Winston. He Likes to Take it Slow.

Dogs like to walk. Show me a dog that doesn't like to take a walk and I'll show you a cat. Of course, not all the dogs are the same, and while most like to walk...some of them want to have it their way. They'll walk, but only if they get to plan the route and/or dictate the pace. It's not an issue of attitude or difficult temperament, they're just set in their ways. Nothing wrong with that, of course.

Consider Winston. He's a bulldog.

The first thing you'll notice in this picture...is that he's not walking. In fact, he's lying down with a big ol' grin on his face. Happy dog is happy in the sun. Winston is not much of a walker...and when he does walk, well sir, he likes to take it slow. Some dogs will run and scurry or yank against their leash trying to pull away like they're late for a very important date. But not good ol' Winston here. This guy savors his time outdoors. You may wonder why he doesn't step lively like other dogs, sprinting their way through their appointed session. We've asked ourselves the same question. Winston likes to slowly amble up the sidewalk, stopping to sniff around periodically, or stand in a perfectly good patch of dirt. Maybe lying down on the asphalt in a particularly warm sunbeam. He does this every time we take him out for his walk. Some days he'll even play a little tug of war with the leash, refusing to move faster than a snail's pace even as the traffic light up ahead is changing. 

And then it dawned on us...maybe this dog's got it all figured out. He's not in a rush to get anywhere because what good does it do? As the old adage goes...or maybe it was Ferris Bueller: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." 

This dog doesn't want to miss a thing. So he stops and looks and sniffs and looks some more...and lies down and reflects on life, on philiosophical matters, on the very nature of the canine mythos. He's smart like that.

It would seem we can all learn something from Winston. Take it slow. Enjoy life. Lie down on the sidewalk and enjoy the beautiful L.A. weather. There will be time enough to walk later. 

Time enough, indeed...