Today we went to one of our favourite dog walks.
There’s a nature reserve that’s predominantly lowland heath and its 86 acres big. I love it there, I love walks with lots of diversity, so I can run around all the bushes and undergrowth and through the trees, and into the mud.
We tend to avoid going there on the weekends generally, because Mother finds it easier to just avoid other dogs. It stems from when my recall wasn’t so good, so it was just easier to avoid having to risk me coming across other dogs. Now, I’m much better behaved so it doesn’t really matter, but secretly Mother just can’t be bothered to deal with other humans. On weekends we tend to go to quieter places, less popular, less well known. But today our usual weekend excursion was blocked by a road closure, so off to the Common we went. It was overcast, and trying to rain, and windy, so actually it wasn’t too busy today.
I only came across one dog today, a small miniature poodle. I waited for Mother to ask its’ owner for permission for me to approach, and then when I was given the go ahead I went and said hello. The poodle allowed me to sniff, and it was friendly yay! I did the usual play bow, I like playing. The poodle bowed back! Yay! So I pounced toward it, and then it squealed! I thought that meant we we’re having fun, but Mother grabbed me and put me back on my lead. Mother explained to me, that sometimes I’m too boisterous for the smaller breeders. She apologised for my behaviour to the other owners, but there were fine with it. They said their poodle, ‘Lottie’, was a bit of a wimp.
I didn’t do anything wrong! I get so confused by poodle type dogs. They always say they want to play, then suddenly they’ll be screaming and trying to jump up their owners, as if to escape me. The poodle cross spaniels really confuse me too, the spaniel wants to play but the poodle part wants to cry and run scared.
Anyway, that was the only dog I saw today. The rest of the time, I was freee!! I do really enjoy running in this kind of landscape. I went into the mud puddles, in and out, in and out. Then rolled around in the grass to dry myself off.
The only downside of this walk, is in the summer. Being a nature reserve, it’s home to animals and birds, usually rare breeding species. And the concern is that dogs can disrupt the rare species, so I have to go on a lead in these dog walk areas in the summer. Alternatively, Mother has to be very vigilant throughout the walk, keeping an eye out for deer and rabbits etc. That way, if she sees anything, she calls me back to her before I notice. Considering I’m a spaniel, specifically bred for working with small animals, I’m actually really pants at noticing small animals, except maybe squirrels. I’ve regularly walked right past a rabbit and totally not noticed. And Mother has recalled me from several different type of deer successfully.
Anyway, that was my walk today. Mother recording me running like a lunatic, see below.