Our Walks

If someone asked me if I enjoy walking, without a destination or company I would probably say “um no…”.
Walking dogs though is a completely different situation! There is rarely a rush, unless it is because a pup thinks it is going to get to someplace just a little faster then I can walk, but there are easy (sometimes) solutions for that. Whatever pace I choose is typically just fine with a dog, slow, fast, it doesn’t matter. If they get to check out the world, they are content at any speed.
Even though I talk to dogs more then I talk to people some days, or more accurately most days, its simply not required. I can talk endlessly to them and although I do get some funny looks, from the dogs and sometimes people.. they never judge my chatter or disagree with me! On those days where I just want to enjoy nature, dogs happily do the same. There are so many things we usually don’t take a minute to enjoy or are too focused on other things to notice. Just over the last month I have watched crows play, helped a very small garter snake get to a safe place, and a mouse (I know, I know but I personally find them adorable) and watched what appeared to be a very young woodpecker for this time of year fly from tree to tree looking for the right spot to find food, along with countless other birds and bunnies.
Walking with dogs I stop often, so they can sniff, and boy do they LOVE to sniff! Sniffing might just be what dogs do the most and on our walks they can, at their leisure, because these walks are for them and their enjoyment. I read something once that said not allowing a dog to sniff on a walk is the equivalent to asking a person to go on a beautiful scenic drive with their eyes closed (no peeking) and I instantly realized the truth in that statement so when life and time allows my dogs, and yours, get to sniff as much as they want as long as they aren’t pulling, if they are pulling to get to an unbelievable spot, I simply wait until they stop pulling and come back a bit to relax the leash, and then say “ok, go sniff!”. They do and then we carry on until the next unbelievable spot (two steps further into the park 😉).
 Dogs just enjoy life in the moment, I truly think us humans should do the same a little more often.