New dogs

OK, just the one dog. His name is Maverick. Not as in Sarah Palin or Dallas. As in: a lone dissenter; an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates. 

 Or:

Or even:

Today was the first day of settling Maverick into anything resembling a routine. Consequently, it did the same for me. Normally I sleep through three alarms before slipping out of from under the covers, layering on a few sweatshirts (to compensate for the removal of the covers) before sitting dully with my mug of coffee for however long it takes me to realize that I'm going to be late for work. Which I suppose is a kind of routine, but not exactly a healthy one. So this morning was definitely new.

A couple of things: 1. It's easier to wake up and get out of bed at 5 a.m. when you have an incredibly cuddly dog staring at you, wagging his oddly-stumpy tail patiently as you realize that your mornings are no longer just about you. 2. It's easier to wake up and get out of bed at 5 a.m. because you can't help but want to pet him, all the time.

So instead of layering on my sweatshirts, I changed into my workout clothes. I pulled my running shoes out of Maverick's mouth to save/wear them, harnessed him up, and we stepped out into the cool morning air for a jog.

Now, I wasn't sure how this was going to go. I'd only taken him for walks around the apartment complex to try and gauge his stamina while observing his behavior in general. Is he friendly to other dogs? How is he with kids? So far he's been energetic and good-natured, so I figured a short run along my usual route was a fairly safe bet. The best time for this (right now, anyway) seems to be 5 a.m. because the evenings are still pretty warm for a black-haired border collie, and sometimes it's the only time I can squeeze a workout in.

The jog went wonderfully. He didn't pull on the leash or stall too often. The only thing we'll have to work on is that he looooves crossing paths with me, like in that 101 Dalmatians scene but without the adorable meet-cute. (Where are all the cute guys at 5 a.m., you ask? Sleeping! Like the rest of the rational world.) I'll have to train him to stay on my side, just in case we're running along a road and there's traffic. But it felt really great running in that quiet, dark morning stillness. He seemed to love it, too.

I finished the morning with a brisk shower and then breakfast while Maverick alternated between watching me eat and doing what I call his "happy wiggle" on the carpet (he rolls around on his back like a fallen penguin ... I don't really know how else to explain it).

I'm excited to see how these morning jogs pan out with my new buddy! Hopefully there will be a 5k in my future this Fall.