Dawg makes it look easy. We always cross one at a time for safety. If Andra or I were to fall, the other is in a position to help. When fording rivers, I always cross first, drop my pack and then Andra crosses. That way I'm free to swim out and help immediately.
When day hiking, Dawg runs around investigating everything. However, with a pack, he slots in behind me almost exclusively. As many non city slickers know, animals have a pecking order. Horses, dogs, chickens, they follow a hierarchy. The dominate horse eats first, then the next, etc. Some people know the story of my old college professor who in the early 1980s had a friend from Japan come to visit him. He stayed in their house for a couple of weeks before returning to Japan. Bean bag chairs were very popular back then and this guy fell in love with them. He insisted my college professor take him to a store where he could buy them. He purchased two chairs and mailed them back to Japan. After the visit was over, when my college professor was dropping him at the airport, my professor said "I hope you and your wife enjoy the bean bags." To which his friend reeled in shock - "Wife? No! Me and number one son!"
Dawg refused to walk behind Andra for more than a few seconds if she passed him for any reason. He'd take the earliest opportunity to pass her and slot in on my heals. Andra having heard that story more than a few times, immediatly started referring to Dawg as "Number One Son."