Dan Antion

Let’s Go Home Maddie – #1LinerWeds

On Sunday, my walk with Maddie did – not – go – well. As soon as we got to the end of our driveway, I spied them. Two women and two little girls walking on Maddie’s street. I knew this was going to be a problem, but I didn’t think they would be walking very far since it as only 16°f (-9°c).

We waited a bit, so they could get a good long head start. We crossed behind them and began walking. I thought it was funny that the little girls walked like Maddie, stopping to check out everything along the way, including the “pretty dog” that was gaining on them.

They turned the same way we turn at the end of our street. As we approached the next corner, they crossed in the direction we were going, but on the other side. I led Maddie across the street and we proceeded up the street, at roughly the same pace as the group.

At the next corner, we turned right. They turned and drifted in behind us. Maddie can’t stand having one person behind her, now she had four. She looked at me and started barking, turning and making noises which I could only interpret to mean:

“They’re following us – DO SOMETHING!”

The group stopped. I untangled Maddie, who had twisted herself into a knotted ball of leash, harness and Dan. I dragged her across the street and tried to get her to sit.

One of the women started talking to Maddie. The other apologized to me. I apologized for the barking. I told them about Maddie’s curious fear of people following her as I tried to calm her down saying things like “it’s OK, they’re nice people.”

They let me know where they were heading which was away from the route we take. As they crossed to a side street, I took Maddie back to “our side” and we continued. About 100 yards later, we saw “her” the woman with the walker. It just wasn’t worth trying to go any farther.

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. If you have a one-liner, I’d encourage you to join in on the fun. You can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants.

Maddie harnessed, leashed and ready to walk (yes, we use both).
Leaving for our walk.
“Yes Maddie, I see them.”
“Let’s take a picture of the leaf and let them get a little farther ahead.”
Putting the crazy walk behind us.
Me: “Maddie’s playing with the dumbbell.” The Editor: “Um…”
MiMi want’s a fire in the the wood stove.
In the absence of a fire, MiMi settles for the blue blanket.
“When is someone going to brush me?” “Coming MuMu”
MiMi, all folded up.
They all want peanuts. Grey squirrel, black squirrel and the blue jay.
Early morning in the park.
“Do you want something?”
Coming in for a landing.
Perfect!
Oooh, a crane!
Early morning in Hartford.
Sunrise

91 comments

  1. Maddie’s neurosis about being followed is quite funny, considering she’s a dog… who are pack animals and basically live to follow. Of course it’s funny sitting here at my desk, probably not so much for you first hand.
    😉

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  2. This is an interesting post. In some way it reminded me of my own incident when a strange guy started following me as I was returning home from school. I was probably around 10-11 years of age. However, with some teachings from my mother I made sure he loses me and never finds out where I live. Mission Accomplished. For following days I was a bit on alert but I never saw him again around my school. I believe he realized that I knew he was following and therefore he gave up on me.

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  4. Poor Maddie girl. This is when I wish there was such a thing as a Vulcan animal mind meld, where we can literally talk to our pets and tell them all is well and they are safe. I may have asked you this before, but does Maddie have issues with people coming into her house? Or is it just the walk-behind?

    No matter, Maddie is a sweetie pie…I mean, just look at that adorable face!

    Happy Wednesday, Dan. I hope it has warmed up a bit since that last walk. Brrrr.

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    • Thanks Mary. Maddie has issues with people (except Faith) coming in the house, yard, neighborhood. We don’t have a lot of visitors, and that’s good for her. When we have service people in, both of us have to be here. One to desk with service guy and one to hide in the bedroom with Maddie.

      We’re in the 30s & 40s this week. Have a good week!

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  5. You are are owned by that dog. Maddie is cute and quirky, but she is also a bit of a diva. Entertaining, yes– but it’s a miracle you two ever go on any walks considering her… peculiar fear.

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  7. I know that Maddie’s issues regarding people being on her walk route are challenging for the walker, but in the big scheme she keeps the both of you pretty safe. Always good to be safe, and always good to see that lovely girl. :-) Happy Wednesday, Dan. Someone mentioned weather – it was 11°F when I put the coffee on this morning. Brr.

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    • 11? Yikes, that’s too cold for early December, Judy. Please turn the thermostat up a notch.

      I do feel safe with Maddie, but we worry that she will pull us down. She has done that to my wife. If the leash gets around us, it can be scary.

      But the walk usually makes her very happy, so, off we go.

