I’ve decided I love city dogs. In dense city sidewalks, I
see them wagging their tails, keeping up with their walkers, and still finding
an opportunity to do their doggie things – a quick sniff, greet, and even mark
while they keep pace with the rest of the crowd.
My suburban dogs don’t even come close to this. They amble along, wanting to check out every human and dog that comes close. They also love stopping to take their time to sniff and mark.
What’s the difference? While I’d like to blame the dogs, I know it’s really me. Me and too much space. If I lived in the city, my dogs would have to be better disciplined for their own safety. But in suburbia, there’s a much wider margin for error. So what if they fall out of heel? The suburban sidewalks are open and they can meander safely without getting pummeled by the crush of a crowd.
I once read that dogs see us as dogs too. As a dog, and hopefully as Alpha, my dogs look to me to see how much latitude they have. More often than not, I’m too generous, making them less than fully motivated to follow my commands. So I know it’s me that needs to be a city dog first. When I’m more disciplined, my dogs will be more disciplined too.
This will take a lot of treats – treats to encourage me to change, not the dogs! But I’ll keep thinking about the wonderful city dogs I’ve met so far on my vacation, marveling at their ability to easily blend into busy city life with perfect discipline. It’s a beautiful thing to see.
