Shhhhhh, don't tell Trooper

I've been wanting to pair up Maya and Sparky for a long time. They are really the best matched pair I have in terms of hiking speed. Maya gets along with everyone really, but Sparky has a reputation as a bad ass, a beat-them-up-first, get-acquainted-later kind of guy. But I have the feeling that he's mellowed, at least a bit, and I thought the joint walk might work.

Sure enough, both he and Maya were more interested in walking than each other. They got along well enough but I didn't encourage a lot of interaction, although I would have been powerless to prevent it if they had been so inclined.

I need to walk Maya daily because I'm not letting her out to the dog yard, where she will take off on her own excursions around the neighborhood. I'd just like to minimize that during the gun and stupid season especially, although that's pretty much year round in this area. I like to walk Sparky on most days, because he's the best on the trails and it's his only opportunity for exercise and interaction. So walking the two of them together is ideal, especially since I don't have time for two separate hikes now that the days are so short.

Trooper likes to go, but he's slow and he's not really interested in getting faster. The last time I did 5 or 6 miles with Trooper and Maya, she was pulling him the last half of the hike to get him to keep up. Trooper's idea of walking is a casual stroll with lots of stops to sniff and pee. I'll take him on days when I do have time for a second, shorter walk, but Sparky is really a better match for Maya on the trails.

Sparky is also better than Trooper when we meet people on the trails. Sparky doesn't care at all, he just minds his own business and wants to move on. Trooper has to bark. I am very careful to avoid people with off-leash dogs around Sparky though.

Maya was out front most of the time. Sparky did more moving about than he usually does, perhaps trying to figure out where he should be. He spent quite a bit of time walking next to me with his head under my hand. It was a good walk for all of us and I got more exercise than usual because of the extra pulling and leash handling. I don't see any reason that we can't do it again.

Maya jumping a branch laid
across the trail.

Sparky leaping over the same branch.