There wasn't a big change. They were small habits that appeared little by little and that, almost without me realizing it, ended up transforming the way we walk.

After writing about what an enriching walk means to me, I realized something.

Many of the things that are part of our walks today did not appear overnight.

We didn't find a miracle technique.

Not even a perfect routine.

Small habits simply began to appear that, over time, ended up becoming part of our routine.

Every dog is different.

And this is not meant to be the right way to do things.

It is, simply, ours.

 

1. There are days when the ball stays at home.

For a long time, the ball was always with us.

It seemed essential.

I thought a good walk had to include play.

Today there are still days when we play.

And Love still loves running after the ball.

But there are also many others where we don't even carry it with us.

Because I understood that not every day needs the same walk.

There are days when playing is exactly what they're looking for.

And others where discovering the surroundings already completely fills the walk.

 

2. We continue to choose green spaces whenever we can.

This, in reality, never changed.

Since Love came into my life, I always tried to make sure our walks had grass, trees, and dirt whenever possible.

I simply felt that they enjoyed themselves much more there.

Over time I understood that it wasn't just a feeling.

In a green space, they find many more smells, textures, and things to discover than walking between sidewalks.

That's why, when I have a choice, I still prefer a park to a street.

Not because a walk through the city is less valuable.

But because I have seen time and time again how their gait changes when they step on the grass.

 

3. There are walks where the best plan is to have no plan at all.

I used to feel like we always had to do something.

Play.

Walk.

Let's move.

These days there are days when we arrive at the park and simply sit in the sun for a while.

They watch.

They smell the air.

They watch other dogs walk by.

I do exactly the same thing.

Nothing extraordinary is happening.

And that's precisely why those walks have become some of my favorites.

 

4. They also participate in the walk.

It doesn't mean they decide everything.

Walks still have limits.

But, within them, I try to leave them room to choose.

Sometimes they want to follow a different path.

Or stay a while longer smelling the same corner.

Or to stop and observe something that would have completely gone unnoticed by me.

I probably would have kept walking before.

Today I'm trying to wait a little longer.

Because I often discover that those little moments are also part of the journey.

 

5. I no longer expect the same thing from every walk.

I think this has been one of the most important changes.

There are days when the walk begins with a smell.

Others where the first thing they do is run.

Sometimes we play.

Others of us just walked.

There are times when they decide part of the path.

And others where I decide.

Over time I understood that I didn't need to control every minute of the walk.

I just needed to give them space to experience it.

That also means respecting when a smell seems much more interesting to them than continuing to walk.

Or when they want to stay for a few minutes observing something that I hadn't even seen.

In the end, our walks are never the same.

And I think that's precisely where its magic lies.

I don't know what our walks will be like in a few years.

They will probably change again.

Love and Chloe continue to teach me things almost every day.

But there is something I hope I don't forget.

The best walks aren't always the longest.

Not even the ones we make in the most beautiful park.

Often, these are the moments when we return home with the feeling of having shared a good time.

No rush.

Without expectations.

Simply enjoying the journey.

And I think that, in the end, that's what has changed the way we walk the most.