Having just been out for the past two hours bringing our (current) five dogs for a walk, I started to think about each dog’s distinct walking styles.
Calvin (11), is the “main man” and the “old man” of the bunch. To him, a walk is less of a need for exercise and more of his daily plod about the estate keeping his overwatching eye on things and checking in. He walks slow and methodically, often taking time to sniff a particular area. Often, if it’s late and quiet enough, he can be brought off-lead, and although he is very street-wise, he will still make a beeline toward any distractions such as open doors, other animals or even other people – and he can be deceptively fast when he has his eye on something.
Buster (9), is our neighbour’s dog and former foster dog. A glutton, gourmand and sloth inside the house; outside he acts like a pig searching truffles, sniffing and snorting everything on his way around. Despite his large stature, he is very mobile and always eager to go on to find whatever it is he’s looking for. Also has a habit of flailing around in a circle before he shits.
Misti (3) and Japser (2½) are “the smallies”, and act like a true young brother and sister pair – despite not actually being related. They always bark and jump at each other in the porch and leaving the house, almost as a competition to see who can get out first.
Misti walks as if she is on a hunt, constantly vigilant and aware of her surroundings, always up ahead scouting out – which makes sense given her pedigree background. However, she still acts like a princess when it comes to a muddy field or if it’s raining, avoiding it or even flat-out refusing to go out if the conditions are not to her liking.
Jasper is the dog of the bunch without a distinct style as of yet, as he mostly tends to act like whatever other dog he is brought out with. Can also be a bit lazy, as he is generally always eager to walk and gung-ho for the first 5-10 minutes, before dropping off and falling back for the remainder. He also gets very excitable if he spots another dog or if traffic is going past.
Lucy is our current foster dog. Because of her history, the concept of going out for a walk is completely alien to her, and consequently her lead etiquette is non-existent. She would go anywhere and everywhere if she wasn’t leashed, with no regards for roads, driveways or front gardens; and constantly acts surprised when she is yanked back by the lead for either running out to the full length of the lead, or by getting herself wrapped around a tree or pole. Also, as the only non-Cavalier, she’s the only dog who would go out several times a day for long distances, whereas everyone else generally goes out once a day for half an hour.
