Learning to Walk Home Again

Shay is turning fourteen in less than two months. We still call her our puppy but there are definitely signs of her aging. One thing developed is her dislike of taking a walk. She will excitedly stand at the front door and have her leash attached. She will prance down our walkway with Russ and go either left or right at the road, walk to the edge of our property and sit down refusing to go any further.

With only an acre just walking at home is not enough exercise for anyone. Our vet suggested we drive to a location away from home and let her walk home. This means I drive and Russ and Shay walk. What a success this has been. She knows every street in the bowl of spaghetti streets in our neighborhood and can always chose a path home with no complaint.

Today was a beautiful day for a walk. I dropped them a little further from home than usual. We passed plenty of other dogs on walks on the way out. It didn’t take long for Russ to come trotting down the walkway with Shay and poop bag in hand.

I asked if it was eventful. Russ said the only thing that happened is some guy on an electric balance skateboard contraption with a lab and poodle let his dogs poop all along people’s yards, but he couldn’t be bothered to get off the skateboard to pick up their poop. Eventually his dogs caught up to Shay and she ignored them completely as they sniffed all around her.

Rude in every way. Please pick up after your dogs!