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Swin Cash was scared to death.

Cash was on pooch patrol Monday at Shock media day when guard Katie Smith brought Logan, her golden retriever-standard poodle mix, to practice.

"Swin was running," Smith said. "It doesn't matter how big the dog."

Logan, named after Smith's hometown of Logan, Ohio, was the big star of media day. The dog got some love from cameramen, teammates and even Pistons coach Flip Saunders. Smith played for the Minnesota Lynx while Saunders was coaching the Timberwolves.

But Cash, and her fear of dogs, stayed away.

"That dog -- Katie's out of control," said Cash, a 6-foot-1 forward. "That's not a prop. It's the bark, I'm telling you. I can hold a koala; I can't mess with a dog."

This season, Cash and Smith also are hoping to hold their own. And mess with opponents. Last year -- when the Shock was bounced from the first round of the playoffs by Connecticut -- they couldn't do either.

When Smith came to the Shock in a trade midway through the season, she was recovering from knee surgery. When Cash returned to the lineup for the last 21 games of the regular season, it was clear she hadn't fully recovered from her anterior cruciate ligament surgery.

Both enter training camp healthy and rejuvenated. Smith, who turns 32 in June, dropped about 20 pounds from her 5-11 frame and completed an anatomy course, her final prerequisite for dental school.

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