Yesterday held one of those events that you hope never happens when you operate a pet sitting service. We had a runaway. Our property is unfenced so when we take dogs on we stress to the owners that the dogs must know their stay and their recall. Especially their recall. It is not uncommon that the pack can get very excited and start to run about excited. And sometimes that may include trying to run off the property. However, one command and they turn back instantly.
We also insist that they take advantage of our free one-day trial stay. It is a good way to ensure that our setup is suitable for them and their dog. Yesterday was a free trial for a potential boarding dog. He was a golden-doodle---an insult and injury to both breeds but don't let me get started on that subject. Anyway, the owner had insured Oldest that he had excellent recall and even demonstrated outside before heading off to work and leaving him for the day. The first thing we realized was that he had severe separation anxieties. The owner wasn't gone more than fifteen minutes when the golden-doodle in a fit of panic charged for the open door when a new customer showed up to drop off a dog. Oldest leaped for him and caught his collar just in time, but then he turned and bit her. Another no-no on our property. Zero aggression tolerated---toward humane or dog.
Anyway, so she naturally let go and he made it outside only to cry and prance excitedly around one of the vehicles. Again Oldest managed to catch him and again he bit her. It was at that point that the dog turned and bolted for the open farmer's field at top speed. I just happened to be leaving the barn and witnessed all this. It also had begun to snow. So here we are peering out into the vast white field watching a white dog disappear into the horizon against a backdrop of falling snow. We called and called but he wasn't coming back. Of course we chased him into the snow storm and thankfully the woods in the distance created just enough contrast that we could make out his white spec running along the property line. As long as I could keep an eye on him and not loose him, I didn't feel as panicked as Oldest who was having a nervous breakdown out there in the farmer's field.
The dog eventually swung back around and headed back to our farm so I thought perhaps he was coming back so we brought out a couple dogs to lure him back to play which worked for oh about 5 minutes, then he decided that was enough and headed west of our property down the country road. Hubby jumped into his truck and followed him keeping an eye on him at all times while me and Oldest went on foot. As if he knew he was being followed he veered south across our neighbour's property to the far side where a bull's paddock was nestled in the woods.
At this point the owner finally showed up and I sighed with relief thinking it was over, she would call and he would come. That didn't happen. He completely ignored her and kept travelling south towards the bull's pasture. The owner, dressed in high-heels and office attire but minus any mittens or hat, went in hot pursuit of her dog across a farmer's field covered in snow and ice and mud. I'm screaming at the top of my lungs trying to catch someone's attention and warn them of the potential danger if he crosses that fence line, but the wind had picked up my voice and carried it away.
Thankfully, however, just in time the dog swung back westward, crossed over a country road into another farmer's field and disappeared into the woods. The poor owner, she looked so discouraged, red-faced from the biting cold and frustrated all together. I was trailing a few hundred feet behind them and just happened to turn from the cold and spotted the dog back on my side of the road. I called out his name and he stopped and looked at me. I stopped also not wanting to scare him off long enough for his owner to get close enough and catch him, but he turned and headed east toward our farm.
The hail started then and instead of heading back toward our farm, he started running north along a property line. We had gathered the attention of some farmer's on tractors who thought we were nuts and chasing after a phantom because they could not spot the white dog running loose in the middle of a snow storm. At last we spotted him just as he turned east back towards our farm in the distance. Really, how we were able to see him out there with hail and snow and white fields for miles and miles, I have no idea. The owner finally reached her vehicle and followed him, which shockingly lead her back to our driveway. Where, believe it or not, he went happily to his owner and leaped into her car.
I am very relieved there was a happy ending to this story but drilled my daughter on the new practices of screening dogs which included having the owner come for a pre-visit, waiting indoors or in town at a local cafe while daughter evaluated a dog. It is surprising how many owners think they know their dogs but really have no clue. Dogs can act entirely out of character once their owners have gone. As this owner said, it was if he was a completely different dog. Of course this doesn't apply to all dog owners, as a matter fact I would say the percentage of those who are actually point-on about their dogs are accurate. But it's the one's that aren't that we must be careful to accept because there is nothing, nothing worse then loosing someone else's dog.
