On the road with doodles

[Stacy]

I finally broke down and bought the doodles a new car. It was well past time. My mantra for the last couple years has been, it’s paid off, it’s really not that bad. But now the girls and I are set with an awesome dog mobile. And I’m off work for the next week and I would love to take them on a spontaneous road trip.

But here is the snag. We cannot all three walk together on a leash at the same time. It’s a disaster! Someone is going to die, and it’s going to be me as they tie me in a knot between them and drag me off toward the farthest squirrel. They’re great off leash at the park, but we can’t walk around the block. And they’re okay individually, but all of you who can manage two at a time are my heros.

My mom’s suggestion is to just take one of them and leave the other one here. But how would I ever look at one of them and tell them they couldn’t go? I just love them both so much. I imagine we’ll all just be staying here.  But I really wish one of you smart people could think of a way to make this work, without practicing our leash walking skills for six months first!!

 

Stacy

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I used the Easy Walk harness for 5 years, on the recommendation of a trainer. It stopped JD's pulling the first moment I put it on him, and at that time, he weighed 80 lbs and dragged me down the street like a Clydesdale. 
I do think that you should put "loose leash walking" on your list of Goals for the Future. It really is worth all the work it takes to have a dog who walks calmly beside you. But for now, have fun and go enjoy your new wheels! 

[Stacy]

That's exactly what I got them. If this works the way it first appeared to it will change our whole world! We can go everywhere!

[Lynda Kamrath]

Definitely worth a try!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Congratulations on the new doodle-mobile.

I walk one on the left and one on the right.  I made up a command to use with the one I want on the right - "the dog's name + Right" (imaginative isn't it! :-})  We have three, and I cannot do three dogs at once so, I do separate them for potty walks.    We used a coupler for Ned and our old lab mix and it was just perfect, but I haven't been able to make it work with any dogs since.   My  husband walks both on the left, but should the need arise, he is taller and heavier than I, and could pull their combined weight - they also don't keep twisting for inside slot with him.

  Two of my dogs can slip a flat collar so I must use one that tightens.  Because Charlie will choke himself on a martingale, we use prongs on the two that can slip out of a collar.  Both of those two are trained, but both will squirm out of the flat collar when stressed. I never want to take that chance.

Our prong collars are from Lola Limited - they are cloth with the prongs sewed inside.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Pronged collars are great and do not harm the dog but does get their attention.  I have pronged training collars too but have to remember to take them off when the dogs get into the car.  They could get the collars caught on something and choke.  There is always so much to think about.

[Stacy]

Those are really neat! I've never seen prong collars like that before. I tried a prong collar once with Katie and it just got tangled in her hair. I'm not sure if I was using it wrong, or if it was the wrong collar, or if I just need professional assistance to figure it out. 

Knock on wood, I've never had anyone slip out of a collar. That would be a nightmare!

[DonMarie and Picco]

Those are beautiful collars!  And it does conceal the prongs so you don't get those dirty looks from people that don't understand what pronged collars are.

[Amy and Annabelle]

I'm with you, I could not leave one at home. It would be all go, or no one goes. Congrats on your new doodle mobile. Every new car I have ever purchased has had some kind of damage the first month. Once was a massive hail storm, one was a broken windshield from a rock, one was a teenager backing into me in a parking lot. But we sure need one. Could you bring a friend with you on this road trip? Bring your mom to help out.

[Stacy]

Please ward all evil away from my new car! I've never had a new one before and I probably won't again for a very very long time. I tend to drive them until they are very dead. I'm not really a car person, but I'm sort of in love with this Forester. I admit it. I bought it because I love their commercials. 

Sadly, I don't really have anyone to road trip with me. My mom is less than helpful with the dogs, and less than less than helpful at camping. She hates it. Sometimes I'm not sure how we're related. I think the primitive toilets freak her out. I would have loved to have seen her when I went to Outward Bound for a week. We didn't even have primitive toilets! Just a shovel. 

[DonMarie and Picco]

You sound like me and my mom.   It's really obvious that I wasn't switched at birth since I do have both my parents features but we do question it often!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I walk my two all the time. I do use prong collars to help ward off incidents should a squirrel, rabbit or deer appear before them. The doodles love their walks and get excited when the collars and leashes come out.