This summer has been incredibly hot and humid – or at least that’s what our dogs, Birdy and Libby, tell us. They’re so disgusted with the weather that they will only go out for a few minutes at a time. Then, just as you settle down to do something, they’re at the back door demanding to be let in again. I mean, I can’t really blame them; it is much nicer in the house with the AC blasting, but this constant game of “in-and-out”, and, “out-and-in” has me quite bonkers. So, while we were blessed with an almost-autumnal Sunday, I decided that our two pampered pooches were going outside to play whether they liked it or not!
My husband told the kids that we were going to the dog park, and while he got them dressed and ready, I poured our coffee in to-go cups and started hunting for the dogs’ leashes. As soon as the fur-kids heard me digging in their bag, they started freaking out.
The dogs love when I go into their bag, especially now that they get to go on walks together. I used to have to walk them separately because I simply couldn’t hold on to two dogs on two leashes all at the same time. The dogs used to go in different directions and I would end up in the middle of the street looking like a human Gumby doll. But, I found some awesome new gear for owners of multiple dogs in the FetchDog catalog last spring. I was convinced that their product manager must have seen my Gumby impression during a drive-by, and decided to help a gal out!
Now, I can successfully walk them together, all by myself, in peace and quiet (i.e. without my husband and the kids tagging along.) If you want the same freedom, I highly recommend the following: Silverfoot Martingale Dog Collar, Knot-A-Long Double Dog Leash Coupler, and the Knot-A-Long Dog Leash. (See a similar product here.) When used together, Birdy and Libby can no longer pull in opposite directions, and the knot-a-long leash is super springy with an extra-cushy handle so I don’t have strap marks branded into my palm anymore!
But, I am forgetting my original story…so…We somehow managed to load everyone into the Flex, and made it down to the dog park in one piece. Lucky for us, it was a short ride, because the overpowering smell of hot, dog-breath was almost too much to bear before my first cup of coffee had gone down! But, our dog park is awesome, so it was all worthwhile. We are fortunate enough to have a place where the dogs can be off-leash in a completely fenced in park that resides on the Great South Bay. Watching your kids race your dogs in a wide open space is a beautiful way to start your day!
The dogs, and the kids, had loads of fun, and I’m pretty sure that all four of them would agree that the new water fountain for both humans and canines is by far the coolest attraction yet. Who would have known how much fun it could be to drink water “just like the dogs”? As we got ready to pack it in, we walked down to the water’s edge, and found another lovely surprise. A Horseshoe Crab had washed ashore and was stranded in the outgoing tide. I have always been incredibly fond of these “living fossils” because they remind me of my childhood at Sore Thumb.
My father used to take my sibllings and I for walks during low tide. At Sore Thumb, little lagoons form, and in May and June, you can watch tons of them mate in these temporary bodies of water. Unfortunately, Horsehoe Crabs are over-harvested, so Brennan picked it up and gently released it back into the bay where it belongs…
P.S. Like my dogs? They’re rescue dogs from a truly amazing non-profit organization, Another Chance For English Setters. Birdy is a tri-colored, English Setter mix; Libby is a liver-colored, pure-bred English Setter. To find out more about English Setters, click here.
Enjoy some fresh air,
Denine
cool photo with 2 dogs!