I love the Ruffwear line of dog accessories. Dudley hates a harness but I have the Flagline harness that was gifted to us from the Tripawds Foundation for emergencies. If we go on hikes, I make sure that I have it tucked into my bag for any type of lifting situation. I recently bought this amazing leash for Dudley that gave us a new line of communication through the leash. Dudley has always been stubborn ( I verified that with the rescue he was with for the last 2 years before I adopted him) and he will lock his front legs and make you pull him forward. This new leash has a bungee extension built into it and it has been a game changer for us! Instead of the pulling motion being focused on his collar, there is a little tension in the leash. He seems to respond to that bit of tension easier and is more receptive to moving forward when he doesn’t want to. He is pitbull/boxer as well as a rear amputee so his chest and front legs are super strong. When he does the “Dudley Dig In”, it is epic!
I bought the longer leash, it is 7 feet with a stretch to 11 feet. I basically use the leash for walking in the woods and run it through my hands to either shorten it up or feed more leash, depending on how he’s walking. Dudley is either a fast walker or a dawdler. He is very into sniffing ferns up and down and smelling individual blades of grass so the leash lets him go at his own pace. I love that the handle has a buckle to quickly unclasp if you want to tether him to something and also has the hands free option. Long leads tend to be a bit of a problem for Mr. Dudley since as soon as he steps on the leash, he freezes. I think he has had some sort of prior experience of getting stuck while stepping on his leash and he remembers that, quite vividly.
The last few times he has ridden in the back seat of the car, he has not been on the floor boards behind the passenger seat! I have a really nice car seat hammock style cover that we’ve used and he realizes that it isn’t so bad. I usually throw in a blanket and pillow to make it seem more like his beloved dog bed and he’s been happy. I just have to make sure that his entry side has the hammock piece down for easier jumping into the back of the car. We are working things out as we go along! The weather has still been crappy out here but we are looking forward to less rain and more adventures, especially as we get closer to summer time. He has a good buddy who lives right next to the beach who we will be spending more time with. I will post pictures when we do hang out, they are so adorable! Jiro is a Shiba Inu around the same age and they totally look like a fox and a deer when they hang out.
