[nagdu] Experience talk needed for this sad puppy

[Criminal Justice Major Extraordinaire]

Dear, Valerie,
You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
Odie did get hurt one time, but he only sprained his right shoulder blade.
He had to be off for a week and it was tough.
When he was five, he developed degenerative disc disease in his lower back.
It hurt him to pull in harness.
I consulted with a veternarian and a prescription was set up for physical therapy.
Not only did the physical therapy helped, we learned some new exercises for him.
As an experienced handler, I say you know what's best for you and your dog.
I've alwasy gotten comments from people in the general public who say they know about dogs, but I ask them the two questions:
1. How long does it take for a dog to be train as a guide/assistance dog?
2. Have you done lots of reading or research on service dogs?
I've had a few who could not answer neither.
Does your buddy like to play with toys and what are his favorite or does he have a particular one he likes?
Odie's favorite is the small to baby-sized Kong.
He enjoys it when I put peanutbutter inside of it and stick it in the freezer so it will be ready.
There are some things you can do with your dog while he is in the recovery stage.
Play time can be done on the floor, but the dog must not jump around too much or get too excited as more damage can be done to them medically. 
If anything, I would go for using the Kong and putting some peanutbutter in it so he has something fun to do and will keep him busy.
I hope I was able to help out and if not, at least I tried.
*Smiles*
Bibi and MAR son Odie