My daycare dogs go for a walk 3 times a day, and I gotta tell you, some walks are just more fun than others. This is largely dependent on the weather (everybody, please, I'm begging you...shovel your sidewalks!), and what dog's I have here for the day. Today was cold, but dry. Just the kind of weather that revs all the dogs up. And I had Whimsy, Olive, Bruce, Zachary, and Hannah. All under a year old, except Hannah, who's a year and a half, and all between 35 and 70 lbs. Having this many boisterous dogs in hand at one time makes for some interesting moments. Whimsy or Olive grabbing a stick, then wrestling each other for it. Zachary bounding along, trying to interest someone, anyone, in saying "Hi!" as we pass. Hannah focused on the trees, looking for squirrels. And handsome Bruce, the rock star, trotting along beside me, loose leash, like teacher's pet. When I can spare a hand to pat him on the head I'm rewarded with a big tail wag and some bouncy steps.
One of our favorite walks is through downtown Ann Arbor. There are low walls to hop up on and walk along, lots of people to greet, the scent of asian, italian, and greek cuisine, and, best of all, alleys. All the dogs pause, noses lifted, when we pass by the alley that runs between Liberty and Williams. Eyeing each other, they frequently try to make a break and follow their noses to the canine nirvana of day old alley pate. We weave, wobble, and bounce our way along, and it generally sounds something like this: "Whimsy! Olive! Girls, stop that! Hannah, honey, quit pulling. Zach, stay on this side, don't say "Hi". Good boy, Bruce!". Glances our way range from amused to horrified. One day as we passed by the downtown post office there was a dog tied up to the railing. I gave it a quick "hello" as we passed. We hadn't made it to the end of the block when a guy ran up to me, and in all seriousness said "Hey! You forgot one!". He didn't look quite convinced when I explained it wasn't "mine".
The dogs love their outings, and for the most part, so do I. Ann Arbor is a great town to walk around, and I love my little daycare buddies. But I'm no saint. By the time we're heading down the last block toward home, I'm more than ready to take everybody's leash off, fill up the water bowls, and pass out treats. It's just about this time that, as I have all the dog's waiting to cross the street ("wait" is the one thing they all do to perfection) someone walks by and says "Wow, what good dogs! Wish my dog behaved like that!". And I think, "Oh, you little angels!".
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