Friday run

It occurred to me today, as Cosmo, T'bo and I did our Friday morning run, that I love my dog. I adore this guy. He has been the best running partner ever - always engaged and motivated. He keeps me going. We did only our 2.5 mile route - that is far enough for T'bo. He ran at the very end of his leash, as far behind me as he could get. I just don't understand this. He isn't stressed, he just drags his ass, lollygagging. Cosmo maintains our pace, nicely slacked leash, his head aligned right with my right thigh. Running with this dog is a joy.

T'bo will be returning to his home early next week. Then it will be time for Cosmo and I to up our distance and work on a little speed.

***Edited to add: Don't bother writing me about how my dog is too skinny. He's a greyhound, for crying out loud. He is a greyhound who is active and at his proper weight. And he is a greyhound that will go out and lay down a pace over six miles. Want to try to hang with him over six miles? (That is a rhetorical question because I know some of you runners could hang with him without hardly breaking a sweat, but I am talking trash to all those non-running, fat dog owners who always look at me like I am starving my dog) He only looks skinny because by comparison, most dogs are too fat.***

Mid week run

The only thing I will complain about more than the temperatures being below 50? The temperatures above 60. No satisfying me :-) Not a cloud in the sky - temps gonna be over 80 today.

Ideally, Momo, Bobo (no comments please, I know it is dorky) and I would have been out running at 7 am. But I had workers coming at 8 am. My plan was to let them in the house, take off for our half hour run before it got too warm. Did they show at 8? No. Did they show at 8:30? No. Did they show at 9? No. 9:11. I waited around and then the husb said he would stay until they showed so we could get out before it was too hot. We went out at 8:30. It wasn't too bad for me but the dogs really felt it, especially T'Bo. Momo is more used to it and can handle it better. We did 2.5 miles slow with a walk break at about 1.25 miles. Honestly, even warm, if it had been just me and Mo, we would have done the 3. I ended up draping a cool towel over T'bo for a few minutes when we got home to help him cool down.

T'Bo runs as far as he can behind me. I expected he would be a bit more competitive with Cosmo. He raced until he was 5 and I heard he was a moneymaker. When a friend and her greyhound run with me, both her dog, Wil and Cosmo run out ahead of us, neck and neck. They aren't willing to let the other one go ahead. That is funny because both Wil and Cosmo were unsuccessful racers. T'Bo, who was successful, seems to have no competitive drive to stay with Cosmo. Just goes to show, you never can tell.

Oh, while I think of it......shout out to the sanitation workers who took the filled poop bags I was running with. Those guys rawk! And also to our local school bus driver who will practically drive up on someone's lawn to give me and the dogs a wide enough berth on the street. Makes a nice change from those nimrods who like to go by me so close I can see my reflection in their side mirrors.....

Runs with dogs

We have a visitor here at casa ala RWD - T'Bo. He is a bounceback from a chaotic home. We are watching him while his foster person is on vacation. The backstory is he attacked his owner. *shrugs* I always take those type of stories with a large grain of salt. Not to say that T'Bo doesn't have his issues. He has growled and raised his lip to the person fostering him. He has snapped, made contact but didn't break the skin of her husband. T is on 'the nothing is free' doggy bootcamp plan :-) There is a long list of what he cannot do. No furniture priviledges. Last to be fed. Last for treats. Last in and out the door. Some of his issues seem to center around his space and not liking to be told to move. He is regularly displaced and moved from bed to bed. He is also on my own little personal doggy rehab plan - exhaust the hell out of them and then they are too tired to misbehave, hence the title 'Runs with dogs' :-)

He seems to be taking all this in stride and is a happy go lucky, sweet, energetic boy, very willing to take direction. I would adopt him in a heartbeat, if I could. Unfortunately, because he is now 'labeled' a biter, the liability issues are such it is uncertain if he will ever be adopted out or will just live as a permanent foster :-( I think he should go live at Casa ala 4crazygreys. They love 'biters' over there :- )

T raced until he was 5 and has been off the track for 2 years. His musclature is almost that of a track dog. The boy is ripped to shreds :-) His foster home has been running with him, and got him up to a mile. I have done almost 3 with him, taking a walking break about half way through. He did absolutely fine, only starting to lag during the last half mile. It was spectacularly easy running with both him and Cosmo. We will be heading out again this morning to hit that pavement.