the coupler: my favorite tool of the trade

You know those professional dog walkers you see strolling down some posh and pleasantly-busy street of New York or Beverly Hills, fifteen leashes as organized as a bunch of balloons? Me neither. Except in the movies. I'm certain they exist, somewhere, it's just that I haven't seen one in real life. Seeing is believing. I want to be that dog walker.

Until then, I use leash couplers. When walking multiple dogs, they cut your leashes in half. Even if you are only walking two dogs, it will make your life so much easier.

A coupler is purchased as an accessory to your leash. They come in different sizes. I prefer a medium size since I walk different sized dogs all the time. It seems to work both for larger and smaller dogs. You hook your leash to the coupler as you would your dog's collar. The coupler splits and makes two leashes from one. Hook one dog up to each end. One leash to hold. Two dogs. Ahhhh.

You can walk two big dogs, two little dogs, or one big dog and one little dog...they work with any combo. You can adjust the length of each split to accommodate your needs. If one dog pulls and the other doesn't, it really won't affect the well-behaved pooch because the force of the pull is dispersed. They can walk around each other and switch sides with ease because the bottom of your leash swivels and spins. Tangles just don't happen.

You can even get couplers with more than two splits. Whoa.

The only issue with couplers? If one dog stops and the other doesn't, the dog in motion might get an abrupt stop, or the stopped dog might get dragged (depending on which dog is stronger). This might happen if one stops to "do his business" or if one wants to sniff something. It's really not that big of a deal, and is a much preferable problem than the dreaded tangled leash dance done by multiple leashes, in my opinion.

You can purchase a coupler at most pet stores, but you'll find a wider selection of sizes and styles online.

Give it a try and let us know what you think. You'll even be able to take a photo with your free hand!

poop disposal: let's get it right

Picking up your dog's poop is part of being a responsible pet owner. People who don't are simply disgusting and self-centered (yes, I'm judging). It's very common for us to save our plastic grocery bags for just that purpose. We feel like we're putting them to good use, right? Recycling? And it's easy to just grab one or two on our way out the door. What we are really doing is putting the most biodegradable, natural (though bacteria-filled) material in the world into one of the most permanent, environmentally-damaging receptacles in existence. Oops. Don't feel too guilty. I've done it a time or two, myself.

Since just leaving the excrement where it's deposited isn't an option (no, really), what can we do? Enter the biodegradable poop bag. Some degrade faster than others, and there are more features (extra long for extra protection, scented, etc....hmmm, this is getting interesting) than you can imagine. We like Earth Rated Poop Bags. If they aren't carried in a store near you, you can purchase them online.

Though the grocery bags are convenient, you and the environment are much better off investing a few dollars in reusable grocery bags and ditching the hole-filled freebies. Purchasing biodegradable poop bags is quite economical–usually only a few dollars for more than a hundred bags! And you'll feel so much better.

Well Minded uses biodegradable bags for dog walks and litter scooping whenever possible, and, as always, if you provide the biodegradable bags for us to use, you get a dollar-a-day credit on your invoice, which would most likely pay for your bags, anyway.

tails on trails today: who's guiding whom?

When I began Well Minded, I envisioned it primarily as a pet sitting business, but I didn't want to close myself off. I'm an entrepreneur and an adventurer at heart, so I didn't want to discount the possibility of going into training or grooming, both of which I have come to learn are not my strengths. Although I like to try lots of things, I recognize my weaknesses and try to focus elsewhere. I'm good at caring for animals. I love to hike. It's an activity I took up only after moving to AZ. There are countless trails in Phoenix, and my favorite local spot is South Mountain. I recently decided to combine my love of hiking and my love of animals. I started "Tails on Trails," small-group hikes for dogs. Once a week, I pick up dogs, drive them to the trails, provide secure leashes, water, poop bags, and post-hike pictures to my clients so they can see our adventures.

Though we've had other dogs sometimes join the ranks, today it was just me and my two really regular regulars. They have been to every hike since the start, and we definitely have a multifaceted bond. When I arrive for pick-up, the brown one goes ape-shit. The black one is calm, yet welcoming. Both are SO excited that I'm there, and they know why I'm there. They enjoy the car ride to the trails. When we first hit the dirt, they go, then sniff. Mark. Walk. Trot. Sniff. Sniff. Sniff. Mark. And then I tell them "that's enough," and they seem to understand that though there will be countless animal smells, excrement aromas, and tiny fast-moving reptiles, birds, and small mammals to grasp their attentions and snap their necks in this direction and that, we're there to hike. And hiking means moving. So then about five minutes in, we get into our groove. And then they go poop. And then we get going, for reals.

While they get over all of that, I'm making sure the leash isn't cutting my wrist in the wrong place, my phone (for camera access) is in the most strategic pocket, and that my underwear isn't riding in the wrong spot since we're in it for the long haul. When we hit our stride, and we're all in sync, I feel like something was meant to be. The dogs start to pick up the pace, and so do I. They navigate the trail beautifully, and I pick my footing as if I had instinct for the thing. We do this jog/walk/hike thing that feels good. Just as I notice a nice view, they slow down, as if they recognize something to be seen beyond the dusty trail their noses run along. And they show me details in the path.