Sunday was a brilliantly sunshiny, perfectly cool, spring-all-up-in-your-face kind of day. It was the kind of day I wanted to spend all daylight hours of outside... taking advantage of city goings-on... and I wanted the beast to be with me. So it appeared - after 4 years of dog-walking the streets of Cambridge, and toying with the idea of getting O-Town onto the T - it was finally time... for Oscar to see Boston. With a copious bag full of treats in my pocket, and enthusiasm in spades (a necessary component to any successful adventure with a dog), we marched down to Harvard square... and then descended underground. *Well-behaved dogs are most definitely allowed on the MBTA, just not during peak weekday hours (7 - 9am & 4 - 7pm) - and no escalators - thank you internet horror stories...).
Now, we could have just hit on a "good day", but sweet chocolate YES was the beast amazing! Every, single, step of this entirely unprecedented outing he took LIKE A CHAMP. Cool. Calm. Unfazed. He was absolutely magnificent. This is not to imply that my dog isn't a general doll when it comes to trotting around with me in public - it is precisely because he is so good that I decided to walk him into the midst of the intense - but I admit to going a bit full-on with this newness test, and you just never know what you'll encounter while out.
*For those of you who tote your pocket poodle or roly-poly Frenchie around everywhere and wonder what the big deal is - I don't believe you are familiar with the expression of the urban subway passenger who isn't right fond of canines of any size suddenly noticing 95lbs of hound at their side, shooting them the serious face, at close to eye level for a seated human and a standing Ridgeback... Let's just say, navigating the captive close quarters of the T with a pony is not the same as traveling with a lap-warmer (this is coming from the former owner of a beloved 7lb Pomeranian - who went with us EVERYWHERE... no toy dog haters in this house, but it ain't apples to apples).
Not only did Oscar tolerate the human sardine-pack of a Redline car, he proudly stepped into the bus we transferred onto next. He stood, he sat, he said hello when it was asked of him - and he definitely gave a few people something to talk about while we all lurched down Tremont Street. And when we finally disembarked, into a sea of happy Sunday revelers, he wove his way upstream the sidewalks by my side, around strollers, past other beasts - he even managed to leave pretzels and popsicles in the hands of passing toddlers (trust me, this takes EPIC Oscar-dog self control).
Maybe the fine Spring weather had something to do with it, maybe we just happened to round the right corner at just the right time, but feeling like I couldn't possibly love this dog any more than I do on a day like Sunday, I jumped for my wallet when I spied the highest value reward I could find - doled out by none other than the Pied Piper of frozen city sweets: a wafer cone of soft serve from the Mr. Frosty mobile.
I won't lie - Oscar is awarded at least one frozen dairy treat each year, usually on the first weekend when the weather so obviously screams, "IT'S TIME TO EAT ICE CREAM AGAIN"... but there was no denying the worthiness of this particular afternoon delight. And Oscar most certainly knew it.
Oh yeah - SWAN BOATS! And if you're looking for out and about Boston/MA activities to do with your well-mannered dogster, check out the Fido Loves blog - run by Boston-based photographer, and owner of the muy handsome "Moose", Jay Stebbins. Great info, and lovely, lovely images.
Bravo Oscar! Well played reminder to your human how incredibly awesome & capable you are! Altho' hats off on your restraint against snatching the pretzels and popsicles so ripe for the taking. I don't know many RR's who wouldn't have taken them!
Holly
PS. Next time trying asking for a larger size on the ice cream cone. Couldn't hurt to ask you know! ;-)
Posted by: Holly Buttura | May 03, 2012 at 04:15 PM
Oh man, looks like an amazing day. I need to meet Oscar really soon, what a great dog.
Posted by: Carolyn E. | June 19, 2012 at 10:51 PM
Yes! He'd be tickled to meet you too, Carolyn! We haven't ventured back into the city yet, but he does come with me to studio pretty much every day - we'll have to make our next coffee date a dog-friendly venue...
Posted by: Natalya | June 19, 2012 at 11:23 PM