runaway furball

I had a BIG scare this past Thursday when walking one of my usual dogs. The dog has a history (with other walkers who work for my boss) of running out of the front door within a split second if you don't stop him, and to wiggle his way out of his leash/harness. I knew about the slipping out the door problem, but I've had a pretty good system which I use on him - throw treats as far as I can, down the stairs to the den and then whip out of the door a second later. He falls for it every time. ;) Oh puppies, so gullible. Sometimes on walks, he's very ADD when it comes to where he would like to walk. As soon as he sniffs out something in the air, he pulls really hard in a total different direction all of a sudden.

But this day, he didn't want to go a certain way (which is the same path I take him everyday...) and he pulled really hard. So I stop for a second and try to coax him etc. - and he just wiggles up and out of his harness and runs. And I'm left there with my jaw open and an empty leash. I try to call him because he's only a few feet away - and he just BOLTS into the strip of woods behind the town homes. I start running full throttle after him up this hill. Every time I try to sweetly call him and walk towards him, he runs farther away. Shit. Not good.

And as luck would have it (said sarcastically) his owner was home with a cold. So I ran, panicked back to the house and had to tell the guy that basically his dog escaped from me just then. Happy news I'm sure he wanted to hear through the haziness of sickly-ness. So, frustrated, he asks me what my plan is. Uhh....I don't know. I'm a search party of one, dude. I'm mine own task-force. So with his suggestions, I run out of the door with a box of treats, and a huge bag of dog food to try and entice him to me. I run to the last place I saw him, spot him, and continue to follow him into the next neighborhood. I'm climbing through people's back yards, and showing him the food and treats but he doesn't want them. Just stares at me for a minute and then scampers off again. Obviously, me with treats and food, can't compete with running free in the woods.

So long story short, the dude finally comes out to help me! Thank gawd. Even though I did feel bad for him that he was outside and sick... We ended up cornering the pooch in someone's backyard. I threw down some treats on the ground in a line, closer and closer to the guy - and we pretty much tackled the dog onto the ground while he was still munching away on a biscuit. I'm just glad we got him before dark! >__>;;

So that day was eventful. And I got some good exercise anyway!

I've starting walking a new dog recently. A German Shepherd name Pete. Nice boy, does well with commands. I little to energetic at times though! And a huge crybaby. :) Some recent photos of Pete and of the poodle trio again, since I know my mum fell in love with them when she ended up meeting them over the holiday.



Ralph

Mimsy

the Trio; Mimsy, Hugo, Ralph

On my walk with Pete, down to the water's edge in Old Town

Mr. Pete :)


Here is a video I took the other day of another dog I walk, a black lab named Sydney. He's the sweetest dog I've ever met! When I started having to walk him with another dog to save time, I would walk Sydney to the dog's house and tie him up outside for a minute to go inside and fetch the second dog. Evidently Sydney pitches a fit when he can't come inside too! And he howls and howls until I come back out again after 2 MINUTES. Crybaby! He's a good boy, though. :)