I would update you all.