Double Trouble

The two dogs are inseparable. Wanting to give the dogs some one-on-one time and time away from each other, I have been walking them separately. It sure takes a lot of time, but I am getting my exercise. At this stage the two dogs are taking double the time.



After Buddy's walk this morning, Echo went to the park to meet some of the people and dogs that he hadn't met yet. We have been trying to expose him to at least 20 new people and dogs each day.

This afternoon after some brushing to reduce the shedding in the house, we took Echo over to the Oregon Farmer's Market. He received the standard greetings from vendors, customers, and children. Other than licking, he has not shown any negative issues when meeting new people or dogs. Any tips to reduce the amount of licking that he does would be appreciated.

To save time this evening I tried to walk both dogs at the same time. It did not work well. Echo made things exceptionally challenging because he was all over the place and he doesn't understand commands yet. The worst part was that I didn't have a free hand to swat mosquitoes.

In addition to the socialization, we have been working on discipline, cradling, grooming, and basic commands. Echo walks like he is attached to a bungee cord, lagging behind until he sprints ahead. He responds appropriately to "Go To Bed" and seems to understand "Drop It", "No", "Leave It" and "Come". He will sometimes respond to "Sit", "Down".