while walking the dogs
For dogs, experiences tend to exist along a wide continuum. At one end of the continuum are things to be vigorously avoided; at the other end are thing to be eagerly sought out. There is much to be said for such a very simple and efficient approach to the world.
Dogs, however, aren’t great conceptual thinkers. A dog has no notion of ‘spring’ or ‘season.’ The revolving earth, the orbiting of the sun…these things are meaningless to the dog. This is what a dog knows: there are more walks; there are new and very interesting things to smell; there are more animals and birds to watch and maybe chase. On the continuum of experience, these are all things to be sought out. The dog doesn’t know why there are more walks and more things to smell and more animals to chase than before. Doesn’t know and doesn’t care. There just are.
On the continuum of experience, all walks are good. A walk on a leash is better than no walk. A walk off the leash, however, is better than a walk on the leash. A romp off-leash with a stick or a ball is farther still up the scale. The dog may not understand the concept of a continuum, but all dogs have a keen grasp of where specific experiences exist on that continuum.
So the seasons change and spring comes and we take the dogs out more often. We’re happy. The dogs are happy. And if we’re not happy for the same reasons, does it matter? Being together, outside, walking is sufficient unto itself.
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