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