More control with less effort

Della had started asking for a walk early in the morning while I was working. I knew she had to go. I've been keeping Theo indoors more lately, to break the shepherd barking cycle, so I took him along with Della.

I had taken Della to Erika the night before to have her fitted for a Gentle Leader. The fitting went about as I expected. Della fought it, pulled at it, went into the alligator death roll, and just generally resisted. But before I left she was walking on it pretty well. I put it on Della for today's walk, but I also put the regular rope harness on her. I was really wanting to get her used to the Gentle Leader for times and places where I need better control with less effort on my part. We didn't encounter anything that really called for that level of control on today's hike, no other dogs, no horses, etc., but I used the Gentle Leader off and on during today's walk anyway. Much to my surprise, she really didn't fight it. The only time she tried to get it off was when I wasn't actually using it. Then she'd drop to the ground and try to rub it off of her face. Maybe I'll get to where I just use the Gentle Leader and nothing else. We will see, but it's good to know that I can use it when needed.

I used a rope harness on Theo too, just because that's what I'm using lately. Theo walks well with anything really. When I was using the short leash and Gentle Leader on Della, that kept her very close to me, whereas Theo was out front with more freedom to move back and forth, stop to sniff, pee, etc. I think that's what Della disliked more than the Gentle Leader itself. By the end of two miles both dogs seemed pretty content with the walk.

For a second walk I took Maya and Trooper. We only went a mile, which was plenty for Trooper and enough for Maya. She doesn't need the walks as much as when she was younger, but she doesn't like to be left out.

This was the two mile route I took with Della
and Theo. We started at the trail head behind
the Fluvanna County Library.

This was the one mile route on the field trail and a little bit
of the roadway, with Maya and Trooper.