Retiring teacher, coach urges Colony grads to ‘find their 68’
By Jeremiah Bartz Frontiersman.com A football coach using a hockey reference as the centerpiece for his keynote address may
1 min read
Pretty soon icy conditions will make any real outdoor power walking difficult especially with a leash or three in your hands. The school tracks don’t permit dogs, sidewalks are often to icy or covered with “icemelt” that is not good for dogs and there are too many distractions and intersections.
If you go to the Menard sports complex check out the parking lot. Usually I’d go and put in about ¾ of the time on the indoor track then get the dogs out and walk the perimeter of the parking lot a few times. The perimeter and the road leading to the trail head is about a mile circle, (I think). I watch time rather then distance but I think it’s either .9 or 1.1 miles. On a sunny mild day it seems a waste to be inside and walking in the parking lot is FREE.
According to city and borough regulations you can walk your dog off leash if, and only if you pay attention to the dog and the dog obeys you all the time. If your dog does not have a reliable recall the dogs will love the walk on leash anyway. I take this time to do some passive training. It’s not a sniff and stroll, but get out and really move. You can practice “Here” or “Come” and “Heel” letting the dog forge ahead then calling them back and running backwards then coming to a heel position for a few minutes. Make it fun and give them a free moments to relax. Take some treats or toys to keep the dogs moving with you. The point is not to stop. Keeping a good pace make the dog focus on you and do less investigating. I often use the 16 foot lead so I can call them back and give them a little more freedom. And be good representative dog owner, control your dog around other people and dogs. Take baggies to clean up any doggy do.