Now that they have pulled as a team I was ready to take my team on the road. I went out and got an old tire, packed up all the equipment and off we went to a local park. I hooked the gangline up to the tire and brought the dogs out one at a time and hooked them up to the gang line. I hooked Pepper up first and went back to the truck for Storm and just as I got him out of the truck two ladies came over to meet him and while I was talking with them about Storm and Sadie, Pepper used the opportunity to wiggle out of her harness. I realized that I had hooked up the harness but neglected to hook up her collar and she took off for the woods.
Of all the dogs to get loose Pepper is the only one that likes to play catch me if you can. None of the others would have been a problem. Pepper is my rescued border collie (too smart for her own good) and she knows as well as I do that there is nothing I can do to get her to come back if she does not want to. Pepper was my demo dog before I got Storm and will do anything I ask her to, Obedience, Agility you name it and she always came when called. However, since I got Storm I have not had the time to work all the dogs so she gets left out. To get even with me for not working her she will play "catch me if you can" any chance she gets. If she gets out of the yard she will go on a "walk about" for a couple of hours before returning home. If I am with her when she is in one of her moods she will run about 30 yards turn around look at me stick her tongue out at me and say Naah Naah.... Naah. Well at least it seems like that's what she is doing. Being a professional trainer this can be a bit embarrassing. And wouldn't you know it she would take off while I was talking with 2 potential clients about Shiloh's and training. I just ignored her and went on with my conversation like I was not concerned. Once she realized she was not going to get a response out of me she came over and sat down beside me and I finished hooking her up.
The dogs did great. They pulled the tire down the trail for about a half mile we then turned around and came back without a problem. They were exhausted. The tire was a large truck tire and the grass was long so they had to work extra hard to pull it. Because of this I kept the distance short. Tomorrow I will take them to another park that is more open and has short grass.