Carrying Dogs on Walks

We saw a couple on the trails last weekend with two small dogs, and though one was on the ground, the woman was carrying the other one. My husband and I glanced at each other in silent understanding. We had just been talking earlier that day about how odd it seems to us to carry dogs when out on a walk. The benefits of walking dogs include giving them exercise and the chance to explore the environment. Dogs who are in our arms miss out on both of these.

One of the dogs was running along experiencing these benefits and my kids asked if they could pet her, which was fun for all. During the course of our interaction, we asked the dogs’ names and ages, and were surprised to learn that the dog being carried was 17 years old. The couple told us that she just couldn’t walk all those miles anymore, but that she did love to come along and walk a little bit along the way.

They set her down and as she moved, I could see how ancient she was. She walked slowly, stiffly and with disjointed movements, but sniffed the ground, wagged her tail and seemed quite content with her surroundings. She was old, but happy.

As they walked away up the path, the three-year old dog raced back and forth covering twice as much distance as the people. Their old dog followed behind, in no particular hurry, and I felt sorry for her. My first thought was that they should pick the poor dear up so she didn’t have to endure the discomfort of being on those geriatric legs. Then, I felt an urge to laugh at my response. These poor people—I was literally judging them coming and going! (Shame on me.)

Of course, mostly I was impressed that they had a 17-year old dog and that they were still taking her out on walks. It was crazy of me to object to that dog being carried or to having a chance to walk for a bit. They were clearly taking fine care of her and making sure she’s living the good life right up to the end.

Do you have an elderly dog who is small enough to be carried on walks, at least part of the time?