Fall hazards

This is the best time of year for hiking so I've been trying to do more of it. For myself I'm hoping to drop some more weight, but it's also an opportunity to bond with the dogs, particularly Bailey who is still new, and Dodger, who is still fearful. 

Wednesday I took Della and Bailey. It's hard not to take Della. She insists on it and besides, she's fun to walk. On that particular walk she and I had some disagreements about the purpose of walking, however. I was wanting to get in some miles and wanted to move a bit faster than our usual, leisurely pace. Della wants to stop and sniff every 10 feet or so, and she's in no particular rush between those stops. We managed to get in a little over 3.5 miles before daylight failed us, but I felt like I was dragging her along. Bailey walks right next to me and will go as fast as I want. Della goes only as fast as Della wants.

3.66 miles

Thursday I snuck out with Bailey and Dodger. I told myself that Della had walked the day before and truthfully she did seem pretty content to stay home. She had spent several hours outdoors laying in the sun, so when she came in she was content to settle down on her bed for the rest of the afternoon.

The last time I walked Dodger I had felt like I was dragging him along like I did with Della. He also likes to stop, sniff, and pee, plus he prefers to keep some distance between himself and me. To avoid that, I put a gentle leader on him like the one I use on Bailey. He didn't fight it and leading him that way gave me better control and kept him close to me, moving at my pace. Of course I had a second leash on him as well, attached to a harness, for my own peace of mind. 

It was a chilly day and I was a bit underdressed for the weather, so I had an incentive to move and keep moving. And so we did, for a bit more than five miles. The trails were covered by several inches of leaves in many places but I didn't have too much difficulty following the trail. The dogs probably could do it by smell, but I had to rely on my eyesight to follow that slightly concave linear ribbon through the woods. Although I was wanting to walk faster than usual, safety concerns countered my need for speed. The thick layer of fallen leaves completely covered the rocks and tree roots that are so common on the trails. I stubbed my toe several times, stumbled once, but never fell, thanks to being a bit cautious and quite lucky. 

Bailey had both ears up for a lot of walk.

5.17 miles