Do not let go of the dog or of the thermometer. Assuming that those habits are positive ones such as eliminating outside, coming when called, lying down and staying when told, and others - you will have what you want: a trained dog. Just like people experience hay fever, dogs also suffer the same type of fever. Even the most experienced drivers sometimes make mistakes. Try to collect as fresh a sample as possible and place it in a plastic bag. When a behavior is repeated enough times, dogs develop habits, or conditioned responses.
You have a habit of answering the telephone when it rings, but one day you decide not to take any calls.
You should be able to detect a pulse just below the elbow joint. Keep dangerous objects such as yarn or string out of your dog's reach to prevent him from chewing and swallowing them. You should be able to detect a pulse just below the elbow joint.
On a similar note of older dog care, you may not even notice until many years later that your dog's coat seems less shiny, less clean, and not as well groomed at it used to be.