Well we all know dog ownership is an adventure...felt like sharing this:
First I want to start by giving three cheers to all of you that have high energy dogs, work full time, and have to unwind their dogs after your long day of work
I had to leave Farley at home today while I went to work. A somewhat rare occurence. I am used to getting at least 3 hrs of off leash walking in with the dog, while I am getting paid. Spoiled I know. He is never quite relaxed in his work kennel either. This means when I come home form work I normally only have to give him a short walk and or some fetch/ob games and then his off switch works okay.
When I came home today I thought Farley was happy to see me, but if I am honest...it was past his dinner time and he was hungry
A quick game of fetch bought me enough time to scarf down a bowl of cereal, then he was on to his play soliciting antics (Death shaking anything I have left on my floor and then bringing it to me in hopes of a tug game).
SO I got my mountain bike out and prepared myself for a longish ride from my house, down a logging road so the dog could get some exersise and hopefully sleep tonight. This is where the adventure began.
I turn the first corner and realize that my dog is no longer with me (I encourage some ranging front or back, but generally like him in my sight). We were in the pee-mail section of the walk, so I gave him a second, but then realized he was up to no good. I road back around the corner to see him scarfing down something long and stringy. My best 'leave it', seemed to have no effect but then I realized it was because had to chew it to drop it as it was half down his throat and half hanging out
An inspection did not lead to a positive ID. The smell indicated perhaps some old inards of a deer (had deer fur on it).
Back on my bike, wind in my hair, dog trotting happy by my side, things were looking up. Farley trotted off to the side of the road for a "do it" (His poop command
) I was waiting and noticed he was squating quite some time, progressing to the walking squat.... Oh no I thought. The dreaded hanging poo
"DO IT" I said, he went back into full squat and did his best to push it out, but alas it was hanging, a clump of dried grass stringing the foul thing together. I knew then what I had to do, or risk having to give the dog a bath tonight. I scanned the shrubs and found a well suited large thimbleberry leaf and pulled the offending loaf out of his behind. I am not sure who is more embarrased about that episode...Farley or me
Back on the bike and thigs are really lookin' up. THe weather is finally cooler, the leaves just starting to change. On a longish straight away I spy something large and black walk out onto the road in the distance. I hit the brakes, Farley looks at me with a 'what's up mum?'
The bear proceeds to start
running straight down the road right at us! It is a ways off and I consider turning my bike around and high tailing it out of there, but then I check myself as I know a thing or to about prey drive! Pull out the bear spray, safety off, yell "HEYO". Bear still coming at us. Dog now sees the bear and is standing in front of me tail up ears forward. Bear now 25 meters away.."HEYO" I yell, and the bear breaks off of the road and into the woods. Phew! That bear was acting weird. I conivince Farley to turn around (he did not want to take his eyes off the last seen point), and we turn back towards home. Only a second or two after we turn for home I look back and see a truck coming.
Lightbulb moment. The bear had heard (smelled) the approaching truck and was running away form it. Not even sure it noticed us until it deeked off the road.
Now I notice that the truck has has three dogs with it in a "redneck run" (lazy man's dog walking by running dogs behind the truck). Great, the dogs notice us and charge in front of the truck towards us. Maybe I put the bear spray away to early?
Put Farley in an "in", between my legs, and yell my best NO at approaching pack. Owner now yelling "Poochy come" to the dogs as she continues driving towards us, dog ignore her. Pack closing fast, lead dog comes right up close enough for me to push his face out of Farley's face, and yell "get lost". Lucky they were friendly, but Farley does not take well to three strange dogs running at him. Good he let me take care of it, even though I did a mediocre job.
Lucky we made it home in one peice. Farely has brough me three socks, a baseball cap and a pencil as I have written this in hopes of a little something more tonight. He then downgraded to another of his "I'm not tired" favorites, standing and staring at me
He has now been given his 'have a rest' command and keeps sighing from his dog bed to let me know just how unfair his life really is.
Bet everyone has had a dog walking adventure they would rather have skipped! They do keep life interesting though
Bonne nuit