Question:
Yesterday morning, Natalie woke me up barking at the front door. I get up, peak out, expect to see some guy reading the water meter. Instead- there is the biggest dog I've ever seen close up on my front porch.
Now, Sirius is outside on a runner fulltime since Lila died as he will no stay home without his companion. Sirius is usually good around other dogs- but Natalie is freaking out- and gets everyone tense- so instead of drinking up the water then going on his way, Dogzilla started in on Sirius.
Somehow, I managed to get Sirius away from him and into the house. Dogzilla decides then the front yard is his, lays down and makes himself at home.
Meanwhile. insisde, Natalie and Hogan megahyper since Sirius is now inside, too. Sirius is a calm, gentle dog (unless you carry a stick or drive a loud car or wear noisy shoes- then he can't like you). He just wants to nap on the rug but Natalie and Hogan think he makes a good hurdle. And of course Titus and Deuce and Mouse all have to get in on it. Hermie and Booger stay on the sidelines, keeping up a constant chorus of their disapproval.
Ginia goes out and checks the dogs tags- apprpriately named Goliath this creature- and confirms that this giant dog is just out of his fence from down the road. Eventually, I get in the car and drive very slowly and he follows me and we lucked on his owner being out looking for him at the same time. He wanted to know why his dog's lip was bleeding- and I had to explain- Sirius is 1/4 his size, but he don't play around when someone picks on him. He thanked me for bringing him home- gave me his number incase it happened again- explained he had plans to better secure the fence. He also tried to accuse me of having a female in heat- or else his dog wouldn't have gotten out. I assured him unless his dog had a thing for hamsters, that was definitely not the case. I also mention casually that it is HIS responsibility to insure his dog stays home- and neutering him might help him keep his weight up in summer, too, blah blah... It all fell on deag ears, of course.
Meanwhile-
This was three hours from start to finish- WAY too long for Hogan to have to wait to go out. And the puppy poops more than any puppy I have ever known! Anyway, Hogan has an accident- which was no big deal- he's had a few so far- (he was litterbox trained when we got him, but I have insisted he learn to go out on a leash- how do you travel with a dog that only knows how to poop in a box?- he is slowly but surely getting the hang of it)
So...
Right after Hogan poos on the rug- Natalie does the most astonishing thing! I have NEVER known Natalie to be so ill-behaved! She walks just off the rug, squats and pees in the floor! Looking right at me, too! She knew she was wrong, though, and immediately climbed under a table in shame. I thought- God no! She's regressing! I can't housebreak two dogs at once! GRRRRRRRR! But thankfully it was an isolated incident. She is back to asking to go out like before.
This morning...
I get up every morning aroound 7 and the first thing I do is take the dogs out. Sometimes, Sirius has gotten himself tangled in the night and he waits patiently for me to untangle him while Natalie is doing her business. Hogan being there, too, is a new thing to me, but he is a little shadow, and I had confidence if I let go his leash for a minute to untangle Sirius that he wouldn't run off. I was more in danger of him peeing on my foot- he wants to stay THAT close.
If Sirius is very badly tangled, I have to unhook him and unkink the cable and rehook him. Usually not a big deal- he is thirsty- he goes straight to the water trough and is usually still drinking when I'm through. This time, though, he went to a puddle on the drive. ANd Natalie followed him. I was sure they'd come straight back when he had his fill. I looked away for two seconds getting hold of Hogan's leash again- and they took off! They ran! I KNOW they planned that escape perfectly to when I wasn't looking!
Right down the road is an old logging road- they dipped in there first out of sight. I am calling them, feeling stupid and totally duped- and knowing I'm gonna have to wake up Ginia cause I can't handle Sirius as well as she can and Ginia is going to be mad and I'm gonna feel even more stupid. When I call them, Natalie will pop out onto the edge of the road, bouncing around with her silly ears pointing up and out, but she's just teasing me- she won't come. Then they both take off again- further away- until they get around hte curve to where I can't see them. I don't know if they are still running, hiding somewhere new, or run over.
I take Hogan in, wake up Virginia, by some miracle find my keys in the sofa, and grab a couple leashes and we get in the car and drive off looking for them. We didn't have to go far. There they were, right around the curve, dancing and wagging and happily barking- licking an equally as glad-to-see-them Goliath through the fence. Hello, new friend! So, this is where YOU live! Nice fence! Got any food? You won't believe what it took for us to get here!
I could have screamed!
Of course, Natalie jumps in as soon as you open the door, but Sirius hates cars and Ginia had to chase him around to get him on the leash and then pick him up and practically mash him in through the car door. He also gets really nervous in cars, so I am just praying I can get turned around and back home before he pees or pukes on my upholstery.
We are all back home safe again- Sirius rehooked and both dogs properly scolded (then given pigsears, of course- I am such a consistent disciplinarian)
Last little bit- Sirius is a very finicky eater, so we feed him in a hopper- so he has food avaliable at all times- (and it's a wonderful ant-free setup- unlike your average dogbowl) I was afraid Dogzilla had emptied the food while he was out there- and was grumbling about having to buy more after I had budgeted so perfectly. Isaac laughed when I said something about it, though. He said, 'Mama, he tried to eat it, but his head was so big it wouldn't fit into the door.' Now, that's a big dog!


