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Soo. I have been dog walking for the past 3 weeks, and I have one more week of it before jetting back into full Nat-ness. Well focused - hoping to be pro-triathlete Nat-ness. Ha. But for now, I am fund raising by walking the dogs.

It seems simple. I spend around 45 minutes driving around to various houses in the Doggy Taxi rounding the hounds up, once I have found a nice quiet trail-head, I open the bursting, parked car, and tear off through the woods for 45 - 60 minutes of acting like a dog myself. After which time, I round them up, clean them off (kinda), return them, tuckered-out to their homes. Then it’s off to the next group.

Easy-Peasy. Especially since they all know that I am ‘top dog’ and it’s old hat as it’s now my 3rd time walking… Day 1: Someone forgets to dis-arm their alarm. Sirens go off. I fail on my 3 strikes at guessing the password. Cops are on their way. I finally guess it, and we’re off and walking at last.
Day 2: The Dudette has all her stuff stolen while skiing, and with a few dogs in to, run to help.
Day 3: The dogmobile fails to start. I call someone at work, and they tell me that their might be jumpers in their garage, and if I find the neighbor he will have a key…

Day 4: I show up to walk a dog that I’m not scheduled to walk, and find that due to a washing machine mal-function the basement is flooding. I go to a grade school, borrow tools, stop the flood, and walk the dogs
Day 5: A delivery truck is stuck in the road. Being blocked in, well… I get out and help push.

Day 6: It snows 40cm overnight

So no, I haven’t been arrested (touch wood) this go around, but there haven’t been any quiet days either.

December 25th, I made 8 cat and dog visits…

For all the people whose dogs I walk, and you hear about how fluffy walked with dirty…. here is a quick dog-index. I only took the camera for 3 days, and some dogs just missed getting photog’d. Others, well, I guess I didn’t get the most flattering angle. Some dogs have more pictures than others, this does not reflect who my favorite pooch is (and you know who you are)

You can find more, and larger pictures on Flickr.com if you want

The DOT: Dot is a goofy cross between a black lab and a dust mop. Everyone seems to love her, and she always plays well, and comes when she’s called.

Tug: yes he’s Bulldog - which is stubborn. And endlessly entertaining, only desires to talk towards his house. Feigns laziness.

Kofax: a.k.a. Coco. Lives with Tug. Mellow, always very happy to see me, rarely barks, and will steal your stuffed animals if you leave them out.

Ted: Likes to lick. Barks a lot every time the car slows down. Very

enthusiastic licker. Loves to carry large sticks, usually by the very end. Ted lives with Gus.

Gus: Great Character. Also barks and licks a lot. Sometimes ‘roams’ which is why he wears a bell.

Terra: Always greets me at the door with a slipper or socks. Loves to wade in mud

Taylor: Lives with Zuban, who doesn’t play well and only has solo walks. Despite being small Taylor is rather feisty, and always able to get the younger, and larger dogs going (Coco, Dot, and Laika).

Laika: Is a rare breed German Hovawart dog. Always immaculately groomed, Laika likes to stalk the Dot.

Sirrus: Is a really fun and goofy poodle. Though he’s a full grown standard poodle, because he was rescued from a puppy farm and spent the first part of his life in a stall, he’s a still a little unstable, in the woods, but always a great character.

Rua: or Kanga-Rua is a cool, mellow dog, who makes the longest slobbers ever known. Rua is also brother to Kali.

Kali: Is a perfect well behaved lady. Runs when she needs to, and plays with Dot and the others when she doesn’t think that we’re watching

Rigby: Is a brown Lab, and I really do like the retrievers, so he’s got some bonus points there. He’s got great character, as you can see him demonstrating in this rather filthy stream. Riggers, or Rigatoni, lives with Fuzzy.

Fuzzy: Is another rescued dog. Super cute, even when he’s peed in the house, you can’t be annoyed at him. He’s also been mauled by a husky, and has scars all over from surviving that. When you take him for a walk, he’s a bit of a sleeper, feigning that he’s slow and tired but has an extra gear.

Kia: One of the best behaved dogs dogs. Never barks, never strays. I walk up the driveway, call, and Kia comes charging. Kia also has the most colorful collar.

Izzy: is another very well behaved dog. Though she sometimes is reluctant to leave the house, once we’re out the driveway, she’s never more than a few feet behind me. Her all-star attribute, is that she never walks ON snowshoes, and keeps the other dogs off of them. Thank you Izzy.

Emma: No matter how cold it is outside… even below minus 20, Emma finds some open water, and swims. She’s a good runner, but has to wear a muzzle in case we come across new dogs in the woods.

Everest: I don’t walk Everest very often, but he’s full of energy when he does come along

Cozmo: A Portuguese water dog, he’s a great guy, but he goes through the woods picking up sticks and things like Velcro.

Bender: A new addition for this winter. He’s a fun guy, but has been known to roam a little towards the end of walks.
Jasper: Part horse, part dog, Jasper’s joints are very very jacked up. He can only walk around 50m. at a stretch. He’s always smiling, and happy to see people and receive affection. He’s a really nice guy.

Nina: Very high energy, and doesn’t walk with us that often any more … so she is over the top excited to come out when she gets to join a walk.

Hazel: a well behaved, high energy dog. She dresses in the always fashionable (for vampires) crimson and black scheme.

Gypsy: Great dog, overshadowed by the youthful exuberance of her housemate, and walking partner Daisy.

Daisy: a high energy puppy. If you have a medium - high energy dog it will run a little more when Daisy is on the walk. She is hands down most ‘hyper’ of the group (looks innocent, no?)
Festo: Is a pretty mellow yellow lab who is well behaved. One friend who had the mis-fortune to fall over while snowshoeing found this big guy very quick to, uh, console her.

Pitney: A English Springer Spaniel, is high energy, and can be counted on to pee in the car once a week. But, the little runt is super cute, and plays well with the other dogs.

I also want to note that not every dog it walked every day. Weekdays there are usually 12-18 dogs spread over 3 walks. Walking groups are based on dogs location, energy level, and compatibility
Nat

Happy Christmas, and all th best to everyone in 2008
If anyone is wondering about Christmas cards… they’re not looking like they will be getting in the mail. I got 8 out, which is 8 more than last year. They weren’t really in any particular order…