In his early years, Finn would get a little CraZy without a good walk at least once a day. His eyes would get wilder. He would get into mischief that he normally wouldn’t get into. He was more predisposed to hucklebutt. For the uninitiated, the hucklebutt (aka bully run) is a delightful bit of looney bull terrier behavior where they spontaneously run at full speed through whatever space they currently occupy. Sometimes spinning in a particular spot, springing into the air between revolutions. Unintentionally cutting off anyone at the knees who might step into their oncoming sprint, like a cannonball with no aim. It’s like a battery that has sit around too long not connected to anything and Pow! explodes.
The walk is not just a change in surroundings, or the chance to explore, which are good reasons in themselves. It’s an opportunity to stretch his legs, run, play, and relieve the tension of being in a playpen, crate, or even a large house.
We all have energy stored up inside us. I’m not talking about new-age metaphysical energy. Just plane old mental, physical, and even sexual energy. The cube I used to occupy comes to mind as a place that presented both physical and mental confines for me. A good walk gives us a change of scenery and time to clear our head. Like any other cardiovascular exercise, brisk walking boosts endorphins, which can reduce stress hormones and alleviate mild depression. It is a nice low-impact way to get out, burn some calories, and likely be a step (another bad joke) towards improving your mood. I’m not sure a walk does much for pent up sexual energy though, unless there are some special underpants that I don’t know about.
