Maya and Della

Today was the nicest day we've had in a while. Temps in the 50s, sun, and no wind. I started early and worked pretty steadily today so I could finish by mid-afternoon. Maya and Della and I had time to get in four miles before dark.

I just had the harness on Della and I really didn't want to meet any deer without having any other restraint on her. I made a point of talking while we walked in the hope of alerting any deer and scaring them off before the girls could spot them. That worked, for the most part, until near the end, when we were back on the road near the soccer fields. That's not a place we normally see them, but the fields were deserted and the sun was down by that point. We were just working with residual light and I didn't see the deer at first. The dogs did, but the deer were frozen and the dogs don't really react until they see movement. The deer finally darted across the road and disappeared into the woods. Both dogs leapt forward but at least I was prepared for it. I grabbed the handle on the back of Della's harness and held her next to me until the deer had a chance to disappear and the initial excitement faded a bit. I walked her like that until we passed the spot where the deer had crossed the road. It made me realize that although Maya gets excited and pulls hard, she's a lot easier to handle than a Great Dane in the same excited state. I've got to get a better restraint system on her, especially if I want to walk both Danes or even all three girls together, and I do.

Della is still new to the woods, but she's learning and I can see her taking it all in, learning the routes and learning what to expect out there. I can also see Maya teaching and almost hear her saying, "Ok, Dad, I'll train another one for you."

Maya is on high alert here, not because of deer, but this is where we've spotted several bunnies.

A teaching moment.