DISTANCE: 11.46 km  DURATION: 1:41:33

Polo is one of my favourite Pit Bulls, he has such a great demeanour. Today for Polo's last run, I wanted to take him on a fun adventure. I remembered how much he loves Fish Creek Park, so we headed there! We found the rugged muddy trails and decided to take them on. Polo loved running up the wet hills and sliding down them. He was really in his element. I always find trail running much more satisfying than pounding the pavement. Then I realized, I had no clue where I was, and we were already at 7 km. Oh no Polo, I think we are slightly lost. I mapped it out and we went a lot further than I originally planned, but whatever, we put it into high speed and headed back. Polo seems to get more energy as the run goes on... I think he would be great for long distances. Polo's dad was worried about us, waiting for Polo's return. Sorry for the lengthy run, but not sorry because Polo loves every minute of it! 2 pees, 0 poops.

​Runner: Audra

DISTANCE: 7 km DURATION: 1 hour

Finally a run with Polo at a normal temperature! This meant we could keep a steady jogging pace without Polo and Bexie overheating and constantly trying to find shade to cool off. Polo was right in there from the start attempting to play with Bexie. It's funny how bossy she can be even with a dog the size of Polo. The canine world is a fascinating one, especially when you consider that Polo and Bexie at one time came from the same ancestor. How is that even possible?? I felt like I was running the lead in a pack of sled dogs today. The two leashes trailing behind me, dogs side by side doing there best to keep up at my pace. At times Polo would get rambunctious and start to push Bexie to one side in an effort to egg her on and start a play fight. She would either find a way to duck around him and switch sides, or else snap at him to tell him to back off. Sometimes this would work, but other times would just get Polo even more excited to play, and the leader (me) would have to step in to refocus the two of them. Near the end of our run the sun started to poke out and warm things up, making the last couple km more difficult to maintain our pace. In the end we all made it safe and sound! See you Polo! The scoop: 1 pee, no poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 4.82 km  DURATION: 1:18:06

Usually Polo is there to greet me at the door. However, today I was already inside by the time he came barreling down the hall to say hello! He was so excited to see me and get out that he ran into the screen door and knocked it wide open! I’m doubting he would make an attempt to escape, but I quickly ushered him away from the open door so I could close the main door before we could get his collar on. I was happy I found one of my good leashes I suspected I left here after our last run! The afternoon temperature had raised significantly and I left Bexie at home this time. She could barely keep up with Polo last time even though we just walked. Today would likely be the same. This massive guy seems to do okay in the heat as long as we don’t push too hard! He stops for plenty of sniff breaks so he never overheats. I brought a dog water bottle for him but couldn’t get him to drink from it no matter how hard I tried! Okay tough guy! Just don’t keel over from heat exhaustion please!! I was surprised we only made it as far as we did on such a long walk, but I guess all of those little stops to sniff add up! See you soon Polo! The scoop: 3 pees, no poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 6.18 km DURATION: 1:10:53

Immediately after ringing Polo’s doorbell, I could hear him scurry down the stairs and down the hall towards the door. He must have known Bexie and I were here to get him out! Another scorching hot day out; I decided we would do a longer walk rather than overheat the dogs by trying to run. By the look of how much drool was pouring from Polo’s mouth after the first few minutes, I think this was a good decision! I tried to get them to play at one point; Polo made a couple attempts to play with Bexie but she was too hot to engage and do anything more than was absolutely necessary. Every few minutes we would have a quick stop in the shade for Polo to sniff and Bexie to lay in the cool grass and for all of us to drink some water. No matter how much I drank today I couldn’t help but feel thirsty! We passed a number of young kids walking home from school. It’s funny to watch their reactions upon seeing the dogs. Most have a slightly fearful look when they see Polo, but the odd one goes “Awwwe”. If only they knew how sweet this big friendly guy really is! The scoop: 4 pees, no poo.

​Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 8.11 km  DURATION: 1:03:14

Polo was a last minute run and what a pleasure it was to meet this wonderful, pretty boy! As soon as I saw him, I fell in love with him. Running with Polo is such a pleasure. He listened very well, he always stayed at my side, never pulled on the leash, and focused on our run from the start to the end. Since I didn’t know about the neighbourhood, it was a discovery run for me. Bridlewood area offers so many possibilities for us runners. Polo and  I ended up running along some sidewalks as well as some trails. We stopped for a couple minutes to look at some geese and other birds by the ponds. Polo posed to have his pictures taken. We were blessed with some great weather, not too hot with a little breeze.  I think Polo liked that kind of weather. Thank you for a great run Polo.  You are such wonderful boy!! Poop scoop: Polo stopped only to have couple pees.

