Dog Days

Hello dear readers!

Winter is coming!

I’m not talking of White Walkers and snow zombies here, there’s no Starks or Lannisters hiding between the lines of his missive (although we are consuming Game Of Thrones at n astonishing rate of knots at Seated Perspective Towers.)

No I’m talking about the good old British weather and the fact that the coming months could hold some interesting challenges. Chief amongst which is the thorny issue of the dog.

Breeding Will Out

Bonnie, the hound in question, is a Springador. Despite the sound of the word this isn’t some new kind of jumping bullfighter, or Spanish invader, but a cross between a Springer Spaniel and a Labrador. They are sometimes referred to as Labradingers but to my ear the former is damn sight more elegant name for what is a gorgeous breed of dog (I may be just a little bit biased here).

She is over two now, is our not so little girl, and has been with us since she was an eight week old pup. That time has been filled with all sorts of adventures and escapades, moments of loveliness and heart warming cuteness, and of course a more than generous dollop of naughtiness.

I think it’s possibly a result of her breeding, but Bonnie has a huge amount of intelligence and curiosity, a stubborn streak approximately seventy three miles wide, and what seems like absolutely boundless energy.

Channelling this energy has proved to be something of a battle.

Before Tina, my wonderful wife, succumbed to a neurological stoke earlier this year (see here for details) we shared dog walking duties between us. After this somewhat life changing event, the task was, quite naturally, one that fell to me.

Taking The Lead

Some people have asked how the dog walking thing actually works for a wheelchair user. Now, I can obviously only answer for myself, and I’m sure there are other ways of doing things, but the secret is all in the lead.

I think it was the result of a tip we got from a dog training service we contacted in Bonnie’s early years. However it came about though, the lead in question seem tailor made for the seated person. It is cushioned, which is a good star.t and means that the hands are protected from the burns and scrapes that can result from walking a pull-y young lady like Bonnie. This is something that is understandably quite important for someone who relies on his hands to get about.

The real win though come from the fact that this particular lead can be configured in such a way that it can be fastened around the waist, meaning that the muscular madam in question is pulling against my centre of gravity. It also frees up both hands for pushing duties without the encumbrance of holding on to said lead at the same time. This prevents the spectacle of a wheelchair laying on it’s side, wheels merrily spinning, as it’s former occupant is dragged helplessly through a neighbours hedge in pursuit of a cat. (Not that that has ever happened you understand. Not yet anyway.)

via GIPHY

So we have a system. One that works. This has meant that what could be a chore has turned into something of a pleasure. Bonnie is still a headstrong young lady. She is still curious enough to cause severe life expectancy worries for at least a dozen cats, and has a constant desire to investigate every last fluttering piece of paper that blows past her but she is at least controllable when she embarks on her investigations.

Normally.

Cold Call
As I mentioned, the seasons they are a-turning and although the winter months have been really quite kind so far, the cold is now really starting to bite. The metal wheel rims that enable me to push my wheelchair conduct that biting cold really, really, really well, leaving me with numb, pink fingers, which does not help a controlled steady progression one little bit. Gloves, of course do help. To date, however, I’ve yet to find a pair that do me the service of actually lasting a anything like a decent length of time without becoming a collection of loosely connected holes. There’s also the thickness/control equation to consider. Thickness of glove means warm, toasty hands but too much padding leads to a lack of grip and the aforementioned control. You can see these issues more plainly in this post.

My main worry though, is snow. Snow stops me. It stops me completely, in a way that no other weather does. This has led to me having to take time off work. It has led to me having to cancel social plans . It almost certainly will stop me walking the dog. I can’t deny Bonnie her regular exercise but I also cannot deny that this stands a great chance of becoming more and more difficult in the weeks and months to come.

First Service

As much as I hate to admit defeat, it might just be time to seek a little help. With the prospect of imminent employment, and the funds that come with that, it might be time to see if there is room in the budget to pay for a local dog walking service, just until the summer sun once again deems to poke it’s bright, beautiful face between the clouds. We’re not at crunch time yet but a little time spent now, researching such a service. A little preparation. Well it could save a lot of time, a lot of hassle, and it could certainly save some stir-crazy canine antics in the future.

Time, if you will, to follow a few leads.

Until next time.