Downtown Dog Rescue

Anyone in downtown Burlington on Sunday saw me racing in the city's prestigious Downtown 10K. Yes, that's right -- me... racing in an official, sanctioned event!

There are two reasons why you are unlikely to see me in events like this. For one, often dogs aren't allowed. Even if they are, there is great potential for entanglements and mishaps when you combine lots of people, a yellow dog, and a leash all in one place. Reason number two is that my human seems to think he races faster without me.

Well, I proved everyone wrong on both counts. First off, I was perfectly behaved, particularly at the start of the race. And I ran fast for pretty much the whole race -- which I ran in about 43 minutes: under a 7-minute-per-mile pace! I will note that I said "pretty much the whole race." That is because I did make one pee stop and one sniff stop at bushes. I also stopped twice to slurp water in puddles, and, on two occasions, I tugged my human strongly in the direction of squirrels.

And there was one other delay. At the intersection of North Avenue and Haswell Street, a brown puppy -- I assume a spectator -- got over-excited, and decided to join me in the race. His legs were going a mile a minute (they were about a fifth the length of mine, and he swerved right into the street and into traffic. I didn't catch his name, but I tell you what: that puppy would surely have been hit out there. Although we were competing, my human and I looked both ways, scooped up the puppy (who by this time was on his back totally freaked) and returned to the sidewalk.

Some kids walked towards us, until my human yelled for them to hurry up. (We were on the clock, you know?) He started to tell them to watch their dog more closely, but the girl said it wasn't her dog. "Well, someone should watch him!" Mark said, and turned back to the task at hand.

I am a little dismayed that someone wasn't paying closer attention to such a small puppy. But I hope all goes well and that he grows up to be a great runner... just like me.

State of Readiness

I am always ready. For example, this morning I was sound asleep. Then my humans got up and the next thing you know, we were running 6 miles! And who was right there, leading the way? That's right, me. And on another day, I'll be sleeping and next thing you know they'll rouse me and shortly thereafter, we'll be hiking a mountain someplace. And is there any hesitation on my part? Any "Oh, not today, I'm too tired?" I think not!

Yesterday I was napping on my couch (notice the possessive "my" and not the article "the"? That's because, yes, the furniture here belongs to me.) Also, do you notice the common thread of me napping or sleeping leading up to all my adventures? That's because I always want to be well-rested; I'll never turn down the opportunity for a good nap (or run or snack or meal or belly-rub). Anyway, I was napping on the couch, when my human stood. You better believe I snapped to! Next thing you know, he was on his bike and I was running alongside... all the way down to the river! What a time!

Moral of the story: always be ready. Even if you don't feel like doing something, do it anyway. Take it from a yellow dog: you'll be glad you did.

Litter Bugs

I do a lot of running on beautiful, dirt roads in my town. And I'm not going to lie; when I see a pile of trash on the side of the road, I am the first to check it out. This morning, for example, I was able to root through a Subway bag that someone tossed out their car window (got the last couple bites of a moldy turkey sandwich), lick the remains of a McDonald's take-out dinner, and eat two pizza crusts. Not bad for a morning run!

Still, I must say, there's something not right -- even to me -- with this picture. I have to wonder who is trashing their own planet like this? Don't get me wrong, I love the treats. But do these people not have trash cans? Are they just lazy? Who throws litter out their car windows in 2010? Apparently lots of people.

For my part, I just sort of scratch my head. My human, on the other hand, is more adamant. Here's what he says about it (and this is a quote from him -- a pup like me would never use this sort of language): "Hey litter bugs! Throw your !@#$%^ trash in a #$%^& garbage can!"

My snacks this morning were pretty tasty. But I guess everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion.

Oscar, Which do you prefer... running or hiking? Just curious, Foot Traveler

Dear Traveler,

(Click on photos to enlarge)

This is a difficult question. Because I like both pursuits so much! You will notice, both running and hiking, the huge grin on my face. I'm not faking it; these are two activities that I love.

Take hiking. There I am, out in the woods, climbing mountains, scrambling over rocks. Unless we are up near a summit and there is fragile vegetation or the like, I am off the leash, prancing around, greeting other hikers, sniffing the smells, and wagging my tail. I stay mostly on the trail, but I'm free to wander wherever I want. So great!

