Child's Play

I brought Shea to the park. At this park there is an open soccer field, and there is a playground on the other side of the park. There are always kids on the playground, but it is never a problem to have Shea on the soccer field. He doesn't pay any attention to the kids and they admire him from afar.

Today, I noticed a little boy making his way over to the soccer field. There were no adults with him, and when he came close enough, Shea was interested to see who this boy was. Shea's initiation process basically involves him running up to whomever, tapping them with his wet nose, and then running away. And, that is exactly what he did.

Apparently the little boy liked it because he asked if he could throw the ball. Of course I let him. He was very excited and impressed by how fast Shea was. When Shea returned the ball, the boy enthusiastically asked if I would throw the ball. He wanted to see if he could beat Shea to it. He didn't. He walked back and took another try at it. Shea got to the ball first again. The little boy was winded. Between deep breaths he took the ball and said, "ok, your turn."

Since Shea is the fastest dog I know, he beat me to the ball. The only time I beat him to the ball was when Shea ran in the wrong direction. He may be faster, but I might be smarter. It was hard leaving the little boy. Him and Shea were so cute playing together, but we had very important things to be doing. So, we said goodbye.

I really enjoyed playing and watching the boy and Shea play. It made me realize all I missed out on when I was a dog-less child. I now resent my parents for that!