Saturday, April 17, 2010

How to make your dog happy

If you ask Sparky, he will tell you, and his answer will be similar to that of most other dogs. 1. Be with me; 2. Do something with me; 3. Feed me. Dogs are more dependent on us than we are on them. Especially for companionship and entertainment. Sparky is now my #1 hiking buddy. No one since Emmylou has shown that level of enthusiasm for the trail. And being a young, goofy, boy dog, he shows his enthusiasm even more.

We did another 2 hour hike today. That's enough to tire him out, and more than enough for me. Of course he covers more ground than I do, although he's getting a lot better on the leash.

Sparky has developed a beautiful, sleek, shiny coat this spring. Black on top, some brown underneath.

We didn't encounter anyone on the trail today, and we usually don't, so we haven't really had much opportunity to work on social skills. I'm not sure Sparky has any. I need to try him with some other dogs again and other people too. He will let me do anything to him, but I don't think he extends that privilege to everyone.

The weather was beautiful today, just perfect. The air is full of pollen and the woods are full to ticks, but even that couldn't detract from a picture pefect day.

1 comment:

BudBuddy said...

Sometimes the loss of one dog gives another dog a chance to blossom, to become your new best hiking buddy. And there's nothing quite like the joie de vivre of a young rottie!