​Runner: Fab

DISTANCE: 7.17 km  DURATION: 1:03:08

​The rain picked back up just in time for Bexie and I to run with our giant friend Polo! It seems like Polo and I are always running in the middle of a downpour of either snow or rain! Doesn’t seem like he minds it though, he’s always happy just to get out for a sniff and some exercise. We hadn’t even left the porch and the two dogs were already trying to play! I wanted to take them to a field to chase each other but figured any field would be muddy and soaking wet at this point! They still had a couple moments of brief play while on leash but for the most part were more interested in sniffing and marking their territory. Often Polo would follow Bexie around while she sniffed with his nose nearly pressed to her butt! I really wish I knew exactly what dogs are learning by doing this. To us people it just looks silly and a bit rude! I guess the last thing dogs usually care about is how they look... Once all three of us were soaking wet, we all wanted to keep our muscles moving and kept a steady pace all the way home. Have a great long weekend Polo! Off to Medicine Hat Bexie and I go! The scoop: 3 pees, no poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 6.37 km  DURATION: 1:09:34

It feels like forever since I last saw my pal Polo! It’s time to burn off some of that vacation weight (or is it only people who need to do that?)! I brought Bexie along again and just like last time, the two hit it off right away. I had to settle them down until we could get to a park for me to let Bexie off. Polo and I chased her in circles in the fresh green grass for a while. Soon, all three of us were panting too hard to carry on. I was curious how Polo would manage in this heat and by the sound of his breathing and the drool pouring from his mouth I figured we wouldn’t jog as much as usual. Polo is far too big for me to carry home if he suddenly collapsed from heatstroke! I had water with me but Polo is too classy to drink from my hand. Instead, I would wipe the handful of water on his back. Not sure if it helped, but at least it’s something!  We stopped for a few breaks in the shade wherever we could find it, and stayed close to home - choosing to zig-zag through the neighbourhood. If Polo had his way he would stop at every yard for a long sniff. If only we had all afternoon to spend outside! By the looks of both dogs at the end, neither would have survived another hour out on this hot day! See you soon Polo! The scoop: 3 pees, no poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 7.25 km  DURATION: 1:01:01

​After a beautiful morning spent sun tanning outside, the afternoon brought with it strong wind gusts just as Bexie and I headed over to see Polo. They had never met but I was sure they would get along really well. As soon as I let Bexie out of the car to greet Polo the two immediately started chasing each other in circles playfully. We quickly made our way to an open field so I could let Bexie off-leash so the two could really have some fun! They went at it for a while and Polo pulled me all over as he chased after Bex who loved having a big friend to match her intensity. Once we carried on, it became much easier handling the two of them on leash and we eventually picked up our pace just as the wind started to die down enough so I wasn't too chilly in my shorts. There were still puddles of water everywhere we went and the two dogs were soaked part way through our run. I hear Polo is going on a vacation this week so it will be at least a week until I see this friendly giant again. Have a great trip! The scoop: 4 pees, no poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 7.62 km  DURATION: 1:00:08

There's no better way to finish off a long day than with a late run on a beautiful day with my favourite Pitty, Polo! Time to switch back to the choker chain this time and see if we can get back to our usual pace. I could tell right away the chain was going to work much better. Although he still likes to stop and sniff a lot, it's much easier for me to encourage him to keep running than with the harness. I also think the harness is a little uncomfortable for him to run in. Although the weather was perfect for me, with all of the muscle Polo has to carry around, the hot sun beating down seemed to affect him more. There is water everywhere you go but once the snow is gone and the heat of the summer has set in, I will have to make sure to bring some water along for our runs. There’s no way I’d be able to carry this big boy home if he was ever to overheat! Looks like we achieved our goal today and are back on pace Polo! Can't wait to see you again on Saturday! The scoop: 3 pees, no poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 6.31 km  DURATION: 59:10

It was slow going out there with Polo today. I think he’s figured out that it's easier to pull me with his new harness on. Every minute or two he would come to a sudden stop, determined to sniff another spot. If I don't eventually pull him a long he will stay in one place for what seems like an eternity. I'm not sure whether he would continue running without a little encouragement. Most of the time he would follow me when I pull him and ask him to follow, but once in a while he’d be determined to sniff for a bit longer and would put the breaks on. I'm barely strong enough to win the pulling battle, but I can’t run if I have to drag him the entire way, so if he really decides to stay put, there is nothing I can do but give him more time. My legs were tired and sore so I didn't mind the extra breaks. I think going forward we will use the choker chain to help cover more distance. By the end, I was surprised how much distance we actually covered considering how many long breaks we took! See you in a couple days Polo! The scoop: more than 10 pees, no poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 7.03 km  DURATION: 59:36

