update

well! I did some casual heel in the house with Alki this weekend.............. TOTALLY NORMAL. I didnt even notice a *slight* pull away. she heeled happily and took treats as we walked along together. I stepped outside, neighbor dogs were out & started barking right away. did some more casual heel--flinching started. I was able to get her to not flinch as long as I locked my arm & hand to my side & only walked very slowly (I also dont think she was as freaked by the dogs this day). gonna work on casual heel a lot in the house, and in the yard as much as possible as long as neighbor dogs arent out. also will keep outdoor sessions short, esp if she shows any tendency toward pulling away after taking the treat, and if she seems "flinchy" I will lock my arm against my body so there is zero movement.

also this weekend, I finally figured out where her pain is--her neck. she was thrashing around a toy and yelped, then would only shake it very slightly after that (she cant resist the toy shake!). did a bunch of reading online, looking into different options (surgeon, reg vet, x-rays, ultrasound, canine sport physical therapy, veterinary & non veterinary physical therapies, etc) and found a vet I like who has training in & specializes in physical rehab for dogs & cats. we have an appt on fri. I am pretty sure it is muscle related, but with the neck there is always potential for spinal involvement. she shows no pain as long as we dont play, but even with no exercise for 2 weeks, 1 short play session & she is in pain again. and as I think I said, rimadyl didnt help either. I think we just need to take it very slow, but I want specific instructions & as accurate a diagnosis possible (I know it can be hard with soft tissue injuries....and an extremely stoic dog :P), Im one of those people that just has to know WHY and ALL the details! I think massage, possibly acupuncture, etc will be what she needs. but I really need to get her back to the point of being able to play full force again, otherwise I dont hold out much hope for a successful recovery with her dog-dog issues.

she also got her eye tumor removed on Sat--FINALLY! it was driving me crazy! @__o biopsying it to be sure its nothing worrisome.