Arvos Down at the Park

Just about every afternoon, I take Gary for a walk down to the local off-leash park. I love this ritual, and look forward to it all day. Not only do I get a good sniff around (which Gary refers to as 'reading the news'), I've also made some good doggy mates there especially with the handful of regulars: Trudy the Boxer (one crazy nutter!), Harriet the Labrador, Lucy the Cairn Terrier (Gary reckons she looks like a loaf of bread), Jedda the bitzer, and a few others. Some days there are over 20 or so dogs, different breeds, all shapes and sizes, running about having the time of their lives. Other days, there may be just me and a couple of others.

Gary probably likes going to the park as much as I do, although some days he's a tad lazy and prefers to drive the short distance rather than walk. On those days he usually comes up with a piss-poor excuse like 'my knee is feeling wobbly today' or 'it's too hot to walk...' and so on. Lame I know but I can excuse him as he is getting long in the tooth.

Gary and I have a good old laugh at some of the humans down there. Not only do they start to look like their dogs (yes, even the pug owners) but some aren't even genuine dog lovers! For example, there's this gent who who hasn't a clue about any other breed other than his own. He once pointed his gnarly finger at me and asked curiously 'what kind of dog is that?' I just about launched myself at him! I mean what the heck...I only represent one of the most popular breeds in the world and certainly one of the most famous. Geez, everytime you turn on the teev and there's a story of a disaster, riot, demonstration or melee anywhere in the world, well, there I am at the end of a leash held by someone in uniform (well not me in person, mind, but one of my kind).

There was also this one occasion when Gary was telling this guy (same one) about Labradors and the guy asks 'what do they look like?' What the! I had to laugh because Gary could barely disguise his disdain; after all, 'Labbies' are one of the most popular breeds in Aus and there were like four or five of the buggers frolicking in full view of us. And then there is this woman (with poodles, what else) who would get hysterical everytime I even so much as wander towards her silly dogs. 'Shoo, get out of here, help!' she'd scream. Bloody woman should get a life. All I want is a sniff. Poodle owners are just plain weird, like their dogs.