The Dog at the Gym

After growing up in the suburbs, I am having a novel experience here in urban Miami. Dog owners take their dogs wherever they go — into the drug store, the supermarket, even restaurants. Nobody seems to notice or care. Either we live in a new culture where dogs are equivalent to children, or there is something unique about animals in a pedestrian environment.

The good thing for pets and owners is that running errands outside delivers a meaningful amount of natural light. People and animals need sun to stabilize their 24-hour biological cycle, whether they are diurnal (humans, dogs) or crepuscular (cats).

In fact, a strong correlation exists between the health of pet owners and the health of their pets. Indoor pets and indoor people are both blue light toxic, likely overweight, and suffering from diseases of civilization. The dozens of owners and pets I see every sunrise walking along the Brickell Bay Boardwalk are doing each other a favor.

Nevertheless, the situation in Miami has gotten out of hand. Today in the gym, I was surprised to find a guy doing incline barbell presses with his large dog alongside. Nothing identified this dog as a service animal. The dog was well behaved, but the reality of a crowded gym prevails: Disaster awaits the combination of heavy weights and a wayward tail or paw, a cold snout, and yet another creature on the gym floor lacking in self-awareness.  

I used to worry about gym etiquette when one of my elementary school-aged kids was home for a Teacher Planning Day. The only way to get in a workout was to bring them with me to the gym. But I won’t think twice about it anymore. At least with small humans who can follow instructions (and watch an iPad), the only risk at the gym is that they interrupt me to say they’re bored.