Lucky Just Got Luckier

I am so excited to write about our dog because I love him so much!

We have a Maltese we rescued, and his name is Lucky. (You can imagine why our boys chose this name.) We’re not sure what his home life was before coming to us, but man is it good now! The term “pampered pooch” has never been more fitting. He has multiple beds of various sizes for all eight pounds of him, and more chewy treats than I can count. He gets plenty of belly rubs and asks for more by scratching his paw on the ground.

Lucky has become an integral part of our family. He’s also my first pet—Michael grew up with dogs—but now I cannot imagine life without him. Sure, there are times when his neurosis gets the best of me, but it’s the unconditional love that trumps the annoying stuff.

One of the things I love most is when I say, “It’s time for a walkie!” That gets him running in circles, scratching our legs and wagging his tail. If he doesn’t get his daily walk we end up with a depressed dog. During the darkest days of Covid, walking with Lucky was a much-needed respite from the indoors.

But until I read this month’s article “Misbehaving Dog Walks,” I had no idea that I’d been walking Lucky all wrong! Apparently doing it right involves more than just putting a harness on your dog and grabbing the leash. I must admit that I often multitasked when I walked him by voice texting, and if I was in a rush I barely let him stop to sniff. I thought that as long as Lucky was walking, nothing else mattered. I had no idea that engaging with him while we walked was so important. Think of it like walking with a friend: it’s wouldn’t be very nice to ignore one another. Our doggies need a walk on their terms to make it beneficial. Who knew? Well, I do now, and so will you.

Happy dog trails to you!