Today I stepped on the trail and it was calm and cool and the sun had not decided to take on the day yet. The sprinklers were not on and I did not have to navigate around them to avoid getting soaked. It was quiet with the exception of Eric Church and his songs filling my head. The doggies and I have discovered a new morning routine.
As soon as I grab my tennis shoes, they know. When I say the word “walk” they really get excited! My sweet girl Murphy will go to the door and sit like a statue and wait. My little chihuahua Ridley jumps up and begins to whine and wiggle with excitement. They have surely become my little walking buddies. I am not only doing it for me and my own health but for the doggies too.
Last week we spent four days in the house when a freak snowstorm in September decided to hit after multiple days of 90 degrees and higher weather. Murphy stared at me as I walked blisters into my heels from the treadmill. Note to self—throw away the “indoor” sneakers. They don’t like my feet. This year and 2020 is beginning to make we wonder if we are on our way to the apocalypse. The pandemic alone has been enough for the year but wildfires, hurricanes, freak snow storms, murder hornets etc etc. Enough is enough. But today we ventured outside! I am learning to observe the world from the other end of our double dog leash. I end up spending my time looking down at two wagging butts in front me. We usually sprint to the start of the green belt trail as both dogs whine and growl as we pass the house with the dog behind the fence. Yep. We have not seen this mysterious dog. We only know the dog from its rustle run behind the fence and vicious barks. I yank at the leash as I tell them both “no” and “leave it” and “seriously you two come on!” We do make it to the start of the trail. Although it takes additional tugs of the leash at the neighbor’s front yard. They love the smell of their grass.
We don’t get too far before Ridley has to poop. Sometimes we don’t make it ten steps from the house. But Ridley’s poop I can handle. It’s tiny like she is! Murphy on the other hand gets into the walk a bit further. She is such a spaz and overwhelmed by all of the smells she encounters. She usually poops mid run or lunge at something. It usually takes her off guard!
So as I walk, I watch my doggies and I watch them tackle the world from above and the other end of our double dog leash. They are so different and tackle the world in front of them so differently. Ridley allows Murphy to take the lead on the way out. She gets plowed sideways numerous times as Murphy makes a bee line to the other side of the trail and pushes her to get there. Ridley is very observant and navigates her little feet away from any water on the trail. Her little legs are only a few inches long and puddles become almost small swimming pools. Murphy, on the other hand. Plows through the pools and even laps up a mouthful of water before I can steer her away and hope she hasn’t swallowed giardia again!
Not only is Ridley observant of all standing water but she knows what creeps behind the fences and even before Murphy. She has the “tough girl and “little dog complex.” She thinks she can take on the world or any dog! Murphy will then realize something is behind that big old fence and will lunge in a furry as well which usually results in Ridley being dragged or somersaulted in the air. It really is quite embarrassing. I have to avoid every other dog on a leash and move over ten plus feet and stop and wait. When you approach my doggies as they sit there patiently waiting for the attack you think how well-behaved they appear. We waited today as an older gentleman that we see every day with his huge white Pyrenees dog walked towards us. The dog must weigh three times the man. My daughter always tells me to get the dogs out of the way of this monstrous dog. Frankly, I am not worried about the white Pyrenees. I am worried about my obnoxious dogs. The man was approaching us and said, “Wow. You have such well-behaved dogs.” I looked at him and smiled and told him no. As soon as he started to pass us, there went my crazy dogs! So embarrassing.
Murphy is completely ADD on the trail. She is here and there and “what is that” and “look over there.” I just want the doggies to walk side by side together. It is just a skill we are continuing to have to work on. I have to say that Murphy has improved since the beginning. When I first got her and she was still a puppy, she would keep her nose glued to the ground. When she really found a smell she was invested in, she went all down. She would drop and lay into it. I would then have to tug the lease and drag her to even get up! She has hound dog in her so it is part of her nature. Even though we still smell everything, a simple tug of the leash gets her back on track these days.
My two doggies are so different and each take on the world in different ways. Ridley is cautious and aware and she is on “kill any other dog” kind of mode. Murphy simply follows suit with a much bigger and louder bark when ultimately I think she just wants to play with the other dogs. Ridley skips around the pools of water as Murphy takes them on head first. Murphy is looking for all kinds of new smells while Ridleyis tracking the smell and knows we are almost home and speeds up her pace. If I was to tackle the world in the style of one of my sweet doggies, I would be a combination of the two. I would walk carefully enough to notice where things get murky and wet. I would be on guard to take on the world but not so much to bite instead of make new friends. I would definitely not put the “unidentified something” in my mouth! I would also remember to smell all of the smells. To take on the world with heightened senses and remember to be present. On these together mornings, I will continue to look down at their wiggle butts and how they tackle the world at the other end of my double dog leash.