Things We Can Learn From Walking Our Dogs In Our Neighborhoods

It must have been more than a year ago I started walking Othello and Sugar, my two white Maltese dogs, around my local neighborhood.  We walked by ourselves noticing dogs fenced in backyards, freshly planted flower beds, quail pecking at the ground, wooded landscapes, and neatly kept houses.  Our walk became a routine in the evening, so Sugar and Othello looked forward to the moment I picked up the leashes.  After a few weeks, I noticed neighbors outside and they said hello as we passed or asked a question about the dogs.  As time went on, neighbors began taking their dogs out for a walk around the same time.  Every evening our neighborhood would come alive with people walking their dogs. Neighbors met for possibly the first time.  It reminded me of a time when people would sit on porches in the evening socializing with neighbors, who took an after dinner stroll. I started to know neighbors and dogs.  I met one woman three doors down from me, who was moving to Nevada, she said, “I wished that I would have met you sooner, I would have invited you over to my house.”  I had lived in the community for over 10 years.

Recently I ran across a story by John Sealander titled “Walking the Dog.”  Sealander gains understanding about his community and himself while walking his Dalmatian, Pongo.  The story rekindled my interest in the way dogs could help people connect.  According to an article on the BBC News titled “Dog-owners ‘lead healthier lives’ Dr. Wells, a psychologist from Queen’s University states, “The ownership of a dog can lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance physiological and psychological human health in a more indirect manner.”  In other words, it might not just be the physical exercise that makes the dog owner healthier, but the social interaction that occurs while walking the dog.
 
While researching the information, I found lots of websites regarding how people can socialize their dogs.  Perhaps we should consider the idea that the dogs are trying to socialize their owners.  While sitting in front of our computers or television screens, a patient friend sits wagging his/her tail looking for a signal that we are ready to greet the world.