10 things that make scenic-route walks with dogs more enjoyable
Yes, your dog will sniff the same patch of grass for five hours, but this walk can be fun for you too
There’s a 99% possibility that if I have an email inbox full of starred messages and my Google Tasks look like a scroll, my Hound mix Junee will want to take the longest strolls around unfamiliar neighborhood blocks. However, when I’m twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do, she does a 90-degree turn at the end of the block and wants that square-shaped walk to end pronto so she can return to her human-sized dog couch. She even has the audacity to curl in the corner and take a nap as if we ran a marathon.
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Besides wanting to dodge rain, I’m usually confused about why Junee prefers to walk around the entire city of Chicago one day and is over it the next. She’s the only dog I’ve ever known who will pace back and forth, insisting she go outside to see Juneteenth or Fourth of July fireworks. Nothing about her makes sense to me — minus one thing.
My suspicion is she senses when I’m overworked and feels like I need a break. Her walking expeditions certainly come in handy when I’m aggravated and meditation doesn’t do the trick. But during those walks that for e me to leave my laptop, I often find myself choosing something on my YouTube “Watch Later” list, streaming a movie or TV show I never finished, or responding to those starred messages on my smartphone.
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What dog owners really should be doing is these 10 things instead to make the most of dog walks down that one weird block you’ve never seen. You could potentially get some home decor and gardening ideas, along with taking a much-needed break.
10 things to entertain dog owners during long walks
1. Judge front yard personalities
This was my favorite part of house-shopping, especially in still-furnished homes. I walked into some memorable condos and front yards, and I created scenarios to make sense of what was in front of me. I also realized that fairy gardens are very much a regional hobby, judging from a past walk with a relative.
She wanted to snap photographs of every fairy garden she saw while I was so used to seeing them to the point I hadn’t bothered to admire how creative they are.
2. Rate mailboxes, book donation boxes and food donation boxes
Even if you’re not interested in reading any of the books inside of a Little Free Library and the food inside the donation bins doesn’t look appetizing, sometimes the craftsmanship alone is worth stopping to admire.
