A Dog Story: Trail Meditations With Louie

In 2008, we closed our practice and along with it went employees. I missed having them so much, I employed a dog walker, Gregory. He came with the recommendation of the Postlady, who after seeing what a raving lunatic my dog was when Louie greeted her at the door each day. Postlady suggested the furry mutt be walked more.

Not that I hadn't been doing it, Louie went out every night on a little suburban jaunt. I'd seen Greg before, always walking a pack of 4 dogs. I didn't give much thought to it, until he showed up at my door --apparently he'd been told by the Postlady that there was a part border collie, part shih tzu that needed some walking. He didn't believe such a mutt could exist, so he came to check Louie out.

Being that I was missing not having anyone to pay a weekly paycheck to, I agreed. Besides, Louie needed some socialization and had to get beyond his tendency to try to herd other dogs. He has all the tendencies of his father Dakota, a border collie and the brattiness of his mother Molly, a shih tzu.

Now, Greg is special. He's a trail blazer having hiked parts of the John Muir trail 103 times, as well as yearly ski trips. This is his retirement job, and to say it keeps him fitter than most is an understatement.

Seems Greg is our local dog whisperer. The blessed beast Louie is absolute rose petals under the direction of Greg. Louie now walks with the pack along the dirt trails. That is, unless Greg goes on vacation, then it's my job.

When he leaves, I have a lot of fun staying here. I love walking this furry beast beween 5 - 7 miles a day. It's a meditative experience, just Louie and me. Last week, I made the mistake of letting a neighbor tag along. She gabbed about all her problems, and seemed not to notice that there weren't just two of us, there were three. Any peaceful communication between the dog and me was gone, Louie was just an afterthought for her. She barreled up a hill, huffing and puffing. I noticed she was out of shape. Louie and I paced ourselves, and finally she figured out that it's better to do go at an easy pace than barrel ass only to find out there are more hills to come. And that's the life lesson you get when walking a trail maniac like Louie.

Anyway, we completed this lifeless stupid walk along asphalt that was mostly unshaded. While I can't vouch for what the dog was thinking, I was glad when it was over. Today, Greg comes back. He'll be glad to see Louie, and will find the mutt still in good shape. He'll take the M-Th shift, and I'll do the other three days.

By the way, upon the conclusion of our walk, the neighbor asked if we would walk with her a few days a week. I politely declined. Meditations are best done alone with my dog.