I should start this little story by telling you that Pablo is my training partner. He walks, runs and hikes with me when I have set fitness goals for myself. We often set out at a location which allows him to run off leash. He explores while I walk, hike or run and he comes by to “check in” every so often.
So today we were out training. Mid-run I threw my sweatshirt over a fence to pick up on the way back of an out-and-back route. Pablo “checked in” around mile 1 of a 3.5 mile run. I kept plugging along and realized it had been a while since Pablo had “checked in.” Â I figured I would spot him at some point on my way back.
I made it 1.75 miles out and turned around. No sign of Pablo. Got back to the point he last “checked in.” Still no Pablo. I kept my eyes peeled for the mischievous charge of mine. I turn a bend and there he was patiently sitting on the trial next to the spot I had thrown my sweatshirt on the fence around 0.75 miles. When he realized the jogger coming toward him was me, you would have thought he hadn’t seen me in a week. What excitement and joy Pablo displayed with his jumping and running! That just warms my heart and demonstrates that dogs are a companion for life, man’s best friend, and a guard of their owner’s sweatshirt!
