Ok, someone asked for tips on getting a new puppy used to a leash, and that got me thinking.

Jack is the funniest dog on a leash that I have ever seen. He loves going out. He loves walks. He can go for miles and not get tired.

He knows heel, and he heels pretty well. Not well enough to win an obedience class, but he sits when I stop and turns when I turn, as long as there are not picnic leftovers on the ground to distract him.

But if he's not on heel.... well, that's an entirely different matter. Since I don't have a fenced yard, our walk time is time for my dog to go exploring. I always spend at least part of the walk on heel, but I also spend part of the walk on a relaxed leash, letting him sniff and wander. When he's on a relaxed leash, I don't care if he's a little ahead or a little behind, as long as he's not dragging me (he's not a real dominant dog, so I don't worry about the whole "pack leader always goes in front" thing). He'll lag a little, then lope to get ahead, then trot next to me.

Most of the time.

Ah, but if he's not on heel, he seems to think that every decision on direction is negotiable. He'll get to areas he likes (say where he sometimes meets his doggy friends, or an area with a group of kids playing) and he won't want to leave. He'll plant his little legs, and his collar will start to pull over his ears, and he'll get a look on his face like a two-year-old kid ready to pitch a fit.

Sometimes he lays down and rolls over on his back. This is usually if he just had a good visit with one of his many adoring fan clubs that we meet out walking, and he's not ready to leave. They laugh and say "Oh look, he's tired!" and I sorta grit my teeth and smile because he's not tired at all, he's just arguing.

BUT, if I say "Jack, heel" he hops right up all bright-eyed and cheerful, and off we march.

I think the lying on the back thing is a patented Corgi move, personally. I think their mothers teach it to them while they are still puppies. :-)