Yesterday morning we woke up to cold rain.  Sampson and Delilah aren’t fond of going outside to potty in the rain, but if we’re walking even if  it’s raining, they are keen to go.

The three of us were drenched when we got home.  I dried the dogs off, hung leashes, collars, harnesses, gloves and coats by the fire and threw another log on. Lucky for me my coat was dry in time to go to work.  I gave the dogs each a carrot and left them curled up toasty and warm in front of a raging fire.

I went to work hoping the weather would clear in time for our afternoon walk.

It didn’t.

It was rainy and 46 cold degrees on our afternoon walk.  We walked out the door to the end of the driveway.  Delilah stopped, rooting about in leaves.  I saw the second poop just after she swallowed the first one.

She was quicker than I was.

I don’t know about you, but when my dog is eating something my first thought is to get it away from her.  I don’t actually think about what she’s eating, just that she’s eating.

You see where I’m going, right?

Yeah, I sort of shoved my gloved hand in her mouth to try to get it out.

All I accomplished was getting a glove covered in shit.

I took the gloves off in disgust and threw them on the ground.

Yeah, there are my gloves, sitting in the rain, while I walk gloveless.

I’d have to walk in the cold rain without gloves.  I wrapped the leash around my wrists and shoved my hands in my pockets.

A few minutes later I pulled my hand out to untangle leashes and I smelled it.  WTF?

GREAT, not only did I get shit on my gloves, my hand stunk like it too!  I’d have to finish the walk with my hands fully exposed to the elements.  My mood toward Delilah darkened and I cast her an evil look out of the side of my eye.  In fact when she bent down to sniff at something, I pretty certain I threatened her with bodily harm.

Sampson meanwhile keeps looking up at me wanting me to treat him.

Notice I’m standing on the side with the hand that DIDN’T go in her mouth.

Which is hard to do because as soon as Delilah hears him crunching, she wants a treat too and I’m not sticking my hand near her mouth again!

Suddenly Sampson sees two white tail deer in a yard!  He looks at me and barks, “I know, I see it too buddy.”  I also see the glint in his eye and brace myself for the launch.  “Don’t do it, buddy!  Leave it!” I say.  He looks dejected but settles for a treat.

It’s now about ten minutes into our walk. My hands are wet, cold and red. I begin to pray that one of them will take a dump, just so I’ll  have something warm to wrap my hand around, I mean, it already stinks like shit right?  Why not go for the whole enchilada?

Finally about 1/2 way through our walk Delilah rewards me.  Actually I think it was an attempt to redeem herself.  Now at least for a few minutes I have something warm to hold on to.  And yes, I latched on to that like it was my birthday and I was being offered cake.

About 20 minutes or so after we started our walk, we arrived home once again drenched to the skin.

Thankfully we had a fire going to warm us, and a washer to clean up my gloves, the leashes and my jacket.

It was a walk I wanted over before it really began.  Do you ever have one of those walks? What are your secrets to make a bad weather walk better?