Catching Up

There hasn't been a post in a while.  Not because there isn't anything going on in doggie-land, but there is a lot going on in the human life so not much doggie writing time.  In an effort to catch up and re-start the posts here are two recent happenings.

First one was on Super Bowl Sunday.  I took the dogs for a walk mid-afternoon, before the game, of course.  Baylee was in the stroller and the others were tethered together on their Pet-Walker.  We had just started out when I felt them stop.  I knew they all had their noses to the ground on something, and didn't even bother to look back.  I just told them to "leave it" and kept walking.  Just a few steps later I realized that something was wrong and looked down to discover that Bentley had the lead tangled under his body.  So we stopped and I reached down to untangle him.  That's when I realized what they had stopped to smell...Blossom had a barbecued chicken wing in her mouth.  Yep, a whole chicken wing.  The funny part was when I realized that she had been trying to walk and eat the thing. She was not pleased when I made her leave a perfectly good chicken wing!

The other event was also on a walk.    If the dogs on the lead get too close to the wheel of the stroller the lead will get tangled into the wheel.  (Just to note here that they have since learned not to let this happen!)  Bentley got too close one afternoon and got tangled up.  I pulled over to untangle the lead.  I guess I was a little irritated but didn't realize that my voice showed it.  But Bentley must have sensed it because he did a twist right, a twist left, and voila! he was out of the harness.  Completely out!  I still don't know how he did this because the harness is properly fitted on him and should not have come off, but it did.  So, my dilema was that I had a stroller with a dog in it, two other dogs on a lead, and one dog to catch and re-harness and get back on the lead.  And I only had two hands.  I quickly called to him to come to me, which he is usually pretty good about.  But instead of coming right up to me he started to circle around the stroller, other dogs, and me.  I was calling to him in a somewhat baby voice so he wouldn't get scared, but he kept circling.  I was concerned because we were on a main street in the neighborhood and it was during the time when people are coming home and there is traffic.  And, sure enough, here comes a big old pick up truck down the street.  You can imagine the horrible thought that ran through my mind.  All I could do was pray, "please God, please let him come to me".  And he did!  He got just close enough that I could reach out to him and securely hold him, just as the truck went by.  I managed to hold the strap of the lead and get his harness back on and then reattach him to the walker.  I'm sure it would have made a hilarious video of him circling around us, not to mention getting the harness on with one hand!  There is a benefit to teaching commands! 

And on that note, after another two days of dog shows I've just about decided that conformation is not for Bentley.  I've signed us up for a Canine Good Citizen/Rally/Obedience class and will post some more about this new track soon.