Pure Joy

I took Joy on her first walk as a foster dog this morning. I had very low expectations, given that she had probably never been leash walked and seemed to have only a "feed me" level of human interaction.

The phrase "exceeded my expectations" has become such hackneyed corporate lingo that I hesitate to use it, but it's appropriate here. Yes, she tried to circle around me, tie me up in the leash, and cause my early death, but she didn't try too hard. I shortened up the leash (a plain slip lead), and kept her to my left side, and she soon accepted that and mostly stayed there. She never really tried to drag me or pull me; it was just a matter of us agreeing on where she would walk. 

I had to pull her into the crate in the van, and pull her out again once we got to the park, and back in again when we were leaving, but once we got back home she jumped out on her own. Given that this was the first time for all of this, I think she did really well. I'll admit to thinking that labs aren't always the brightest bulbs, but this girl seems like a quick study. 

I was pretty certain that she would enjoy this walk and she did. I was equally certain that I would not enjoy it, but I was happy to be mistaken. 

I've purposefully included my leg in a lot of these pictures even when I could have cropped me out, to show her position while we were walking. Note the slack in the leash too.