Just My Opinion - by Mary Kilen
How To Walk A Human
As the weather warms up, it is definitely time for us to get our Buddy out for walks. He has gotten a bit round. I’m not sure walking will slim him down from all the “love” he gets in the form of treats, but it can’t hurt.
It also can’t hurt Dale and I to get out and get some exercise. We, too, might have put on a few of those winter pounds.
I’m hoping the weather starts to cooperate. I’m also hoping our neighbors to the north get their wildfires under control and quit gifting us with the smoke that was hanging over the state last weekend. My allergies are already pushing me to the limit and that did not help at all.
That being said, I found this one on Facebook last week. It was titled “How To Walk A Human, A Dog’s Guide”. I will also point out that there are several of the items on this list that sound a lot like our Buddy as well as some of the dogs we have loved over the years.
It starts by pointing out that humans need exercise. If they don’t get it, they become “chubby” and it is up to the dog to save them.
1. Allow your human to tether themselves to you. This keeps them from wandering off or running away.
2. Your human will probably need breaks. Be considerate and stop and sniff often.
3. Bark frequently. Humans have short attention spans.
4. When you go to the bathroom, walk away. If you have trained your human correctly, they will pick it up.
5. Periodically drag your human as fast as you can. This is called interval training.
6. Do not allow your human to shorten the walk. They are being lazy. Sit in protest if you must.
7. Once back home, allow your human to remove their tether, then lick their face many times. This is positive reinforcement for a job well done.
Signs Of Summer
On Monday, the Stanley outdoor swimming pool opened for the season. I had checked in with the pool’s manager to see if they were still planning to open. It was awfully cool in the morning. There was some rain. Around 1:00 it was still only about 59 degrees and cloudy.
The Park District’s Facebook page had said they would be opening, so they decided to go ahead.
I really shouldn’t have been surprised to see four smiling faces in the pool when I got there shortly after opening. They were about to be joined by more smiling faces.
It made me cold to look at them, but I also know that there is something about that first day at the pool each summer. With the new pool, it has got to be even more tempting to be among the first to get in the water.
I picked up the family summer membership forms while I was there. I need to get those filled out so the kids can go as often as they want when they are here with us.
I guess I shouldn’t give those four boys too much grief. Last summer we took Abel and Jozie to the pool on one of those days that was less than ideal. It was their first trip to the new pool and we decided that they could go for a little while. We ended up being there most of the afternoon finding that the water was warm and the pool was so much fun.
If last summer was any indication, I expect to see the pool full or close to full almost every day it is open.