Taking a Chiwawa for a walk brings about some fascinating observations.

It was a nice sunny day in Netley, Southampton, my daughter was out and the kids were at School, just right for a walk.
Experience from previous walks around the Royal Victoria Park on my own had made it very clear that a man on his own, really is on his own, so taking a dog with me seemed a good idea as I would blend in both the scenerty and what people go to Parks for.

No sooner had I entered the Park and a woman with a dog saw me pick Louie (the Chiwawa) up. “Bet I know”, she said, “Small dog syndrome”? Correct I said and we had a short conversation about various behaviour trends of the canine world.
I was tempted to say that my own dog, the Mastif was sitting in my new Land Rover, but not even I could look in the mirror and start to believe that story, so we parted.

Two hundred meters further along, another Lady “Oh what a sweet little thing” she said, but didn’t seem all that impressed with my reply saying “Honestly, don’t speak about me like that”.

On we went and did a round trip of the main area, a good Kilometer and with all the other passer by comments, this took not far off an hour.

They say a good way of meeting people is to simply go shopping in a Supermarket, but I have yet to experience love blossom whilst purchasing a bottle of Toilet Cleaner or Denture Cream, so it may be the case that I’ve found my new way of meeting people.

The thing is I haven’t time or a lifestyle to own a dog, it wouldn’t be fair on the dog. Also, if I had a dog the size of Louie, my cat ‘Big Ron’ weighing in at 1 stone 5 lbs would not appreciate things very much (I’ve seen him sort out a Rabbit!).

As with everything I do, I tend to wonder if there’s money in it and I know the Americans are great at ‘Hire a Pet’, they probably are in London, but the idea hasn’t quite caught on in Ashford yet, can’t think why!

So my plan for the Supermarkets now is to carry around a Dog Lead with me and just make passing remarks at the Pet Food Stand about the problem I’ve had with dog feed of late.
So to not get sussed out I can actually buy a few tins and return them later leaning on my age and saying I brought dog food by mistake and thought it was a lunchtime toasty snack.

It seems though that the only thing I have pulled on this walk, is the dog!

I am coming down again in April to look after the House and Pets whilst the family are away on Holiday. I shall spend the time between scouring the Charity Shops for dog owner like clothes, get Louie on Skype and train him up to sit at ladies feet, look remorseful and upon seeing me, jumping up and down in pure delight of being taken for a walk by such a good looking and youthful owner.
Ladies seem to feel ‘comfortable’ with a bloke and a Chiwawa!

Don’t hold out too much hope though!