A Walk In The Park.

Wednesday night, I made Chase leave his man-cave and come with my while I tried to walk both dogs.

Robert and I had walked Koda last weekend, I knew there was no way I could handle it alone.

Chase took Harley, I had Koda.

The problem with the dogs right now is that trying to walk them both has been an ordeal in foolishness.

We look like plumb fools, strolling through our tree lined neighborhood.

Walking Koda is like walking the Macy’s Day Parade version of Winnie the Pooh. She just strolls along, so sweet. But, bless her heart, if she wants to go somewhere, let’s say she happens to see, um a squirell? Well, you have no choice but to go with her. And after a walk with Koda, even a SLOW walk, you feel like you’ve just been through a work out with Jillian Michaels. (Not that I’ve ever worked out with her. I’m just guessin’.)

On the other hand, we have Ms. Harley, who is like walking Tigger on steriods. She is up, down, all over, yanking, pulling, panting, and basically acting like the juiced up puppy that she is.

Imagine the scene…

Trying to walk a dog as big as a Barnum and Bailey’s elephant with one leash, and juiced up pooch on the other.

It didn’t work out very well.

We didn’t make it very far, and I sent Chase back to the house with Harley, primarily because she sounded as if she was going to just rupture her larynx trying to get near Koda.

Koda and I lumbered along, I just held on for dear life and prayed that she didn’t decide to JOG because I would have had some major road rash. Fortunately, she walked nicely and we made it back home.

That night, my dad let me know that he decided to try a prong collar on his dog Buddy.

Both of us had been a little hesitant to try prong collars, but he said after one day, Buddy was like a different dog.

Thursday, I ran into PetSmart on my way home and looked at the prong collars.

Just the look of them made me nervous. They looked medieval. And mean.

I grabbed two, and made sure to ask what the return policy was.

If my dog’s didn’t morph into new walkers as Buddy had done, those things were going back.

I waited until the kids got home, and put a collar on each dog.

I was still nervous. They are clanky and look harsh. They hang loose around their necks, but they just looked painful.

Chase took Harley, I took Koda. A repeat of the night before. Off we went.

Each dog tried to pull a little at first.

And, like magic, each dog sat straight down.

Chase and I looked at each other.

Huh.

Maybe we were on to something.

We walked some more and in less than 5 minutes, each dog was walking at an absolute normal pace.

My dogs looked like they had gone from being juiced up, to being given valium.

It was absolutely amazing.

We just walked and walked, and eventually, Chase was able to give me both leads and I was able to walk both dogs on my own, one on each side.

Okay, where’s the water. I’m sure they’re walking on that next. It seemed like a miracle.

We walked, Chase and I and both dogs and there was no pulling at all, it was amazing.

The idea that I will be able to walk both of them without being dragged down the street by Koda, or having Harley end up with a bark that sounds like Kim Carnes singing Bette Davis eyes, is something we weren’t sure would happen for a long time.

They are amazing, I love them, my girls.

They follow me around when I’m at home, like I’m a mama duck and they are my chicks.

I walk, they walk behind me.

They play and horse around and Koda sleeps, and then they play some more.

I love the fact that Harley is my walker and if I want to walk for exercise, I’ve got my little jogger ready.

Nothing scares her at all, not even a 100 pound Bull Mastiff, and she would get in front of anyone if they came near us. She is tough, sweet, sassy and playful.

And Koda could really be named Yoda.

She has a serene, calm energy that instantly calms me. When I work at home, she lays right next to me and something about her calm presence calms me down as well.

They are the perfect Ying and Yang, and they’ve hit if off fabulously.

Most of all, I finally can say, “Come on girls, let’s go!” in my own house.

And for once, I am not entirely outnumbered.

 (For the record, the prong collars come off unless we’re walking. And, if you’re a new reader, both dogs are rescue dogs. Harley was chained to a tree before she was rescued by a local group and we adopted her in October. Koda is a pure bred Bull Mastiff who was chained to a tree in a yard for nearly two soild years. The vet pointed out two pressure points on her today that are probably from being tied up in one spot. I am so happy to let them do exactly what they are doing in these photos….sleep all day, inside, on couches, for the rest of their lives.)

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