Get a Dog

Okay, so that was kind of bossy, but there are advantages to owning an animal (or dog-sitting, as the case may be) that needs to be walked.

A good friend of mine has quite a menagerie, and reluctantly, she has had to find homes for some of her pets. So, for the time being, we are taking care of her German Shepherd . . . her fully-grown, well-behaved German Shepherd, I might add.

He is a sweetheart and that helps a lot.

We do not have a fenced-in backyard. And as it turns out, that’s a very good thing.

My daughter is the prime caregiver of said “puppy,” but I do try to walk him at least once per day. I am not a huge fan of cardio exercise as you may know (being asthmatic doesn’t help), but necessity really is the motherhood of invention or, in my case, motivation.

It is still snowy and icy where I live. Even so, I enjoy my time out with Tyr. And I am REALLY looking forward to the springtime this year. Clear sidewalks. Walking side-by-side rather than bending over so I can hold the lead and walk single file. No winter boots and coats. Yep, definitely looking forward to it.

This dog loves to walk, but he really is a couch potato – literally. That’s where he sleeps when no one is around. I guess that’s okay. (grin)

He may be interested in running around the dog park and making new friends when the weather gets better. (Remember, he comes from a houseful of other animals.) However, he is not the “let’s play, let’s play, let’s play” type. But some dogs are.

And if you have trouble getting your cardio in unless you trick yourself, playing with an energetic pooch and trying to tire him out may not even seem like work.

Hint: Standing in one place and throwing a Frisbee or stick for said dog to retrieve is not really cardio – not for you at least.

While we don’t think this is Tyr’s forever home, we will be sad to see him go. It didn’t take long for him to work his way into our hearts.

When the right owner comes along, I will definitely have to keep up this new habit of getting outside every day.

Hmm, should I start a dog-walking business?