The past two weekends we’ve had crappy weather. Memorial Day has to be one of the coldest on record, at least since I’ve started keeping records. Last week it got hot and humid. Between both weekends it was hard to find the motivation to get out and walk the dogs. Except for yesterday.
Tropical Storm Andrea (the weatherman pronounced it On-Dre-Ah, I don’t know about you, but I have a cousin named Andrea and we pronounce it An-Dree-Ah, but I digress.) Tropical Storm Andrea blew through here starting Thursday night and all day Friday, and it rained. I mean, it rained. Actually it poured. Buckets. It rained so hard on Friday that even my dogs didn’t want to walk, and they walk in any weather.
Yesterday however dawned clear and cool, a perfect day for walking. I pulled up to the park and a car pulled up behind me, there were two young men inside. They apparently thought it was a beautiful day too and were attempting to gather some friends together for football in the field.
I plotted out our walk and thought we’d hit the field first, then catch a trail from there, thereby avoiding the field once the boys were using it.
I try to keep the dogs away from the edges of the fields to avoid poison ivy. Sampson was being a turd and running the edge of the field. I called him three times and then decided to run with Delilah. Sure enough, we’d run about 10 feet when I heard him jingle up behind us. I turned to treat him, when all of a sudden he stopped. His head and tail stood at attention.
I assumed the boys had made it to the field, but Delilah and I turned to look and she snapped to attention. A deer ran into the field.
I braced myself for what was to come, Sampson took off, heading for the deer. The deer tentatively began her run across the field, Delilah crouched, prepared to get her run on.
“Nooooooo! Sampson.” He continued forward
“Stop!” I shouted.
They all stopped. Sampson, Delilah and I on one side of the field staring at the deer. The deer on the other side of the field staring at us.
What a perfect picture. Instinctively my hand reached around to my back pocket to grab my camera. it was empty.
Too late, I realized I’d left it sitting on the couch at home.
This photo is courtesy of Wendell on Flickr under Creative Commons.
By the time I pulled my cell phone out and activated the camera, the deer said, “Sorry, no photos please, there are hunters in these parts, you know,” and ran back into the woods.
Whew. I slipped my cell phone back in my pocket and realized a second too late that Delilah was still intent on catching that deer.
Have I mentioned you need strong bones to walk a Lab? Thankfully my Calcium supplements are working and my wrist the leash was looped around held up. Still I think I jerked a few steps forward.
I called her back, “Do you really think you can catch that deer?” She nodded.
Okay, I made that up. But if she could have nodded her head, she would have.
I un-clipped her leash and gave her permission, after all the deer had a good head start and if I needed to I could have just told it to run faster. I mean, it understood Stop.
Now all we can think of is that youtube video of Fenton and his poor owner. I think I would have chased too. Have marvellous Monday.
Best wishes Molly
LOL! You are funny! Not sure that my sister and I would have stopped on command like that but then again, miracles to happen from time to time. Mom hates that camera thing…seems like she needs one ready to go at a moments notice all the time but that is impossible. The camera phone does help sometimes but it takes so long to turn on, find the camera and shoot. Oh well, all we can do is try 🙂
I bet she would have stopped, she sure DID know!
That’s why I leave my iPod on during the day — it has the 2 camera lenses, but I rarely take pix of myself — so all I have to do is turn it on, swipe the screen, and voila. Unfortunately, most times I leave it in my wallet, in the bedroom, and I miss more photo ops than I catch!
I fully agree – Delilah would have definitely nodded her head back at you! Maybe she did and you didn’t see her do it. 🙂
With their dog memory they will never forget that this is the spot where the deer was and for the rest of their days they will expect another fun encounter like this one. The deer, on the other hand, will want nothing to do with any of you ever.
Stop! Impressive. I would like to have heard (and seen) that.
Now I want to know if you’re also a squirrel whisperer in addition to a deer (and dog) whisperer.
That must have been quite a sight. How far did they run after the deer before giving up?
On our most remote walks I sometimes allow Fozzie off-leash, but deer are the one thing that give me pause. I think he might be able to catch one…though given his increasing pudginess, maybe not:)
Yeah, why is that that dogs always go straight for the poison ivy? It is sprouting with a vengeance along all our usual walks. Maybe due to all this rain, and the mild winter.
Stop? What in the world does that mean? I have never heard that word before. Mom may have said it, but I didn’t choose to hear it. Reason #624 why I’m not allowed off my leash.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
You have great stopping power! How long did it take Delilah to come back?
Ha ha ha ha ha! I can picture you trying to hold on while she tested your bone density! I know I shouldn’t laugh, but I’m not going to lie, I did. How fortunate that you came across an English-speaking deer instead of one of those Canadian deer that probably only speak French!
I don’t think dogs r aware of their limits while we r to aware of ours. I like her confidence that she could catch that deer
Urban hounds
I hate when I forget the camera…that is always when the best photo ops appear…You want to laugh? Gizmo once took off after a deer, running as fast as his short little legs allowed…The deer actually slowed down, turned around and looked at him …You could just hear the deer saying “You have got to be kidding me!”
That sounds like quite the adventure. You have smart deer there that know “stop”. Maybe they could help train brown dawgs? 🙂
Your deer are way smarter than the ones around here. I had a few deer actually start walking towards us the other day, when I told them to turn around, they did not. I kept envisioning us on an episode of “When Animals Attack.:
Hee hee your a real doctor dolittle!
Hooray for calcium supplements, but maybe not for deer who speak English. Would have been better if only the dogs understood! Luckily we have no deer here, but sometimes people ride horses through our huge dog park (which is allowed, but all of us dog lovers hate it…). I always put Rita on leash when I see them because I’m not sure what she’d do. Abby used to run after them and bark her fool head off – not good! Luckily the horse owners would head out into the water and that usually stopped Abby or any other dogs from chasing.
Good thing you didn’t get your arm jerked out of it’s socket. Too bad you couldn’t of gotten a picture or a picture of Delilah watching it so intently.
Oh wow, that sure was an adventure – Sampson and Delilah are very well behaved! We see Deer some times here, but I’m usually on lead, I have no clue what I’d do if I wasn’t – not sure my Mum wants to find out!
Have a fun day,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
First off, just wanted to let you know that I have a very close friend named Andrea. Hers is pronounced “On-Dree-Ah.” I know someone who pronounces hers “An-Dree-Ah.” It is always super weird to me when people pronounce it as “An-Dre-Ah.” “Dre?” Really? But hey, to each her own!
I am impressed that not only can you get your dogs to stop when you say “Stop,” you also can get deer to stop! I know many a deer hunter who would love to employ you for your special deer speaking skills. 🙂
Glad you let Delilah fulfill her natural urges of chasing prey (although, a deer is pretty big “prey”).
You always make me laugh Jodi. That is quite an adventure. And yes here I am more than a week behind again 🙁