I’m a huge fan of Corgis in case you weren’t aware. HUGE. I never had a dog growing up we actually had pet rabbits (who were awesome) but never dogs. So when John and I got a house with a backyard, we knew we would be getting a dog. It was something we talked about for years prior to that, and we did all kinds of research for what kind of dog to get as well as where to get them.
We got Sully first a little over six years ago. I picked him out because when we went to check out the litter, Sully was the biggest puppy of the litter and was laying in the back of the pen with all of his limbs splayed out and chin resting on the ground, looking at his litter mates (who were running around like crazy) like they were wasting their breath. I knew right then, that this fat little potato of a puppy was MY puppy. Ever since he’s been my puppy (sorry John but you know I’m right). He’s been my constant companion through all the chaos of our lives, and was the only one in the room with me when I was in labor prior to going to the hospital.
He has survived all kinds of crazy things including dry pneumonia as well as a major dog attack, and through all of it, he has stayed the sweetest, most loving and devoted dog. He has fit seamlessly into our lives, loves hiking and the beach, loves making friends and has always been gentle with our daughter.
One thing Sully is not into though is going for walks. I know right? It’s just not his thing. He used to be all about the walks, and even sometimes the occasional run. But as he’s gotten older, he’s really come to embrace his laziness and it’s a true fight to get his fluffy booty off the couch and leashed up to go for a walk. He’s the kind of what we call the reverse pull. When he doesn’t want to do something on a walk, he literally stops and starts walking in reverse.
This is the new standard I’m getting used to with Sully. Walks are really an opportunity for him to stop and smell the flowers. I’m serious he loves the smell of flowers. So this particular day, I truly don’t know what happened or what got into him. I came home from work prepped for a leisurely walk through the neighborhood, but apparently Sully’s 4 morning naps were extremely refreshing because as soon as he got out of the garage, he started running.
I’m not talking like a nice little jog I’m talking like a flat out sprint, like zombies were chasing him. But I don’t think Sully anticipated that running is something that requires training. Needless to say, my handsome puppy got winded. Fast. I don’t know what it was though, the feeling of puppy energy again, the wind in his fur, the ground beneath his paws, but he kept going.
So our normally leisurely walk to look at flowers turned into sprint work. Running for around a minute and then walking for around a minute for the whole entire walk. Sully came home exhausted and extremely proud of himself, and I came home totally wiped by an unexpected workout.
Rest assured, this was never repeated again.