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Runner News – Important Announcements
April 6, 2025
Thanks for logging your run, and Happy day to you!
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 “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony”Â
-Mahatma Gandhi
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LETTER FROM A DOG
âDear Human,
I see you.
Not just with my eyes but with my whole being. You may not realise it, but every time your heart beats a little faster, I feel it. When your hands tighten ever so slightly on my lead, I sense it. When you breathe differently, I know.
You may smile and say, âItâs fine,â but your scent tells me otherwise. Your muscles betray you. I can feel your energy shifting, and I carry it with me.
You see, I live in a world of sensation. Your voice is only part of what I hear.
I hear the tension beneath it. Your body language speaks louder than words. I watch your posture, your eyes, and the way you hold yourself. I even catch the subtle chemical changes in your scent when you are nervous or afraid. My nose is built for thisâI can detect fear and stress hormones in your sweat and skin. And when I do, it shapes how I feel.
When you are anxious, I become uncertain. When you are afraid, I may feel the need to protect or flee. And when you are tense, I wonder if there is danger nearby. Your feelings change the way I experience the world. Iâm not trying to be difficult when I pull on the lead or bark at something you canât see. Iâm just reacting to what I feel through you.
I know there have been times when I embarrassed you. Maybe I lunged at another dog, jumped up on a stranger, or barked too much. You held your breath and worried about what others thought. I felt that too. And because I love you, I tried to match your energyâI either got big and bold or small and unsure. Either way, it wasnât helpful.
But hereâs the thing, dear human: I donât need you to be perfect. I just need you to be calm. When you breathe slower, so do I. When your shoulders relax, I trust that we are safe. When you move with quiet confidence, I follow.
Please, when you are nervous, remember that I donât need you to control me with strengthâI need you to lead me with clarity. When you feel unsure, help me by being steady. I look to you for reassurance, not through words but through the energy you carry.
If you are feeling uncertain, thatâs okay. I understand. Just take a moment. Breathe. Stand tall. Move deliberately. Let me see that you are okay, even if you have to fake it at first. With time, I will learn that I donât need to carry the weight of your worry. You will be my calm. And I will be your calm in return.
With love and loyalty,
Your Dogâ
I hope this helps some folks understand a little more about our dogsâ world.
Best wishes,
Allan Ritchie MGoDT ( MPDTI)
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OPPORTUNITY IS BARKING!!
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We picked up a new customer recently in Hermine. Nutmeg and Padme Bobnar Kou joined us for 60-90 minute morning runs, 7 days a week!! Their running package includes our new product. Mrs. Bobnar Kou is very generous to her dogs, and she frequently requests 90 minutes of daily time divided between her pups. This is our highest paying run yet, at $38 per run. Thatâs $24 for the âL3-2 Dogsâ, and an additional $14 for 2 âAdditional 15 Minutes to any Runâ. Nutmeg and Padme are very gentle Bernadoodles. The neighborhood is rolling hills, and very private with very little traffic. These dogs are sniffers, and are not athletic, long runners. They just need moving time, with no expectation of distance.
Iâm hoping some of you jump on this opportunity soon, before they run me ragged!!
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ITâS NOT ALL ABOUT DISTANCE!
Everyone is different. Every dog, every day, and every run are different. You should all keep in mind that this activity is not all about distance. Itâs also about fulfilling the emotional and instinctual needs of our dogs, while we share our exercise with them. The physical part of the run is only one component. Be careful not to focus too much on the physical aspect of our service, and neglect the other, equally important things like the dogsâ need to explore with itâs nose, take in the environment, and the bond between you!
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 Be careful out there, have fun, and tell your dog I said âHiâ!!!!
THANK YOU!!!
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Happy Running,                                                                        Â
Jeff