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  8. Beautiful sunrise! I often wonder where our neurosis come from. We all have them, our pets too.My male cat INSISTED he accompany me when I left my apartment for work in the morning. He would strut down the corridor like a king, inspecting. A quick jaunt then he would return home, all good. You put a person in that hall or even the sound of a person and he couldn’t get back inside fast enough! And yet the next day he would INSIST!

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  9. LOL – Gotta love Maddie, she’s got the friendly spirit. I almost spit out my coffee at the last line! “Her, the woman with the walker.” Thanks for the smile, Dan! Happy Wednesday to you!

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  10. Poor Maddie. I hope her next walk was people free apart from you of course!

    The sunrise and early morning images of Hartford are lovely. I love that Crescent Moon!

    I spent Sunday morning standing in the snow at 16° waiting for sunrise color, and or Aspen Glow. My core was warm, my fingers, and feet despite hand and toe warmers not at all! It took well over an hour for my feet to warm up and that was after a hot breakfast by the fire, and driving with my heater cranked up aimed at the floor. I hope you, the ladies and girls were warm on the walk and it wasn’t too long for the nice people either.

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    • Thanks Deborah, and thanks for braving the cold to get photos and for sharing them with us. I think I’m worse with cold feet than hands, but neither are good.

      This walk was later than usual. We normally get out there before the streets are crowded. The family was so nice, I felt bad for the little girls, and I wanted them to know it was Maddie, not them that was the problem.

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  12. I’m with sweet Maddie— I don’t like people walking closely behind me. It’s heartbreaking to see a dog, or any animal, so frightened, and so difficult to make them feel safe. But you can’t stop those walks. She needs her exercise and the adventure that a walk provides.

    I have to ask Dan, did the Editor ask you to define “dumbbell”? 😂😂 Love the shot of MiMi caught with her tongue out again! And the birds perfect landing on the water …. just like ‘Sully’ on the Hudson!!

    I think you need to name that tree “The Branch Cafe”. It already has quite a customer base!

    Keep that fire going for MiMi. Stay warm yourself. Happy Hump Day.
    🔹 Ginger 🔹

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    • We will keep walking the pup, Ginger but we’re trying to be more careful. She’s little for a Setter, but she’s very strong and her movements ate fast and unpredictable when she’s scared.

      The Editor alluded to the fact that the dumbbell might not refer to the toy. I always wonder when Maddie brings it to me.

      The squirrels have several branches that they like to sit on while eating. The blue jay scans the ground, and tries to get the peanuts before they do. The blue jays are fast, but the squirrels will chase them away. Several neighbors feed these critters, there’s more than enough to go around, but the acorn production was down compared to last year, so I guess it’s tough out there.

      I didn’t notice MiMi’s tongue until I uploaded this picture. I think she does that on purpose. The gulls are fascinating. I can’t help but try to imagine hitting the water as cold as it much be…woooop.

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  13. I think that woman with the walker needs to be exposed for the true holy terror she is! We are onto you, Lady. Oh, Dan…poor Maddie. MiMi and MuMu are so cute. I do love when cats fold up like that. Great bird shots, too!

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    • Thanks Lois. Walker-Lady was just beginning her walk. If we hadn’t turned around, she would have been behind us in about 5 minutes. I hope I never meet her somewhere in town.

      MiMi flips and folds and likes to lay upside down in that tall cradle. She wants a fire in the wood stove. I think she will get one soon.

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  14. I would laugh about the crowed walking route except for the fact that there was a similar reaction during our afternoon walks around the parking lot at work. We stop or take alternate rows to avoid the other walkers. Particularly the loud ones using their stadium voices instead of their outdoor voices. Keep warm Dan.

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  15. It was the timeless baseballer Satchel Paige who said, “Don’t look back – something might be gaining on you.” So Maddie is in good company. (And if she were left-handed, she’d be pulling down millions!)

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    • That’s interesting, Steve. Maddie shakes with her left paw. Maybe I need to spend more time with her at the ball field. When I moved to Queens, my ex-father-in-law (grew up in Brooklyn) told me the secret to driving in New York was “Mirrors Forward” let the people behind worry about themselves.

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  16. This makes me laugh, Dan. A couple of weeks ago, when the snow was melting between storms, we took Cody to the high school for a walk. As soon as we got out of the car, there was a lady with a dog walking ahead of us, so we waited. We crossed the street and went on our way, only to have a man with a dog come around the corner ahead of us, heading right towards us. He and we both waited with our dogs. His dog was behaving, Cody wasn’t. He went across the street, following the first lady (who was long gone by then), and we turned back the way we had come. Only to discover another man and another dog coming towards us from the other side of the building! Cody wanted to play with every one of those dogs and was barking, whining, and tangling her leashes. We gave up and took her home, where she could chase squirrels in her own yard without the distraction of other people and other dogs. Sometimes walks away from home are just ill timed.

