Lowville Park

Wednesday was a splendid day for a fall walk.  TJ and I took Sawyer for a drive to Lowville Park, with its scenic creek, trails and unofficial leash-free park.  Unbeknownst to many folks in the area, there's an annual salmon spawn.  We missed the peak but did manage to see three large salmon attempting to make their way upstream.  Unfortunately, not all fish are successful in their journey.  We saw numerous deceased salmon along the banks but mostly in the water.   Sawyer and I waded through the shallow water, trying to keep a firm footing on the slippery rocks.  Sawyer being a clever pup, spotted a dead salmon camouflaged amongst the leaves.  Eeww!   I was not about to touch this decomposing fish with my bare hands.  So I try the "drop it" command, to no avail.  It only works when I bribe him with food which he happily had.  After much proding, begging, yelling, tugging, he finally let go.  He was very upset with me for not allowing him an early salmon sushi feast!

Sawyer's #1 fan

Sawyer has an uncanny ability to attract unsolicited attention during out daily walks.  Some days, we can barely walk 5 minutes before admirers of all sizes flock to him.  What would normally take 15 minutes, now stretches to 30-45 minutes.  At times, we hear the "oohs" and "aawws" from a distance, then a friendly approach, followed by "may we pat your dog?".  Before you know it, Sawyer has an entourage of fans petting, cuddling, and offering to adopt him.

Sawyer has also touched the heart of a special friend, 'D'.  On a recent visit, 'D' had the opportunity to take Sawyer for a walk with his family and myself in tow.    Walking through a lovely forested area, meeting two friendly dogs (3 out of the 5 dog owners we met would not allow ANY social contact with Sawyer for some reason or other - dare I call them snobs or had they failed to properly socialize THEIR dogs??!)

Not sure who had more exercise that day, as Sawyer's strength can be overbearing at times (Bernese Mountain Dogs are known for carting large loads up to 1000 lbs!).  Wonder if 'D' can feel his arms today?!

Kissing the asphalt

Today, Sawyer enjoyed a pleasant walk with a friend and her 3 sons, through a little forested gem smack-dab in suburbia. Although we didn't walk far, Sawyer was exhausted and fell asleep in the trunk of my car.

Upon our return home, I promptly opened the hatch to take him in the house to continue his nap. During a moment of inattention (on my part), Sawyer made an attempt to jump out but instead, proceeded to fall head over heels onto the asphalt! It was actually comical to see his lengthy puppy body twist & turn as he's heading for the asphalt. It all happened so quickly and I just couldn't respond to this plight in a timely manner. 

I was in shock for a moment then snapped back to it. What is Sawyer's reaction?? Playing dead on the driveway! Yes, he proceeds to lie on the driveway without moving! Ok, I was starting to panic at this point. Had he broken a limb? or worse, his neck? was he paralyzed? I shook his paw and it was limp....*OMG*, my heart was pounding...my thoughts were racing worrying about vet fees ($$). Since coaxing him to move (with treats) was unsuccessful, I decided to lift this 46+ pound dog and carry him up the porch stairs (he wasn't helping me one bit). Made it up the stairs wondering if my back would hold up. I gently placed him down on the porch to open the front door and what does the little monkey do?? Casually gets up and saunters in the front door and promptly plops himself on the kitchen floor. Flipping little bugger!! (Honestly, I do still love him but he sure gave me a scare!) Moral of that story....take shorter walks lady!