Fun and People-Walks

I've blogged before about taking your owners for walks, but there is one other component that happens on occasion: fun runs.
The other day we were walking around the neighborhood and my new friend the Shepherd mix ran away from his home to come and play with us. He's a very nice puppy (almost as big as me and still a puppy...woof! He's gonna be a big one). At the same time, one of those fuzzy little dogs was walking his owner across the street. Kind of a doggy traffic jam.

I wanted to play so bad, and Mom kept tugging on the leash, so I just slipped out of it. That's right, I literally took off the collar and ran like the wind after my friend. We had a great time! We ran and played and Mom couldn't catch us. Eventually she caught up to me, and the other dog owner caught up to him, so we had to stop. But it was great fun!

Tugging on the leash when you're walking a dog doesn't work when you do it wrong, as Mom found out the hard way. She should have made me sit. Instead she got uptight and worried about us fighting and started jerking the leash to try and pull me away. (We were't fighting, by the way, we were playing- big difference and she missed it!)
The only way to get away from her nervousness was to get rid of the leash.

I had a fun time, Mom got extra exercise, and everything worked out fine. But to you humans who get nervous- knock it off! Just a tap on the rump and a sit command will help take the nervousness down. Otherwise just let us play.

Famous

What's a famous dog, anyway? My Mom has a new book coming out at the end of the year called "The Dog Paw Chronicles." She has let me make comments on her life all the way through the book. She thinks I should be famous. But who really cares?

In all of our lives, the only thing that really matters is how we live it. I have tried to be a good dog. I think I've succeeded too, because I didn't eat any couches or shred any pillows. And I've only stolen food a couple of times (sorry Mom, you left it too close to the edge of the counter). Mostly I've tried to stay out of trouble and just be there for my Mom and Dad. They tell me they need me- I think scratching my ears makes them feel better when things aren't going so well.

Yesterday, for example, we went for a nice walk and passed by a really pretty pitbull. He is a really handsome dog, but for some reason he gives me the creeps. His bark is off. He doesn't bark just because he wants to or because he's nervous, he barks aggressively. I was able to use my body language to show Mom that we should stay away. None of the other dogs in the neighborhood bother me at all. In fact, I'd love to play with them! Mom noticed right away and steered us away from the problem. She really does need me!

For all you humans out there, try to live your life with caring and service to others. Love each other and be good to both people and animals.We all need each other!