Rural Wisconsin; A Paradise for Dogs

When I was a sophomore in high school, I came home one Saturday afternoon and fell in love. As I walked up the driveway, the cutest puppy I have ever seen trotted down to greet me. Though I knew my family was getting a dog, I was not prepared for how utterly adorable our new puppy was. She was the first dog I ever had and even though I was 15 years old, I shed all my teenage angst around her. Meg, as she was named, was the apple of my eye.

My father is an avid bird hunter and Meg was to accompany him on his hunting trips. However, as my brother and I arrived home 2 1/2 hours before him on weekdays, we were often asked to take Meg for a walk on the cross-country trail near our house.

One of the wonderful things about growing up in the middle of nowhere, also known as Wisconsin, USA, is that few people were around. There were sidewalks on some of the streets in my town, but not a single traffic light. The nearest supermarket was a 25-minute drive away and no one ever locked their doors. The small farming village I grew up in may have been extremely boring for me, but Meg loved it! She was the queen of the cornfield and forest area behind our house. Because there were no people around to be bothered by her, she was able to walk and run without a leash.

My father taught me various calls to ensure that Meg didn’t go too far from me as we walked for an hour or so everyday through fields and woods. I also learned how to whistle loudly to signal to her to come. Even though that was twenty years ago, I can remember Meg’s face like it was yesterday, as she would return to my side. Smiling as much as a dog possibly could, this Brittany spaniel was beyond content.

One of my favorite places to take Meg was a 30-minute drive from our house to a Wisconsin state-sponsored bike trail. Newly paved, this bike trail was a great place for exercise for the both of us and ran next to a large river. The bike trail wound through a local city and had several wooden train bridges. The view was fantastic and the road was smooth. It was the perfect opportunity for me to go rollerblading, a secret former hobby. Rollerblading with Meg pulling me on a leash was even more exhilarating! She may have been a small dog, but you would think she was a horse. Her energy was never-ending and this exercise was a great way for her to blow off some steam.

Even though Japan has some great rural areas, it is a bit difficult to imagine Meg having a happy life in the Kanto region. I have only seen one or two Brittany Spaniels in Japan and it is clear why. Though taking a dog for a walk can be fun, there is nothing better for a dog owner than allowing your dog to run free and wild. I will forever remember my favorite dog’s smile and how she reveled in the ability to rule over the forest.

Annie

Vocabulary

sophomore (noun) ? a second-year university or high-school student
angst (noun) ? a feeling of constant worry about something unimportant
cross-country (noun) ? across fields or countryside, as opposed to on roads or tracks
Brittany spaniel (noun) ? a dog of a breed with a long silky coat and drooping ears originating from Brittany, the most northwest region of France
to revel (verb) ? get great pleasure from (a situation or experience)