It is time Asa earns his keep in this family and supports our community by joining me on my daily neighborhood patrols.  Oh sure it may seem like a leisurely walk for Mom and Dad, but for me this is serious work.  Thanks to our long daily walks twice a day, I have become a keen observer on what goes on in our neighborhood, and when there is anything out of the ordinary I alert Mom and Dad.

First I take time to sniff around.  It may look to them like I’m stopping to randomly smell things, but to my well trained nose a simple sniff can tell me a lot.  By now Asa can recognize the scent of our neighborhood buddies – Milo, Inky, and Odie; and knows if a new dog has come along.  But I want him to also be able to recognize any intruders!  If a deer is lurking about in the shadows on our early morning walk, I want to know!  This also comes in handy when Mr. Porcupine decides to take one last pre-dawn saunter.  I don’t want to accidentally sneak up on him!  He’s a rather overreactive chap.  Skunks are also disagreeable fellows, but I digress…

Another important aspect of our walks is cleaning up sticks and branches that have fallen and are in peril on the side of the road.  Thanks to me hundreds, if not thousands, of sticks have been safely carried back home to my yard!  Dad really likes these sticks that I bring home to him, and he plays with them by stacking them in a big heap called a “burn pile.”  Besides giving Dad something to play with, it helps to keep our road nice and tidy and free from debris.  Once he is bigger, having Asa to assist with this duty will make carrying large branches light work.

Most importantly I use these walks as an opportunity to check in on the neighbors!  Depending on our plans for the day, I try to make it a point to stop and wish my adoring fans at the bus stop a good day before they head off to school.  After all if the children are willing to line the street to wait for me, it is the least I can do.  Also there are certain neighbors’ homes I like to stop at if I see them out in their yards.  Not only is it important to socialize Asa, it is equally important to socialize Mom!  This also gives us a chance to stop and rest Asa’s little legs on our journey.

Asa has a lot to learn to be as observant as me on our walks.  But I believe with constant reinforcement I can teach him to be a well rounded contributing member of society such as myself!