Personality #5 - The Helicopter

Well, we ran out of the house this morning, hoping to beat the rain. The weatherman said there was less than an hour until we would be deluged - HA! it never came! We saw the clouds and the rain falling over Hillsboro, but it never came up here - even the park looked dry. Oh well. We still knocked out over 2 miles, in goodly time.

Well, Park Personality #5, The Helicopter, is pretty much self-explanatory. This is the person who brings their dog into the park, and all you hear is that dog's name. Why? Because Helicopter wants everyone to know that that is their dog. They tell them to run, fetch, to stop doing whatever. Honestly, these are the people you pray are hit by laryngitis while at the park.

One Helicopter I knew well was a man who loved his dog. He would start a conversation with someone, and every few words he would erupt yelling out the dog's name. He couldn't listen to what others were saying in the conversation, not only because he talked non-stop, but because he was more focused on his dog than anything else.

This isn't a terrible thing, no, to be focused on your precious, but that much was too much. Other park people used to giggle when they saw him coming, and began to imitate him; many people would leave for a walk just to escape him.

Did his dog listen? Not really. It got old for the poor pup, as well. Dogs are like children. If a parent consistently calls the child's name, it becomes muted in their hearing. People tend to block out noises that are constant. So, some parents ask their children, "Didn't you hear me?" the kid's response of, "Nope. I guess I was busy." is actually accurate. Dogs are pretty much the same. If you keep calling their name, they stop responding. That's why I try to not use my dogs' names too much - and yes, there are times when I've been a helicopter, but I realized what I was doing and stopped. These people don't.

Personality #5 - The Novice

To begin, today went well. The dogs are well-rested, walked, fed, and just plain relaxed (well, as relaxed as they could be).

Tonight we talk about the Novice. This is not a negative stage to find oneself in, just rather uncomfortable. Any Novice, worth their salt wants to be a good dog parent - but there are some who just can't get it (or, it takes years!!! Believe me!).

The Novice, is the dog parent who brings their dog to the park, with fear and trepidation. They are the ones who keep their dogs on a leash (very unsafe and traumatic for most dogs), because they fear their pet will refuse to come back to them, and they'll lose them (really? It's fenced, for goodness sake!). Seriously. It happens all too frequently.

The Novice is also part Banana Brain, Drama Queen and Helicopter (What, pray tell is a Helicopter? you ask. Don't fret. It's coming soon in another post!). They fret, they fume, they tremble, they freak out, they worry, they grimace at the thought of picking up after their dog, and many times say very little, as they smear it all about themselves unwittingly. The latter doesn't happen too often, but it's still disgustingly funny.

When The Novice enters the park, their dog senses something is wrong. There's nothing wrong, necessarily with the park, but with the owner. They tend to be quite apprehensive, and they really don't appreciate anyone offering helpful advice. They keep the dog on the lead, and begin walking around, if possible. More often than not, other dogs have come to sniff and check out the newcomer, and the owner and pet are usually overwhelmed with the onslaught. The leashed pet becomes timid, and then begins to bark, snarl, and snap at the strange dogs that have come to investigate. This, to The Novice, means it's unsafe for the pet to be in the park, so much so, they very often leave, dragging their dog behind them (the pet wants to stay, but The Novice is too blind to understand it's the lead that makes it unsafe for them).

Sometimes, though, The Novice will walk the dog into the park, and around the park. At times, they will finally allow the dog off the leash, but grow fearful when the happy one traipses off to another corner to pee, poo, investigate or sniff the ground, trees, shrubs, or other dogs.
This leads to a Helicopter-like mentality, where the owner (they really can't be called a parent, yet, can they!) begins monitoring the every move of the dog. They call to it, they try to throw a ball to no avail, they try running, and are hurt because here they are no longer the center of the pup's world.

