Give Me A Reason

Hello again, furiends! 

As you saw in last week's repawt, I have been keeping quite busy around my new yard and local area, not without the occasional disagreement with the new humans. It's going to take a wee while to find our mutually acceptable boundaries. I mean, they can't have it all their own way... ...can they? 

Take Stephen, for example. Like my darling Gail, he is very active and tends to the athletic. However, he confounded me when he thought that I might take up running with him.

Now, don't be fooled by the stance of the fellow into thinking he was holding any form of enticement, the better to encourage enthusiasm for what, to me, seems an entirely pointless activity.

Yes, I run around the garden - but that is with some proper purpose behind it. Bunnies, or balls... or both. Perhaps a squirrel. Sticks, pull-toys, and other such things add purpose to movement beyond a standard trot. I even took to running somewhat when Gail took me to agility. In fact, that was about the only time that Gail herself would be found running. Walking, yes. Cycling, yes. Swimming, yes. Running? Not her thing either. Not without good reason. (Long timers here may recall Gail's reaction when I did think it might be worth attempting to beat Uncle Max's record at a Peak District Parkrun.)

So I looked at Stephen...

Give me a reason! Even if you did have liver bits in those cupped hands of yours, you'd need to be leaving them like the trail to the gingerbread house for me to consider following. 

You could try the ball on the stick a la donkey and carrot, but I guess that would cramp your running style. 

Tell me, furiends, do your peeps do activities with no apparent productive end to them? Do you go with them?? Why???