Happy Tails

I am not what I would consider "a runner". I am actually quite horrible at it. I do not start this because I love to run. I start this because I love Henri. 

Henri is my now two year old Australian Shepard mix. He is quite active. He has gone to the dog park almost every day since he was about 6 months old. Not much is going to keep us away. Even when it's cold and dark, we're at the dog park. There are days that are rainy and muddy and that's when I decided to try to take him for a run instead. You know, to avoid the baths. The idea was to wear him out a little and it didn't hurt me either. Well, not too badly anyway. So, occasionally, when the park would be too muddy, we would go for a run after I got off work. 

Last summer, it seemed Henri was pretty miserable in the heat. We tried taking him around 7pm or 8pm, but it was still hot and humid. Henri would come home, feel that air conditioning on his face and grab his favorite squeaker toy to play you a wonderful song. So, this summer, I decided to try to take him for a run in the morning, to avoid as much of the stickiness as possible, but still burn off some of his energy. This started on June 2nd, our 2 year Henri-versary (The anniversary of bringing Henri home). It seemed like a good way to celebrate our time together.

This past week we made it through 5 consecutive days of early morning runs. While running, I began to think about how much I enjoy running with Henri. I'm sure there are many like me who enjoy running with their dogs, or who would enjoy running with their dogs. Maybe they need an excuse to try.

I want to do something with my passion for dogs. I'm not sure what I can do. I have lots of ideas, but most of those ideas take money or space or any number of things that I do not have. What I do have is a heart for dogs and I want to share it. This is where I start.  

First things first, I want to start a movement, get people to run with their dogs, get people excited about running with their dogs. So these are my stories, my "Happy Tails" if you will. I am going to share my adventures with Henri and encourage others to do the same. Really, at the end of the day, it's not about the running. It's about your dog. 

When Henri turns back to look at me, I can't help but smile. I don't ever want to run without a dog!