I Never Forget the Dog's Name

 

That is what one dog walker out of the thousands in this city, which is known as the Forest City, London, Ontario, said to me after meeting her lovely lab mix. I named them Eskimo and Erica in the story. It is indeed harder to learn the owner's name, but generally, the dog is happy to see someone who interests them, and they will let you know very quickly if they don't like you or feel that either the dog or owner is threatened in any way.

For me, a dog isn't really a dog unless its head comes up to about my knee. Lots of people like little dogs, but to me they just seem loud and annoying, and they run and hide if you try to shoo them off, which I never do. A dog's size is up to the owner, but please don't dress them in clothes more suitable for a small child unless it is the cold of winter.

I don't have a dog, mostly because it is unfair to the lovely creature to be cooped up in an apartment when they need to run free, so dog parks are important for their well-being; if you are planning to take on the duty of owning a dog, look for them. They will be a significant member of your family and require love and attention, just like any child.

I saw that in action when I stopped by and visited the 3 lovely ladies of London West (can't divulge any of their real names). There was the owner, Marie, and the two very well-educated mixed pups I call Desi and Ronstadt, staying on the grass and not straying onto the road unless there was a fallen chestnut to be had. Apparently, chestnuts mess with the puppers "dogestive" system and leave that to their "master" to clean up. Most of the dogs in the neighbourhood are well behaved, but Marie prefers to walk hers only at night so there is less confrontation with the not-so-well-trained meaner dogs that are in every neighbourhood.

And when the toughest day of your life comes, when the wonderful member of your family crosses the Rainbow Bridge, as it is called with love and affection, do your best to be by their side and share the loyalty that they had during the short time you were together. They earned that right with their loyalty.

What I learned about dogs and their walkers

• They are committed to each other and require at least 3 trips a day to do their business, reading pmails, getting exercise and all that other stuff they do.
• Most every one of them will accept you if the dog makes the first move to you because those lovely creatures recognize the difference between good and bad people very quickly.
• Getting the dog away from highly processed dog food is just like humans eating too much highly processed human food. Both will be overweight and likely to have shorter lifespans than those who eat more whole foods. A good dog owner will prepare food at home that their dog can eat.
• There are lots of foods humans can eat that aren't good for dogs, and you can use AI to find out what they are. Our friend Gemini is very helpful in that type of question. I use Gemini to keep learning about just about anything and everything and to weed out questionable information.
• Regular dog walkers are generally in better shape than those who don't have a pet, and their disposition is also much friendlier, so learn from the dog and be good for each other.

Personally, I have all the time in the world to meet a dog and its walker, although that is a misnomer. I still haven't seen anyone really walk their dog. It is more like the dog is walking the owner, making the latter stop at whatever pmail seems interesting. Now if they only knew how to clean up after themselves. And if all dogs go to heaven, who gets to clean up after them?

Y'all have a wunnerful day. Good doggie, and nice to meet you, friendly dog walker person. And what was your name again? I do say that a lot lol.