Dagney Has a Need for Speed

I’ve been thinking about getting rubber soled shoes for our dog. Something to slow her down when she slams through the doggie door at the back of the house when she hears a dog in the front. Actually, I don’t know is she sees, smells, or hears the intruder on the sidewalk because my senses do not alert me to the presence of the four-legged friends, but she always knows.

After charging at full speed into the house, she slides on the wood floors barely maneuvering the corner before making it to the back bedroom window. This is where the rubber soles would be beneficial. They would grip the flooring and slow her down. Really would have been helpful the time she misjudged the distance and slid, headfirst, into the cabinets. Maybe a helmet would be good.

She runs everywhere. Whenever we go for walks, someone laughingly says, “She’s taking you for a walk.” This is true. With the leash taut she tugs and pulls in attempts to get to the grass that is greener over there. Only once she arrives at her imaginary destination, she continues to drag me behind to her next target. I simply follow her in tow.

As we travel in our RV, Dagney sits looking out the window waiting for an opportunity to feel the wind in her face. Though she seems to enjoy the luxury of the motorhome, it is evident she misses her toys as much as her dad does. They desire to be closer to nature when we travel so we alternate between the RV and motorcycles. I must agree, other than the soft bed and kitchen in our 40-foot home on wheels, I also prefer the feel of freedom riding the Harley.

She, travels hours with us on the bikes. She dons the googles and hat and away we go. I am always amazed that a dog who will sleep the majority of a day at home, when traveling, remains awake the entire trip. She stretches her tether so she can feel the wind in her face. She poses for pictures when cars pass, observes animals on the roadside, and investigates everything blowing in the wind.

Last summer when some friends stopped by to visit, we sat on the front porch. They were driving their motorcycles which caught Dagney’s attention. When I looked for her, I saw her sitting on the seat waiting patiently. We laughed at her enthusiasm and wondered how she jumped that high without assistance. One determined dog she is!

However, Dagney’s need for speed extends beyond motorcycles. She lives to ride — on anything. When I plan to mow the lawn, she sits at my feet waiting to be lifted onto the seat. If I stop to move a rock or empty the bag, she waits patiently for the journey circling the yard to continue. Whenever we work in the yard, she is near.

A couple months ago, we had a slash pile that had been accumulating all summer. As we planned to address the task, I questioned if we should take Dagney outside in the cold and snow. Dressed in snow gear, I walked outside to gather the tools for the task. When I turned around, she had positioned herself on top of the four-wheeler, ready to ride. How could I say no? I strapped her bed to the back, threw in a blanket and we went out to burn.

Our little girl enjoys riding on anything! Maybe, the reason is so she can join us, but it does appear the faster we go, the more pleasure she receives. However, she also enjoys a slow journey through nature. Most golf courses do not allow dogs, but when possible, she will ride in the golf cart during an entire 18 holes.

So far, we have found that anything that moves sparks her adrenaline. We bought her a lifejacket to keep her safe when in the boat because we feared she might blow overboard.

It is necessary to keep a close eye on her when she is around anything that moves, as we relearned when we opened the yard gate to walk to our car and she jumped in the neighbor’s. Apparently, it doesn’t matter who is driving. And when doing yard work the trailer offers a promise of excitement.

Ultimately, this is good because in our family everyone wants to ride, thus Dagney fits right in.

Now if we could just teach her to drive.

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