Friendly, sweet-natured Periwinkle spent the pandemic years holding down a sofa, a commitment on full display the afternoon I met with her owner. She did not budge when I knocked on the front door and, amazingly, did not bark. Around the open living area were bags of dog food and assorted treats, most within reach yet she did not raid the supply. This placid 2-year-old Lab was a marvel.
When asked about her behavior outside the home, the owner claimed his dog was calm, steady, and “pretty good” on a leash. Periwinkle’s fleshy belly gave me doubts about the pretty good part.
When I arrived for our first walk, she happily abandoned the sofa to join me at the front door. The leash was attached and the door knob was turned. As soon as the opening reached Periwinkle-size, she lowered her body and barreled through the doorway only to be stopped short by the leash. That was bad. The walk that followed was worse. My pockets were stuffed with treats from her favorites collection yet none of them could out-compete the sheer joy of being outdoors. Periwinkle pulled like a husky in a sled race.
For our second outing I showed up with higher value food and practiced exiting the apartment a few times to encourage Periwinkle to slow down and think. Outdoors she was all impulse, no self-control. After rewarding her yank-free exits, Periwinkle was on my side. She wanted the food; I wanted to walk upright.
Though the pace was clearly difficult for her, she doled out cooperation a few steps at a time in exchange for food as we made our way around a parking lot. By the fourth day this big, impetuous dog was choosing to stay near me while gamboling like a puppy. I felt the same way. Three weeks later and three blocks away, Periwinkle was free walking in an open field at the end of a 12-foot leash, sniffing a bounty of odors. For the most part our outings had become self-rewarding.
The photo was taken the last time I saw Periwinkle. From the beginning I knew her owner was planning to move out-of-state in 6 months. Instead it happened within two. Best wishes to my friend Periwinkle for a long and happy life.
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