This weekend I went on a walk in the rain with a friend and her little dog. I've walked with other friends and their dogs, too, and it is always a different experience. Different, that is, from walking without a dog, when you can maintain any pace the other human is agreeable with. You might stop to admire the view or get a drink of water, but not to sniff and mark your territory.
So eager am I to have friends who like to walk that I will take them with or without their dogs. A big dog running free in the woods will pretty much take care of itself. You can maintain your pace as you like. Sometimes the dog will insist on getting between you and its owner on the trail, making conversation more difficult, but it's a minor annoyance.
A little dog on a leash, however, can really slow you down, especially trying to get through a barely-marked path in the woods on a rainy day. Rather than a walk, we had a stop-and-start meander as the owner struggled to untangle the dog's leash from trees and convince it to go in the right direction. The branches of sticker bushes snapped back into my face as the owner passed through, not having the energy to think of me as well as her dog.
When we got to a wide open path, things were easier. Outside of the periodic movement from one side of the dog's owner to the other in order to avoid getting tangled in the leash myself, we were able to carry on an intense conversation.
Until another dog sprinted toward us from the other end of the path. This dog was unleashed and three times the size of our little dog.
My friend always carries a big stick in case she has to chase other dogs away. She was also carrying a water bottle and the plastic bag of poop which has become a standard accessory item for all dog owners in these modern times.
My friend quickly put down everything she was carrying in order to pick up her little dog and hold it high for safety. Both dogs were yipping at each other, but neither snarled. My friend yelled at the big dog, telling it to go away.
Further down the path, that dog's owners were calling it fiercely. The big dog reluctantly left us to return and be leashed. His owners apologized as we passed them.
We all smiled. Dog owners always smile at each other. Minor incidents are easily forgiven.
