Recall recently I reiterated the rules for winter leash walking to Sam here. Seems like I need to have that discussion repeatedly with that numbskull dog because during today’s morning constitution, he thought that going from 0 to 60 on the ice to greet another dog out walking was a good idea. That, or I used my indoor voice which clearly he didn’t understand or hear. Having fallen down and gone boom on Friday, I said out loud, “uh…yeah, NOOOOOO!” Listen you screwball mutt, I’m the boss in this here relationship, not just ballast at the end of a leash.
The other aspect of my previous convo with Sam was that ‘we are walking, not sniffing.’ And yet, he’s pulling like a maniac with tail up like a flag, nose to the ground checking pee-mail messages from his neighborhood BFF’s. It got me to thinking, what if I could get him enrolled in a bona fide nose work program? Sure…and what if pigs flew? But with his long schnoz, you’d think he would be a shoe-in. Alas, the working part of his brain is no doubt the size of a pea because we have this conversation twice a day while we’re walking. I tried to take a picture of him this morning as he’s dragging pulling my sorry self around in the cold, but I was just lucky to hang on for dear life and stay upright, let alone try to play photographer. Dang, that dog is strong, even with a harness!
Sam would be the perfect candidate for doing nose work. Though I really don’t know all the in’s and out’s of it, I do know you’re supposed to start out with something the dog absolutely loves. Dolefully that just wouldn’t work on Sam because what he loves absolutely the most is just sniffing-doesn’t matter for what. I’d probably get thrown out of class if I asked, “How do you box up pee-mail?” It’s too bad too, because I mean, just look at the size of that thing!! Is that proboscis perfect for detecting scents or what?
Instead think something more like The Fox and the Hound movie. Yup, that dog is definitely a hound dog!
Live, love, bark! <3
Oh yes! Leroy’s a sniffer too. A few times he’s almost pulled my arm out of the socket because he tried to change directions so fast! He gives no warning at all either!
Leroy and Sam must belong to the same chapter of SPC (socket pullers club)! 😉
Oh my, sounds like you need a good vacation somewhere warm where Sam can run and you can just bury your toes in the sand 🙂
Sam will just sniff around and avoid the water, but I do like the part about burying toes in warm sand. 😉
Yeah, there’s no reasoning with my two drunken toddlers. Be careful on that ice!
Thanks for your kind comments on Bacon’s blog about Stuart. We miss him tremendously.
You are most welcome. Losing our fur-kids is always tough, support helps with the pain of loss. ღ
I know a daily walk or two would be great for Ducky; but she’s a strong little girl and my patience has a short fuse these days. Better to let her burn off the energy with zoomies around the back yard while Shadow and I watch in amazement.
I’m not sure which is worse, all that sniffing or being at the end of the leash during a kite flying session! 🙂
Our young American Staffordshires are expert at taking you off guard…one minute sniffing obsessively…the next – you have lift off! But they only do it to me…not my frail husband with whom they are as sedate as dowagers.
Ooh, Staffies, I love those dogs-so sweet and sensitive to their owners. 😉
We are good at nose work too. That’s why we only go running on Fridays. Mom says we stop too much. I think the trouble is with our mothers!
Keep Calm & Bark On!
Murphy & Stanley
Us moms are like that. Go figure. 😉
You could make some serious money if you trained Sam to sniff out truffles.
Brilliant idea!
I know that feeling. Sometimes I feel like I’m starring in Disney on Ice during winter walks. Penny has sent us skating on more than one occasion. The terror is even better than a cup of coffee for waking me up in the morning.
Disney on Ice indeed!
oh yes. I have gotten so impatient with Cole’s sniffing lately. Especially in the cold, here we are standing around looking at nothing, waiting for the dog to finally smell everything possible on a fallen branch. OY!
It makes you just want to scream: Please stop the torture with the standing out in the cold, dog! 🙂
Bless him..sounds like Forrest..he would have been an excellent sniffer dog..the nose tells me everything!..if ge starts getting his nose busy on a walk here in summer i know to pull his lead closer to me as there may be a snake…do i guess he kind of already is a scent dog 😉 and yes that is one fine schnozz! Loves Bev xx
Even a short lead seems totally inadequate where Sam and his sniffer are concerned. I swear that dog can suss out delicious smells from concrete and pavement as easily as grass, trees & bushes! 🙂
Mom lets me answer a couple of peemails and then she takes me into the street to actually WALK. She says the word, “too slow” whenever we are near grass. In the street, I have to heel. I also have to do nose work every night when Mom locks me in the bathroom and hides my dental chew somewhere in the house. As soon as she opens the door and says, “Find it” I start sniffing till I find that yummy thing.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Cupcake, you and Sam are quite the pair but I think he could teach you that smells in the street are nearly as interesting as grass. 😉
Sounds like Ray! He will snuffle along at ground level and then suddenly try and take off at right angles to his original path. End result is strained muscles in leash arm and shoulder. Good job he also has his good points! 🙂
If only my joints were as nibble and limber as Sam’s! 😉
same here… I feel like a kite, ready for lift off. with the springlike temperatures here the moles and mice are very active and Easy is in hunting mood …. I had a lot of “world” on my shoes today… :o)
A kite ready for lift off–HA! Boy do I know exactly what you’re talking about with that image! Some days I can do with a little less ‘world.’ 🙂
The cartoon says it all..eh
Totally oblivious to everything around him! ღ
Indeed😆😆
We have cold but we don’t have ice or snow so it really doesn’t get all that slippery, Benji dislikes cats so he takes off after any cat that he sights. I now know where the cats hang out so I can anticipate when he gets ready to start pulling on the . The p-Mail issue if not too bad :o)
All the dogs I’ve ever had have memories like elephants when it comes to cats and where they hide to avoid them yet can’t seem to remember their walking manners from minute to minute. Oy-go figure! 🙂