I recall one Novice, who brought his beautiful German Shepard into a very popular city dog park, and had the pup on a lead. Several other dogs walked up to welcome it - none being aggressive or hyped up. The man stood there and screamed, "Will you people please come and get your dogs? I refuse to have my dog's butt sniffed! It's unnatural!" This actually did occur. He left in outrage when he realized there were few dry eyes from laughter around him. Of course, this being Portland, there were some nitwits who felt terrible for the man, presuming he had a mental condition, and they came over and took their dogs away to another corner (or it may be they were frightened he may do something violent to their pets...I think it's more interesting my way).

The Novice cannot understand why their pet won't fetch, won't pay more attention to them, and why everyone else shuns them when all they do is walk around chasing their dog screaming its name. It's basic psychology; look at children, for Pete's sake. Children with parents who do this become inured to the calling, and are trying to run away from them, lest someone think they are spawn from such a creature.

The Novice also doesn't understand about picking up poop. They may ask questions, but many times they don't want to seem stupid, so they like to quote books or trainers they've heard or read. There was one guy, who actually went to my gym, until we bumped into each other one day - after our rather brief and uncomfortable encounter - whose pit puppy used to chase Cubby around. Cubby didn't appreciate this, and the guy told me it was natural for both dogs to act that way. I responded by warning him that Cubby didn't like his dog, and would, most likely, bite his dog on the nose. He laughed, and told me I was overreacting. He told me that he had been reading how this was normal play for dogs, and I needed to calm down.

I was calm. I was warning him. Cubby bit his dog on the nose. He was upset. He didn't come back to the park, either.

Novices also like to come in pairs to the park. When they bring their dogs in, many times, and they let them off leash, they just stand there. Guess what the dogs do? They don't venture very far from where their humans are. These people cannot understand why their dogs don't go further. After some prodding from other people, one of them will walk to another corner of the park to see if this is true. Once they realize this works, they return to their original station, by the other, and then marvel at how their pet comes back and won't keep exploring. Then they leave, believing their dog just doesn't understand how the park works. Hmmmmmmm. I wonder.

I recall when I brought my first dog to the park. He took off. You can't hold a schipperke back from an open field, in most cases. He loved to play there. And there was no fence at that time. It was a group of dogs and their parents who came regularly to this one section of a city park. Later, the city built a fence and put the dogpark in place. My dogs loved to roam the perimeter and check for holes so they could get out. The grass is always greener, I suppose.

The only dog who didn't get the dogpark was Samson. When I first took him he tried his best to convince anyone to take him out of the pit of Hell. It didn't work. Then, one night, he met two Italian Greyhounds. They played. He had a blast. After that, he couldn't get enough. The next evening, he ignored them, and began bullying the bigger dogs, and discovered he could be the BMOC, even though he weighs about one-quarter of the majority of them, and could be a scrumptious meal.

This brings me to The Novice fearing the actions of their dog. Many times, people bring their pets in on leash, and are timid about letting them off, fearing their dog may be too aggressive. Um, okay. Why, in all that is normal, would you bring your dog to the dogpark? Well, honestly, it's about the owners and not the dog. Once they're convinced that within 5-10 minutes their dog will understand and have established their place in the current hierarchy of the dogs in the park, they wait. They tremble. They watch. They finally relax when they understand dogs have a nature all to themselves.

When dogs growl at play, it's not always a growl of anger. Many times the growl is one of having a good time. They have a language all their own. Watch their tails. Watch their ears. If the ears are pinned back, there's fear. If their tail is twitching to just one side, there is a territorial issue. If the dander on their back is up, it means the pup is very alert, feeling unsafe, and is rather high strung at the moment. Many pet parents aren't understanding of these signs, even after years, so it's best to help The Novice understand so they can begin to calm down, look, listen and enjoy.

They finally realize that bringing their dog to the park is where dogs learn about being themselves, play like children in their parks, and the Novice also learns to let go for a while.
Most overcome this stage. Some drag it into the other personalities....

Rusty's Boot Camp: Dog Park Personality #3

Rusty's Boot Camp: Dog Park Personality #3: Ah yes. The sun is still out, and we had a refreshing afternoon at the park this afternoon. Simon chasing his ball, Skally darting about in...

