Wearing Hank out

If you know labs, you know they don't get tired. Ever. And Hank, as a 1-year-old pure-bred choocolate lab, fits the bill; running here, sniffing that, going going going until I can't imagine he has any energy left, but in all reality he is just getting started. Thankfully Hank saves most his crazy energy for outside, but it doesn't keep him from going slightly mentally crazy when he is inside. While I work, he is constantly audibly grumbling; staring at me incessantly; bringing me his ball five million times only to look at it emotionless after I throw it for him. It's so sad.

But let me clarify. Hank. Gets. Exercise. Every day. Up in the mountains or around the neighborhood. Miles and miles and miles. He runs and sprints and sniffs and chases imaginary things. But despite all of this, no dice my friends. No dice. Until this week. This week ::enter congratulatory trumpets:: I conquered that energy ball. WHA-BAM! And surprisingly, the formula is simple. I think the power is in the compound and the double park time. It goes a little something like this (this is a two-day formula mind you):

DAY 1: A varying-inclined 3-mile hike/walk in 8 inches of snow with a good bout of intense running and jumping and playing at the park.

DAY 2: Another 1.5 mile snow walk with another good 1/2 hour round of rigorous fetch at the park.

And TA-DAH! That's it! I caught a whiff of my success when Hank started to run slower and slower back to me each time I threw his frisbee at the park the second day. "Is he getting tired?" I thought to myself? Which was complete nonsense, you understand. But then, by the time we got home, Hank dragged himself up our front stairs and collapsed into a sleepy stupor on the couch. And I sat down too, only I was simply reveling in my success. A tired pup is a happy pup -- that's what they all say. Mission accomplished.