Answer:
He looks like such a gentle giant. I am sorry about the "conspiracy" to escape planned by your dogs, seems like every once in a while they have to make our lives interesting


Answer:
What a MONSTROUS dog! But cute - too bad he seems to have a bit of an arsehole for an owner!

And what bad doggies you have. I'm glad you scolded them. And of course you should give them pigsears afterwards!! LOL


Answer:
LOL He looks like a big ol baby but I wouldn't want to go out side to greet him as my mom always told me since I was little not to walk up to stray dogs, even if they aren't lol


Answer:
all i could think is that it is soooo good that goliath's owner did nto see you, or he would ahve rubbed your "it's your responsability to make sure your dog stays in your fence" speech right in your face! sheesh!

glad they are home and properly chastised (pig ears are such a hardship)


Answer:
LOL, Weesie, I was thinking the very same thing !!
of course the furkids just wanted to see their new friend?


Answer:
Originally Posted by weesiepoo
all i could think is that it is soooo good that goliath's owner did nto see you, or he would ahve rubbed your "it's your responsability to make sure your dog stays in your fence" speech right in your face! sheesh!

glad they are home and properly chastised (pig ears are such a hardship)
No kidding- I think Sirius was determined to make me look stupid! LOL! Luckily there was no one at home that early- I think he works the nightshift. Sirius was probably going to go down there to kick that dog's ***, but was so pleased with himself for getting away he forgot to. Or else Natalie's bouncing enthusiasm bettered his mood. Or he was embarassed by her pogoing around with her big ears flopping sillily- who knows. Sirius is a complicated creature. And I think safe to say a lot smarter than me.


Answer:
dogs are like kids..as soon as you make any statement to another parent/dog owner about behavior or what they could be doing better, your own kids/dog make you look like a total blithering idiot and hypocrite

it's one of murphy's laws, i think


Answer:
Originally Posted by najiwench
dogs are like kids..as soon as you make any statement to another parent/dog owner about behavior or what they could be doing better, your own kids/dog make you look like a total blithering idiot and hypocrite

it's one of murphy's laws, i think
So true!! He is a very large dog!
Just wondering....do you carry your camera everywhere? You seem to always get those impromptu shots I always miss running for my camera. LOL


Answer:
Originally Posted by fertmom
So true!! He is a very large dog!
Just wondering....do you carry your camera everywhere? You seem to always get those impromptu shots I always miss running for my camera. LOL
lol. Ginia took it- incase we had to make 'found' posters. Even if it meant Sirius had to be in the house for a week, I won't send a dog to the pound. A big scary guy like that might not find a home. Luckily, we didn't have to worry about that.