Dog Park Personality #3

Ah yes. The sun is still out, and we had a refreshing afternoon at the park this afternoon. Simon chasing his ball, Skally darting about in the driveway, trying to have me chase her before we hie down to the park...Rusty barking demanding attention, then chasing me through the fields, and Samson running up and investigation people and other dogs. Of course, they all adore Pepper, a pit-bull mix, who adores them back, along with her papa, Viktor.

Today was fine, without anyone in the negative personality pool...

But they do come.

Especially the Banana Brains!

What is a Banana Brain? you ask. A Banana Brain is someone who is just ridiculously not with it. They can be a Drama Queen, a Helicopter, or many other assortments of personalities - in fact, many people find themselves in any one of the described pools from time to time, and they do bleed into one another; therefore, noting attributes and designating someone as being only one of these may be difficult - but when they show their colours, they are definitely these personalities!

One form of Banana Brain, is the owner who comes into the dogpark leashing area, and leaves the gate to the outside open. Then, they bring their dog into the park to unleash it, leaving the second gate open. And when another dog sees the wonderful world from which they are fenced from and squeezes out to frolic, they say nothing. They simply remain quite vague, and close the gate behind them and wander in - not even noticing someone else's bundle of joy has gone off into the hinterlands.

It's true. I've seen it too many times to count.

Other Banana Brains are those who bring their children into the park to play. Really? Are they unable to read the postings? Oh yeah. They have Banana Brains!

These are the ones who bring their children in with bikes and scooters, and have their children riding around the park. OR they have them run about. Now, we aren't talking teenagers, or tweens. We're talking 5, 6, 7, 8 year olds, or even younger. When other pet parents speak up, the Banana Brain tells them it's their park, and they're simply using it to exercise their dog and children. Huh. Funny how quickly they become Drama Queens when their kid is knocked down by a dog who wants to investigate the little bugger on the bike, or the kid who's running around. Funny how they demand compensation for the damage to the bike, or child.

My favourite is when they have their kids leave their bikes lying down in the leashing area. Seriously?! I have four dogs, and we can't fit without some sort of mangling the bikes that are just lying about. So, I pick them up and toss them out. They don't like this. Of course, though, my dogs also tend to have weak bladders around the handlebars and seats...Nothing makes these people get up and fly across the park than this! Luckily, I take a deep breath and tell them to learn to read signs, and to follow directions - also, that this particular section of the park is funded by private donations, and this could be grounds for their being blocked from the park. They rarely come back at that time...

I remember one father, a very nice man, who used to bring his 4 year old daughter and 6 year old son to the park. He would trot off to sit at one of the picnic tables to watch his dog. That was fine. His children, although very sweet in nature and intent, would chase the dogs, trying to pick them up. Now, anyone who teaches their kids that the park is a petting zoo probably has high insurance premiums, or has very good life insurance policies on his/her child(ren).

At this time, I had Syd, Cubby, and Skally. Syd, if caught, would allow them to try to pick him up, but he was rather bulky and heavy for the two little heathens. Skally was out of the question. However, Cubby was jjuusstt the right size! So, they would corner him, and then attempt to lift him. I was surprsed when I saw him being nice and allowing this, but then struggling enough so they dropped him on his feet and he scurried away.

I walked up to the little vipers, and said, "You can't just chase any dog around and try to pick them up!"
"Why?" asked the little toe-headed girl in the pink dress.
"Because they don't know you, and they don't like that," I responded.
"But they're so cute and cuddly! I just want to hold them!" was her retort.
"But if they don't know you, and they don't know that about you they may not be as nice as you'd like."
My friends, Anne and Claire were next to me, with smiles on their faces. They like kids. They don't feel safe with them in the parks, though...
"But I want to hold them!"
"If you chase them, and they don't want it, they could bite you. Then you'd bleed, and then you'll die," I finally snapped.

The shriek of terror that emitted from her tiny head-hole was wonderful. I had endured these kids for 3 weeks, and was just tired of them.

She ran to her father, crying. Her brother was on the other side of them, throwing the ball, meant for the dog - but the boy believed it should have been for him- barely over his father's head, hitting his sister in the noggin. The father scooped her up, and she sobbed into his shoulder.

