08-02-2018, 07:41 AM
Maeve no longer wants to go for dog walks. She is nine years old. But I just think she could give a rats ass about getting some exercise. It's a struggle. Walking her is like dragging a fifty pound sack of cement behind me.
We are also at the end of firework season. so those still go off and frighten her. It also means she will only go left at the bottom of the driveway towards Deb's park. Because to the right, towards the radio tower, is where the fireworks go off. She is not going there. The walks into the park are slightly less of a struggle. Dani, meanwhile, just walks along at my side, on or off the leash.
Today we headed into the park and Maeve wasn't having it. She wanted to go around the circle and head back to the house. Nope. Then she wanted to take the turn towards the short path into the park. Nope. I need my steps. I needed to go up the hill. I dragged the dog along.
Dani was off the leash but was of no help. When she wasn't checking out things behind us, which caused Maeve to stop and wait for her, Dani was jumping on Maeve's back to release some sexual tension. It seemed like it took most of the morning just to get to the park.
Once, we are in the park and on a hiking path, I let Maeve go. The trail is narrow. There isn't a lot of place for to run to. And she knows to follow me. Sort of. I take her further along the trail than usual because I sense she wants to race back to the house. Eventually, I let her go. She dawdles but Maeve does follow me.
Our first stop, where I stop to let the dogs catch up, is Peanut Lake. It's a small, nasty lake that they top up with water every couple of nights. It's not deep. It's not fresh. But at least we have a water feature were people fish and catch crawdads. Yes, fish.
The dogs catch up. First Dani, and then Maeve the dawdler. I give them treats. I head off up the trail.
I turn around when I hear the barking. Now, I walk at this early hour to avoid any people when I let the dogs off the leash. But I have been bumping into a jogger who gets up early to avoid the heat as well. The dogs won't hurt him but they will annoy him. It could also be some coyotes, but it doesn't sound like their coyote bark.
Nope, the girls are barking at some lump on the ground. In the dark, I have no idea what it is. I take out my iPhone and turn on the light to find out what it is. At first I can't tell. It looks like a lump. Maybe it's food?
Then I realize it's a turtle escaping from Peanut Lake. And it's a good thirty or forty yards from the water. What's it doing way over here?
The dogs were incensed that this creature was in their domain. The walk was suspended until I could figure out what to do with the turtle.
Only one thing actually, I picked up the turtle and brought it back to the pond. This was a bit of an adventure since the water level was low and the banks were steep. I eventually found a place where I could lay down and put the turtle in the water. Problem solved. On with the walk.
The turtle wouldn't budge from the shallow water. The dogs could see the turtle and immediately resumed their investigation by jumping into the water next to the turtle. I dragged first one dog and then the other out of the water and away from the turtle. I pulled them away from the pond and released the dogs, trying to get them to follow me without their leashes.
That didn't work. They immediately returned to the turtle who still hand't moved. It was leash time. I usually only have to leash Maeve because Dani just follows us. Not this time. She went back into the water to chase the turtle who had by this time swam away. Dani decided to search in the water for this miscreant.
Eventually, I had both dogs under my control. I dragged them to the trail. They reluctantly went with me. At this point, the jogger showed up. The dogs started yelling at him.
Finally, I got to a point that I could release the hounds. They followed me. The walk continued. Turtle saga over.
As we looped back, we crossed the trail that led to Peanut Lake. I figured we were good since we were quite some distance from the pond. Surely, the dogs would follow me since I was heading back to the house and I had the chicken treats.
As is the case in so many instances, I thought wrong. When I turned around to make sure the dogs were with me, I found they had ditched me and gone back to continue their discussion with the turtle.
I found them at the lake. Maeve paced the bank while Dani waded in the water and searched among the reeds. Maeve knew it was time to go back on the leash so when I approached she backed away. The dog who couldn't keep up with me when I had her on the leash, now kept in front of me to avoid capture. Dani left the water and trotted at her sister's side.
We circled the lake. The dogs in front. Me behind. I knew eventually we would get to this cement culvert that would be impassible and I would be able to corral the dogs. For once I was right. Maeve tried to get around the culvert but was trapped. I got her leash on. Dani, meanwhile wandered off and fell into a large cement catch basin behind us that was full of water, too. She didn't seem to mind as I heard her lapping it up behind us.
