a Taj MuttHall Dog Diary: Tiring Out the Dogs

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Tiring Out the Dogs

SUMMARY: Longggggg walk.

I try to walk a mile or so with the dogs every day. Really the last couple of years it's been more like 3-4 times a week (and sometimes other days without the dogs, like the 5-7 milers Wednesday evenings with the Sierra Club group).

Since I got back from Montreal, the dogs have been pestering pestering PESTERING me for more activity. I walked 2 miles with them Sunday, a mile and a half Monday, none Tuesday. Played and practiced pretty hard for about 15-20 minutes each in the yard daily, with some extra random fetch here and there. But they had a whole week of minimal activity backed up in their systems and I needed to get it out somehow.

Last night, the Wednesday hike wound through the walkways, paths, and streets of Palo Alto and Stanford University, and dogs are legal. So I took the merle girls for the first time. According to my pedometer, we walked just under 8 miles, briskly, over about 2 and a half hours.

I haven't heard a thing from either dog all morning. It's 11:00 already. Not a peep, not a "here's a toy," not a "let's DO something", nothing! SOUNDLY snoozing dogs.

I only hope they can work in class this evening.

Good workout for them. Should do more often.

2 comments:

  1. Ok, I'm laughing out loud. Literally. I've done the same with my Sheltie Katie, when she makes me nuts by wanting so much attention. When I have the time, I give her all the attention she asks for and then some, out at a park or in the back yard. She sleeps in the next morning so I can too. Lately, I've even resorted to taking her for a car ride (!) to settle her down when she's wound up. Just like a toddler I guess! Such fun!

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  2. My dogs love going for a ride, too, although I think it's mostly in anticipation of doing something at the other end--they're usually in their crates and can't see anything outside. It does seem to take a little of the edge off, but not much.

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