Friend's dog = Alpha Male complex

Today I had the pleasure of looking after my friend's dog for a few hours. My friend went on a road trip with a few other's to West Virgina for a weekend of beers and football. I unfortunately am the square that has to work all weekend. My friend asked if I would stop by to let him run around in the backyard for a little while, give him some water, and if possible a walk. The two year old dog is a Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Needless to say, this little guy is a monster. He is strong, fast, and the epitome of a man's-man's dog. As soon as I let him out of his cage he jetted for the backdoor. Once I managed to move him from blocking the door I opened it. You think Usain Bolt is fast? This dog ran laps around a large backyard as if he had been locked up for days. He had perfect form and I'll admit it I was envious of his endurance. As he trained for the puppy olympics I retrieved his water bowl from inside and found his tattered chew toy. After a half an hour of sprints, catch me if you can, and water breaks we both crashed to the ground for a rest. I remember saying to myself, "this is going well" and "I'd make a good dog owner". Then came the walk. As soon as the leash was on he was pulling me left and right almost to say, "we're going over here, is that a problem with you?" I brought him closer by giving him less slack on the leash and he still attempted to lead the way. As a truck passed full of lawn care workers he snarled and stood his ground. The worker who was sitting up high in the truck and passing at 20 MPH leaned away in his seat. This dog was the Alpha Male. He was athletic, strong, and intimidating. We sprinted on the block that led back to my friends house and I made sure he re-hydrated before I put him back in his cage. As I locked the cage he licked my forearm as to say, "thank you for hanging with me bud". On top of being the alpha male dog he was caring and appreciative. This dog. He's alright with me.