These are random musings of my life journey, the people, animals, places, and events which have woven, and continue to weave, a tapestry that is me. We all know there is no real destination, only the ongoing experiences which blend together, creating the trail. Each step gives a glimpse of what is to come, without allowing me to see the end result. It is exciting. I have a home base that is mine, that gives me a place to rest. This is it. This is where my heart is, no matter where I journey...................

Friday, September 16, 2011

Good news/bad news

The good new is .... I'm feeling a lot better. Not completely out of the woods yet, but much better than in my last post. The fog in my head is only light now and comes and goes. The pain has minimized to a tolerable level. All in all, I'm enough better to be fully functional, and reasonably comfortable.

Now for the bad news .... Jazmyn has found another way to escape the confines of the house and yard .... again. After leaving work I made a couple stops on the way home, and upon arrival, there were just four dogs on the deck. To make it worse, the weather was not good. It was raining pretty steadily. There had been an inch of rain, probably in the last 2-3 hours, and there was pea-sized sleet/hail on the ground, enough to nearly cover the ground and to pile in small drifts a couple inches deep in places.

As I carried groceries in and stuck the frozen things in the freezer, I whistled for her as I went up and down the steps. On my third and final trip, she came running up the driveway soaked to her skin and muddy. When I picked her up, she was shivering. It wasn't really cold, probably around 60°, but being that wet will do it. I suspect some of the shivering was from fear, too, because there had been some thunder in the hour that preceded.

It had rained enough that the back yard was muddy and had standing puddles, so I did only a cursory check of the fence, but saw nothing. A fairly thorough exam of the deck held no clues to her escape path. Once again I'm flummoxed.

I gave her a warm bath to soothe her and get rid of the mud. When I took her collar off, here is what I found.

Looks like her  escape was very tight. The spring ring that holds her tags was torn almost open, about half the ring was unwound. She is one strong little dog, because I couldn't bend it with my fingers. She was very determined to get out! Now another scary thought for me .... she could have hung herself on that collar! Not knowing if she pushed through a tight space or climbed over something, well, I'm afraid to think about it! But I have to, because I have to find and remedy the loop-hole.

Here we go again. And trust me, that is said with no glimmer of glee, but just a heavy sense of dread. For today, there are possible thunderstorms, and I will take her to work with me. I will try to remedy this over the weekend, then play it by ear. I may have to crate her for safety. sigh. I think I've said this before .... It's a good thing I really, really love this little dog, cause she's a pain in the tush some times!




7 comments:

  1. Any chance you can leave her on one of those very long leads? Guess she might wind it around something, but they don't usually.

    ReplyDelete
  2. No, with her determined slipperiness, she would wriggle out of the harness. If I can't find the escape, she will either be with me or in the crate. The crate isn't a punishing situation; it is big enough for 3 dogs her size. My work days are short, so she wouldn't be there long.

    ReplyDelete
  3. After a few Houdini maneuvers, we put Maggie in a harness. Not a thin one but a wider one . . . got it at WalMart. She cannot get out of it and there is no risk of her catching anything around her neck. She doesn't have a fence to escape out of, but this type of harness might be an alternative for Jaz. Glad you are feeling a bit better!

    ReplyDelete
  4. A day crate may seem cruel, but if it keeps her safe it is not. Usually dogs will sleep all day when their master is gone anyway. This way you will know she is sleeping in a safe place.

    Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My first thought was to crate her but I hate doing that. Then again when it becomes a safety issue, you may have to do that. Although there are some pretty fancy crates these days.
    Good Luck Lyn and I'm so glad she made it home safely! Love Di ♥

    ReplyDelete
  6. I say crate her. It's not only good for you while at work but dogs really do like the cave/den feel. So many people look at crating as a sad thing but your dog will do better in the long run.

    The other solution is to set up a camera to figure out where the escape hatch is located. It won't take long for her to do it again. Most likely the minute you're pulling out of the driveway, LOL! Good luck!

    Cheers! ~M

    ReplyDelete
  7. TYR, I won't tether her because of weather, and because it would make her an easy meal for coyotes! No, we'll figures a way for her (and the others) to be safe. But thanks!

    Merikay, I'm not opposed to crating. I agree with your description, and it makes for a safe world for everyone. I'll probably end up crating the whole bunch. The only reason I haven't is because, as rescues, some of them have possibly had issues with being poorly crated (puppy mill style). We'll work it out!

    Di, I've crated most of my dogs, and they don't mind, as Merikay points out. And, as I said to her, my only concern is not re-traumatizing them. I crated them when they first came to me so I could get them trained, so it shouldn't be a terrible problem.

    JA, some have suggested the camera idea, but the grounds are extensive enough to require at least 3 cameras. I'll fix any areas that seem penetrable, get out the crate, and we'll play it by ear. And no I'm not opposed to crating.

    Thanks all!

    ReplyDelete

If you have something to say about it, just stick out your thumb, and I'll slow down so you can hop aboard! But hang on, 'cause I'm movin' on down the road!!! No time to waste!!!