Living With Oreo

No, the Porty walk is not the Lippizanner-style prance that Oreo affects when he proudly trots down the street. The Porty walk is a monthly gathering of Portuguese Water Dog owners at the local dog run.

This event takes place the second Sunday of every month and Cheryl has been meaning to join in for some time now. Yesterday she was determined to finally take Oreo to meet his fellow PWDs. And for some strange reason, I decided that I wanted to go, too.

First off, I'd never been to the local dog run. It's a place called Conroy Pit, a name that conjures up images of an abandoned mining site or a giant chasm for disposing of dog poop. Apparently it is neither but is simply a wooded trail where dogs can run and play off-leash.

And second, I was intrigued by the possibility that Oreo might meet one of his siblings on the Porty walk. Since there is only one local PWD breeder, it stands to reason that Oreo would meet some relatives and maybe even one or two members of his litter. I was curious to see how he might react to such a meeting.

As it turns out, we didn't make the Porty walk. Other things came up including the requisite Sunday afternoon nap. So we'll have to wait for next month's gathering of PWDs and hope that we can finally facilitate a family reunion for Oreo.

Today is Oreo's grooming appointment and, since he has some matting, he's likely to be shorn to the bone. So at least by next month's gathering, he'll have some hair back and should again look like a Portuguese Water Dog instead of an anorexic poodle.