Down with the (not so gentle) Gentle Leader

January 15, 2009

Miss Candi Jenkins

I am trying to make my peace with the Gentle Leader. For those of you not familiar with it, this is a collar-like device some two leggers use to control dogs on a walk. A piece of thin nylon material goes around the back of the mouth and then behind the head. Some people have asked Mom if it was a muzzle. I don’t know why because it is so thin and doesn’t prevent us from doing anything with our mouths.

I don’t like to wear it at all. It makes me feel ashamed to wear that thing. Mom used to walk us with a regular leash until Dad brought it home.  I blame Rock because of his pulling. I used to be bigger but he outgrew me fast. Mom and Dad walked us two times a day when we were really little. Once they got that delicious looking high fence–only one part of it looks good enough to eat–they didn’t walk us much anymore. Now that Mom is home all day, she walks us every morning. Sometimes Dad comes, but mostly it is Mom. Sister girl joins us on sometimes too.

Rock is so excited to walk. He trots in the front setting a fast pace. I am in the back for a while trying to get that thing off my face. Mom pulls me along while trying to keep up with Rock. Why won’t she give up? I do the same thing every morning so you would think she would let me do what I wanted. Sometimes Rock tries to take his off too. When we pass a grassy area, he might fall on his face and use the ground to push it off.  “No, Rocky Pocky! is Mom’s response as she pulls him back up.

Don’t get me wrong. I love walking every morning. The dogs that greet us every morning on our route, want to join us. I feel sad for them. I don’t see their two leggers anywhere. By the middle of the walk, I stop my struggling to take it off.

The Gentle Leader doesn’t pinch or hurt so I guess the “gentle”  in the name is okay. Mom and Dad know best.

Maybe I can convince her to do without it tomorrow.