I hope your weekend was as great as ours! As soon
as I take the time to download my pics from my camera, I will post a few.
Today’s post is about a life changing event: the purchase of the gentle leader.
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| Not Rudi, a look-alike. |
Rudi is OK on walks. Rarely Sometimes he
is an angel and walks beside or just in front of me. Most Other times he
drags walks me. There are times when he sees a stray cat and gives it
his best attempt to dislocate my shoulder.
Walking is a daily
occasion for us and I hate it when our walks end with me being frustrated at him.
He is such a good boy most of the time that I don’t like to be mad at him. I
mean, how can you stay mad at this:
After a little research, we decided to purchase
the gentle leader and see how it works. They instruct you to fit them first and
then take them immediately for their first walk. I did that yesterday morning,
and let me tell you, it was hysterical. It took us 20 minutes to make it two
houses.
He was absolutely, over-the-top ridiculous. Being almost seven and 120+ pounds, he has
gotten used to being in charge most of the time. He likes to play this game where is goes limp
and flops to the ground when he doesn’t want to do something, because he knows
that I am not strong enough to do anything about it. He did this after about 15
steps with the gentle leader on.
I apologized to our neighbors and told them we were
experimenting and that I was willing to stand there as long as it took for him
to realize I was going to win this war. He flopped around like a fish out of
water, I dyed laughing, he gave me death stares and went limp, over and over.
Really, if someone would have been videotaping, I am sure it would be on some
funny videos website. The way he was acting, you would have thought I was
torturing him. He was gagging himself and everything. A bit dramatic, you
think?
Finally he realized I was not taking it off so he,
begrudgingly, decided to give it a try. Although, I think he was planning my
demise in the first few steps after he admitted defeat.
A block or so in he recognized that it was, in fact, not
hurting him and he could still smell and leave his pee-mail. After that realization,
he was OK with it. We still have a little work to do, but it was such a
difference.
It was the first time, since he was 12 weeks old that I felt
in-charge during our walk. He did not pull once!! We even encountered the stray
cat and he made no attempt to go after it. I felt like I had won Gettysburg!
I am so excited to enjoy our walks and not worry about not
being able to control him! THIS THING IS AMAZING!!!
