A Close Call

[Bindii]

I've recently returned home from the park tonight.. still shaking.

I'm lucky to have brought two dogs home, in one piece, without a scratch.

I mainly want to post this as a warning and as a wake up to call to any DOLers who like me, trusted their dogs off lead. I believe i have 100% recall with Fletcher. I now know this isn't true, and not something i ever wish to test again.

We'd already been at the park for about an hour, meeting lots of doggy friends, 100% perfect recall as always... EVEN when there was a young bitch that Fletcher fancied and when Hugo found a nice smelly fish to roll on, the 'leave it' command was given and both obeyed, as always. When some friends (met at the park) turned up, i decided to go around one more time with them. It's a huge reserve, i've always taken my dogs there for an off lead romp as where i walk is well away from cars and the main 'play spot' when a small lake is, is in the far corner from any roads, and backs onto (fenced) bushland and horse paddocks.

The people i was walking with take a slightly different route to what i normally do, which at one point is walking almost alongside a somewhat busy 80km/hr road. As we headed towards this i popped my dogs, as i always do when i walk with these people, in the same spot, onto their leads. We walked around, fine, as we were walking back towards the lake etc i let my dogs off their leads, we were heading in the opposite direction and the dogs always walk in front of us towards the lake, we were at least 500m from the road when i let them off their leads, where i always let them off their leads when i walk that way with those friends. Hugo walked by my side and Fletcher ran ahead with the other dogs.

... The rest is in slow motion and will stick with me the rest of my life. Fletcher spotted a rabbit and began to chase it "Fletcher LEAVE IT" "FLETCHER COME!.. it ran towards the road. And so did Fletcher. "FLETCHER COME! LEAVE IT" I froze. I ran. I screamed I screamed... I bloody screamed, i swore actually, but i wont put that on here. Three cars, 80km, in a row, all going the same direction. Rabbit.Car.Fletcher.Car...... I swore that was it. In my head i saw and heard everything made up in my head. The last car saw him and slowed. It was what i see every week at work, pets killed by stupid owners who trust their dogs too much. Dogs who are driven first and foremost by instinct. Dogs who deserve to be protected by their owners, let down by the carers and killed. Fletcher wasn't killed. He wasn't touched. I thought i was going to faint or vomit and all this was going through my head while i then feared he would run back... I stopped yelling at some point, i think it was before i started thinking. Before crossing the road i stopped to collect Hugo who had followed me. There were suddenly no cars, but i checked 4 times, reminding myself that my safety was more important - or so i'd read. As i crossed the road i heard a yelp, and Fletcher appeared out of the bushes and ran towards me. An electric fence stopped his rabbit hunt. I picked up Fletcher by the jowls and yelled at him text book style. I fell to the ground each dog under my arms, Fletcher gave me 5 huge sloppy kisses. The bastard. My friends came running with my leads which i'd lost while i was running.

My dog lived today. My dog lived to remind me who i am, his carer, his everything. It is my responsibility to make sure he is safe. I failed today and i came way too close to losing my best friend. I'm still shaking, and i'm finally having the chance to let it go and cry. Please, don't ever think you have 100% recall, learn from my mistake before it's too late. After tonight.. i will not believe that it is possible. In the end, he's a dog.. and why wouldn't he want to chase a rabbit?

[corvus]

:D It's okay. He's fine. You've learnt a valuable lesson. He's safe.

[baifra]

Bloody Hell!!! My heart was pounding just reading your post!!!

Glad everyone is ok. What a scare.

[Dame Aussie]

Thank Dog he's ok.

You poor thing, please don't feel too bad, you're a good owner and both your dogs are lucky to have you.

Now get yourself a glass of wine and try to relax :D

[persephone]

Indeed .

That is what dogs do- instinct can override everything we think they have been taught :D

he is safe, you are safe, and know his limitations.

The shaking will stop by tomorrow!

:D

PS:

that was well written !

Edited February 3, 2010 by persephone

[Ons]

oh my goodness what a dreadful fright1

i'm glad it ended okay though

go have a glass of wine!

[Ms James]

So, I'm guessing you're not going to be so judgemental next time someone brings in a dog run over by a car and says "but he usually has such good recall"

[Gayle.]

Good post. Everyone needs a wakeup call occasionally. We live on a very busy highway and it never ceases to amaze me the amount of people who walk their dogs offlead around here. Especially on the grassy/bushy area by the railway track opposite our house, which I know is a haven of wildlife......lizards, rats, rabbits, snakes. We've seen them there.

However, we got a bit slack about letting our dogs run from the car to the front door when we got home from somewhere. Pull up in the driveway, open the backdoor, dogs would jump out and run up the steps to the balcony and wait to be let in.

Then I found my brain, planted it back in my head and realised it would only take one dog to be walking past our house at that precise moment when my well-behaved dogs would just do a u-turn and run out to say hello.

So leads on all the time now.

Glad to hear everyone survived unscathed.

[Caesars mum]

sorry for your near heart attack type experience.

glad they are ok

I know I walk on egg shells everytime I let mine off lead without a fully fence area

[MonElite]

:D its all good ow, hopefully someone will learn from YOUR experience.

[Erny]

That's only one of the reasons why I think e-collar training is good. Not only for training, but it is that one extra assurance that you have when your dog is off lead.

Glad your dog is ok Bindii. Your post very much evidences the rush of adrenaline you would have felt. Thank goodness the ending to your tail is not a tragic one.

[rastus_froggy]

I know my dogs could never be trusted in an off leash situation (unless it is fully fenced) but I do quite often see people walking their dogs off lead in the street and have this tiny little thing inside me that says I wish I could do that with my dogs, BUT your post is the perfect reminder that yes dogs can be unpredicatable when it comes to instinct. And now that tiny bit inside me is gone.

Glad your dog is fine. Lots of snuggles tonight for both of them I'm sure.

[W Sibs]

OMG.. what a scare

:D he is ok. I hope you are ok too.

Thanks for the post. It's a good wake up call for everyone.

[all that glitters]

So very scary, all I can say is thank god he's okay! :D

[MissMolly]

Bindi I am so glad that Fletcher is ok..

[Kirty]

Wow Bindii, that would have been awful. :D I can't believe he made it. I am sometimes complacent with my dogs too, thanks for the wake up. Sending you a massive hug.

[Kirty]

See, I'm so rattled I posted twice! :D

Edited February 3, 2010 by Kirty

[black magic]

OMG- Thank god you are all OK.

[HugUrPup]

OMG I was having heart palpitations reading that.

So glad Fletcher is ok.

[Miss B]

Bloody hell, I'm glad Fletcher is okay :D

You must be so shaken up :D