Walking with the Pack

Makwa, Charlie and Rainey

Grandpa Tanner and Belle

Each morning upon rising I have a routine that involves leashing up 4 of the 5 dogs and taking a brisk walk down the road about a mile and back. On a work day it is timed so that I can manage the walk, feed Rainey, the new puppy, and get ready for work. It is always a challenge to try to do this and get out the door for work on time. But I enjoy the time I spend with the whole pack, as they are so focused and intent on following me. It sometimes makes me feel powerful and humble all at the same time thinking that these 5 canines would trust me completely to lead them safely on a journey where danger sometimes lurks in the form of traffic and/or not so nice unbalanced dogs.

Our walk starts with leashing up Makwa and Charlie who will crawl up on the top step in the garage and sit to get the leash on. It is always hard for them to contain their excitement and often times they get a little tangled up in their leash. But most of the time, they leash up and step out of the way for the next dog's turn. Belle will crawl all around underneath the other dogs until she gets to me and stands to get her leash on. She reminds me of a P.O.W. tunneling out to freedom. But she manages to get the job of leashing up done and will go by the other dogs and wait as patiently as is possible for a dog ready to explore.Leashing our newest addition, Rainey, is getting easier, but let's just say it is still somewhat complicated. She is not sure what is happening, but she is certain that she should be excited since the older dogs are wagging and wriggling around. And last but not least, Tanner, the old yellow Lab who usually will just wait patiently until we are ready. Tanner has earned the honor of "no leash" since he is so slow moving he only walks half the distance and will wait for us to return and walk back home with us.

Let the walk begin...5 dogs, 3 different paces. The first few minutes involve everyone for them selves and there are leashes all over getting wrapped around all of us. Charlie, Makwa and Belle have mastered the walk quite well and will look to me to set the pace and then focus on my movements, never veering far from watching my leg movement and adjusting themselves accordingly. For the most part they will look to me and follow consistently wherever I walk. They will sniff and look down the road at things passing by, but they are always watchful of where their leader is taking them. But Rainey is still in training....bouncing and ducking under each dog and pretty much making a complete mess of the organized walk we are trying to achieve. She will not only tangle up, but will stop cold in her tracks while we keep moving forward, causing me to stop fast as the other dogs bound forward a few more steps. I'm never sure if walking the group is going to end in a dislocation of some sort someday on some body part.

After about 5 minutes of showing Rainey what is expected as we walk together, she finally figures out that it is in her best interest to follow her leader and not look to the other dogs to try and figure out where to walk. The rest of the walk is for the most part uneventful. All of us "get in the zone" and we manage to get home in time for me to ready myself for work.


How I want my life to be a focused walk with my Leader. Help me to not stray far from the path I am being asked to travel down with my Master. Help me to not get tangled up and trampled on as a result of taking my eyes of the Leader and focusing on others nearby during my daily walk.

What's Her Name?

Meet the newest addition to our canine pack. She is a blue-eyed 8 week old Australian Shepherd. She comes from the same rescue organization where Charlie came from. We now have 5 dogs ranging in age from 8 weeks to our old boy, Tanner, who is almost 13 years old. Some people think we are crazy having more than one dog. After all, they are just dogs. And they are quite a lot of work with caring for them and training them. With 5 dogs, it makes it difficult to be away from home for long periods of time. And rarely can you take more than 2 with you if you decide to bring them somewhere with you. And right now as I listen to her crying and whining to get out of her kennel at bedtime,there is a part of me that agrees. Puppies are a lot of work, along with their cute and snugly side. She is a loud little pup when she is stuck where she doesn't want to be. But most of the time she has been very quick to please and outgoing.

About a week before I got the pup, I decided to post her picture on Face Book and let friends and family help come up with a name for her. This has been amusingly interesting as friends and family have voiced their opinions and thoughts on what she should be named. There were family names, names I couldn't pronounce much less figure out how to yell it out in a hurry to get the pup's attention and names I am not allowed to use according to my children. They have a stockpile of names that may one day be called up to use for a future grandchild. It has been a few days since the little pup came into our lives and she is now in need of a name. I have held off naming her right away as I wanted to get to know her personality and to see just who she was before sticking a name on her that I would have to use on her the rest of her life.

This week as I have been reading through names and trying to decide on one, then deciding and changing my mind again, I am drawn to the words I hear from my own Master: "Before you were born, I knew you, I even knew the count of hairs on your head. I have called you by name."

How awesome to have such a close relationship with my Master that I was known and welcomed before I was even formed, before anyone else knew my name. Allow me to walk in the ways of my Master in a close and personal relationship.

Everyone, Meet Rainey