Running with dogs

OK, So I don't actually run with them, but they run. I've been walking Maddie at a local park in town where it is a bit safer to let her run during the fall hunting season. People are not supposed to be hunting in that area so I put her orange vest on her and can let her go. A lot of people take their dogs up there to give them some exercise and although I believe technically you should have them on leash, most are not. Maddie LOVES to run and really NEEDS to get her energy out. Once she's had a good hour walk she is chill for the rest of the day, just the way we like it!
A couple weeks ago I ran into two women who were also walking their dogs up there and we walked together while the dogs played and ran. We all got along so well that we've been walking together whenever possible and the dogs, a Golden Retriever and a Wheaten Terrier along with Maddie who is a Belgian Tervuren Sheepdog just have a ball together. We meet every day we can so the dogs (and us by default) have a good hour walk/run.

Each day the dogs seem to find a lot to explore and often find things of interest. They have a spot with a double tree where the bottom makes a natural bowl so they can get a drink, they have returned first with little round burrs and more recently with long pointy ones that we talk about combing out of our respective dogs in the evenings. More recently a spot was found with something fowl (we believe turkey poop) and the other two dogs have rolled in it requiring baths. Until today I was very pleased with Maddie for not joining in and therefore not needing a bath. Today it was bath day. She ran ahead and when I saw her she was rolling on her back in the offending spot. I called her over, took one whiff and knew what the rest of the afternoon held for me. Luckily she is a great dog when it comes to baths and doesn't put up much of a struggle.

I love walking through the woods and seeing or hearing the turkeys on the ground, or as the other day, roosting in the trees. The little gifts they leave on the ground that the dogs can't seem to resist are a whole other story!

The beauty of it is, Northern Michigan woodlands are SO beautiful and there is SO much of interest in the woods that these little issues are really non-issues. The dog can be brushed (and it promotes bonding) and can be bathed. The time together running in the woods is irreplaceable and the joy of breathing fresh (fall in this case) air and experiencing the outdoors is what life is all about.