Dog Walking Realities

As it has been consistently above 90F here for the last couple of weeks, I think I need to give into the fact that summer has come to the Houston area. I have been considering giving up the morning walk with the dogs because I tend to be very glowy (remember - women don't sweat, they glow) by the time we get back to the cool of the house. Two things are holding me back. One is that I need to keep up the walks, no matter how long or short just to keep myself moving. The other is that if we didn't do long walks at least one a day, how will the dogs know how to get home if they get out of the yard? The former point is a universal but the latter is a necessity of life.

To illustrate my point, let me tell you a story.

Alex and the girls were really antsy one night. They didn't sleep for more than an hour at a time and they kept wanting to go out in the middle of the night. I was also restless, maybe due to a change in the weather, so at about 4:00 am I gave up on any more sleep and got up to feed them their morning meal and take them for their walk. By about 4:30 am we had made it about a block from home when Alex, somehow, slipped his collar. He thought he was so clever and proceeded to bound around on everyone's front lawns just out of my reach.

I live in an area where there trails behind the homes so the girls and I proceeded to the closest entrance to the trails. I figured that if I could get Alex to follow us, he would at least be off the street if a car came. We made it to the trail head and I let the girls off their leashes. They have been trained to walk off leash but I only let them do that on the trails ... too many temptations in front yards. The girls and I went onto the trail and I heard Alex's tags jingle as he followed us. At about fifty feet onto the trail I realised that it is VERY, VERY dark at 4:30 am and that the street lights did not penetrate the woods. Not deterred, the girls and I proceeded home on the trail while I called for Alex.

I couldn't see Alex or the girls, nor could I hear his tags and was wondering what the rescue folks would think about a new owner who lost her dog while on a walk. All of a sudden I heard Alex's distinctive howl, AROOO! AROOO! from up ahead. We came out at a street light only to see Alex sitting very nicely howling at my front door under the porch light. I called his name, he looked over his shoulder, turned back and continued to howl. LET ME IN!!! LET ME IN!!! The girls and I made it to the front door and Alex nearly turned himself inside out trying to get in the door first.

I have no idea how he made it home as I don't think he made it by us on the trail but I am convinced that the only way he knew how to get home was because of the long walks we had taken in the neighborhood.

So, even if you only have a 'yard dog' or one that spends most of their life in a kennel, get out there and walk them at least once a day. If they ever get out by accident they will know their way home. Also, quite frankly, your butt will thank you as well.

NECESSITIES OF DOG WALKING IN HOUSTON IN SUMMER

By my front door rest the following items:

Bug spray - an absolute necessity in an area prone to West Nie Virus.

Leash - Dogs must be leashed when walking with me.

Coffee Mug - preferably full of a nice cool beverage for all of us, just in case.

Pepper Spray - new this year after the attack on Alex earlier.

This is my first attempt at a 'Dogs on Thursday' post. Several people have made Thursdays Dog Day on their blog and I have decided to join. I hope the sewers out there are not disappointed.