We currently have 8 boxes of tissue scattered around the house.  That is how allergic my family is to life.  Mold, tree pollen, cats, hay fever, various foods…you name it.  One of the strongest allergies has been my older son’s reaction to dogs.

Right after we got married, we got a dog and named him Switzer; he was a pug and he was my buddy.  As it often happens, he lost his place in line with each additional child but he remained a special member of the family.  Then we learned my older son was horribly allergic to dogs, which contributed to nasal allergies as well as his head-to-toe eczema.

Reluctantly, we found Switzer a wonderful, loving home when my son was 3. I took the possibility of ever having another dog off the table.  Seeing him react so strongly to dogs simply made it not an option.  Case closed.

Until Grace showed up.

What to do with a stray pit bull on your driveway

At the beginning of the year, Speedy was outside shooting hoops when, out of nowhere, appeared this stunning gray pit bull mix without tags.  We gave the sweet thing water and went inside, hoping she would head home (or just away.  Dog rescue is SO not in my wheelhouse).

Fifteen minutes later, she was sitting by the outside door, as if waiting for my husband and me to take our afternoon walk.  She followed us around the corner and approached a darling seven-year-old girl whom we hadn’t met.

As we cautioned her of this lovable dog we didn’t know, we met her parents and explained our predicament.  They offered to take her and help find her owners but this terrifying-looking dog with a docile personality plopped her muscular frame to the ground when they put a leash on her.

She wouldn’t budge.

My husband took the leash and she popped right up, ready to head “home”.  By the time we reached our house, we both dreamed of what life with this dog could be like.

After taking her to the vet (no chip and we were told she had terrible care due to sky-high intestinal worms), posting on all neighborhood sites (no response), and realizing my son was (divinely) not very allergic to her, we let down our guard, named her and found a family member we didn’t know was missing.

Grace adopted us.

Also, I had a new running partner!

We had to start from square one

At least that’s what I thought.  The reality is I had an animal that first had to get comfortable on a leash.  She had to learn how to walk on my left and not get distracted or jump in front of me, causing me to trip over her and meet the pavement with my face.

I learned am learning what to do when she turns into a mule and absolutely will. not. budge. We had to graduate from walking around the cul-de-sac to around the block and adding distance from there.

Once we got the walk down, I could add little bits of running to increase her stamina and get me used to holding a leash and poop-bag holder while still using my arms to help propel me forward.

It’s been a baby-step process that’s been both frustrating and rewarding.

After about 6 weeks, I experienced my biggest win at that point as a “Dog Runner Trainer” – we ran 4 miles with only 3 mule moments (stupid, scary electrical boxes!).  She was relaxed and smiling and I’m pretty sure Cesar Milan would congratulate me in a calm, assertive manner.

How Grace relates to our health

Somewhere around mile 3, I started reflecting on what it’s taken to get to this point over the past four weeks, and realized this process can be very similar to our own health path.  Taking out the junk food and sweets feels a little like a leash thrown around our neck for a while, but then we get used to that.  So can starting an exercise program.

Just like I now get a tail wag and a cocked head when I pick up Grace’s leash and put on my visor, we might spot a nutritious recipe or a new workout routine and think, “Oh! Oh! I want to try that!” Sometimes this process can be a little rough.  It might be hard to not get derailed by our to-do list or the Girls Scouts and their darn Thin Mints.  Our own version of electrical boxes pop up when we least expect it.

Patience pays off

But then…BUT THEN! It begins to click! We keep clasping our leash to our collar.  We start eating our salads and veggies more often than not and we might actually ENJOY them!

Exercising starts to turn into less of a battle and more of a way of life.  And before we know it, we can graduate to more challenging workouts and accomplish them.

We may still have our mule moments where we can’t budge. A decadent brownie can send us off course faster than Grace spotting a squirrel.  Grace’s moments of frenzy in encountering another dog might look like a potato chip binge – messy and a little scary.  Schedules, sickness, and demands all get in the way.  At that moment, we can plop down, refuse to go any more and quit.  Or, we can speak to ourselves the way I call to my dog:

“Grace, come.”

And our Grace will always come.

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