By: Diane Breton
Now that Dudley is seven months old and a whopping 60 pounds, he is getting harder to control while walking. Don’t get me wrong, he can be a gentleman when he wants to be, but when we are out on the open road, his senses are flying he goes a little bit crazy. With Fiona in the mix, it can get really difficult walking them both at the same time. She isn’t much of a puller like Dudley is, but she really likes to get tangled up in his leash.
I had to think of a way to be able to control both puppies at the same time, before I even considered walking them by myself. I decided to practice what I preach, and buy a Gentle Leader. I only bought one for Dudley right now, because I’m still not sure how big Fiona is going to get, and I’m not so sure she needs one. Dudley on the other hand, was in desperate need.
The first time he tried it on, he hated it. He scratched and pulled at the Gentle Leader, until he finally realized he couldn’t get it off. I didn’t walk with him on it right away. I let him keep it on in the house once in a while for short periods of time until he got used to the feeling around his muzzle. After a day or two, he didn’t mind wearing it, and I decided to take him for a walk with it on.
At first, he didn’t understand why his head kept getting yanked back when he tried to pull. It didn’t take him long though, to realize that if he didn’t pull, he was able to walk with his head facing forwards. By the end of our adventure, Dudley walked comfortably by my side and wasn’t pulling (sometimes I had to remind him).
With some more practice and training, I think these puppies will eventually learn the rules of the road and become great dogs and companions. It may take a while, but we have a lifetime. I’m still not 100% confident walking both dogs at the same time. But like they say, practice makes perfect.