The father then looked at me, winked, and apologized. "I'm sorry. I know they're active, but I've got to figure out how to wear them out and the dog - I've been working 14 hour days, and their mom is away on business."

My friends were crying from laughter, and they assured him it was fine. I told him it would be fine, but he needed to put limits on his kids, just to keep them on the safe side. He agreed.

See? Banana Brains can be reformed!

Then, there was the day when a mother brought her dog into the park, along with her 5 sons. Yes. One dog, 6 people. When I arrived at the paddock, the front gate was wide open, I was unleashing my dogs, and one kid opened the gate behind me, shoved me to the side, and opened the next gate. He shut neither gate. I called to him to get back there and shut the gate. He kept walking. The mother yelled to me about what was the problem. I told her. She told me to close them myself. Well, this went under the wrong piece of skin on my bod.

I closed the gates, and got into the park, only to have another kid do the same thing, coming into the dogpark. 3 dogs escaped. I yelled at the kid. The mother yelled at me. I yelled back at her that her idiot children needed to learn dog park etiquette. She got all up and puffy-like, and strutted like a Tom Turkey in a nest of chicks.
"What did you say?"
I repeated myself.
"How dare you!"
"Your kids need to realize that you're liable if anything happens to those dogs that escaped, it falls on your shoulders."
"Well, I can't keep track of them. They're boys."
"You're a Banana Brain, lady!"
With this, she packed up and left, leaving 2 other owners fuming after her to find their dogs. I heard angry words exchanged later, and it was from one of the owners and the woman. The other owner was busy writing down her license number.

See? They can be Drama Queens, too!

They're all over the place. These people with mush for brains!

Unfortunately, I think I've been one of them as well...at some point...but dementia has set in and I cannot recall any such incident....

Dog Park Personality #2

Dogs are all doing well. Simon is a pig. He's a counter surfer, and it's a wonder I can afford any more treats.

Full moon - beginning to wane, but still....


Okay. Which personality to pick next? Let's go with the one that really got to me this morning. Personality #2, the Drama Queen.

The Drama Queen is the one who sets everything up to not work right, and then reprimands the dog(s) for being dogs.

Example (from this morning): A woman was bringing her disabled child into the park, while also trying to walk her dog. The dog was a puppy: full of life, curiosity, and vigor. The child was trying to navigate the grass to the paddock, and as we walked by, the puppy was straining to make contact. Ooops! Drama Queen decided that this was just too much! How dare the puppy be a puppy! How dare he not just sit idly by and allow her to help her child? So, she began smacking the dog, believing this would stop the behavior. WRONG! Explain to me, please, how the puppy would, first of all, pass up the opportunity to rub fur with my four lovelies? Secondly, the puppy was probably tired of this "woman" controlling everything he did. He's a puppy, for goodness sake!

Now I'm sure they made it into the park, and the puppy was probably let off the lead, at some point, but the mother probably kept close to the disabled child, and constantly kept calling the name of the puppy - ensuring he would stop listening (yes, this is the same for children, as well), over and over. Her blood pressure was probably high, her nerves wrecked, and she was, most likely, being a total (no pun intended, or maybe it is) a b-i. But it was all her doing! And she will never understand it.

The poor pup is with a neurotic wreck! I hope he is able to survive, in some way, and manage to realize that the problem isn't really him, but her.

The Drama Queen creates chaos for her/himself. There are options. I know. I survived a Drama Queen. The entire scenario is a set-up for failure on someone's part- but NEVER the Drama Queen's. In this case, it's the dog.

Other examples seen of this, are the people who come to the dog park with a full picnic (I kid you not). They sit at the table and keep their dog on a leash. When other dogs come over, drawn by the scent, they raise a ruckus that would loosen Old Nick from his bench across the way (that would be me). "How dare those dogs come over and disrupt our dinner!" they would say. And my response (taken by proxy, as it really belongs to the man sitting across from me) is, "Read the F'ing signs you idiots! No People Food In the Park! And Let the Dog Off His Leash! It's a Dog Park, You F'ing Moron!"

