Walking the dog

 Over the years I've had a number of dogs and walking has always been a part of that.  For the most part the dogs I have had have been larger dogs - 60 lbs and up.  I had a lab that I sadly lost almost seven years ago.  But when he was young, I took him to obedience training.  I had a harness that went over his shoulders to try to help reign him in when we walked - he was a puller!

 

The trainer told me that a halti, which fits like a bridle fits a horse - over the nose, was better.  It applied pressure to their "nose" like their mothers had and helps train them not to pull.  They still can, but they typically won't.  Max didn't, for the most part.  It made walking with him easier and more enjoyable.  It also kept him from choking when he would pull because the pressure isn't on their necks.  Max weighed as much as 125 at times during his life and I could walk him using the halti without issue.

Then came Oreo.

I met Oreo almost two years ago when the fence between mine and my neighbor's yards fell down after a storm.  He was being crated for 18-20 hours a day and he was only nine months old so I offered to watch him during the day.  (He lives here full time now.  😀)

Part of his "doggy day care" I provided (at no charge), was daily walks.  Well, Oreo is a puller!  He gets excited about the next place he can hike his leg and wants to run to it!  

So I invested in a halti for him as well.

Here's the thing, my 125 lb lab was easy to walk with the halti on him.  He rarely pulled with it on.  Oreo weighs 18 lbs and I feel like I'm running behind him so that my arm doesn't get ripped out of its socket!  I mean, the exercise is good and all but whatever happened to a leisurely walk?

Add to this, Oreo seems to LOVE cold weather.  It really seems to get his juices going.  He goes into high gear when outside when it's cold!  So I go to take him for walks now and it's like the starting gun has gone off and he's off to the races and he's determined to win!  It's crazy!

And he rarely lets me "skip" a walk - he's insistent we go every morning.  Every. Morning.  I figure that since I'm so accommodating about walking him every morning, the least he could do is accommodate me and go a bit slower, right?

Good thing I love this little guy.  💕