Well maybe not stormy but freezing cold for CA and pitch black when Kita whined for me to take her out. Trying to be joyful (ha) I bundled up in a down vest and piled on a down jacket on top of that. Armed with a flashlight, we walked out into the dark night.
All was well, a little business was done and then as we headed back home, Kita decided to go no further and as I pulled on her leash ….. you know the rest. She managed to slip out of her collar as I had mistakenly fastened the leash to the collar and not to her halter.
Lesson #1. It’s important to ALWAYS be mindful.
In a flash that rascal had totally disappeared from sight. I immediately went into panic mode thinking oh no, first mom, then Charles and now….
Lesson #2. Don’t project scenario’s.
I walked down the hill about a block then back to the house to get a high value treat. Also, I backed my car out of the garage leaving the motor running, the door open in the hope of her thinking she could go for a ride. Off I went. Car running, garage/house open, front door open…
Lesson#3. Eeee gads, don’t forget your common sense.
Meantime I had phoned Nikka to drive back and help in the search and also Trudy, my wonderful neighbor who takes puppy to the park every morning.
Lesson #4. Take a deep breath and decide if it’s really necessary to call in the troops.
This time I decided to walk up the hill.
Lesson #5. Make Sure you’re headed in the right direction.
As I rounded the crest of the hill I saw a bunch of people standing in the middle of the road. ‘Hey’ shouted I, ‘Have you seen my dog?’ ‘She’s with us’ came the reply. Well of course, I should have known, my dog would go home with anyone and she especially loves to try and torment Tulip, my next door neighbor’s rescued pit bull.
Lesson #6. The answer is usually right in front of us.
So, gushing profusely with gratitude and so relieved I approached Kita to fasten the leash onto her collar. Well, she immediately bolted to the driveway of the other neighbors as three of them were willing victims of her charm. Somehow, using that treat, we got her to be still long enough to fasten her and all was well just as Nikka and Trudy drove up! Neighbor Steven kindly walked me home and all was well.
Lesson #7. Try not to get a dog that’s smarter than you are. My 200 lb. plus Saint Bernard Boswell would never even think of budging from his comfy spot on the cool floor. He thought his only job was to drool and eat bananas!
For me, the biggest lesson came the next morning when I realized that the whole incident was one big metaphor for life. We are loved and cared for more than we could ever imagine and everything we will ever need is waiting for us. When we forget this we go running off to sniff every tree and blade of grass thinking to find fresh adventure unaware of the danger that could possibly lie before us.
Safe and sound, here’s Kita, trying to get at Tulip yet again.
Kita’s name has been changed to “No No Bad Dog’.
