By day I nap and chew on toys,

By night I swing by King Street bars

If you know the classic country song “Detroit City”, you might identify this as a riff of the melodic refrain, “By day I make the cars and by night I make the bars.” The new lines describe Nigel the Corgi. However, unlike the Detroit resident, Nigel doesn’t always want to go home. He likes to stay out on the town as long as possible.

Not surprisingly, this is a story of the tension between a 17-month-old party animal and his adult human, who’s more serious than frivolous. As Nigel’s primary caregiver, I’m responsible for his safety, well-being, exercise, development, and emotional support at all times, even though he regards my husband and me as his servants. (Typical Corgi behavior, I’ve learned, and so different from the other herders – Bernese Mountain Dogs and Collies – that I’ve known and loved.)

Through experimentation, some give and take, and understanding of the constraints we live under, we’ve created solutions that have turned the negatives into positives. And they’re working fantastically better than I ever imagined!  The outcomes speak to the power of human mindset shifts and reframing, that is the process of looking at a situation, idea, or problem from a different point of view.

One of our biggest constraints revolves around ensuring how our family dog gets adequate exercise. We live in downtown Charleston, SC with a postage-stamp sized yard. Most of Nigel’s exercise consists of walking on leash around the neighborhood and the larger peninsula, running around inside the house, going to doggy-day care once a week, and occasionally going to the beach and playing at off-leash dog parks.

Last New Year’s Eve, while walking near our house we ran into a bunch of college students/neighbors. Knowing Nigel (they had helped socialize him), they stopped to pet him. After a few minutes, they said they had to head over to King Street to meet up with their friends.

As they walked away, Nigel looked longingly at them for about five seconds and then bolted in their direction. Considering the speed at which these guys were walking and the facts that Nigel was on leash and I wasn’t about to run, the two of us couldn’t keep up.

But then it hit me. We could go to King Street, the heart of Charleston’s entertainment district and night life, on our own. We were just 2 blocks away. How crazy could it be at 9 pm? So off we went.

Being a herder, Nigel is a natural at keeping people in line. So he immediately found his purpose in life when he spotted multiple lines of people waiting outside for admission to various bars, clubs and concert halls. Many people noticed him, and asked if they could pet him.

In just minutes, Nigel transformed into a “therapy dog in training providing calming and crowd control support.” We walked several lines as people crouched and petted him, smiling and laughing at the little dog with the big personality who loved their attention. (A few months later, Nigel became a certified therapy dog of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. In his official capacity, he and I visit schools.)

As we neared the front of one line, we heard someone bellow “Hey, there’s Nigel! Happy New Year, Nigel!” I glanced over and saw another neighbor riding in a passing pick-up truck, and waved. The security guard looked at Nigel and said, “Wow, this must be a famous dog!”

Now fast forward eight months to August 2026. Nigel has become an institution in the entertainment district. The security guards and police all know him, and generally pet him. (One of the police officers has proclaimed Nigel “a legend.”)

We go out almost every night. As one doorman noted: Nigel is just as reliable as postal workers going out on rounds regardless of the weather. (Note: we do take breaks for vacations. And I’ve started notifying the security guards in advance so they’ll stop worrying about our absences.)

Nigel loves these night-time walks in the entertainment district. (How do I know? If we’re still at home at 9 pm, he’s barking at me. And as soon as we’re out the door, he’s pulling me toward King Steet.)

And who can blame him? The temperatures are more tolerable at night, especially during our heat spells. And even better, Nigel can quickly find people willing to pet him — generally the regulars, college students, and all the tourists, especially those missing their dogs at home. (We often pause for people to show me their dog pictures on their phones.)

I never imagined that I’d enjoy being at the other end of the leash on these crowded streets.  Yet, it’s fun to watch Nigel connect with the humans and see their smiling faces. Many of the crowd control staff and the police tell me they appreciate Nigel for how he calms the crowds, especially on the weekends.

And whenever a quiet evening at home seems more appealing than walking the streets, I remind myself that Nigel needs a night-time walk, especially as a young dog without a yard to run in. I keep him to the circuit I’ve designed (stops at four bars on three streets in a 30 to 60 minute span depending on the crowds) even when he wants to stay out longer. (How do I know? He nips my heels when we head toward home.)

Plus, the nightly experience provides Nigel and me with these benefits:

• Walking 3-1/2 blocks to the entertainment district and then in the area is easy, convenient and decent exercise.
• Seeing people smile makes us feel good.
• Being social every night is good for our health.

Also, I’m more up-to-date on neighborhood activities, which makes  me a more informed citizen.

And another huge benefit: Pounding the pavement is infinitely better than me accompanying Nigel in agility lessons. That would involve taking classes, driving at least 45-minutes to the lessons, and practicing. (I know Nigel would love agility, but I was awful at it the last time I did it 15 years ago at a Bay area park close to home with a Bernese Mountain Dog who found the sport mildly interesting.)

So here’s to the power of mindset shifts, reframing and getting out of one’s comfort zone to try new experiences!