Even Therapy Dogs Need a Break

Doc and I like to practice what we preach, so we took a well-deserved break from work, chores and training.  We were both exhausted and our brains were fried from all the thinking and physical labor we had to do all week. So, on Sunday afternoon, when I saw Doc putting on her tennis shoes, I knew we were going for a walk.

Walking is one of my favorite things to do because dogs get most of their information through their nose. There is nothing more stimulating to a dog than letting them sniff. We don’t need fancy scientific equipment to preserve and test DNA or other spy tools, we just use our nose and that tells us everything we need to know. So, I was excited to go and see what information had been left behind for me to decode along the way.

We started out in our neighborhood, and it was a very pleasant fall day. We headed to one of my favorite parks that has a big wetland that is filled with frogs, fish, ducks, lily pads and a few white Egrets with long legs that were wading in the water. I wanted to jump in and chase them, but Doc put the kibosh on that idea. As many people use the parks, I became startled when someone on a bicycle used their bell to let us know they were passing. It startled me so much I jumped out of the way. Since I am still young there are sounds I have never heard that I am getting used to. A jogger going by got a kick out of my reaction and waved, smiled and called me a good dog. I also saw a bunch of kids playing a soccer match and if Doc hadn’t been with me, I would have loved to have gone on the field to chase that soccer ball.

After we were gone about 50 minutes, it was time to head back to the house. We walked about three miles, and we both felt better after taking a break in nature and getting some exercise to clear our heads. It’s easy to make excuses not to take time for ourselves, but it is so important for both our physical and mental health.