[PyrNet-L] CHAT: Albert & Mattie's first walk with coupler.

[MagEBroD@aol.com]

Today is day 2 of Mattie, Albert's playmate being home from the vet after she
was spayed.  The sun is shining and it is not raining for a change here in our
corner of the Pacific Northwest. Gorgeous day for a walk. Great time to try
out walking the two dogs with the coupler for the first time. 
   Before we even get out the door Mattie, at about 5.5 months old, who had
never even had a collar on - much less a leash - before we got her a week and
a half ago, promptly pulls out of her collar. OK I make a new hole in the
collar to make it tighter on her.  Put Albert's No-Pull Harness on him and
attach the coupler to it and Mattie's now tighter collar and off we go. 
   The first 20 feet were the worst:  She tried to around and under him I
don't know how many times unsuccessfully. Then she got the hang of it better.
By the time we were through the woods and on the country road I was convinced
that this was the best way to possibly walk two dogs together!! And also a
great way to train the new dog. I felt like Albert was doing some of the
training for me! 
   After a while I decided to give them more room and added a second leash to
the end of the other leash so that they now had about 10 feet of leash to
wander along. My leashes have a ring under the hand loops and I attached the
second leash to that ring instead of the hand loop.  This way te hand loop
hangs down and is very convenient to grab if I need to shorten up the leash
quickly. If you needed to really get them to be right at your side quick and
not be able to move away from you at all then you could grab the coupler, too.
   For the most part the walk went great!!  Mattie does shy away at cars going
by and bark at them and I am trying to teach her to sit when a car approaches
like Albert does on command. (I think this helps dogs to know that cars are
not to chase, but to be calm and mellow around and that they are not to go
into the road when cars are around.) I had brought my trusty bag of treats and
every time they sat on command when a car was coming they got a treat. She's
starting to get the idea and Albert thinks this training the younger pup is
GREAT STUFF as he now gets treats for things that he now just has to do on
command. (I think it s good for the pup to see Albert minding and getting
rewarded even if she doesn't mind. "Hey! How come he got a treat and I
didn't??  Oh he sat when she said to and I didn't. Hmmm maybe I should too!!"
Hopefully this goes through her mind anyway.)  She's getting much better at
sitting on command and laying down on command at home. She seemed to be
catching on on our walk, too. 
   She didn't know yet where the neighborhood newsstands are that Albert must
check out each day to catch up on the latest dog gossip and dog happenings.
(Places where lots of other dogs seem to like to mark!) So she would be
trotting along beside Albert and all of a sudden he'd stop at a newsstand and
she would suddenly be pulled back by the coupler! By the trip home she was
catching on to this, but not nearly as intent on being informed as he is.
   One other time that proved a problem with the coupler was when either of
them decided to "use the facilities". Now Albert when he needs to poop, being
the refined gent that he is (HAH!!), has to find just the right spot and then
go through his ritual of circling at least three times and sometimes up to
seven times, and sometimes deeming, after a few spins, that this particular
spot is not pristine enough nor worthy of his bestowing this great gift upon
it,  and then he must find another spot close by and begin the circling
process all over again, hopefully finally deciding this spot was indeed worthy
and then he'll poop there! This proves more of a challenge with a coupler
attached to a pup at the other end!!  Not sure what the answer is here. Maybe
I should unhook her when I see the circling start and hook her on the other
leash?? She has a totally different attitude towards pooping: she is of the
"Stop and Plop" persuasion!  Gives no notice whatsoever and doesn't have to
check out the credentials of the place first. Just Stop & Plop!  This presents
it's own set of problems when walking them on a coupler: She stops to plop and
Albert is still prancing along and she gets pulled along on her side or back
while trying to plop!! So I need to see when she is stopping and immediately
tell Albert to "Sit!", before the plop begins and before she is pulled of her
feet. We'll get the hang of it, I am sure, with time. The same thing happens
when they need to stop to pee, too. Either she is pulled off her feet from
behind him or from in front of him, depending on who is the one stopping to do
their thing. Of course, being the male, Albert seems to stop much more!!
(Often for marking more than necessity!)
   One other thing I think we'll have to do is decide on which side of Albert
she should walk. That would end a lot of the "trying-to-cross-in-front-or-
back-of-each-other-and- -getting-tangled-up" stuff. I think I'll have her on
Albert's right side. So we tried that on the return trip home.  
   Well, they seemed to really enjoy their walk together!!  And so did I for
the most part!!
 I hope it wasn't too much for Mattie now.  I panicked a few times when she
got dragged a few feet or knocked off her feet.  I stopped it as soon as
possible. She never yipped in pain or anything. She seemed ready to eep
walking when we got home and kinda wanted to stay outside, but I made her come
in so I could check her out. I checked her stitches and they seemed fine. I
decided to crate her up for a while and let her get some rest in peace. 


:)  &  :)```   &  :)
(me grinning, & Albert grinning & drooling, and Mattie grinning after their
walk!)

Janice Vocke
MagEBroD@aol.com
Shelton, WA.