FitDog Friday #2 - Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night

Since Mr. N joined our household two years ago, we have gone for a walk every single day (except for four days when he was injured or ill). "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night" keeps us from those daily walks. Our biggest foe is usually rain but I have a pair of Hunter boots and Mr. N has four rain coats so we go out anyway. He doesn't like it when it is pouring but if it is misting (our normal weather), he puts up with it.

Mr. N in Michigan.

I'm glad August is coming to an end as a variety of circumstances have tried to conspire against us and our walks. It's not enough that we have to cope with an unusually warm summer (Pacific Northwest dogs are not accustomed to weather extremes of any kind). 

We started off August with Mr. N recovering from two foxtails (grass with barbs that burrows into animals' skin) which worked their way into his feet in July and caused a slight limp. 

Then Mr. N was almost attacked by a loose pit bull earlier this month. Luckily, he was not injured but he was really stressed for a day or two (reluctant to eat, throwing up and extra alert). It made me super paranoid for the next couple of days after the incident. I'm always paranoid about loose dogs in general but I was almost too afraid to take him out. 

Then he developed what looks to be a histiocytoma (benign skin tumor) on his foot. We've talked to the vet about it and it seems to be healing. He is currently wearing a boot on one foot. New fashion trend? 

And now according to our local Facebook group, there are two stray pit bulls roaming the neighborhood. They have been spotted at two of the three parks in walking distance. And yes, we do have a lot of irresponsible pit bull owners who live by us. 

Despite all of this, we have walked every single day this month. Do I want to put Mr. N into a protective bubble for walks? Yes. Are we ready for August to be over? Most definitely. And I think I need to bring in some baked goods the next time we visit the vet. 

What challenges have you and your dog(s) faced when trying to exercise?

Out for a walk and practicing "stay."