I have to admit, I'm a Slice addict. At first I just thought that their "Slice is my Vice" campaign was just a clever marketing technique, but I have to say, the small amount of TV I watch is usually on that channel.
One of my favourite shows is called At The End Of My Leash, in which Brad Pattison becomes the Bratty-Dog Whisperer. Coburn is getting so strong, even though he's still small, that his pulling on the leash has actually resulted in pulled muscles both for me and for Himself.
I've been using his "umbilical" leash technique for three days now with Coburn, and it works well! You have to have a traditional leash, not one of those string-sized, retractable leashes so popular with yappy dogs worldwide. Put the leash around your waist and slip the metal clasp through the handle. Coburn seems to like it better too, and he's been an angel on our walks since I started the technique.
Tonight, I finished working out and we took Coburn for his walk to the park to run out his sillies. The usual place we run him was competely crowded, which is weird because it's a thin dirt path, surrounded by tall grass leading into a dark forest - the kind horror stories are made of. Yet, there were easily fifteen dogs with their owners.
It didn't take me long to figure out what was going on. I know Brad Pattison holds dog training classes around here. In fact, I emailed him just last night to find out how much it costs to be involved. He was leading tonight's class up the hill - our hill! Himself and I stood still, looking on, both of us a little thrilled, and yet, a little terrified. Images of Brad breaking out from the group and saying, "Your training your dog totally wrong", "You need me! Here's my card", or even "You stole my leash technique!" filled my head. I silently prayed, until the last person's head disappeared, that Coburn would behave! Please! I plead, using the psychic pet techniques I've been reading so much about. Please don't make me look bad in front of BRAD PATTISON! Oh God.
Fortunately, Brad did not bust away from the group and hand us his card. Coburn behaved, even when the emerged from the scary forest and back onto the street. Fifteen dogs, walking fifteen feet away, and Coburn didn't even blink.
He's getting a BIG cookie tonight for that one.
1 comment:
you might want to consider using a head collar like a Gentle Leader or a Haltie if walks are sometimes difficult. If you haven't heard or seen one before, they look kind of like a muzzle but don't actually restrict the dog's mouth in anyway. they're designed so that you're leading the dog by the head and it works with even the strongest of dogs. I haven't had to use one with Hela yet as she usually doesn't want to be very far from us so walks are pretty easy. She gets underfoot more than anything else. But we've used one with Kali for years and it makes controlling a dog so much easier. Heres the website for the gentle leader:
http://www.gentleleader.com/
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