I lost her, I said as soon as Hubby answered the phone.
Where are you? He asked.
We talked and came up with a strategy, he would come to the park from the other direction, hoping she would hear his jeep and go to him.
She’s been on leash for the last two weeks, and returning promptly with every recall. The beauty of the spring day tugged at my heart and I wanted her to have a few minutes of running.
I made sure we were far away from the field where she had run off the last time and I unclipped her leash.
I called her, she returned. I repeated the process, so did she.
And then she took off.
I called with no results, then Sampson and I turned and ran the other way with me shouting Run Sampson run.
Nothing.
We started following her and then we got to a point where she could have gone down the cliff, back towards the neighborhood or on.
That’s when I made the call to Hubby.
We were in the woods behind some houses and I thought, I’m going to turn around, maybe she headed towards the houses. If not, I was determined to knock on doors and spread the word.
Sampson was leading the way when he abruptly stopped and stood still listening.
Suddenly there she was running towards us. I clipped the leash on.
Never again. It was the worst eight minutes of my life.
A short time later she sat at the edge of the kitchen waiting as Hubby and I did the dishes, every now and again her eyes closing.
I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at me, I said to Delilah looking her square in the eyes.
She wouldn’t let me get a photo, I had to use one from the files.
My year of HEART has officially ended where Delilah is concerned. She’s proven time and again that she can’t be trusted.
Keep her away from my sister, the two of them would kill you and mom. Mom has even gotten in the car and driven off…did Katie care, NO! Some dogs are just that way I guess. Glad she is back home safe, that is the main thing.
I would have been a mess! It’s okay tho – I can’t trust Foxy either. They can be leash free in a gated area!
I am so sorry you went through this, Jodi. So terrifying! Shiva has pulled a few stunts like this lately as well where she disappears and I can’t see her. It’s so not like her and it freaks me out. But she hasn’t taken off for nearly as long as Delilah and if she did I am sure I would feel much the same way as you. *hugs*
The important thing is, she came back and she is home with you. I am so glad.
I am glad you found her. I bet you freaked. You need one of those GPS collars. I want one of those. 🙂
I was so worried the whole way through this post. Whew, what a relief that you found her in the end. Bad Delilah, bad – making your mom suffer like that!
I’m so glad she came back. What a horrible feeling!
I know plenty of friends like you Delilah. Mom won’t even try it with me. At least your mom gave you a shot. Oh well. Leashes are just another way to show love.
Hugs and cuddles,
Cupcake
That must have been awful for you. We don’t know what to suggest. Have a super stressless Saturday.
Best wishes Molly
Poor you, poor Delilah…I remember those “8 minutes” with Bruno the Mileage Man…He always did come back – eventually – but who knew from where…Only hope I can offer is that as he got older (like 5) he stopped his wandering
Jodi, first of all, don’t be mad at yourself (or Delilah) — it doesn’t help the situation, and just makes you feel worse. BUT I know it’s a lot easier said than done. I knew instinctively that
I would have been TERRIFIED! I know Dakota wouldn’t run away if we were to take the leash off outside, but that is something I just don’t want to ever risk because you just never know.
You found her and brought her home with hubby’s help. But I also felt your panic —
Callie and Shadow once got out of the back yard, through the gate that they had pushed open, one day while we were at work. A nice lady who attends the church up the road from us saw them playing in the stream and called them to her. She found our vet’s phone # on one of their tags and called them. They in turn called me at work. I told one of my co-workers and said “tell Joan I’ll see y’all in the morning” and left. A trip that normally takes 15-20 minutes took me 8 minutes that afternoon. Turned out that that nice lady had a Golden Retriever of her own and couldn’t bear the thought of my girls being picked up by animal control so she waited for me in the church parking lot instead of letting them go. I thanked her profusely since she wouldn’t take any money for her kindness. And sent hubby to Lowe’s that night for a chain and padlock for that gate, and padlocks for the walk-thru gates. The chain still keeps that gate locked shut to this date, years later.
HUGS to you, hubby, and the dogs!! Glad it all turned out okay!!
How scary! We lost the dogs camping last year – longest & scariest 1/2 hour of my life. Unlike you, I was very mad at a certain badger we all know & love. And everyone lost their off tether privileges while camping.
I do think Spring is a difficult time for dogs with recall struggles. All the smells of newly growing things must be awfully powerful for their noses. And baby squirrels. Baby squirrels absolutely must be blamed!
I remember that!!
Not funny at all. We had a heart-stopping moment once with out two Cockers on their daily route when we only got them to stop a yard from a busy road. They’ve been on leash ever since for that walk. Take them to the beach and they behave perfectly. Sadly there is no easy answer. Sorry for you and Delilah.
