Yes, I know that’s a phrase from an advert but it really, really fits with this post.
On Sunday we went to watch our eldest son play tag rugby. We were way up in the valleys. The wind was like ice but the scenery surrounding the rugby pitches was stunning. As we made our way over to the pitch my son was on I spotted a gorgeous brown and white Springer Spaniel. We’ve been pondering about getting a dog for a while so I find myself drawn to almost every dog I see. The dog spotted me looking and I automatically reached out my hand to pat its head.
‘Your dog is gorgeous’, I said to the owner.
‘You can have him’, she shot back, in a joking tone (tinged I thought with a hint of resentment).
‘We’ve been looking at getting a dog’, I replied.
‘Well don’t do it’, she retorted ‘They’re a tie and you know, you have to walk them REGARDLESS‘.
‘Er, okay, obviously I need to think a bit more about it’, and I patted the dog and hurried off to the pitch.
This exchange was so bizarre. Besides the fact that this woman obviously wasn’t keen on her dog (which baffled me, he was lovely) and probably shouldn’t have a dog, the other bit that bothered me was the bit about ‘walking the dog REGARDLESS‘.
Humans are endurance creatures. We are built to roam and walk and hunt and gather. Or at least we were. Our anatomy, physiology and bio-mechanics lend us so well to long stints of endurance activity. But somewhere along the line this has become an abnormal notion to us. So much so that the thought of getting out and being active for a couple of times a day is so clearly abhorrent to some of us, dog or no dog.
We were never designed to sit on the couch or slump on a sofa for hours. We have an amazing muscular system that is built to be stressed and developed for better function for our everyday lives. The human body is a phenomenal piece of kit and I just wish more people would realise that it’s not just dogs that need to get out for walks REGARDLESS but us too. Maybe that’s why dogs and humans are such a good fit, because we are both essentially endurance animals who need to be up and moving throughout the day.
So I guess what I’m trying to say is that woman on the rugby pitch and many more of us need to take a leaf out of our canine friends’ books and ‘Be More Dog’. It would be much better for so many of us.
(I think I’ve just answered my ‘do we want a dog?’ question).
Run My Own Way 
You do want a dog! And you should should take that lady’s dog!
Love the idea of be more dog in exercise!
Love this! I wish I could have a dog but sadly I don’t think London flats, and working long hours really fit with that- unless I could take him to work! Haha 🙂
I think I’m just in a different phase of life so it seems more feasible that we could have a dog. I don’t work long days in hospitals anymore, my work is more flexible and we live in a rural area. If we still lived in the city I don’t think I’d have one.
i agree with Beki, I really want a dog, but I think it will have to wait until I can afford not to have a job!
Well clearly you know my view on this! I would run with or without a dog but I’ve definitely done more than I would have done because I have Bracken. He’s the extra motivation I need to get out on a cold, wet winters morning when I’m tired. I love having him to run with and for the kids to play with. Yes it is a tie and can be frustrating but it’s a lifestyle decision and you just find a friendly dog walker/sitter to have him when needed.
Love having your view on this Ben. Years ago it would never have crossed my mind to have a dog but I think it’s what my family needs now, not just for me and running.