5.0

I believe that it is important for the dog to exercise their minds as well as their bodies during walks. It is why I always allow the dog to "lead" the walk. If your hound loves to sniff at every bush, then we stop at every bush. If your little one is a runner, then we run. If they are a people puppy, then we stroll through town and get them some attention. It is their walk; I am just there for legal purposes. It is also why I am so committed to only walking one dog (or family) at a time. I've completed the Dr. Ian Dunbar Science Based Dog Training Course. This has given me an invaluable insight into how dogs learn and how they communicate. It has also reaffirmed my belief that communication and praise are also a critical component of any good walk. As I've said, I only walk one dog at a time (unless they’re a family of course) so that your dog gets all of attention, care, love and yes, rambling monologues. I have been walking dogs daily since 2001, first a very high energy mutt named Edgerrin, who was later joined by his sister a low energy (she had been abused) German Rottweiler named Peyton in 2006. They were very different dogs, but we managed to make it work. It’s one of the reasons I use retractable leashes. It allows multiple dogs to have their own space on a walk. When we lost Peyton to cancer, we got Josie, another high energy poodle mix. She and Edgerrin made a good pair for a year or so until we lost him as well. They were a great match, though Edgerrin now filled the role of low energy dog. That was an important lesson in tailoring the walk to the age and condition of the dog. Less than a year later my mother passed away, leaving us with two new additions Rascal and Scrappy. An overweight chihuahua and a Yorkie with a bum leg who were rarely walked. That quickly ended as they were immediately walked two and often three times a day. Today neither of them is happy without at least an hour walk a day. I’ve learned that regardless of the size, dogs just want to be dogs. If you think that your dog would enjoy one of my walks than I would love to meet them (and I suppose you can be there too). I look forward to meeting your hound.