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    • Thanks CM. Put walk was a victim of bad timing. We started later than we normally do, and I should have turned around as soon as I saw those people. Maddie just likes to be alone on the street. I always feel bad, because she looks at me like I’m supposed to do something.

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  17. Scooter: Let’s go play with the bulls. Especially the red one with the shaggy coat and the sharp horns.
    Me: Not a good idea.
    Scooter: Okay, how about the donkeys?
    Me: They will stomp you into the turf.
    Scooter: Oh look, a grain truck doing 80 mph on gravel. Let’s head-butt it.
    Me: Let’s not.
    Scooter: You are no fun and by the way, why do you insist on keeping me on a leash?

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  19. Dan…. I am so glad that you shared this today. I have almost the same problem. I can take Doc for a walk in the neighborhood and he acts the same way, but if I take him to a park or hiking he is fine with all strangers. He seems to think that he owns our couple of blocks and he is boss around the house. He is also very protective of our house…. no one is allowed in my yard unless he allows it… or the house next door or the house across the street. Some days I just wish we lived in the country more so he could relax more!

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    • Ha ha – I like how he extends his territory to all he can see. Maddie barks sometimes and we check, and it’s the people across the street. We tell her “they live there!” But it doesn’t seem to matter. We’ve never tried hiking with her. I just can’t imagine that going well. I do take her to the park, but it’s clearly “her” park.

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  20. Dan, Maddie’s lucky to have you as her owner. Understanding dogs needs & accepting their quirks is key! Some traits can’t be changed and we accept & work with them! We have a Lhasa Apso Sammy who lived in a cage for the first 4 1/2 months of his life. Imagine what behaviors we dealt with. On guard, leery of people, no social skills! Professionally trained him as a service dog for Robert, a Vietnam vet. He has a purpose to guard him & the family. Turned out to be a wonderful dog! 🐶 Loved the photos! Have a great rest of the week. Pats to Maddie, ear scratches to the kitties! 📚🎶 Christine

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  21. Great photo, Dan. We have a neighborhood couple who have an instinct for leaving the house with their two dogs just as we leave the house with ours. It doesn’t matter if we are early or late they have the timing down pat. Their dogs hate ours. Over time the feeling became mutual so what occurs is hair bristle, mad dog barking and pulling on both sides. I think Maddie is wise. Keep all humans (and their wild curs) off the street while walking

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  25. Animals do have their quirks. I have a friend who’s terrier cannot stand to have people standing over him. We all have to sit in his presence or he nips at us. Yes, he is one heck of a spoiled pooch.

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  30. Sweet Maddie. Scary things or people are no fun for her. Our dog, Buddy, used to growl at postal mail boxes, balloons, people, store displays, and on and on. Our trainer had us give Buddy a treat the moment he saw anything that scared him. Eventually he saw these scary things as good things. Yesterday, we walked past giant moving snowmen and he didn’t blink an eye. Yay. Wishing Maddie happy trails. ❤️

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    • That’s interesting, We’ve tried almost everything, but it’s hard to get her to differentiate between the things we would want her to bark at, and the things she needn’t worry about. The really amazing thing is that some people walk past us, and Maddie doesn’t seem to mind at all. Our previous Setter liked almost everybody and everything, but hated trucks pulling landscape trailers. We gave up trying to figure that out.

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  36. Bless her. Poor dear. Of course, that woman with the walker could be a dog-beater, dog-eater, we can’t know what dogs know with our inferior noses and ears ;) It’s good you’re so accommodating. Many would not have the patience or dedication. I say this because I have a nervous dog and I know people didn’t have the patience and dedication to handle Sadie. Kinda like anything else, when it comes to dogs I think we end up with what we can handle.
    I am ready to brush the MuMu ;)

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    • Yeah, the walker-lady is sketchy. Our dogs have always let us know when to stay away. Oddly enough, Maddie doesn’t mind some people. They must be really nice.

      Some days, Maddie pushes the limits of what we can handle, but we’re hanging in there.

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  37. I’d say you had your hands full with that walk and then the temp on top of it….poor Maddie! I get it…I’ve had enough dog walking over the years (and still do when we are at our daughter’s….all three actually) anyway….each of the three I currently deal with have their own patterns, etc. When we had dogs….same thing, so you just go with the flow as best you can….and then I’m still back at the air temp….brrr…

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    • Ha ha – then again, you guys see 17 with a ‘1’ in front of it, so it’s all relative. We’ve had four setters. they have all been different when it comes to walking, but like you say, we go with the flow.

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