This article is why everyday people walk dogs.
So much so that walking with these people and taking my dog for his two walks per day has also just become a lifestyle for me. Time spent with my dog takes time away from the pub, or restaurant, or Pokemon, but I am happy to do that. It is no longer a sacrifice, it is what I do, how it defines me and my dog.
And at the end of all of this, I have the lovely walks in nature, with a wide variety of dogs and dog owners I can converse with. The dog park, is my 'golf course' without any of that annoying looking for golf balls in the rough. Walking a dog in an off lead dog park doesn't spoil my walk, it enhances it.
so even in winter, when the rain is coming down, and the chill is in the air (in the southern states in Australia), I take a quick mind check to why I do this every day, and have to sometimes remind myself that its actually for my dog and not myself !
The worst thing is seeing people drag a dog around with a glum expression on their face saying that its their son or daughters dog. They are doing it begrudgingly and the dog knows the walker doesn't want to be there. They are sapping all joy from the atmosphere and the experience. Dogs are very good at picking up on facial expressions and body language and the last thing a dog needs (besides not going to a park) is having someone there that is making the dog feel sad. So people all I can say, is suck it up and enjoy life. Your dog and your doctor will thank you for it.
