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Originally Posted by Don_S
maybe it's because walking on pavement is repetitive, with each step nearly the same and the foot-strike unforgiving, while the rough trails I like have a variety of slopes and footing so that the legs and feet have to flex a little differently with each step.
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AFAIK, it's the high(er) impact of the concrete (similar to standing an a hard concrete floor vs. a rubber pad)
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He sniffs every bush and power pole, sometimes with deep interest and concentration. Maybe for him it's like reading great poetry...but it sure makes for a slow walk.
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At the local park where we walk ours, there's a large boulder at the intersection of 4 major (and some minor) paths. Every dog who goes by "uses" and reads it; it's been dubbed, "Peein' Rock" by local owners (& dogs?)
Dogs are marking territory, and reading sign. It's more like a public bulletin board than poetry, given the information they can glean about their ilk from an olfactory reading - they can identify the individual dogs, their sex, general health, stage of estrous cycle/pregnancy, fear, pack order, and a lot more. Since dogs smell in
layers (vs. blends) they can keep all this straight about each individual dog.
They're just keeping up with the local "news".
Doc