Summertime in New Jersey is usually a hot and humid affair. This summer of 2010 is no exception, but for one spectacularly glorious week in late June, best described by my husband as "California weather." Being a dogwalker means you are outside in all kinds of weather, good or bad. I have always said that as long as you dress accordingly, it's all good, but sometimes the dogs beg to differ.
Two of my newest clients, Kramer and Adorabella, have vastly different opinions about walking in the heat. Kramer, a 6-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is a real trooper, while Adorabella, a 5-month-old Puggle, who looks more Duggle (dachsund/beagle), loathes it. Kramer is a true adventurer who is undaunted by anything that comes from the heavens. If you're looking for a dog to accompany you on your climb up Mt. Everest, get 4 little doggie snowshoes and you can count this boy in! I have no doubt that come this winter, all I'll need to do is hook him to a sled, yell "mush" and we'll be off! Put him in the jungle with a pith helmet on his head and without batting an eye he'll turn into Albert Schweitzer barking, "Dr. Livingston, I presume." On a recent rainy afternoon, Wally (my westie) and I got Kramer ready for his first walk in the rain. I had some reservations about his reaction to the wet stuff, but Kramer was his usual intrepid self. He stopped for a nanosecond to take note of this new phenomenon, then pointed his paw skyward and announced, "Time's a-wastin'! There are squirrels to be chased! Vamanos!!" And off we went! (This boy is extraordinarily talented; he even speaks Spanish!!)
As much as Kramer is an up-for-anything kind of guy, Adorabella, on the other hand, can be quite the prima donna. Let me set the scene. It was during an early week in July and the temperature never dipped below 102 degrees Farenheit and on some days even went as high as 105 degrees. To say that you could fry an egg on the sidewalk is a colossal understatement. On this particularly steamy afternoon you could poach a moose in a kiddie pool, and little Adorabella was not amused! Now, I should tell you that this girl is full of personality and most definitely has a mind of her own. She hates walking in the rain (hmmm...I think I see a pattern evolving here; a definite aversion to any kind of moist weather. I'm thinking that snow will not be a favorite either!), is not always thrilled with walking on a leash, but loves to eat. Did I say loves to eat? Let me say that again, loooooves to eat!! This girl can polish off a bowl of kibble faster than Lindsay Lohan can say, "Let's party!" Recently, Adorabella learned how to sit and give her paw, but in her haste to get the treat she sits and shoots out her paw, simultaneously. She knows that "paw" comes after "sit", so she figures "why waste time?, just fork over the treat now!" In short, as soon as she hears "sit, she gives you a "Sieg Heil" while opening her mouth for the treat. Like I said, this girl loves to eat!
Anyway, back to our hot and humid July afternoon. Adorabella was her usual bubbly, affectionate self when Wally and I arrived at her house. We leashed her up and headed outside and that's when her mood quickly turned sour. She took a few steps, stopped cold, sniffed the air, and her expression said it all. "Are you kidding me?!", she whined. "What is wrong with you? I just spent the entire morning flat-ironing my fur from the tops of my ears to the tip of my tail and now I'm gonna frizz up like a friggin' poodle!" Safe to say, Adorabella was not happy. She walked a few feet further then huffed, "We-ell, if we're not going back inside, then you can just carry me!", and she refused to walk another step.
Now, this was not the first time this little princess had put on the brakes, and I have the rock solid right bicep to prove it. Oh, don't get me wrong, this chick loves to walk outside, but all the elements must be in perfect harmony. The temperature must not be over 82 degrees F with less than 70% humidity. For every degree above 82, she will walk 15 feet less, and as the humidity increases, well, it's kind of like the wind chill factor. You get the idea. When the weather meets all of her requirements, she will happily chase leaves and carry pine cones and sticks all the live-long day! Sometimes I walk Kramer and Adorabella together, along with Wally, and I had hoped that some of the boys' ruggedness would rub off on our little diva, but no such luck. And therein lies the lesson to be learned from this tale. There's no getting around the fact that men and women are inherently different. Doesn't matter if you're human, canine or orangutan, Mars and Venus will always see things differently, and that's a good thing. What's that old saying...Variety is the spice of life. Sure works for me!
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