My mom just pointed to a computer picture of Michelle Obama walking Bo on the White House lawn. The headline blared, “Michelle Obama Walks Bo in Madras Shorts.” Story and photo here.
Oh come on. Who cares what Michelle Obama is wearing? What I noticed is the way the First Lady holds Bo’s leash. Bo is walking on the right, the leash loosely held in the First Lady’s hand, behind her back.
My mom likes me to walk on the left. She keeps working with me. Keesha, my saintly predecessor, was well trained to walk on the left. But here in the city, my mom sometimes gives in and lets me walk on her right. For instance, if the patch of grass is on our right, that’s where I go.
“The important thing is consistency,” she says. Show dogs have to walk on the left. Recreational dogs like me can go either way.
When Ellen and Scooter went to dog school, Scooter was taught to walk on the left. Muffin usually walks on the left because we go around the block clockwise, and that puts him on the side of the parkway (and all the trees) instead of people’s lawns!
Hi Ellen,
You made a very wise decision. You’re a much more organized owner than Cathy. And I bet you’re giving her some new ideas!
–Gracie the Dog
You tell ’em! Left or right just do it right 🙂