Pack Walking

I often (just about every day) get the comment “you’ve got your hands full there!” when I'm out walking a small group of dogs around Tynemouth or North Shields – my insurance covers me to walk up to six dogs at a time but I much prefer a ratio of one human to three or four dogs and I only take on dogs who are good, or at least 'good enough' on the lead and are friendly with other dogs so although four dogs must look like a lot I’d rather have four well behaved dogs than have one who’s a bit of a nightmare. 

I often see owners who cannot control their one dog. It's off the lead, running around 'being friendly' but really it’s being a bit of a nuisance racing up to other dogs and people regardless of the welcome it might get. The owner calls it back, the dog ignores the owner and eventually the owner comes over to retrieve it. I also see dogs straining and pulling on the lead as they want to come over to my group, while the owner has to drag them along to get them moving, all the while me and my pack stroll on by....so I wonder who really has their hands full?

Of course not all dogs are impeccably well behaved or good on the lead, I myself have a rescue dog who’s lovely but he pulls like an ox whilst being walked.  With Coastal Dog Walkers I have found that even excitable dogs usually do settle into pack life – I suspect they learn from each other and if I introduce a flighty dog into a settled group I find the flighty dog adjusts into that calmer mindset.  Take Lola for example, she’s a gorgeous Saluki that I have been walking for a month or so.  She’s very friendly with people and dogs but is super excitable when I collect her but even after only a short time she’s starting to stabilise and learn from the pack that it’s way better to just relax and enjoy the walk...