This is met with a hootenany of scorn, followed by: "Well, I thought I lived in America, and it was a free country, you A-hole!"

Then they get up and leave. Their dog has not had any exercise, and the only marvelous surprise was they walked into a few piles of poo that others had not picked up earlier.

Later, these same people complained to the Park Bureau, and the parks department had a good chuckle.

We also have those who bring their dogs into the park, and then they play football or soccer. They ire easily when some of us throw our balls for the dogs into that same area.

"Hey! Can't you see we're trying to play ball here?"

"Hey! Can't you see you're walking in dog poo? This is a dog park! You have 5 acres of park to play out there, you git!"

People just don't seem to get it. They set themselves up in a variety of ways, then blame others because of their idiotic tendencies.

A most spectacular example to finish this off was the woman who came in with her dog. A beautiful dog, and the woman, at first, appeared rather normal.

Well, the dog had a bad habit of carrying two balls in his mouth. Not a good thing, but the woman yukked it up. That is until her dog swallowed one of the balls, and then began to choke.

One man ran over and began to attempt to dislodge the ball from the dog's throat. I decided I would try the Heimlich Maneuver. We began our tasks, but the woman wouldn't let go of the dog. She was tugging and pulling on him, as he choked, his life in the hands of two strangers, and his death in hers.

Eventually, we succeeded in rescuing him, and the woman was grateful. She stated that she would never allow this to happen again. However, not ten minutes later, the dog had 2 balls in his mouth and was running around the park. Her comment? "It's okay. I believe he learned his lesson! and he seems so happy!"

Drama Queen!

Dog Parks and the People who Frequent Them. Personality #1

First of all, Rusty's eye has improved. It was that bush he was allergic to. Whew!

Secondly, today I have been asked to write about Dog Parks. What about them? How about the people who go there.....???!!!!

As most of you know, we are at some park nearly every day. Of course, the Hazeldale Dog Park is near and dear to us, because it's in our vicinity, and we know a goodly number of the people who go there.

"Won't some of them be offended?" you ask.

"I doubt it. They know..." I respond. "I'm only describing people who go there - not bashing anyone."

There is also Hondo Dog Park, which is a little ways away, but we still go during the Spring and Summer months - the winter park is all gravel, and the pups don't much like the texture, and it hurts their little feet.

There is also Winkleman Park, which is new this year. It is nearly the same distance as Hazeldale, but it's on a slope, and it's exhausting to keep going up and down the hills. It's most likely going to be closed for the winter, but that remains to be seen. The slopey part has sod that will give way when it grows damp, as it does in these here parts; The upper section has 2 other mini parks off to the side of the greeting paddock - a barked chip side, and then a wee dog side that's grassed.

Next, is Summer Lake. It's a nice, small, community park, with a lake nearby to go walking around. The dogs love the ducks, geese, squirrels, and the occasional nutria that come out from their lairs. They are huge, sometimes, like the ones seen at Commonwealth Park (which doesn't have a dogpark, but it's still a nice stroll).

There's also Gabriel Park, in Portland, which has both a Summer and Winter Park. We enjoy it here, as it was the park where I first brought Syd, and it was also one of the first parks in Portland. Here we established relationships with other dogs and their parents, and learned more about dogs and their behavior than anywhere/anyhow else.

There is the one bonus park, in the Portland area, that we love to go to, about once a month - Thousand Acre Park. This is in Troutdale, and it's on the Sandy River Delta. Here we don't meet many people, because it's about the hike, and the running about, as well as enjoying nature. There is very little standing about and gabbing, which is what we are about to embark on in today's blog.

Let's talk, today, about the model dog parent who brings their dog into the park.

