My temporary running buddy

Today was not an average running day. It was about endurance and camaraderie.

Today I ran the longest distance I had ever run - 10 miles. For me, it was significant because it was my peak distance before I start tapering for my half-marathon in 3 weeks time. I knew I could do the distance but until I actually walked the walk, it was still a limitation in my own mind that my body had to break past.

My mind was already playing tricks on me. It was already telling me that 10 miles was a long way to go and it wasn't worth the discomfort that would ensue. Plus the constant 10 mph head wind didn't help and was not really motivating. I was trying to push and power through it but I kept worrying about how slow I was going.

Once I got to mile 3, I felt better. I stopped worrying about my pace and tried to find a comfortable rhythm that I could flow into and maintain.

It wasn't until mile 4 that I turned the corner (literally) and the head wind was no longer a problem. I was able to really focus on the running.

Everything was feeling great and I got to mile 7. I see this dog run towards me. It was probably about a year old or so...not a huge dog, but he had potential. He ran up to me and started jumping up on me, not in any type of attack mode, but as if he was really excited. Having a couple of dogs, I feel comfortable around dogs and can sense if a dog is trying to play vs. being scared and trying to be defensive. I definitely sensed the former with this dog.

I gave him a bit of attention and then started walking away. He started to follow me. The more I walked, the more he followed. I tried to run into a nearby parking lot to see if there were any cars that he might have jumped out of, or if someone was looking for him. After about 5 mins., I could tell I wasn't going to find his owner (assuming he had an owner). So I decided that I would finish the rest of my run (3 miles) and figure out what to do, assuming he was going to continue to follow me.

So off I went, with new-found, 4-legged running buddy on my heels. He kept up pretty good. He hung close to me, every once in a while my back foot would clip him. Having him run with me distracted me from thinking about the 3 miles and the hills that accompanied them.

When my iPod told me I had completed my 10 miles, I called up my wife. "Uh honey, I have a dog following me. I don't think he wants me for dinner, but he won't stop following me!" It was the weirdest problem to have. A stray that actually knew how to heel. My own dogs can't go out without a leash. They're just too out of control. This dog was on his best behaviour. Now I would have absolutely *LOVED* to take this dog in but a few things prevented that.

1. I have 2 dogs already with no more room.
2. We have a baby on the way in February and we don't need the added stress.
3. This dog was at least part pit bull. While I think pit bulls get a bad rap for their ferocity, they're bred for that trait so it's a genetic thing that no amount of socialization nor training will ever completely override.

So I asked my wife to call up the Animal Control. No luck -- they're not open on Sundays. I asked her to call up Petsmart because they usually have dog and cat adoptions on the weekends through local shelters. I was hoping that someone there could take the dog in.

While Christine was on the phone, I remembered that there was a fire station nearby. I was hoping they could provide some direction since they're an emergency service who might be able to have better luck with other local services or maybe have an idea of who I could contact.

So we walked over to the fire station and two firemen answered the door. I explained that this dog had been following me for the past 3 miles. It's not like he was attacking me...and it seemed like an odd problem to have...a dog that was a great running buddy and stayed with me. They seemed to get a kick out of that. While we were talking, the dog sat perfectly still, taped right to my leg. He was REALLY on his best behaviour, probably unsure of who these people were. He seemed content to stay with me and was almost protective of me. He didn't try to attack the firemen or anything, but he seemed to have bonded with me at some level. Anyway, they helped me out by taking in the dog and keeping him in their bay until animal control could come and pick him up. I walked into the bay knowing that the dog would follow me. One of the firemen distracted him with lots of attention and I quietly walked away out the side door.

I felt alright about leaving the dog in good hands, and I hope his owner finds him or he finds a good home.

Anyway, here's a picture of him:


I found him in this area:

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If you recognize this dog and he lives in this area, contact Animal Services of Arlington.