Morning Dog Walk

A few weeks ago I started giving Crunch and John (aka the red dogs) serious morning walks. I realized that John was going to remain a squishy puppy until I start doing something. Also, if I’m ever to get serious about showing him he was in desperate need of road work to improve his gait. Crunch, John’s father, has a beautiful, effortless trot. I can see glimmers of that same movement in John, and I need to bring it out, the pieces are all there. A few weeks into this and I’m already seeing some improvement. There is a little less wiggle in his butt and much more economy in motion.

Crunch comes along because he loves to go on walks. Meanwhile, Rally stays home because she doesn’t. I figure that if a 13 year old dog doesn’t want to go on a walk, she doesn’t have to.

I walk the red dogs at around 7:00 am. It isn’t too hideously hot at that hour and Larry is still home so I don’t have to bring my entourage.

When it is time to go, John leaps and twirls about. Watching John’s antics is a little bittersweet. Crunch used to be the same, but his age (12 ½) has finally caught up with him. One of the workers at where I board the dogs commented about two years ago that Crunch’s energy levels have drooped to almost of that of a normal dog. Now Crunch just closely follows me about as I get ready to take them out. Mind you he does not tire on these walks, he is very fit and could seemly trot forever.

This morning was lovely. There was little humidity and the temperature was mid-70. It was my kind of weather. I grabbed the camera on my out. My subdivision is riddled with deer and I often seem them during my morning dog walk. Today I was not disappointed.

We sighted the deer at the end of the cul-de-sac where we normally turn around and head home. Usually I can get a little closer, but this particular pair was a little more wary. The deer that is further back is a buck and I find them to be not as comfortable around humans as the does. There is a doe that frequents my backyard that will not leave until I’m only ten feet away and waving my arms.


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Originally uploaded by Teckelcar.

The red dogs whined, but did not bark. They strained against their leashes, eager to give chase when the deer turned tail and bounded away. Once the deer were out of site Crunch focused on reading the p-mail around the mailboxes, but John still wanted to give chase. He eventually calmed down as we made our way home.