Teeth bared, tails wagging, and playful growls now fill the quiet void of my mornings. I sip my coffee and watch them as if referreeing a sporting event. As I relax into this morning routine, I turn my gaze to other things while listening for the yelp that signifies a “tap out” of defeat. Once just as small, young Kobe seems to forget that he is 5x the size of Diesel, the newest member of our family. Other times, it is obvious that he is all too aware of how much bigger and stronger he is.
At the same time, Kobe seems to forget that he is no longer a puppy. His Fi collar notes a 75% increase in his activity which leaves Diesel and myself feeling 100% drained by 7 pm each night. So, when I heard that dogs walks on the treadmill burn both physical and mental energy, it seemed worth exploring. After a bit of research, I introduced him to it with a playful invitation. He took to it well but I do think he’d rather hang out on his “place” cot and watch me on it instead. To be honest, I would prefer that as well. On Day 2, he walked 0.1 miles after his usual 1/2 mile sniffari outside. Then, I took a turn on the treadmill before we went back inside the house where Diesel eagerly awaited our return. They both napped and I got some uninterupted work done.
As Kobe turns on puppy-mode with his younger brother, I think back to when Conor (aka BoBo) and Ryan (YaYa) were young kids playing football in the yard or wrestling in the family room…and smile. I sometimes miss my little boys, but the fatigue and lack of freedom to workout when I want quickly turns this into gratitude that have grown into amazing young men. And the soft warmth of puppy resting, between rounds, on my foot brings a whole other feeling of appreciation.