Echo and Lyle

So which one is the master in this pair?

Lyle is the one holding the leash and Echo is a very special lady that Lyle decided to get one day as a valued companion and you can tell by his expression that it is already one of those very special bonds between pet and owner.

Lyle shared the story about the joke that more or less goes that if Martians were to invade earth and saw the daily routine that dog and owner take part in that they would be scratching their heads trying to figure out who is the master of this race.

It took a while for both of them to reach the area in front of the apartment building where we all live since Echo was stopping and checking out all manner of things in her walk and her “master” obediently stopped at each instance of this event. Lyle was in no hurry. He was enjoying her company and vice versa.

I had met them a week before on my way to the grocery store in the lobby of our building and commented with “Now that’s a real dog”. And when I asked the gentlemen “walking the dog” what its breed was, he said they told me that Echo is part malamute and we both agreed that this was not really correct since that breed is much larger and has shorter front legs good for pulling freight sleds.

So this dog is at least part Siberian husky and it proved that to me over the next few minutes when I found out that the owner had named his dog Echo. What a great name for a husky because it showed its personality when I called it a him. 

Well, Echo was not impressed and it started to growl a little and the owner corrected me and said no she is a she. (No I didn’t look, that would be rude no matter what sex the dog was).

Huskies don’t bark much but I did get one thrown at me when I made a quick move and startled her which is not something you should do around any dog. Lyle said that is only about the fourth time she has ever done that. She also has this sort of singing voice which she used in the first meeting which was more like “C’mon are you going to talk to this guy all day, let’s get on with our business”. At which point I started to head out to the grocery store and the owner and Echo went into the lobby at which point Lyle and I got around to introducing ourselves. Men are always more interested in the lady in the group than in each other.

If I were ever to have a dog, it would be a Siberian husky because they are so well mannered. Yes they do shed as Lyle found out in the spring but they also like cooler weather so the balcony is their preferred resting spot in the middle of the winter. I had to put down a favourite pet due to accidental poisoning when I was younger and it always stopped me from getting another one. The poor thing suffered and it gut-wrenched me forever.

But maybe one day I will but I can always say high to Echo and Lyle and I know that I will be well-received by both. I think Lyle has a plan in mind since he said Echo is a lady killer so I think the walks are more than just good exercise and taking care of business. There are a lot of ways to take care of business you know.

Being happy comes in a lot of forms and a loyal and protective partner does so as well. Nothing like a walk with man’s best friend, even if you don’t get to lead very much.