Walking Your Dog at Onion Creek

Walking Your Dog at Onion Creek

You’d think that it would be pretty simple to walk your dog along a rural road.  Not at Onion Creek.

I put on the extra “heavy duty” collar and hook up the leash.  That is, after I decide which of the dogs merits going “first."  They are bouncing all over and tripping not only themselves but almost knocking me down.  It’s like, “Whoa, settle down!”  Usually the first one who sits for even a nanosecond gets to go first.

Then we gingerly get off the front porch. (I am recovering from a broken ankle)  I do not want to be "dragged" off the porch by a dog that weighs more than half of what I weigh….  Ok, so far so good.  Now, we are walking down the driveway and on our way or so it seems. 

About the time we get to the end of the driveway, Squeaker kitty (calico striped female) comes barreling down the field that borders the street.  I bat at the cat to get the cat to “go home.”  She runs up the drive but then stops and sits.  Aha, I know what is coming next.  As soon as we begin walking again she will start to follow again.

So Kita and I set out in spite of the ‘company’ of the cat.  We set upon the road; going along at our own pace.  Meanwhile Squeaker is surreptitiously following along in the tree line about 15 feet away.  All of sudden, Panda Bear (black & white male) comes out of nowhere and dashes past us. 

When we get to our halfway mark Kita wants to cross the street.  We always cross the road so the dogs can sniff the big granite rocks our neighbors have protecting their driveway.  (Surely there are a lot of interesting things on those rocks to smell)  I have to tell him, "No." 

Kita strains at the leash and steps towards the pavement.  I have to pull his leash and tell him firmly again,“No!  There are two kitties with us and if we go across the street they will follow and it is too dangerous for kitties to cross the street.”  As if on cue, Squeaker strolls out to the middle of the road and sits there for a few minutes before she throws herself down and languidly rolls around.  Of course Kita looks at the cat and then at me and “huffs,” as if to say, “I can’t go across the street – why?”

At this point I decide it is best to get all the critters home before someone does get hurt.  So we turn around and begin walking home.  Panda dashes out in front again and then lay in wait… most likely for Squeaker who has finally decided to abandon the idea of being road kill and is once again sauntering along on parallel course in the tree line.

We go around a big tree that has partially blocked our view and here comes Honey Bear (apricot striped male) and he is poised to pounce on Panda who is waiting to pounce on Squeaker.

Eventually our little procession reaches the perimeter of our yard and Squeaker runs past at lightening speed to the porch – the “winner!”  It’s really all just a game to the cats.

Kita slumps onto the porch because he knows his walk has been “cut short” and then into the house with one last lingering glance, at Squeaker.