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Walking with dogs
Mar. 17th, 2009 04:21 pmAs I mentioned to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
vatine over the weekend, Max is already helping me get out and about more. Over the weekend, we strolled/half-trotted to Pets At Home, to pick up some toenail clippers and a brush (and, as it turned out, more treats!). He behaved better than most of the other dogs in there, though I had to make him stop sniffing at a bizarre little Jack Russell-toy poodle mix who was scared of him. Sunday, we went to Wilkinson for replacement halogen bed lamp bulbs, and Ingvar waited outside with the dog. Though I eyed some other gardening supplies, I only snagged some bareroot Mirabilis jalapa,subtitled with the peculiar common name of "Japanese Wonder Flower"; I guess that's exotic enough, at any rate. The Andes in Japan?
Since the upstairs neighbors aren't using the front garden, I imagine they'll let me plant more stuff there if I'll take care of the grass. I'm still not sure I want to have more planting space enough to take over mowing, especially with the allergies. *scratches head* But I'm tempted to talk to them about it.
Max is getting desensitized to traffic, thank goodness. His old house was not on a busy road, and I got the impression that they weren't walking him around in more congested areas a lot.
He's also learned enough manners that he got to spend a good part of the morning and afternoon out on the patio, sunning himself. We still need to pick up some stuff to get the patio completely Max-proofed. The fencing we got needs some wood or similar to anchor it to the brickwork beside the stairs, and I'm going to put in a hefty trellis to block off the space under the stairs (and have more climbing room for plants). But, he's OK out there as long as I check on him periodically. Before I climbed in the shower, I made sure he was inside!
This afternoon, we went down to the town centre again, and picked up some more rawhide chewy things from Sam's 99p. Max still has some chewy bones somewhere, but has hidden them effectively enough that nobody can find them! With access to two rooms of the house. *shakes head* Ingvar and I both searched for them last night, and had no more luck than Max. He's working out a lot of nervous energy with his chewies, so it seemed like a good idea to get some more!
That was another pleasant walk, with sun again today. Half a dozen people stopped to admire Max and chat a bit, which has enough context built in that it's easy to deal with. (Easier than most instances of random passersby striking up conversations, at any rate!) Apparently, not that many people have seen doggy backpacks before, and we were getting a number of comments along the lines of "maybe we should get one of those!". Two guys in a van, given a good excuse to yell, opined that they "just can't believe you're making your dog carry a rucksack"--but if it hadn't been that, it would have been something else obnoxious. Bit different from the usual street harrassment!
Another benefit of walking around with a dog: you can talk to yourself all you like. *g* Granted, most of the time I really am talking to Max, but that's still a handy assumption!
I've been pleased that my health must have been improving quite a bit, because I'm not getting tired out nearly as quickly. It's been a while now since I've needed a nap. I must be building muscle again, and being in a shape to regain some stamina, because a two mile walk isn't leaving me knackered enough that I'm not sure I'll be able to make it the last quarter of the way. :) It's reassuring. If I'm not pretty much constantly on the move, there's something serious preventing it!
Yep, moving meditation works better for me, and Max has learned enough manners by now that walking around with him provides good opportunity for it.
vatine over the weekend, Max is already helping me get out and about more. Over the weekend, we strolled/half-trotted to Pets At Home, to pick up some toenail clippers and a brush (and, as it turned out, more treats!). He behaved better than most of the other dogs in there, though I had to make him stop sniffing at a bizarre little Jack Russell-toy poodle mix who was scared of him. Sunday, we went to Wilkinson for replacement halogen bed lamp bulbs, and Ingvar waited outside with the dog. Though I eyed some other gardening supplies, I only snagged some bareroot Mirabilis jalapa,subtitled with the peculiar common name of "Japanese Wonder Flower"; I guess that's exotic enough, at any rate. The Andes in Japan?Since the upstairs neighbors aren't using the front garden, I imagine they'll let me plant more stuff there if I'll take care of the grass. I'm still not sure I want to have more planting space enough to take over mowing, especially with the allergies. *scratches head* But I'm tempted to talk to them about it.
Max is getting desensitized to traffic, thank goodness. His old house was not on a busy road, and I got the impression that they weren't walking him around in more congested areas a lot.
He's also learned enough manners that he got to spend a good part of the morning and afternoon out on the patio, sunning himself. We still need to pick up some stuff to get the patio completely Max-proofed. The fencing we got needs some wood or similar to anchor it to the brickwork beside the stairs, and I'm going to put in a hefty trellis to block off the space under the stairs (and have more climbing room for plants). But, he's OK out there as long as I check on him periodically. Before I climbed in the shower, I made sure he was inside!
This afternoon, we went down to the town centre again, and picked up some more rawhide chewy things from Sam's 99p. Max still has some chewy bones somewhere, but has hidden them effectively enough that nobody can find them! With access to two rooms of the house. *shakes head* Ingvar and I both searched for them last night, and had no more luck than Max. He's working out a lot of nervous energy with his chewies, so it seemed like a good idea to get some more!
That was another pleasant walk, with sun again today. Half a dozen people stopped to admire Max and chat a bit, which has enough context built in that it's easy to deal with. (Easier than most instances of random passersby striking up conversations, at any rate!) Apparently, not that many people have seen doggy backpacks before, and we were getting a number of comments along the lines of "maybe we should get one of those!". Two guys in a van, given a good excuse to yell, opined that they "just can't believe you're making your dog carry a rucksack"--but if it hadn't been that, it would have been something else obnoxious. Bit different from the usual street harrassment!
Another benefit of walking around with a dog: you can talk to yourself all you like. *g* Granted, most of the time I really am talking to Max, but that's still a handy assumption!
I've been pleased that my health must have been improving quite a bit, because I'm not getting tired out nearly as quickly. It's been a while now since I've needed a nap. I must be building muscle again, and being in a shape to regain some stamina, because a two mile walk isn't leaving me knackered enough that I'm not sure I'll be able to make it the last quarter of the way. :) It's reassuring. If I'm not pretty much constantly on the move, there's something serious preventing it!
Yep, moving meditation works better for me, and Max has learned enough manners by now that walking around with him provides good opportunity for it.
