The Advantage of Social Distancing

By Amy Fernandez

Social Distancing – a term that just rolls right off the tongue these days–wow! It’s almost hard to recall when that behavior merited psychiatric classification.

But enough bad jokes. My point is that life changes in the blink of an eye. And although most people are struggling to lockstep these new health and safety rules, we already know the drill.

Walking with a dog attached is generally an impediment to normal daily efficiency. And, yes, I am trying to find some useful takeaway amidst this unfurling catastrophe, so here’s something. Our reflexive reaction to safety is streaming into everyday life.  Living with dogs, we totally get the concept of pack dynamics and potential contagion.

After a lifetime, both protocols are imprinted into my brain. Under ideal circumstances, every public outing invites potential mayhem. Yeah, the headliners like rabies and distemper aren’t even on the radar thanks to modern science. But we are still inundated with myriad, brand new threats from ticks, mosquitoes, super fleas; okay, enough scare mongering, but you get it.

Living in NYC, dog walking is part and parcel of the experience. And over the years I have had my share of run-ins with overly friendly dimwits with dogs. That is more than a story; it qualifies as a whole book.

But suddenly, I’m walking down the street with two dogs, sometimes even three. And yes, I get looks, especially kids–little kids with bored mothers are usually unstoppable. You are street fodder.

I would never have wished for social distancing for a reason like this coronavirus, but those days are over. Your dogs may look like a big old neon box of candy, but nobody is gonna violate that six-foot rule. I am out walking dogs morning, noon and night. Frankly there isn’t much else to do. It’s everyone’s new lifestyle.

This brings me to the other ironclad dog protocol–avoid indiscriminate dog mixing.  This is second nature to those who show dogs. There are hundreds of dogs parked at every dog show, yet how many fights do we see? Usually zero. Jeezzzz…why is this a difficult concept to grasp in the context of daily life?

Maybe they’re all doing it for lamentable reasons these days, but it’s so peaceful.  Encountering another dog on the street no longer signals an inevitable social interaction. You just breeze right by and don’t even need to explain why Lenny doesn’t like playing with strangers. (Honestly, do you?) Sorry, doggy socializing is just too risky.  And here’s the best part.  Those yo-yo flexi leads have suddenly disappeared overnight. Hallelujah! This may be the only good thing to come out this social distancing after all!

But I admit that I do miss watching the sparks fly when those mismatched impromptu playdates take a hard left. The Westie/Bichon was an all-time favorite.

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Posted by chesliepickett on Apr 15 2020. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.