....would still be as cool. Taking Tulip for a walk is like going to a yoga class - calm, relaxing, and meditative. When Tulip and I walk together around the aquatic park loop, I can practically feel my blood pressure dropping. This is a girl who likes to take her sweet time and enjoy her surroundings. She has great leash manners and is easy to walk - no hyper energy, no drama. She just lopes along beside you and frequently casts a cheerful glance up at you with an expression that says, "This is fun, huh?" 
Tulip is committed to her mellow pace and will not be rushed. If you try to hurry her along, she will continue loping along at her slow, steady speed and give you a look that seems to say "What's the rush? Stop and smell the roses, why dontchya." Her determined mellowness is goofy and charming, and a good lesson in taking it easy and savoring the moment. She has an incredibly sweet and affectionate personality, and enjoys peppering her walks with pet-and-cuddle breaks. She is very well-behaved on her walks and attentive to her handler. If you have to stop and dig a rock out of your shoe, for example, she'll happily hang out beside you until you are ready to keep going. She is an intelligent dog and, in addition to her naturally polite leash etiquette, she is learning basic commands (which I don't think anyone taught her in her life before BACS). She picks things up quickly, and she's treat-motivated and eager to please. She sometimes shows a dash of that pittie stubbornness, but if you stand your ground, she will quickly yield. She is by nature an easy-going, obedient dog, and with a little training I think she will have excellent manners.
She seems to regard all people she walks by as potential friends. When she sees someone coming her way, her tail will start wagging and she'll cast them friendly glances. It's pretty darn cute. She seems to instantly love everyone she sees. She gets amped up when she sees other animals (dogs, cats, etc.) and in these moments she will pull on the leash. The vibe seems like it could be friendly with dogs (although hard to say for sure, of course, without seeing her interact with another dog) but the vibe doesn't seem particularly friendly with cats (or at least not with the one in the BACS office that taunted her so mercilessly a few days ago). In those moments, it's easy to get her back on track by just moving her past the distraction - she quickly forgets what was so exciting and goes back to being her mellow self.
Tulip is a real charmer. Her nice leash manners, coupled with her affectionate, cheerful personality, make it an absolute joy to spend time with her.
Text and photos by Alicia D.
3 comments:
She looks like a Sweet Pea!
She's one of our favorite dogs to walk for mentee training, she's so great!
She is how I was able to walk yellow dot dogs. Walking her is definitely like taking a yoga class!
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