Exercise

The dog knew what was up as the garage door rumbled open. Shadow has learned what some of my actions imply. When I walked over to the little scooter and wheeled it outside, he began quivering all over like a wiggle worm. Once I put the "short leash" to his collar, he started to hop up and down, leaping for joy. And the final clue, as I started the tiny gas engine sent him pulling me out of the driveway. He was raring to go! I think it is safe to say he loves these excursions!

We live on a quiet street in a quiet town. It is safe to roll down the streets while scooting the dog. I even asked an attractive police lady if the city had any restrictions against small powered vehicles and she laughed. Just from a safety standpoint, she cautioned me to be vigilant around blind curves. As there is one not too far away, I heed her advice.

I ride against traffic so I can see what is coming. Most every driver here in Central Florida is respectful of his neighbors and give the dog and I a wide berth. Most of the time we are on empty streets. The heat keeps most folk indoors.

But Shadow loves to run. He wants to go faster than the little scooter goes. He gallops next to me like a miniature horse. Occasionally, he will trot when we roll up to a cross street. He doesn't "know" what a stop sign means yet, but just out of habit, he slows his run down. The other indicator is that I back off of the throttle and the noise of the engine diminishes. He picked up on that early on.

When I want him to run on the grass instead of the pavement, I extend my left arm and gently tug. He complies and is happy to dash over a lawn. He actually accelerates when his paws feel grass. I guess his claws get more traction. And I have noticed he prefers a well trimmed lawn; if the grass is too high, he'll move back onto the street. My dog knows what he likes.