… I had one of those moments yesterday
Went out to walk the dogs and took my dear husband with me. We’d not got far before we had to walk along a narrow bit of pavement and saw a couple of people with three dogs headed the other way.
Anyway, they kindly crossed over with their wonderfully behaved dogs so we could continue along the pavement. We got to the end of the narrow bit that leads onto a wide verge and smiled and said hello and thanks to the people across the road with their dogs. Did I mention that their dogs were wonderfully behaved?
Just as we did that, my husband walked into a low hanging branch, whumped himself on the head and got his (very long) hair stuck a bit. I walked into it once and did the same with my curly hair and thankfully he was there to free me. I now duck at that point and usually shout “branch” to him – and usually get a “I know” sort of reply.
Only this time I didn’t shout branch as I was concentrating on our dogs and the other dogs and the road etc., so he forgot and got whacked. Just as he was thanking the people with their wonderfully behaved dogs. See above.
That was bad enough, but for some reason my youngest dog was EXTREMELY excited about the walk and being all silly and somehow, as we got onto the verge, she tripped me up/I fell over her. I am not sure quite what happened but I did a spectacular roll (husband said it looked like quite a cool judo move actually!) on the grass. The important part was that I managed to keep hold of both of the dogs I was holding, since we were right near the road. Embarrassing part was that the people were still right there, on the other side of the road. With their wonderfully behaved dogs
So we stood still and got everyone calmed down a bit before continuing with the walk, which went very well indeed considering its dire start. Now had the other people been dog walkers that we meet on a regular basis, who know that I can actually walk my dogs without falling over or my husband getting stuck on a tree, it would have been ok. We could have laughed together and they’d know it’s not my usual behaviour.
However I don’t think we’ve ever seen them before – must walk at different times usually I guess – so I just know they’ll have wandered away muttering about fair weather walkers or something. I just pray if I ever see them again that my dogs are trotting along nicely at my side and not rolling me onto the ground and looking at me as if to ask what are you doing down there mum?.
Unlikely the other walkers will ever read this – but if they do, I have only ever fallen over once before when walking dogs I think, and that was on very slippery ice this winter – and I managed to hold onto the dogs then too. I even managed to remain upright once years ago when one of my dogs tried to pull us both under a lorry.
Did give me a giggle as we did the rest of the walk though. I’m just thankful my husband was there as it would have been even more embarrassing had it been just me and the dogs.
Is this what they mean by an alpha roll I wonder? Joke by the way, not into that kind of “training” at all.
To end this post on a high note, a photo of the lovely Jasper running through a big puddle in the fields …
Jasper, having a splash!
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