I’m sorry she gave you such a scare! We don’t let the Greyhounds off lead, nor Morgan, unless we’re in a fenced in area. My husband lets Kuster off during training, but it scares the daylights out of him. He much prefers having him on harness with a thirty foot line. Maybe that could work for Delilah.
Oh no! I’m so glad you found her. Summer use to get out all of the time and Shiloh would follow right behind her. I spent so much time looking for them and worrying about them that I know exactly how you feel! Thank you for sharing Wrigley and Bart’s stories!
I think you have given her every chance in the world and it’s just time to say no more off leash times. All of my friends who have Huskies have had to make that decision. Some breeds and some dogs just need to scare their humans.
I’m so sorry, and I’m glad you found her. What a terrible scare!
Some people feel like it’s a terrible thing for dogs to live “their whole life” on leash. Living in a very dense urban area, I’ve yet to see the problem. Silas is on either a 6 or a 15ft line all the time, with a very few (maybe once a month, on average) exceptions, and he’s fine with it.
We are SO glad that she DID come back… butt we guess that it is best fur her to always be on the walking string. SOME of us just have that vagabond spirit deep within us.
What an awful feeling that must have been! Poor Delilah! Poor YOU!
Had tears in my eyes the whole time. I’ve been there before and it’s not a good place to be. I am so glad she came back to you. Hope your weekend is better.
Wow…scary…it’s true…it’s not their fault, it’s ours…they are just doing what dogs do. I take that chance too, and I know I should not…the other day we came home from shopping and they usually follow us in and out of the house bringing in vas..this time, Luke saw something and took off running…luckily my emergency recall for him is … find Sara, my granddaughter, and he turned actually in a leap and ran into the house
And I said whew….no more chances
Glad you were lucky, and I was lucky…..THIS TIME. 🙂
Glad she came back okay! I can feel your stress. I’ve been through it.
I would love to be able to trust my guys off leash. I’ve had dogs I could, but no matter how much recall training these guys have had, I just know I couldn’t. At some point something would become more important than me and take their attention away and I don’t want to be left with the possible consequences. I feel lucky that they have a huge backyard they can run in and just have to meet the rest of the world on leash. They don’t seem to mind.
Oh Delilah, you’re going to be the death of your Mom! I had to accept long ago that Felix will NEVER be an offleash dog. He just can not be trusted. I don’t get it?! Good food, fresh treats, scads and scads of toys, a family that treats him like a Sultan?! Where the woof are you guys taking off to?!?!?!?!?!?
OK….That does it! Time for HOUSE ARREST!
Oh Jodi, don’t beat yourself up over this. But I know exactly how you felt. I don’t think anyone who has allowed dogs off lead have not had a dog that we thought could be trusted after we worked and worked with them, only to find out they can’t. It’s a hard lesson, that I’m thankful that for both of us, turned out okay.
Sometimes you can’t. We can’t trust Monty, no matter how much we have tried.
Sam
Oh God, my heart would have just stopped 🙁
I’m glad she came right back to you (…ish)
Oh gosh, jodi. That’s so scary. Thank goodness she came back to you so quickly. But try not to beat yourself up too much–and don’t look at things as quitting or giving up. It’s OK if she needs to be on leash. That doesn’t mean either if you have done something wrong. It just means she is too full of life 🙂
I am so glad you found her! How frightful, I can’t trust Riva off leash either.
Hi Jody,
My heart would have been in my throat. So glad Sampson it okay. 🙂
I am so pleased that you found her! Sending a hug
The really important thing (to me, at least) is that she did come back. She found you.
It reminds me of my tripawd Benji years ago. When we’d be out on the farm Benji had to wear an old cow bell. Yes, a cow bell. A big one. And when he took off, we could hear exactly where he was. I couldn’t bear to never let him run off leash and he sometimes just had to chase that deer he spotted…
Jodi, I should have added that farm was literally in the middle of nowhere – so only really natural danger lurked. I’m not recommending you hang a cow bell around Delilah’s neck. 😉
Ugh, how scary! That is the worst feeling. We had a beagle who I never trusted off leash. My hubs would sometimes trust her and let her go, but I knew that with a beagle, it’s just not okay. They can get the scent of something, and they’re gone. I figured there was no amount of training or trying to fight that instinct that had been bred into her for, what, 100s of years?
The key thing is, you got her back safe and sound. Phew.
Thank god you got her back Jodi. Toby has proven me year and year again that he is not trustworthy off leash, and I only allow him off leash in fenced in areas because of it. Sorry Delilah keeps proving the same. They are all individuals, and some are just more hard-headed than others I believe. All that matters is she is safe though!!!