"Don't go thinking and thinking and thinking so much 'til you are losing your mind......You're twisted so tight now you can hardly talk. Get out in the daylight and go for a walk."
Thinkin' Steve Forbert
Thanks to a change in Tim's work schedule, I go for two walks most days, in the morning with Tim and the afternoon with Mandy. Dogs need to go for a walk everyday. We need to see and smell the world. We need stimulation. We need to feel the blood flowing through our body. It is a great bonding time with our pack. If we don't go for a walk, we get stressed and go a bit crazy. Then we can be labeled "bad dogs."
It seems to me that walking is equally therapeutic and necessary for humans. As Steve Forbert is saying in his song, it is a chance to forget your troubles and be in the moment. The repetitive action of walking is a type of meditation. It is such a simple, satisfying and lasting joy. You feel the blood flow down into your paws (or feet) and everything starts to flow better.
One of the benefits of a person having a dog is that it forces him/her (hopefully) to go for a walk. Even if you don't have a dog, I say go for a walk. Some people are a bit cut off from nature. Even if you are in an urban jungle, walking as an activity is nature itself and you're bound to get some glimpses of trees and grass.
I could go on and on. There are many benefits of walking I haven't touched on so maybe you, hounds and humans, can tell me the benefits of your walks.
Life is great when you are going for a walk.
8 comments:
I don't go for walks unless I have a dog companion (I lost my Yorkie several years ago and haven't had the heart to find another). Dogs are good for people. You help us to enjoy the bow-wowness of the nowness. :^]
I love going on walks. I usually walk nearly every day (unless I bike, but I prefer walking). I would love to have a dog to walk with since cats don't do walks, but I also enjoy walking with Alex. When I visit my parents, we always go on lots of walks together with their dogs.
Walks are great, aren't they! :)
Nala
Excellent advice!
Hey Ruby! We found your blog through Mango's today. We're HUGE advocates of walks. At LEAST once a day, if not many more. It helps us bond, cast our cares away, get all that great stimulation, socialization, and work off a little energy. We'd go crazy otherwise!
Great post!
Tail wags,
Stormy
PS: Mom's going to have that Steve Forbert song stuck in her head all day now. Ha roo roo roo!
Hi Ruby
I love a good walk. Mom takes me 2x a day, but my walks are quite short because of my short stature.
Love Ruby
I love that expression, "the bow-wowness of the nowness. It's good to see many walks are being had. Steph, maybe you could borrow a neighbour's dog to walk. There are a lot of dogs who don't get regular walks.
We love walks too - though Muzzle says my "walk" is mostly a run :-) It's a great chance for me to burn off some of the energy of youth for a while and Muzzle says it helps her to clear her head, relax, meet new people/other dog owners and appreciate the countryside around us.
According to Muzzle, in the summer/sunshine it's great to be out in the good weather, in the rainy, miserable weather, it's nice to get home again and settle in front of the fire with a hot cup of tea.
Those of you who don't have a dog of your own, do you have a rescue near you? In the UK at least, there are lots of rescues grateful for volunteer dog walkers. Muzzle used to volunteer at one - that's how she met one of my brothers.
Love,
Minnie-Moo a big fan of walking and running
xxx
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