Running Smart

Something interesting happened on our late afternoon run yesterday. About 3 minutes into the run we came upon a big condo building on the beach that had just been tented and fumigated for termites. The tent had just come off but the "danger fumigation" signs were still on the building and I didn't want us to run on the adjacent sidewalk like we normally do.

So as we approached I said to Muffin "let's go this way instead" and gently nudged her onto the sand about 20 feet from the chemical doused condos.

Twenty minutes later we're returning, running the opposite way approaching the building.

Muffin was now running ahead of me leash free.

Instead of taking the sidewalk as we always do, she stayed on the sand and avoided the building without me saying anything. 
She had remembered what we did earlier and did not need to be told again.
It was 20 minutes later, we approached from the opposite end, and 1000 times before had always taken the sidewalk adjacent to the building. This is one dog with real intelligence and at 7 years old she still easily outruns me.

muffin...morning workout

muffin...morning workout
Originally uploaded by dogulove

My little athlete loves to run and play ball.

Our Duncan (in Diaper) falls asleep on the red carpet

Duncan sleeps next to JLo during the red carpet photos

Nubbins Actually Not a Disabled Dog

In "The Back-Up Plan" Jennifer Lopez' character owns a socially conscious pet store. Hmm, now it's sounding interesting. I have a weekness for dog-centric movies–and this appears to fit the bill. Otherwise I would have steered far away from this one. Perhaps JLo would get along with our real-life wheelchair-bound, diaper-wearing, incontinent little pug–Duncan

Duncan–happy disabled boy

black pug in a white diaper

Nubbins–Wheelchair Dog Makes it Big

Nubbins–a boston terrier– shines a light on disabled dogs everywhere. We have a disabled pug named Duncan. A black dog in a white diaper.