WALKING WITH BUCKO
Woofed by Bucko, the little dog, and
Written by Tony Love, the big dog.

This is a short story that explains how my big ‘boss’ dog discovered how to tame my natural born Kelpie enthusiasm for leading him when we walked.

We first met at a pet shop in Ringwood when I was exactly eight weeks old. The big dog handed something to the lady behind the counter and then put a collar around my neck, attached something to the collar, took me away from the company of my pen-mates and carried me across the road to a car which took us to a big pen in Eltham. I knew there were some other dogs there but I was not allowed to meet them and a few days later we went for another car trip to the big dog’s pen at Mt Martha. This was to become my new home.

I was not allowed out to explore my new pen until after I had been taken to visit a big dog called a ‘Vet’, who poked and prodded and stuck needles into me and told us to come back again. Eventually we went to the Vets pen after it got dark and met some other little dogs and we were allowed to play with each other. This was referred to as ‘Puppy School’ and it was good fun but it didn’t last for long. When it ended I was given a certificate which said that I was proficient at three out of the four exercises we were expected to master. I didn’t stand still and stay when the big dog asked me to and I caused the group to laugh at me when I dropped when asked to sit, but I was as good as everyone else and far more adventurous.

After these classes finished I encouraged the big dog to take me for walks by destroying everything that could be chewed easily and by digging holes in my big pen. The big dog told other big dogs I was digging for China, or something like that. He began taking me for walks around the unmade streets where we live and I learnt to enjoy dragging him up the hills. I always strode out in front of him and pulled on my lead as hard as I could to encourage him to walk faster. I don’t think he liked the way I wanted to lead him because he always tried to hold me back and told me I must walk beside him or even behind him. He expected me to behave like a little dog should and told me he was the ‘boss’ and that big boss dogs should lead little dogs and not the other way round.

Eventually it became possible for me to go to school again – to a proper school for dogs attended by little dogs of all sizes – and I met some new friends, some of whom were rebellious like me. I didn’t like the walk, sit, stand, do this, do that commands us little dogs were expected to obey so I watched the magpies instead and remained standing when we were told to sit. And when we were allowed to run through a tunnel I ran as fast as I could so I could run free when I got to the other end. Everyone nearby thought that was most amusing and the red-coated dogs would shout “Bucko’s off” and then they would all try to catch me. I decided it would be much more fun to be the most disobedient little dog at the school.

The big dog wanted me to become an obedient dog and asked one of the big red dog instructors called Uncle Wal what to do. I overheard him tell Wal that I was the first dog he had looked after and I was a bit shocked when Wal told him that he thought I was the ‘wrong’ dog, but I knew he said that because I was already winning the battle for little dog supremacy. He suggested the big dog try a Gentle Leader ‘Headcollar’ harness and tried to slip one over my nose. I did not want to wear a harness that hurt my nose, although I could see that many other dogs already did, so I snapped and snarled and made it really difficult for the big dogs to fit one. The big dog decided to persevere and I allowed him to fit the harness twice and then I made sure he would get short fingers if he tried to fit it again. He consulted Wal and together they decided that he should follow the kiss – keep it simple stupid – principle and continue attaching the lead to my collar.

After about eighteen months of Dog School I decided to obey some of the commands given by the big dog and together we learnt to enjoy walking greater distances and I enjoyed being told that I was a ‘good dog’ even though I secretly still wanted to lead and I still wanted to preserve my reputation as the most disobedient dog at Dog School. The big dog then read a book called ‘Marley and Me’ about a disobedient Labrador* and I know he enjoyed reading this and told several big dogs that it was like reading about me. He said that book could have been called ‘Bucko and Me’ because Marley and I were so similarly naughty and the cover said Marley was the world’s worst dog.

I decided I would try to obey some commands at Dog School when it suited me – so I would be called a ‘good dog’ when I appeared to make an effort. And I decided to renew the battle for little dog supremacy when I took the big dog for walks so I did my best to pull as hard as I could on my lead. This tactic worked well for me and I thought I was winning because the big dog began to complain that walking me sometimes made his wrists sore when we went for a long walk.

Then one day he left me at home and went to Dog School to see how wet the ground was and another big instructor dog called Julie showed him a new kind of harness called a Gentle Leader ‘Easy Walk’ harness. The big dog then bought one of these Easy Walk harnesses and strapped it around my chest. He then took me for a walk and I enjoyed the walk because we could walk fast although I had to concede that now the big dog had control of me better than ever before. Somehow if I tried to pull forwards the harness squeezed my chest a little and I found it much more comfortable to walk beside him at the same pace. On our third walk we walked further than we had ever walked before and I knew he was very happy with that, but I still decided that I would make it difficult for him to put it on so I snapped and snarled and fought as much as possible every time he tried to fit it until he won the battle. Then I behaved and together we would enjoy our walk.

I suppose I will eventually accept having to wear this harness and certainly wearing it seems to cause the big dog and the big dogs at Dog School to call me a ‘good dog’ more than they used to and I can tell the big dog enjoys our walks more than he did when I pulled as hard as I could. He has this to say about the ‘Easy Walk’ harness.

The Gentle Leader ‘Easy Walk’ harness consists of three straps. Two straps fit vertically around the dogs girth, one over the shoulder and the other under the dog’s chest behind its front legs. The third strap is attached to the connection between these straps and fits horizontally around the dog’s chest. The lead/leash is attached to the chest strap, by a sliding D ring so the dog is restrained from pulling on its lead and encouraged to walk calmly beside its ‘big dog’ leader.

The harness is made in several sizes and choosing the correct size is easy if the dog’s girth measurement is known. Measure the circumference of the dog – the measurement around its body - immediately behind its front legs when it is standing normally on all four. I would recommend this harness to anyone who has a dog that pulls excessively when being walked. They can probably be bought from any shop that sells Beau Pets Gentle Leader products and cost about $20 depending on the size required – more for large dogs and less for small dogs.

* “Marley and Me” by John Grogan is a superbly written story about the life of a Labrador named Marley and his journalist master, the author, and his family. It is sub-titled ‘Life and love with the world’s worst dog’, and has been made into a film now available as a DVD.