Whoa! Didja get the numbers off that truck?!?

April 08, 2004 - 8:50 p.m.

Walking the Dog

She sets quite a pace. We do a four mile loop. West on Douglas, south on Raynor to Glenwood. We take Glenwood to Cornelia where we head south to Mason. We take Mason back east, headed for Plainfield Road. We take that road southeast back to Douglas and then back home again.

There is always a cluster of little black girls with their hair done up in beads. They give Tan Dog lots of little girl lovin' with questions about her age and what kind of dog she is. She's always a bit baffled, she's not so used to short people but still loves the attention. But she's anxious to get back to walking.

She has these long dog claws that always need trimming. You'd think we were torturing her, based on the fuss she makes. It always takes two of us, one to hold her and one to do the deed. It takes repeated attempts but we manage to trim some off without biting the quick. She quickly forgets.

Walking like this tends to manage the growth, but she needs another trim. This weekend perhaps.

I take a plastic grocery bag with me, walking like this tends to bring on the poop. I wouldn't want Tan Dog souvenirs in my yard either. I have perfected the inside out dog turd grab, and it's always still warm. Now I'm left holding the bag, so to speak. Sometimes I can find a trash can along the way to make my deposit. Mostly I carry it all the way home, a present I carry. I spare some unknown homeowner the burdensome relic of Tan Dog's digestive system. You're welcome.

On the last few blocks home the Tan Dog doesn't tug so insistently on the leash, I can tell she's had her fill too. We return to the house where she takes a good long drink.

It used to be two dogs on leashes, when April was still with us. All it took was the squeak from the drawer where the leashes were kept, they'd both come running. With April, the word "walk" was all it took to pitch a frenzy. I walked them every day from January to April of 2002, when I had a lot of time on my hands. A four mile walk took a mere forty minutes. We were out early and always back by 7:30AM.

A dog's life is so simple.

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