August 28, 2010

White Dog and Steve discussed the plan before they even got out of bed this morning. Quinn has been increasingly insistent about wanting to join them on evening walks and for Park time. Most nights Steve reserves that time as "White Dog and Daddy" time but sometimes Michael will join leash up The Other White Dog and join them...and at least once or twice a week Steve will take both White Dogs by himself (this is not easy since they each have such uniquely different paces).

This morning Steve took both WD and TOWD to the Park. As usual, White Dog was off-leash and Quinn was tethered. They walked halfway around the crowded Park and greeted many pups, as they scoped things out. At the bottom of the bowl that forms the center of the Park, White Dog nodded slightly at Steve and moved at an angle to intercept. (No Remington, not a long football pass)!

Steve leaned down and unclipped Quinn's leash (keeping his finger on the latch). TOWD was off-leash!

He looked startled as Steve started to walk and he felt no connection. White Dog and Steve remained calm but were prepared to run him down should their experiment go awry. But it DIDN'T!

Quinn trotted along beside Steve at more or less a "heel" position, flanked by his sister who tried to tempt him into playing chase. But he wasn't ready for that much freedom yet...and truth be told neither was Steve.

Our boy did amazingly well and we are all so very proud of him...even White Dog shrugged off praise that it was, once again, her mentoring that has brought about this leap forward for TOWD. "He was awesome all by himself," she graciously acknowledged. "And has come so far!"

And in a different way, so has she!