OT: Ahh . . . walkin' the dog.

[JS]

Just got back from hiking the forest trails with my chocolate lab Cocoa ("daddy and the dogging" we call ourselves). Taking our time through the forest, dappled, moving sunlight patterns on the ground, a cool fallish morning. It doesn't get much better than that.

Except maybe for a great UConn win.

The walk always brings memories of two-dog walks including Cocoa's larger compadre and idol, Potter (Potter J. Heartly; some purebred thing; no such highfalutin' moniker for Cocoa, who has a bit of something else, maybe dobie, in her).

Anyway, the walks were Potter's greatest joy, such that we called him Potter of the Forest. He had every combination and permutation of the miles of trails mapped out in his doggy brain and served as our decider en route. Potter unerringly selected the route least recently traveled.

If he hated to repeat routes any more often than necessary, he hated even more to retrace our steps on the same route, preferring to travel in elaborate, ever-changing loops.

If I insisted on going back, he'd punish me by taking numerous off-trail excursions along the way. These would serve to show how bored he was and also to get back at me by forcing me to untangle his 20 foot retractable leash from around trees, saplings and bushes. Then he'd look at me with the clear message "Next time, remember who's the decider."

He eventually got me trained.

 

[grizz36]

You want meaningful training? You need a pet bear.

 

[OneTrickPony]

My lab Sam and I...when we were both a little younger...used to run the cross country course together at my youngest son's high school. I'd do the 3 miles...maybe twice as much on weekends...and he's do about 4x that running ahead and coming back to see if I was still there. He'd wait at every fork in the path to be sure we weren't separated...he's 11 now going on 3!

 

[pap49cba]

Sorry, but if you look at my avatar you will know that I believe labs rule!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Biff]

 

[RadyLady]

Dogs are the greatest, aren't they? I don't think it much of an accident that UConn are the "Huskies"
Dogs are folks that love to play, love to eat, and love to love you - unconditionally. It doesn't get any better than that.

I love my dog...wish I could get another

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

We love our current 3 dogs - 2 shih tzus and one Coton de Tolear. All around 3 1/2 years old and all gotten the same day just over 3 years ago. We had had 3 dogs at one time before - never thought about the fact that they had come in one at a time. OTH, the bond between these 3 is completely different than any other dogs we have had.

And will always love and miss the other 4 dogs that have passed away and also the stray that was with us very briefly before running away again.

As a book we had about our first dog said, "Dogs just don't live long enough; their only fault really."

Thank you Icebearg, Winston, Magellan, Mistlesnow, Marco, Max, Penny and Buff.

 

[RadyLady]

Magellan - what a great name!

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Magellan - what a great name!

Magellan was our Cocker Spaniel, Icebearg our first was an American Eskimo and the vet said that Winston (the stray that was briefly with us) was an Eskimo / Cocker mix, so we couldn't resist. Mistlesnow was also an American Eskimo, he lived to be just past 17 (they are hardy dogs, Icebearg was 16 when he died). Marko was our first shih tzu, and when he died (too soon) we were without any dogs for a month. Terrible feeling.

All had longer "real" names, in fact Max is partly named after the Get Smart character, he is Sir Maxwell Samuel Smart.

 

[Icebear]

Icebearg, hmmm. It's 6:00am and I have my Java beside but the coffee is still brewing up stairs. Java is a tri color red miniature Aussie.