Crashing and burning, again...

Having sung victory yesterday, it was inevitable that today would be a minor disaster.  Off TootSweet and I went, doing just fine for almost two kilometers, when two small dogs and owners trotted by in the opposite direction.  A poodle gone bonkers, a swift lane change, and we were both lying by the side of the jogging path with two concerned runners asking if we were okay.  I said I was fine, but could they help me hang the dog from the nearest tree?

From that point on, I kept the dog on the same side (to my right), but I held the leash quite short in my left hand and swung the rest of the leash in my right hand and whomped my poodle on his butt at the next attempt to loose control.  It's a cloth leash, so it isn't much in the way of discomfort for the dog, but at least it got his attention and let him know things were not as they should be.  I've decided to toss the choke collar because it is going to wind up hurting the dog, but I have another weapon in my arsenal, a kind of doo-dad that puts pressure under the dogs front legs if he leaps ahead.  I also have a runner's belt that you can use to attach a leash so your hands are free (to break your fall...), so I will look like someone in medieval armor by the time we are geared up.  So be it.

Meanwhile my knee is bandaged and my sternum hurts.  Damn it!  Adrián is getting a HUGE headstart in this bet.