Man, Walking Dogs is Hard Work
Our neighborhood dog walker has been off at a wedding, and we had to make other arrangements for a few days before and after last weekend. She has been so rock solid for more than a year that this is one of a handful of times I can remember having to make other arrangements. We're commuting or at work for the better part of eleven hours, so this is a pretty essential service for Pappy's well-being.
So yesterday I came home early to take Pappy for a walk with Molly, who patronizes the same walker. Both dogs are pretty good on leash, but can pull when the mood takes them. And neither of them is a weakling.
Since the day was beautiful, I took them out for a good two hour walk. I can handle either of them well alone, but you put the two of them together and notions of loose leash walking go out the window. Since fair weather walkers and riders are out in force on the trail this time of year, I was trying to keep the dogs on short leash to my right. I found it nigh-on impossible to keep the two dogs in perfect synch, and by halfway my right arm was getting the shakes from the workout. Our walker takes both of them out at the same time, and I'm amazed she doesn't have forearms like hams.
Kudos to you folks out there that can handle multiple dogs; it's no walk in the park. Well, yes it was, but... well, it wasn't a cakewalk.
8 comments:
Try a coupler. It really helps. I can walk 3 dogs with 2 of them on a coupler.
/amy
Yup! me and Teka can pull muzzer right off her little tiny feet! There is a trick to it, cause we aren't either of us very big, but muzzer is a sucker for a limp, so when she bends down to check a paw, one of us does an end around to the left, and the limper jumps up and dashes forward.
You don't have to be big. you just have to be crafty.
Terriers Rule!
Gussie
ps, muzzer says she may find one of those coupler things flirt mentions in the comment above mine. I told her it was far to technical for her to figure out.
hehehe
Yes, I too have heard the coupler things are good.
Lucky for mum, I am pretty good on my lead unless I see a squirrel...
Licks
Oscar x
Flirt and Oscar,
Sounds like a coupler might be the way to go-- let the dogs pull on each other instead of you.
Gus,
It's not the size of a dog tugging, it's the size of the tugging in a dog.
Did you get the "Who's walking who" comments?
- Charlie
I weigh only 9lbs, but I can pull like you wouldn't believe. I'm sure it is nothing compared to what you had to handle, however. Good on ya for handling both dogs!
Toodles,
Sweets
Charlie,
In truth, I wasn't really getting hauled along. There were just sustained subtle tugs in different directions, all on my right side, which finally wore me down.
Sweets,
I've walked plenty of 20-pound beagles that could drag ox carts, so the power of determined small dog isn't lost on me.
This is why I take my pack to the dog park. I only need to get from the car to the park gates!
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