"On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixen . . . ."

You never know what people will say when you’re walking a dog.

Martha is a black and white pit bill mix who weighs no more than 40 pounds, maybe less. She is quite slim, with thin legs and tiny paws. Perhaps because of her small size and slight build, she has a quick, light-footed, bouncy gait. While I was walking her around the block this morning, we crossed paths with a young man who kept smiling at Martha as he approached us.

“That’s a very cute dog,” he said.

“Thank you.”

“If she was one of Santa’s reindeer, she’d be Prancer, because she doesn’t walk. She prances.”

Martha back in 2015, as Maine coon cat Teddy looked on.