The Walk

"Want to go for a walk?" Silly question, of course they want to go for a walk. What I should be asking is, do I dare take them on a walk. It's just not as simple as most people would think. Sure, hook the leash on the well behaved dog who is patiently waiting, then he walks by your side without the slightest tug. Well, this is how it really is. Knowing what the answer is going to be before I even ask, you see, they know when I'm putting on my walking shoes, then they see the leashes. Already the barking has started, but I ask anyway, "Want to go on a walk?"

Oh yeah, they want to go alright! Oskar grabs the leash as I'm trying to hook it onto his collar and starts to pull in a tug of war sort of way. Archie is baying loudly and Jimmy is hopping around. I finally get the leash on Oskar and as I start hooking Jimmy's, Oskar grabs Jimmy's leash and begins pulling him. Archie is still baying loudly. Now it's Archie's turn, As I'm trying to hook his leash onto his collar, Jimmy and Oskar start leaving without us while Archie continues to bay..... loudly. I call the other two dogs back, pick up their leashes and Oksar starts in with his tug of war again. I'm trying to get the crazed dog to come along but he keeps pulling on the leash with his teeth while shaking his head. Archie is still baying loudly and Jimmy is getting all tangled up. This carries on for the first 5 minutes as I'm trying to walk, Oskar tugging Archie baying and Jimmy getting tangled. Did I mention Missy comes along? Can't leave her behind, she likes to run ahead and chase birds, which makes Oskar want to run too. He quits tugging and starts choking. He some how manages to make the weirdest strangling sounds. They're very indescribable, but he sounds like he's dying and gasping for his last breath. Archie is still baying....loudly. Then I notice our cat is following us. I swear it's like a three ring circus. All I want to do is go for a nice walk and I get a strangling dog whose hacking and coughing, a baying Beagle whose voice carries into the next canyon, and a cat that's tagging behind. Seriously, if I actually want to get some miles in, I have to sneak out of the house without the little dogs seeing me put on my walking shoes and holding a leash. Then, if I'm lucky enough to accomplish that, I'll take Missy and go for my walk...The only thing is, I still have to keep a watchful eye out for the cat....