The model dog parent has the model dog (remember, this combination is a rarity, so it's better to attempt to be this, rather than to demand it - few people have model children, and even fewer have model dogs (in other peoples' eyes)). These come to the park, the dog is unleashed, either in the unleashing area, or, if there isn't one, as soon as the dog is inside the park. This dog sniffs the ones near it, finds the dogs that it enjoys, and plays by running around, wrestling, and having a great time. The parent watches, picks up the poop, occasionally (if necessary) throws the ball, and keeps an eye on the pups, but stays calm, and moves in calmly and quickly if anything comes up. These are actually much rarer than you would think.

Most dog owners watch The Dog Whisperer, and they can recite tips by heart. They even talk about attempting the methods, but to no avail. The #1 Dog Owner has intuitively figured these out, or has worked hard on them, and takes it for granted. Other pet owners are a little jealous of them.

A good friend of mine had Ceasar Milan help him with his dog, who would pee poo on his clothes, and rip things apart, despite her being well past the puppy stage. He had begun work, was going to online school, and was terribly busy, but tried to make time for his dogs. Ceasar tried to help him, but to no avail. When we talked, he was upset, not liking to put her in the crate all day when he was out (she wouldn't use the doggie door until he came home). Apparently, she didn't like the new schedule, and being put on the back burner, so to speak. Her counterpart, another female, had no problems with this at all. But their personalities were very different - the one with the issues was high strung, and the other was quite mellow. You can't always chose who you love.

Personality #1 takes things in stride, and constructively reprimands the pup, only when something naughty has been done. And it must be done immediately and effectively. Waiting until you are able to finish the conversation and then getting around to disciplining does nothing but make the dog believe you've some neurotic tendencies - they've no idea, by then, what you're talking about! They've moved on! Personality #1 gets this.

This owner also exercises their pups on a regular basis, is consistent, feeds them the best food (that doesn't mean expensive - it means quality - from raw food diets to even Costco Nature's Domain - which is high quality, no gluten, no grains, raw food kibble), and keeps them groomed and healthy. This takes time. They also ensure the dog is well socialized. This is very important, as is being sure they see you as the Alpha in the pack.

This personality is also quite congenial with others. They keep one eye on the dog, and they are full of knowledge and ideas, but don't browbeat others. You just know.

I would have to say, most people (not all, believe you me!) who bring their dogs to the park have many of these attributes.

Most dog parents are a mixture of all the personalities, especially on different days when moods are wonky; many times they reflect those of their pup(s)...which can be quite interesting.

Later, I'll introduce more personalities, and I hope you enjoy reading about them, and thinking about whether or not they are you, or someone you know....or pray they aren't!

Walking

I remember Syd. I recall his puppyhood. When he and I would walk, he'd dash all over, sniffing as he walked briskly, smelling and eyeing nearly everything in sight. I couldn't let him off the leash, since he would dash off and not come back. Over the years, he grew to come, but there was still that twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

When Cubby would be walked, he was dart about, much like Samson, but always know where I was. He wouldn't try to escape, but, like Samson, he would flit around me, and tie up my legs, go under Skally, and pull and pull. He was strong-minded, like Syd, but in a different way.

Skally? As a pup, she would pull, as she does still, but it was to sniff something to its fullest. That hasn't changed. She would also, off leash, go dashing about, following strong scents. I still recall the morning, after we'd been in this house for about a year, when she up and disappeared, only to return, happy, and slightly mellower - once I was downwind, I understood; she had gone into the sheep farm, down the way, and rolled and rolled in the dookey the sheep left just for her.

She would also go after cats in other peoples' yards, coyotes, and anything else. I used to walk her off leash, because it was 3:30 in the morning, and there weren't many cars. It also allowed me to not be pulled by 3 avid walkers, down the hills upon which we reside.

Simon walks along with Samson, but also favors Skally when sniffing things out. He pulls, but not a great deal. He's still learning how to pack, and be with other dogs. I can tell he loves loves loves being walked, and he really enjoys the consistency of the routine - we get up (he stays in bed), I begin breakfast, and eat my grapefruit (he stays in bed), and I feed them chicken strips (he stays in bed, whilst the others are moving about me - sometimes Skally, but she's moving about thinking about going out the back door). Even when I take Samson and Rusty out the front door to make water, Simon stays in bed. It isn't until I go in and change into my walking clothes that he gets up and out, pacing until we actually leave.

