While out and about accompanying Mom and Dad on errands we drove past Mayor Baxter Woods in Portland, Maine.  Before I could even utter a single bark, Mom voiced exactly what I was thinking.  “This would be a good place to practice our training!”  So after stocking up on bee supplies, we explored this park to practice Mom and Dad’s leash walking and sit/stay skills.

Mayor Baxter Woods isn’t a place I’d recommend as a destination to spend the day.  However, with it’s .75 miles of winding trails, this 30 acres urban park gave us plenty of opportunities to continue training Mom and Dad on their polite leash walking skills.  Now I know what you’re probably thinking, “Chuck Billy, this park allows dogs to run off-leash.  Why are you practicing leash walking here?”  The answer is simple.  Mom and Dad are easily distracted and I wanted them to practice their new skills in a moderately active environment.

As we headed down the main trail I was immediately annoyed by Mom’s indecision yet again.  I’d try to lead us onward, and she would insist on turning back, then zigging and zagging, giving me no choice but to follow her lead.  That’s when I remembered my astute friend, Inky’s, comment about Mom and Dad’s leash training.  Mom’s not confused.  Mom is thinking like a squirrel!  They never run in a straight line.  If we’re ever going to catch my nemesis, of course we must be ready to change directions in a split second.  Well played, Mom!  Catching squirrels is a team effort!  So I immediately fell into place by her side as we meandered our way through the park.

Asa, on the other paw, wasn’t having any of it.  He was convinced we would miss something around every bend, and was urging Dad on faster and faster.  However, Dad was still nervous that the lightning fast snake would reappear again.  It’s been over a week since he’s scared Dad on our neighborhood patrol.  But here he was exclaiming “ACK!” once again on a walk.  How embarrassing!  I have to hand it to Asa though.  He knew just how to comfort Dad.  By walking next to his side, they were able to continue their walk without Dad being paranoid and yelping that the snake was lurking.

Not to brag, but Mom and Dad are improving and were able to stay focused on our walk despite bikes, joggers, and off-leash dogs running every which way around us.  Time to test their sit and stays!  Ok, I have to admit I found this a bit difficult with so many adoring fans nearby.  I would be keeping an eye on Mom and Dad as they walked away, when all of a sudden I would hear an admirer yell, “Oh my goodness!  Look at those dogs!”  So what does Asa do?  He’d immediately try to break and run towards them.  How many times do I have to tell Asa that adoring fans need to run towards us?  Not the other way around!  You don’t see Tom Cruise or Jon Bon Jovi running towards their fans?  No!  Instead they play it cool and wait to be approached.

So I held my ground and stayed seated waiting to greet my fans.  Mom even acted as my bouncer.  She would explain to my admirers that I had to remain seated, despite children and dogs who tried to encourage me to play.  Meanwhile, Dad would remind Asa that he had to stay in his original spot.  After a couple times of this, Asa eventually caught on and together we sat like rock stars greeting our admirers.  That center of attention pedestal training is really coming in useful!

If you would like to know more about Mayor Baxter Woods in Portland, Maine, visit Mayor Baxter Woods on our Dog Friendly places page.  There you can see more photos of us rocking the sit/stay.