Walking with the dog...

So, I've never trained a puppy before. I'm talking to people I know who have dogs. I've purchased three books on the subject. Plus, I've become a fan of Caesar Millan, Dog Whisperer, who wants to share the knowledge he was born with with the rest...oh, sorry, it's kind of stuck in my head now. In the beginning, Ajax (puppy) and I had some great walks, well good walks anyway. Then, he started this thing where he'd lay down on every patch of grass and in every shadow, and I mean lay down. It's weird how you can just see his whole body relax into the ground so that gravity can help him win the battle of the walk. He looks so willful even though he's on his belly in the grass. So, I bought a training collar and studied the subject. Trouble is, when I walk I'm out for exercise. I'm a runner and when I walk, I power walk. I've just always had this need to travel distances on foot at fast paces. So, imagine how difficult a dog that stops every few steps is for me. I have to consciously think about my breathing (through my nose?) and whether my shoulders are relaxed, my posture calm and confident, because I know that I have a low tolerance for slow or reluctant walkers, even if they're dogs. Today, though, I had the best walk I've had with the dog yet. I started by remaining calm and confident with the training collar. I made him budge. I didn't give in or get frustrated and when I finally got him walking for more than a few steps, I began to jog. The dog loved it, seemed as if maybe that's what he'd wanted all along. So, I started to run even though I was in flip-flops, not my running shoes. He ran right beside me for over a mile. We crossed through a couple of lights, at which I commanded him to sit and wait and he did. "Come on, " and he was off and running again. We covered four miles in the entire walk, not all of which we ran, but after that initial running spell and persistence in keeping him focused (by tugging the leash) on the walk, the leash kept a little slack. I even tested his ability to follow and avoid distraction toward the end of the walk by cutting right through the skate park where hoards of teenagers were at play on the hot concrete (all without helmets!). He did great. This was by far the best walk yet. Aside from the beginning, for the most part the leash had some slack and Ajax stayed by my side. He's sleeping now. :) I'm excited now that the vet has given the green light on running and Ajax truly seems to love running, perhaps even more than I do.