Loose-leash perfection!!!!

From Dewey's mommy: The boy is wiped out and unable to update you himself, but we wanted to share our big success this afternoon.

Woo hooooooooooooo!!!!

What a difference a day and a new collar make! With the assurance of a dog expert friend, I moved Dewey from his halter to a training collar (his aunt Emma's, which was passed down from Baby Royko) for a mid-afternoon walk along the Greenbelt. I expected some resistance and the inevitable labrador pull, but I experienced neither. My boy walked perfectly at my side, never needing more than a gentle tug as we passed another dog, for more than 3 miles. He was a model heeler -- the best walker I have experienced in more than 35 years.

He stayed happy, he stayed at my side, and he stayed in rhythm with my pace (even in the inevitable headwind, though a little "Dewey" song helped him keep his pace). Could I have found that perfect walking companion? At not quite seven months old?

Dewey's mommy is stunned. And optimistic for the future.