Then there's running. How can you beat jogging along next to my people, out in the fresh air, along dirt roads, streets, trails, whatever? Sometimes, if it is a trail, I run off-leash, but I have to hand it to those people: they don't give a dog much time to be distracted. If you don't keep at it, they'll leave you behind. It's great fun.

On my running log, I do list the mileages of all my runs. I don't list nearly all the hikes, because we do so many. I try to note the most significant ones though.

But back to your question, the answer is yes. I love hiking and running. Equally. I'm an outdoor dog, and those are two very worthy outdoor pursuits.

Thanks for the question!
Oscar

Oscar, When you go swimming, why do you shake yourself dry when you're still in the water? -- Swim Coach

Dear Coach,

When I get to go swimming, it is a special occasion. Not because I don't go swimming much; on the contrary, my humans have brought me to a lake or river every day this summer. Rather, it's because I get excited every time I get to swim, even though I get to swim daily! It's just the best, you know?

So anyway, there I am in the water. And, as everyone with head-to-toe fur knows, half the fun of swimming is the shake-the-water-off-your-fur as soon as you get out! Only in my case, I'm so excited about the swim and about the shake, that sometimes I forget to get out of the water before I shake!

See? Swimming is an exciting activity!

Hope that answers your question. Your friend, Oscar

Dear Oscar, Is it me or do you seem sun-tanned? And do dogs need to worry about the sun’s ultra-violet rays? -- An SPF-wearing admirer

Dear SPF,

I honestly don’t know, do you think I’m tan?

What I do know is that I have been living the life up here at the Aiken family camp on Lake Champlain. Hanging out all day on the deck, except when I get a little warm, then I amble down to the water and cool the old dog-temp back down. It’s great!

Although our extended time here is just about over, it is just refreshing to spend time next to the lake. Take Scout the cat, for example. At 14 years-old, he takes it easy ordinarily, often spending whole days in the basement. Up here, though, he’s like a cat who has recharged and rejuvenated himself by the sea! Socializing, mingling, wandering, napping, lazing right out in the open… he is rivaling me for out-and-out gregariousness.

Okay, that may be an exaggeration; I guess I win the gregarious department. As for your question, I have never concerned myself about too much sun. I mean, heck, I don't even own sunglasses! That said, I do seek shade and shelter on hot days. But that is probably more the result of the real issue: overheating. That’s something a dog needs to stay on top of, especially a runner like me. We generally do all of our summer running in the morning and we follow up with plenty of swimming.

And, take it from me, if you’re going to be running in the summertime, here at Camp is the place to do it.

Your friend, Oscar

Time Off For Good Behavior

Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers could not have imagined a more perfect weekend for the 4th of July. Weather-wise, it was just perfect. Clear, sunny, hot. Perfect for sitting next to a lake, sipping cold drinks (or if you're me, slurping then slobbering them), and submerging yourself in the water every little while just to cool down.

I mean, we did a little more than just that. For example, on July 3rd, we hiked up Vermont's highest peak by sunset to watch 20 fireworks displays. They were all around us, and I somehow felt glad to be an American dog as I saw fireworks being shot off in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York.

The next morning, we headed up to Camp in North Hero. But not before stopping in South Hero to run 12 miles (Ali and me -- 16 if you're crazy, I mean, Mark). Thus began the lake-dipping that would continue for the rest of the weekend.

Another thing that many onlookers noticed and commented on was my behavior this weekend. I mean, they discuss it right in front of me like I'm not there. Do they think I can't hear? Anyway, my parents and grandparents have barricades on the deck of the Camp designed to keep me from running off. Notwithstanding the fact that, if I wanted, I could go over or through the barricades or just knock them over, for the most part, they didn't even set them up this weekend. I never ventured across the street to that barn where the owner keeps his cat food uncovered. I came every time when called. I didn't jump on anyone that was elderly or carrying a baby. I was really good!

Listen, I don't want to go setting any bars overly high. Don't get your expectations up. I'll run off in a second if I feel like it.

Just telling it like it is. Happy July everyone!