If pressed, my darling daughter would happily aver that her father and bonus mother were not condo people. I would have agreed until we tried it. The transition has been difficult for the dogs. As I've repeatedly explained to our geriatric neighbors, the dogs are like children, moving is new and we cannot explain what is happening to them, they are scared when left alone. Give them a time and they'll adjust, and so it has come to pass.
What has been difficult for Mrs. T and I has been our transition to responsible dog owners. In days past we opened the door, tossed the dogs outside and left them to fend for themselves. That's no longer an option. Now it's Toad, 2 leashes and a pick up bag, rain or shine several times per day and upon command. My bride frequently reminds me that the dogs are my problem if it is dark, cold, inclement or inconvenient It could be worse, it's not cold yet.
The monsters still tell time and the younger begins my day with a cold nose and wet tongue licking my ear at 8 am. Since we are up and dressed to go outside at that unseemly hour we've decided to take a walk before breakfast. It is the walk which makes the whole dog in a condo thing worth doing.
In the matter of several days we decided upon our route. If we cross the street and cut through one dodge a walking trail awaits us. The trail circles the neighborhood lake, veers to the right and
takes us to the local copy of Seward Johnson's statue The Awakening. The path then circles back home. It's exactly a one mile walk.
On a treadmill its a 8-10 minute walk. Without a dog maybe 12, one dog 15 minutes, 2 dogs 30 minutes. The perfect way to start a day. The process is repeated at 4:30 pm.
Toad
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5 comments:
This is standard procedure for dog owners in most of Britain, even those with small gardens, amazingly. My second cousin, Ben, whom I only knew from emails found that their move from a ground floor flat to an upstairs flat complicated matters with their cats. He and partner wanted a holiday and needed a cat and plant sitter. Lucky me, they live in Nice and Easy Jet has a direct flight there from Newcastle...three weeks of emptying the litter box was a small price to pay!
Flights are available from the US if you are unable to come to their rescue next time
Ah bless ya Toad.
with a new dog of one month I am emulating yor routine, except that we have a large back yard but still reqires leashing the dog and the 3:00 AM walk is interrupting my rest. However, a small price to pay for a cute, loving rescue puppy. The older dog sleeps through the night.
As we prepare for our move overseas, I've been considering the changes our dog will encounter. He (and The Husband and The Children) will probably adjust just fine; it will be me who misses flinging the door open and listening for the 'bark'. The streets of London are not as conveniently navigated as the expansive gardens of the US.
MK I hope you find a place near the great parks and squares. You'll come to enjoy the walkies
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