New Company

Running partners are the best. I’m lucky to have found running partners that make me laugh and have been there for me when I really needed a hug and a sympathetic ear. I can’t sum up in a few sentences what they mean to me, and I wouldn’t try in this space. I don’t write about the people I run with as not everyone wants their life narrated for the whole world on the internet by someone else. I have recently, however, found a running partner that doesn’t care what I write about him. I can tell you that he has bad breath and that he is out of shape and he won’t hold it against me. Let me introduce you to him. Here is Scout:

Scout is the beagle that we adopted from The Humane Society two summers ago. When he came to us he was affectionate but hadn’t been trained at all. He wasn’t house broken and did not know how to walk on a leash. The kids and I would try to take him for a walk and he would just lie down on the sidewalk. We would try to drag him, cajole him with treats, praise him, yell at him. While he’s come a long way and now walks very well on a leash and does his business outside, he still has a lot of energy and some bad habits. When the dog trainer we hired to help reminded us that we should be walking him each day, we all just looked at each other. Walking him on a beautiful summer day is one thing, but bundling up for a 40 minute walk in the winter on top of getting my own exercise each day just doesn’t sound like fun. When she suggested that I run with him, I was hesitant. This dog is all nose. Being yanked around while he sniffed after every scent as I’m trying to negotiate ice and snow would be a huge challenge.

Turns out I was all wrong. The trainer told me about Stunt Puppy:

This leash attaches around the waist so there is no arm pulling. After a trip to the running store to get one, Scout and I were ready to begin our new relationship. It turns out that Scout is a great running partner! I attached the Stunt Puppy to his Gentle Leader and the dog was completely transformed. He runs right beside me like a perfect gentleman.Yes, he has bad breath, but he doesn’t complain about the cold and is always excited about heading out the door. The best part is that after taking a turn as my running partner, he’s ready to take a turn as my napping partner.

While Scout is trim, he needs to build up his endurance and toughen up his paws a little bit. We’ve been running two miles together after I get done with my regular workout. Maybe by the summer he will be able to join me for my regular runs. That would be great because right now the extra laundry is terrible! After my regular run or workout, I’m too sweaty and wet to head back out into the cold with Scout so I have to change into a whole new set of running clothes. Twice the laundry! It’s worth it, though. The dog is much calmer and that helps with the rest of his training. We’re trying to train him to ring a bell when he wants to go out and not to bowl people over when they come to the front door. That all seems a little out of his league, but I thought running would be too hard for him, too. Who knows what’s possible? I wish you all running partners with boundless enthusiasm and bad breath!