Dani had to be rinsed off when we got home.
We are also at the end of firework season. so those still go off and frighten her. It also means she will only go left at the bottom of the driveway towards Deb's park. Because to the right, towards the radio tower, is where the fireworks go off. She is not going there. The walks into the park are slightly less of a struggle. Dani, meanwhile, just walks along at my side, on or off the leash.
Today we headed into the park and Maeve wasn't having it. She wanted to go around the circle and head back to the house. Nope. Then she wanted to take the turn towards the short path into the park. Nope. I need my steps. I needed to go up the hill. I dragged the dog along.
Dani was off the leash but was of no help. When she wasn't checking out things behind us, which caused Maeve to stop and wait for her, Dani was jumping on Maeve's back to release some sexual tension. It seemed like it took most of the morning just to get to the park.
Once, we are in the park and on a hiking path, I let Maeve go. The trail is narrow. There isn't a lot of place for to run to. And she knows to follow me. Sort of. I take her further along the trail than usual because I sense she wants to race back to the house. Eventually, I let her go. She dawdles but Maeve does follow me.
Our first stop, where I stop to let the dogs catch up, is Peanut Lake. It's a small, nasty lake that they top up with water every couple of nights. It's not deep. It's not fresh. But at least we have a water feature were people fish and catch crawdads. Yes, fish.
The dogs catch up. First Dani, and then Maeve the dawdler. I give them treats. I head off up the trail.
I turn around when I hear the barking. Now, I walk at this early hour to avoid any people when I let the dogs off the leash. But I have been bumping into a jogger who gets up early to avoid the heat as well. The dogs won't hurt him but they will annoy him. It could also be some coyotes, but it doesn't sound like their coyote bark.
Nope, the girls are barking at some lump on the ground. In the dark, I have no idea what it is. I take out my iPhone and turn on the light to find out what it is. At first I can't tell. It looks like a lump. Maybe it's food?
Then I realize it's a turtle escaping from Peanut Lake. And it's a good thirty or forty yards from the water. What's it doing way over here?
The dogs were incensed that this creature was in their domain. The walk was suspended until I could figure out what to do with the turtle.
Only one thing actually, I picked up the turtle and brought it back to the pond. This was a bit of an adventure since the water level was low and the banks were steep. I eventually found a place where I could lay down and put the turtle in the water. Problem solved. On with the walk.
The turtle wouldn't budge from the shallow water. The dogs could see the turtle and immediately resumed their investigation by jumping into the water next to the turtle. I dragged first one dog and then the other out of the water and away from the turtle. I pulled them away from the pond and released the dogs, trying to get them to follow me without their leashes.
That didn't work. They immediately returned to the turtle who still hand't moved. It was leash time. I usually only have to leash Maeve because Dani just follows us. Not this time. She went back into the water to chase the turtle who had by this time swam away. Dani decided to search in the water for this miscreant.
Eventually, I had both dogs under my control. I dragged them to the trail. They reluctantly went with me. At this point, the jogger showed up. The dogs started yelling at him.
Finally, I got to a point that I could release the hounds. They followed me. The walk continued. Turtle saga over.
As we looped back, we crossed the trail that led to Peanut Lake. I figured we were good since we were quite some distance from the pond. Surely, the dogs would follow me since I was heading back to the house and I had the chicken treats.
As is the case in so many instances, I thought wrong. When I turned around to make sure the dogs were with me, I found they had ditched me and gone back to continue their discussion with the turtle.
I found them at the lake. Maeve paced the bank while Dani waded in the water and searched among the reeds. Maeve knew it was time to go back on the leash so when I approached she backed away. The dog who couldn't keep up with me when I had her on the leash, now kept in front of me to avoid capture. Dani left the water and trotted at her sister's side.
We circled the lake. The dogs in front. Me behind. I knew eventually we would get to this cement culvert that would be impassible and I would be able to corral the dogs. For once I was right. Maeve tried to get around the culvert but was trapped. I got her leash on. Dani, meanwhile wandered off and fell into a large cement catch basin behind us that was full of water, too. She didn't seem to mind as I heard her lapping it up behind us.
Dani had to be rinsed off when we got home.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm