Walking Ranger and Scout

Before I left for my semester in Washington D.C., I was taking care of a friend's dog whose name is Ranger. He is half Basset Hound and half Australian Shepherd, which are two of the most animated and loyal breeds in the world. Like my Aussie Scout, Ranger is super smart and very athletic. He loves long walks and being close to his owner for cuddles. The Basset in him, from what I have experienced during our time together, makes him quite independent and strong-willed. He's not the kind of pup to mosey alongside you on a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood. He wants to get smell everything and log some miles!

Now that I am back in Fort Worth and watching him some during the week, today I took the long leash that I use for Scout so he can go ahead of me and sniff. By the time I catch up, he is ready to move on. Ranger absolutely LOVED that. He is a feisty little guy, but I could tell he very much enjoyed the freedom a long leash walk afforded.

As we walked on the sidewalk near the busy street, he surprisingly stayed right with me. He pulls some even on the long leash, but that is just in the beginning when he is excited to be outside discovering his surroundings. I believe we walked a little over half a mile, and Ranger calmed down significantly on the way back and trotted nicely in front of me. Before we crossed any street, I had him sit next to me and wait until I said "Okay" or "Let's go!" Like Scout, he responds well to the praise I offer when he performs these simple commands correctly. I should probably have the clicker and treats on me at all times, but Scout showed me that you only need those in the beginning, because you aren't always going to have food on you. I might be wrong in this, but it has worked well for us.

I've encouraged Amy, his owner, to get a long leash so that she too can have a pleasant walk with him. Scout helped me to see that dogs don't like a collar pulling on their throats the entire time they are walking, nor do they like a short leash that forces them to stay next to you at all time. Of course you cannot always have your dog running far ahead of you, but with the long leash, (NOT retractable), you can roll it up and keep them close if need be.

When we walk on the Trinity Trails here in Fort Worth, I keep a sharp eye on Scout and watch for dogs ahead of us. He is allowed to have a lot of slack when it is safe, but I "reel him in" when I see a dog coming, no matter how big or small. I find it rude to allow my dog to run up to someone else's when he hasn't been invited. I taught him to sit quietly next to me while the dog, or dogs, pass by and get a good distance away before I say "Let's go!"

Scout has also learned not to jump on people when they come in our front door. I tell our visitors to simply ignore him, and when they do, he sniff them a bit then walks away. He must understand that they are there to see me, not him! When everyone is settle in the living room, then he is allowed to be petted. If a visitor starts by "baby-talking" to him the moment they come in the door, it is very tough to get him to calm down.

Dogs are wonderful companions and a very important part of our families, but learning the traits of their breeding is imperative to understanding how to go about training them to be calm and obey when their life depends on it.

I always look forward to seeing Ranger every week, and I am anticipating him learning more and becoming and even better companion for his master.