- April 18, 2024
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There’s no greater workout than pulling a grumpy, 180 pound Rottie up a bridge.
It was Monday around 4 p.m. and Bear, my overweight Rottweiler, was asleep on the couch.
Sure, for the average dog this would be nap time after a long afternoon chasing squirrels and frolicking through the backyard. But my backyard isn’t big enough for chasing and Bear isn’t the type to frolic. Bear is sleepy, from a long day of sleeping.
Now don’t get me wrong, Bear does get his exercise. Twice a day, I take him for a quick walk on one of the many trails my neighborhood “The Trails” has to offer. But lately, Bear hasn’t been as excited to take these walks as he used to be. It must be a time for a change in scenery.
I’ve been running the Granada Bridge pretty much every morning for the past two weeks now and I’ve noticed some fellow runners with happy, dog companions. And these dogs are healthy. Like straight out of a IAMS commercial healthy.
My dog is sort of like my chubby child and I want the best for him. Sitting on the couch and secretly eating my leftover Chili’s hasn’t been so good for my big guys stomach. Bear needed to get his health in order. Plus I’m tired of my boyfriend spreading rumors about his farts smelling like bad popcorn.
Monday evening, Bear and I leashed up drove over to Cassen Park. Bear, who had just woken up from one of his 15 naps, was excited for the car ride but immediately fell asleep in the backseat.
Once I woke him up with a few treats, we began our walk around the car. Cars were honking and people were passing us by so Bear was definitely awake.
Excited by the all the different views, Bear immediately started smelling/peeing on everything in sight. Though I had my little doggie waste bags ready, Bear thankfully didn’t go number two.
As we started to make our ascent up the bridge, he really began to take notice of the height by putting his face over the railing every few feet. It was cute until he got off his rhythm and knocked his head against a light post.
He shook that off and was fine for awhile until he start to startle himself. Now I’m aware that Bear can look intimidating from a stranger’s perspective but really my dog is a big baby. Not only is he afraid of small dogs that could easily fit in his mouth, but apparently even his own shadow on sidewalk can make him jump.
After walking down the bridge and around Rockefeller Gardens, Bear was starting to get worn out. Starting up the bridge again, he was falling way behind to a point where I was practically pulling him up. I swore he was about to sit down when a runner flew by and yelled “beautiful dog!” I guess that was just the self-esteem boost Bear needed because he started to pick up the pace and we eventually made it back to the car.
Though he practically fell asleep right at our front door, I think Bear enjoyed his walk around a different part of Ormond. And now that I know he has the decency not to poo in public, I might be showing him off a little more.
