04/09/2018
Time to share part two of the story-
My second heart attack of the day.
So after we got Bug safe and sound at home the first time that day, I was feeling pretty s**tty. As a dog owner, but especially as a dog trainer, it’s not a good feeling to have your dog take off on you!
Realizing her remote collar battery had been dead helped my feelings if worthlessness but still, I was offended. I took it personally. Why would she do that?! It was very upsetting.
So we came up with a game plan to work on more training- deer and prey counter conditioning specifically.
Luckily, we have a lot of deer around to use as a training opportunity (silver lining!).
Evening rolls around. I let my two dogs out into the fenced yard for a few mins. A friend of ours had popped by to discuss contractor -foundation-landscaping stuff with Thomas.
I see George standing by the door so I go to let him in and instantly I know something is wrong.
Bug is gone.
Again!!
George is all in a tizzy and the dog across the street is barking it’s head off so I shove my boots on, grab a slip leash, grab George and off we go up the road calling for her.
Note that it’s 7-730pm and it’s getting dark. Fast.
We walk over to where she went missing/was found earlier that day.
And there’s a herd of deer just standing there looking at me. Clearly, she’s not over here. 🙄
Now I’m panicking. I keep saying
“I don’t know what to do I don’t know what to do I don’t know what to do”
and intermittently crying.
George is being a freak because there are deer around so I decide he’s not helpful and take him home.
Thomas has met up with me at this point and has reiterated that I do, in fact, know what to do.
Bless his heart.
So I take some deep breaths.
But I keep crying and keep feeling lost.
We head back to house, I’m really panicked and have now called on our dearest and closest friends to come aid in the search.
I post her photo and short descriptor on our neighbourhood fb group.
I post on my personal page and on the Ottawa and Valley Lost Pet Network (go like their page!)
The friend who was at our place was standing in our driveway. And so we decide to format a plan.
Someone will stay at home in case she comes back (not me!), and someone will drive around searching (not me!) and someone will continue trekking through woods and down street calling and searching (me!).
The neighbours dog is still barking his head off and then suddenly I hear Cricketts bark ‘behind’ it.
And I’m off like a rocket. I whip through the neighbour’s yard, running very fast in my rubber boots through swampy, snowy, lumpy terrain, praying not to sprain an ankle.
I pause in the darkness and call out for Bug.
I hear something in the brush.
White tails flutter past silently.
More deer.
Great.
Getting a bit spooked (coyotes going to eat me??) so I’m about to phone Thomas to have him come save me and then I hear him say calmly “Buggy, come here” and off I go again like a rocket back to the road,
SCREAMING LIKE A BLOODY FOOL
“BUGGY ITS ME COME HERE BUGGY BUGGY ITS ME!!”
Folks- that’s what you’re NOT supposed to do!
Oh yah but my dog is different. 🙄🙄🙄
Lo and behold, Buggy is standing 100-200 feet away on the road under a street lamp growling and barking and huffing at the three men standing between us.
I continue running full sp*ed towards her (DONT DO THIS!)
And my dear husband is crouched down on ground (as you should be!)
and says to me as I run past, “honey don’t spook her!!! Slow down! Don’t run up to her”
Bless his heart x2
I continue my blubbering ramblings about how’s “its meeee!!!!” Arms outstretched. Elated. Foolish. Ecstatic. Moronic.
She continues growling. I shout back to the men to “get the f**k out of here” or something along those lines.
Thomas also retreats (I found out afterwards)
And as soon as he stepped back away from me, she came running (albeit cautiously at first) into my arms, the little s**t!
Once I had her back on a leash, we walk over to the men, and she’s still growling at them 🙄
The lovely neighbour who came out to help after hearing my cries was bent over trying to offer her a treat (he also brought a leash, best neighbours ever!) but she would have none of it.
I sort of explained to him that doesn’t work when a dog is fearful etc but didn’t have any energy left to be coherent.
Adrenaline is a funny thing folks.
Twice in one day I envisioned my beloved dog dead. I’m a worst case scenario thinker sometimes. I’m super positive generally, but I can easily picture the worst.
Hard thing to deal with emotionally and physically.
So the damned dog jumped over the 4 foot gate to chase after some deer that were in the driveway.
So a new additional gate was installed as a safety measure. New fencing will also be going up. And she doesn’t go out unsupervised (for now).
We are not walking on the land across the street- only on our private property.
And we will continue proofing recall and calm engaged behaviour around the ultimate distractions.
Luckily- we have many around. 🦌🦃🐿
