Every responsible dog owner knows that they need to walk their pets regularly. But a golden retriever in Chicago grabs his leash between his mouth and takes himself for a walk.
Sporty, the self-walking dog
Like most golden retrievers, Sporty always likes to have something in his mouth. According to Duncan, the dog’s owner, Sporty would always grab something, whether it’s an item of clothing or a towel, and hands it over to him proudly with matching enthusiastic tail wags.
But as Sporty was growing up, he developed a preference for what he put in his mouth. And most times, it would be his leash. From then on, this smart dog learned to walk himself, while his doting dad trails right behind him.
Duncan adopted Sporty as a young pup and noticed early on that this pooch loves being the center of attention. Duncan fell in love with him right away and lavished the pup with all the love and affection he could manage.
And then an incredibly interesting behavior began taking place. When the pair go out for walks, Sporty will try to pull at his leash. Over time, Duncan felt confident giving the leash to Sporty, and from then on, the dog learned to walk himself.
Chicago’s famous dog
But Duncan always made sure that he’s just a few steps behind. Sporty often led the walk at their usual routes. When they started expanding their walking area and going through unusual territories, Sporty would always be right beside him.
With Sporty’s charms and ability to go on walks by himself, he’s earned quite a fame as a local celebrity dog in Chicago. He met many new friends, humans, and animals alike. Even his Instagram has a whopping 75,000 followers.
Unfortunately, Sporty died of cancer in 2019. Duncan and Sporty’s friends may be heartbroken, but they know the dog lived a good life and left many beautiful memories. Duncan also continues to donate to animals in need in honor of his beloved dog. Sporty continues to walk, but his legacy will forever remain.
Thanks to sporty_thedog
