I have had a dog or dogs in my life since I was very young. I don’t think I could have it any other way. They become a part of the family, develop their very own personalities and sometimes take over the entire household. I’ve had dogs that have chewed, destroyed, peed where they weren’t supposed to, barked when they shouldn’t have, roamed the neighborhood, dug in the garbage, I even had a biter that ended up having to be euthanized when all other efforts were exhausted.
I have to say though, that I have never had a dog that ran away. I did, actually have a run away dog that would come and stay with me here and there only to leave after a couple of weeks or days later, then show up unannounced ready to take up residence again. He wasn’t a stray either, but a very large, well fed, well behaved Lab. I always figured his owner encouraged him to go mooch off others because he was so big and therefore expensive to feed. But I digress.
What puzzles me is why a dog would actually choose to run away. I’ve heard various folks claim over the years their dog has run away. These aren’t sad, neglected dogs either, but average, well taken care of dogs. Their owners say one day they are just gone, never to return. What are these dogs thinking? Are there rational thoughts that go through their minds. Like “I wonder what the weather is in Colorado, because it sure is humid here in Florida”. Or maybe they think some home on the other side of town will serve canned instead of dry. Do some of them get the urge to roam after listening to ”Free Bird” too many times and just pack up and take off?
Why on earth would man’s best friend leave a warm house, unlimited food, chew toys, belly rubs, endless games of fetch…..for what? Greener pastures? But I digress…..
4 Comments
February 18, 2009 at 8:26 am
Sheri the way you wrote this post is hilarious. But the subject is a sensitive one for me. You see, I have had two male dogs to run away. A vet said that there was probably a dog in heat somewhere in the neighbor hood.
And yes they were very well taken care of. They were let outside to use the bathroom and they jumped a five foot fence. This occurred a year a part.
I don’t know but I can tell you that it was devastating. After two years, I still wonder if they are safe.
You make me smile and I say so in my latest blog post.
Hi Mckay – I am so happy to make you smile, but at the same time sorry about your dogs. Apparently lust is one of the motivators that enters their doggy minds. Take care and thanks for stopping by and for the mention on your blog!
February 18, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Hi again!
Believe it or not I JUST got a new dog. It has been YEARS since I have been a dog owner. He (Peyton, after Peyton Manning) is a Jack-shitz (Jack Russell/Shitzu) he was 11 oz when I got him and is now just about 2 lbs. He is my pride and joy and actually has a better wardrobe than me (LOL)! Is that Tess in the picture???
Hey Sis – Congrats on Peyton! Send me a picture soon. No, it’s not Tess, but it is the same breed – Sheba Inu.
February 20, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Hi Sheri – When given the opportunity (gate open) EmmaLou regularly takes off for places unknown. I think it is the smells and sounds that make them take off — as to why they don’t return, well there are some very obvious reasons…hit by a car, picked up by somebody who keeps them or sends them to a bad place (medical testing). Because they have such an extraordinary sense of smell, I have a hard time understanding why a dog wouldn’t know how to find his way home. So, I work very hard to make sure my beloved pet is never given the opportunity to run off my property! Love the pup in your picture – just gorgeous. Hugs.
Hey Linda – Medical testing…never thought about that. One of my dogs, she looks like the dog in the picture, will take off (Door or gate open too) acting like she will never look back. I often wonder what would happen if I didn’t pursue her. One positive about her aging (she’s 12) is she’s easier to pursue. I guess she gets tired! Hugs to you too!
February 23, 2009 at 5:45 pm
When we lived on the ranch we had several dogs and none of them ran away and they were free to roam, we had no fences to keep them in. They had a wonderful life running around on thousands of acres.
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Love and Blessings,
AngelBaby