Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Free Dog

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Yesterday I wrote about the horrendous experience I had trying to get my dogs into the park amidst a crowd of people.

After being yanked across the road, we finally managed to make it into the park and I found my walking buddy.  We headed off down the paths that would keep us away from the field.

Delilah was close to me on her 15 foot leash, while Sampson and Brady were unleashed.

You can always tell when the dogs see someone or something, their ears perk up, they stiffen for a moment and then they’re gone.

We met a new friend on our Monday night walk, Flurry a seven month old yellow lab.  His dad was at the LaCrosse field and decided to check out the trails.  The dogs were all excited to meet each other and they wanted to play and run.

Oh and hump.  Brady kept trying to hump Flurry.

My friend suggested we take the dogs down in back where there was some area to run.  I wasn’t really sure where she was heading but I followed her anyway.   Down the cliffs to the little brook.

About a quarter of a way down in the middle of the picture, you can see the flat area she was talking about.

The area was relatively flat with some room to run, but there was lots and lots of small limbs and branches littering the area.  I couldn’t in good conscience let Delilah run through there dragging a 15 foot leash.

I let her go.

She did ok.  When she started to get too far away I’d say, “Delilah No!  This way,” and she would come running.  But then she crossed the brook and headed out on the trails leading into the park with little Flurry right behind her.

I had a panic attack and I know she could tell.  Duh! She could hear it in my voice, but after a few terrifying seconds she turned around and came back.

Then we headed for home.

Today I wanted to take them for their walk on my lunch in order to avoid the LaCrosse team.  It was raining but they don’t care and I throw a hat on so off we went.

We pulled up to the park and I noticed Hail on my windshield.  Yes you read that right, HAIL.

I figured no-one would be out in the rain so I said, screw it and took off her leash.

She did pretty awesome.

I leashed at the beginning of one trail, which is where one of the houses she likes to run off to is, but as soon as we were past the danger point, I took her off again.

Of course I never let her get too far away from me.   And yes, every time she checked back whether I asked her to or not, she got a treat.

And guess who walked out to the car next to her mother, without a leash.

See Mama, I can be a good girl.

She did very good today and I’m very proud of her.

Tomorrow is yet to be.

Book update: My book has 22,025 words.

Don't Talk To My Dog

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I’ve lamented over the loss of our field in previous posts. The LaCrosse team has commandeered it from now until June.

Not only do the dogs lose the use of the field, the presence of so many people at the entrance to our park presents severe challenges.

I’ve decided the best way to manage the situation is to walk the dogs on my lunch break whenever possible and make sure their Saturday walks are taken later in the day, after the team has vacated the field.

Last night I made an exception for my walking friend, who hasn’t been around lately due to work constraints.  I figured since the LaCrosse team’s schedule says 5:00 pm, I would be safe taking the dogs up around 5:30.

I read the schedule wrong.

It actually starts at 5:30.  Everyone was just arriving.

Mr. Social just couldn’t contain himself, he was casting summoning charms left and right trying to get someone, anyone to notice him.

As I was standing there trying to figure out I was going to strong-arm two dogs through the throng of people, he finally managed to get someone’s attention.

“Well hello” the woman said, and that was it.  I had two choices, run along behind Sampson or be dragged over and risk falling.

I followed Sampson and said to the woman, “It’s really better if you don’t speak to them, it keeps me from getting dragged.”

She chuckled and said, “I know.”

My inner bitch said, “Then don’t talk to my dogs.”

Honestly what the hell is wrong with people?  It’s not like I have two little Chihuahuas.  I have two full-grown labs!  They’re big, I’m not!  Well ok, I’m a bit bigger than I’d like to be, but you get my point.

Normally I won’t acknowledge a dog without first looking at the owner and asking.

Why can’t everyone do that?

What do you do in that situation?

Do you speak up and come across as a bitch or do you bite your tongue?

Inquiring minds want to know.

What's Going On?

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Last week I wrote a post, Expect the Unexpected.  I asked if your dogs wore collars in the house and what you thought about it.

Opinions vary as to whether a dog should wear their collar in the house.  There is definitely a choking/strangling hazard especially if you have more than one dog and they interact with each other.

But there is also a very real risk that a dog can either escape or accidentally get out of their house or yard.

Last Tuesday Hubby walked out the door and left his keys inside.  We’d had some really nice weather and our bedroom windows were open so I happened to hear him outside our room asking the dogs ‘where mommy was?’  Like they could have told him. 🙂

Well he asked me to let him in and I did, then I went about my business of getting ready for work.  The dogs decided they wanted to go out so I opened the door and left it open a crack so they could come back in without disturbing me.

I was just about finished when I wondered…where are the dogs?

I went to the door and Sampson was just lying there waiting, but Delilah was nowhere about.  I stepped out on the deck and called her, looking up into the backyard but I didn’t see or hear her.  Something made me look to my right and the gate was open.

My heart just about stopped.  I immediately looked over into the neighbor’s yard and sure enough there she was foraging for nuts and anything edible.

I figured it was breakfast time so I wouldn’t have a problem getting her back, I called “Delilah, Delilah breakfast!”   She looked up at me and walked around behind the house.

I ran to the front and called her again and she ignored me.

I ran into the house and grabbed the bowl of food and ran back out to the front.

“Delilah, breakfast!”

She looked up and ran toot sweet to me.

Luckily for me she didn’t wander too far, but if she’d gotten farther than the neighbor’s house, I could have had a serious problem.

Strangely enough, Pamela at Something Wagging had a post The Year of Living Dangerously – What’s The Real Risk? where she mentioned her husband had left the back door open at lunch and her Golden Retriever, Honey had gotten out into the back yard.  Thankfully that is where she stayed.

The next day I read My Dog Ran Away Last Night t by Lauren at Life With Desmond.  Somehow Desmond became an escape artist and managed to get outside their stockade fence.  After a frantic sprint around the block, Lauren managed to safely retrieve Desmond from the neighbor’s yard.  You have to read it to believe it.

As if that wasn’t enough the very next day Kim at Life At Golden Pines had a post Out Of Sync And Unusual.  Kim came home from work on Friday to find her dogs upset.  Upon closer investigation Kim discovered three screens had been removed from windows she’d left open for the dogs to enjoy the nice weather.  Apparently someone had tried to break in.

Delilah’s little adventure combined with these three other stories reinforces my decision to make sure my dogs have name tags on them at all times.

Delilah and her identification 'necklace.'

It also makes me wonder, what in the world is going on?

Have you heard or experienced anything weird going on with the dogs in your world?

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