Simon's pace is good. He stays with the pack. He's a joy. When we pass by the "fighting fence", which is near the end of the walk, going up the hill, just before the greenspace path (that cuts across the block, and lands us one block away from home), he walks on the other side of me, watching the other three romp and bark, and "play" with the dogs on the other side of the fence - he's just not that sure of himself, yet.

Samson, according to my mother, friends, Mom's friends, and people around the dogpark, is a wonderfully confident 25 pound pup. He cuts through the other dogs' legs, forcing me to stop and grab the lead so the others can proceed. Samson doesn't really think anything of it - it's about being in the moment. He has no fear, typically, which is a point of concern, at times. He's so friendly, but will let bigger dogs know not to mess with him! He skips about on our walks, and is so active, but still in line with the others.

Now, Rusty. When he first came to me, as you recall, he could barely walk, and couldn't go a very long distance without the need to stop, sit or lie down, and rest to catch his breath. At the park, he would spend a goodly amount of time just lying there, barking, wanting something to happen to him - it got everyone's attention, and they loved him.

Today, if I don't grab him, once we're out of the car, he will go dashing off toward the park, with a huge grin on his face.

ON our walks, he knows which way HE wants to go - and rebels and pulls back (of course in the middle of the street), and moves at the same rate as the rest of us. Unless we're going up the steep hills home. Then he lags, and I encourage him to move, which he does for a little bit, and then we're back to lagging - but we're still much, much, much quicker in our pace. No more stops for resting!


I thought about how to post about walks, and realized all dogs are different, but yet, the same.

It is interesting to note that walking four of these is not really all that bad. The worst of all that can happen is being tied up when they wind themselves round and round my little legs. This is quite difficult to contend with, especially when I'm trying to scoop poop, or even tie the bag so we can move forward and find the nearest dumpster. This morning, this happened, and I thought I was going to fall over, flat on my face! Worse, the poop bag (loaded, of course) was in the main leash hand, and I was trying to move leashes and tie it up, but the dogs kept going round and round! I could spin, I suppose, but at 445 am, I'm not really into merry-go-round simulation.

The worst thing that happened to me on a walk, was about 11 years ago, when we were walking past a yard that had Rotweillers who loved to snarl and bark as we passed. Cubby used to get them going, snarling and snapping, after running up to the fence. Syd would wind another way (he hated conflict), and Skally would lunge forth at them. Well, this one morning, we're 1.5 miles from home, and on our way back. Of course, we had to pass this yard. However, Cubby ran around me a different way, Skally went the opposite way around me, and Syd decided he was going to join in, as well!

It didn't work! I went falling like the Chrysler building in Armeggedon. My ankle was sprained. I limped them home, and this ended the daily walks for a short while...alas and alack...After that, I stopped near that area, and we were better able to manage.

Since that time, though, the dogs have passed, and that yard remains empty - perhaps with the ghosts of those who had previously reigned.

Today, he and the others walked jauntily down the street, he on my left, next to the curb - he demands to spend time next to me every morning; it's almost as if he might find himself lost, and he likes the security of being with me. Earlier I had wiped a pile of goop from his right eye, noting he might have an allergy. However, his eyes were bright and clear.

They stopped and sniffed several bushes, the four of them, and one in particular, Rusty found himself immersed in, along with Skally and Simon. Finally, after what seemed hours, they pulled back and decided they would join me and walk along.

AFter coming back home, all seemed well. Then, after breakfast, and after taking my shower, I looked at him, and noted his right eye was quite red and looked as though it had been scratched, and was watering. Knowing how dogs tend to have a propensity for "curing" their own ills, I left it until this evening. At the park, it was noticeable to other people, who asked about it. We discussed it, and then I took the dogs running; his eyes seemed to brighten, and come back to life. This evening, they are back to nearly normal, so it's something we need to monitor. I will do some investigating and figure out what's up. I'm concerned, but he seems okay, and hungry. His eyes, though, are swollen and red. It looks painful. Arrrg!