I was thinking ...

I was thinking this evening whilst walking Jack - a fact I am rather surprised about seeing as my last but one day in work was insanely busy and I have been dreaming about a glass of cold vino since about 15:00!!  In any case, as we ambled around our local park/woods, stopping now and again to have a quick natter with the other walkers, I thought how lovely it is when you own a dog, we all know each other - although to be fair most of us only know each other by our dog's names! - and say hello, ask how each other are, say hello to each other's dogs and have a quick natter about our day.  It's just so lovely to be a part of this community, we don't know anything about each other really, but we know we love our dog's and that is enough to be nice to each other and pass the time of day.

Tina and I walk Jack and Ralph (her gorgeous staffy boy, will try and take a picture of him on Monday) together most mornings and have become very good friends as a result, she came to my hen do and I've bandaged Ralph's paw, friends for life!  When you know you've met someone as nuts about their dog as you are about yours you know you've found a decent person!

It is the same in the dog rescue community, as I've said previously, I have known Sarah & Paul who run Wiccaweys (http://www.wiccaweys.com/) for about 7/8 years now, and as a result I have met various people (through transport runs, at their home from which they run Wiccaweys, at dog shows, meeting up for rescue dog walks and on-line organising homechecks etc) who I have so much in common with, and there is nothing more inspiring than a bunch of relative strangers coming together to help to organise saving a dog's life.  It really does put 'normal' life into perspective when people are willing to drop everything to help an urgent transport run to get a dog from a pound to a rescue place and change their lives to fit a foster dog in.

All in all, anyone who truly loves their dog (by that I mean someone who has put the training and socialisation work in and who walks them come rain, shine, ice, snow etc etc) is okay by me .. and by Jack!