Finally, a nice sunny day for Polo and me to run! It’s starting to feel like spring! I left my jacket behind. A t-shirt is all I would need today. It looks like Polo has a brand new, heavy duty harness to try out instead of the usual choker chain. Now he’ll really be able to pull me! Not that that’s ever an issue. However, today he seemed a lot more interested in stopping to sniff everything he could. I’m not sure if it was because of all the fresh new smells exposed from under the snow, or because he was stalling for a break. The heat seemed to be getting to him. He was panting more than I am used to seeing and kept stopping for a break every few minutes. He had plenty of drool hanging from his chin. While taking our selfie I didn’t notice he was getting it all over my pants and shirt. Eww, thanks Polo! When back on his porch at the end of our run, he did one last big shake and I watched drool fling around in every direction! I jumped out of the way to avoid getting hit. See you soon Polo! The scoop: 4 pees, no poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 7.5 km  DURATION: 1 hour

After our second run this week during a blizzard, Polo and I were feeling like seasoned veterans out there today. A couple of expert snowshoers - minus the snowshoes! My runners were going to be soaked after this one! We headed straight into the snowstorm for the first half of our run. Better to get the challenging part over with first! Polo doesn’t seem to care what the weather is like. He is just happy to get some fresh air, find some new smells, and see the other people and dogs out and about. Someone in a van driving by slowed down and shouted to me, asking if my dog's name was Dave? No Dave here I hollered back as they drove off! Polo must have a twin in the neighbourhood. A construction worker stuck standing outside holding a shovel stared with a big grin on his face as Polo and I approached. “What a beautiful dog you are,” he said in a high pitch voice as we jogged past. “He definitely is!” I replied. We finished off our run with a short game of soccer with a ball we found next to the sidewalk. It’s too bad there isn’t any green grass around for us to play on! Hopefully Saturday will bring better weather for us Polo! See you then! The scoop: 2 pees, no poo.

​Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 7.51 km. DURATION: 1:00:29

Things have changed drastically since my previous run with Polo on Saturday! Instead of getting covered in snow, we got soaked! We did our best to run along the main roads to avoid some of the puddles;  an impossible task this afternoon! Since it wasn’t freezing cold out, Polo took his time at the beginning glueing his nose to a new spot every few yards. I kept having to tug him a bit and ask him to keep moving or else we’d hardly make it around the block in our hour together! He sniffed what looked like a pile of meat on the road and did his best to pull me over to it. He is strong, but not strong enough to get the best of me once my feet are planted and I have my muscles engaged. We eventually picked up the pace and did our best to cover some distance. Have a great week Polo! The scoop: 3 pees, no poo.
​
Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 8.01 km  DURATION: 1:00:59

 The snow started to fall again just as I left with Polo for our late run. Thankfully, the wind had died down, and other than snow blowing in my face from the east it was a beautiful time for a run. I needed to work off the birthday cake, beer, and wine calories from the night before, and who better to do it with than Polo! He is such an easy going running partner; other than when I have to pull him away from a good sniff, there is never any tension on the leash. He stays right by my side as we trot along together. As we approached a couple guys standing on the path looking up, I was wondering what they were doing when a giant remote control airplane suddenly whisked quietly over our heads and landed on the path in front of us! It didn’t phase Polo who always has a stoic look about him. Nothing seems to worry or excite this big friendly giant! Although, whenever we are near another dog (which there were a surprising number of out walking at this time), he stares at them with a fascinated expression on his face. Thanks for another great run Polo! The scoop: 2 pees, no poo.

Runner: Nathan

DISTANCE: 7.31 km  DURATION: 1:09:53

​Polo the dog, is a smart, strong and very intelligent pitty. Some people are scared of Pitbulls, I notice walkers switch sides of the roads, and heads turn when you are running a Pitbull. If people took the time to get to know the breed, they would know that Pitty dogs are some of the kindest and most gentle dogs out there and Polo is no exception. Polo is a very happy dog, and he loves being outside. We found ourselves at Fish Creek Park today, Polo was very in tune with all of the sounds of nature, birds singing, squirrels hunting, Polo was very intuitive to his surroundings. It was one of those days that could easily be wasted away by searching out new routes and spots throughout the park. Great run Polo. See you next week. 7 pees 0 poops

Runner: Audra​