Siggy and Ebon

Tired puppies during a water break

I did take the dogs out for a nice long walk today. I'm getting used to walking two dogs at the same time, but it's still difficult. This is mainly thanks to Ebon being so busy on the lead. Siggy, thanks to his history, has a really good heal and so is a breeze to walk, unless he spooks and then you're stuck waiting for him to get over it (really the only thing to do; coaxing does nothing). Ebon is, well, it's best to describe him as almost like he has ADD. He likes to sniff everything and alternate what side he walks on. He's the sort of dog who just wants to do things. If I could train him to carry a toy and not drop it every five seconds he'd probably be the happiest dog in the world. Toys are like his whole life. If I'm just walking him his business isn't a problem. I have rules about how much he can do, things like I don't want to have to stop walking. So, if the leash pulls taught while he's sniffing and I'm walking I'll give a gentle tug to get him to keep up. I don't like him crossing in front of me because he can trip me up, so he'll often cross behind me. I also don't want him pulling. These are easy things and, hey, if he wants to be a bit busy it just burns off more of his energy. The problem is, as I've discovered, these behaviors can tangle up the leashes when I'm walking two dogs. I never realized how often I tend to switch hands while walking Ebon before now. It's a bit problematic, but I'm working on it. We had fun anyway.

Silly boys. Shows a bit more of their typical behavior. Ebon: super happy and hyper. Siggy: mellow as all get out.

Also, if you're curious, here's what Siggy's foot with the amputated toe looks like from below. He has a wear spot on his center pad because of a combination of the missing toe and the stiffness he has in his other leg. Apparently, it's common for that leg to become arthritic because of the way the tracks are set up. The only turn in one direction, after all. Overall, the lack of toe doesn't hamper him very much. He can still run really well, and has chased after Ebon on more than on occasion, outpacing him like it was nothing.

We stopped by one of the pet stores after the walk and I was amused when a cashier asked their ages and was really surprised Ebon was the elder of the pair. I suppose it's mainly because of the vast difference in energy level.