Hershey and I take twice daily walks through the neighborhood. We encounter other people, kids, and other dogs. These walks, in addition to getting me out of the house and moving for 40 minutes a day in addition to my usual workout, are therapy for Hershey.

As a puppy, we kept him in the house, and as soon as he was large enough, he pleaded to be allowed to live in the backyard with his idol, Dazzle. (Yes, he did.) Dazzle accommodated him and would lie down to play with him at his level (he’s a dachshund; she’s a chow/spaniel cross). But all this meant that, though Hershey is a sweetie to hubby, me, his dogs, and his cats, he’s afraid of everything outside his sphere of awareness–to include realtor for sale signs. (And maybe that’s a good thing–do you really want to buy a realtor anyway?)

So, by us taking these walks, Hershey is becoming exposed to things in real life outside the compound that he missed for his first four years on the planet. His modus operandi is to bark and run away from inanimate objects. He’s curious about people–as long as they ignore him. If they move to pet him, he barks and runs away. He barks and strains to get to other dogs. He wants to chase cats (he’s always been wonderful with his own cats, but non-family cats are another story).

The other night, we encountered a couple with their two dogs (a beagle and what looked like a foxhound–they weren’t sure; she was a pound puppy). As we talked, Hershey and the foxhound-type were curious but both afraid of each other. The lady made a bit of progress getting to pet him, but she was trying too hard.

We are making progress. He seems less afraid of For Sale signs and bags of yard waste by the curb. He’s not barking at people–just dogs. He loves his walks. Not bad for a month and half effort.