Puppy Panic

Most Beautiful Dog gave us quite a scare yesterday.

As I pulled into our drive after work, I saw the Hub scurrying frantically about outside. When I got out of the car he informed me that Most Beautiful Dog was missing.

“WHAT?”, I said in disbelief.

We have an underground fence, so Most Beautiful Dog can safely cavort to his heart's content around the contained property. Hub put him out in the yard when he got home and when he checked on him a few minutes later, he wasn’t in sight. Hub hunted the property and all the favorite cubbies therein where Most Beautiful Dog likes to be nosey. Shed. Wood pile. Back of the barn. Side yard. No dog.

As we began a frantic search, a million thoughts raced through our minds. Most Beautiful Dog is a pureblooded, less common sporting breed and, you will not be surprised to hear me say, most beautiful. And I’m not just saying that because I’m his Momma. He is absolutely show-dog gorgeous. Being that it’s hunting season and we live near hunting land, our immediate thoughts were some nasty hearted hunter happened by and stole our dog.

Most Beautiful Dog has very strong hunting and tracking instincts. It’s quite amazing to watch his nature in action. When he was only 8 weeks old he used to freeze in a perfect point at leaves skittering through the yard. But he’s lived the “life of Riley”, spoiled terribly and never having been formally trained as a career hunting dog. If he were stolen for such reasons, would the thief be mean to him? Beat his butt for not performing? (gulp) "Dispose" of him?

Calm down, maybe he wasn’t stolen. Did he just … get loose? He’s respectfully timid of his boundaries as the collar gives quite a rude shock if tested, and he’s never tried to bite the bullet and bust through. But if a bunny or a deer sacheted by close enough, would he forget himself? Would he be scared by the jolt, get disoriented and run the wrong way to get out of the range? Would he find his way home? Would he go chasing the horses down at the equestrian campground and get his head kicked off? Would he be hit by a car? Be otherwise injured? Would he lose his way back, and spend the hard-frost night out there scared, hungry and cold? Would we ever see our baby dog again?

I’m good at maintaining my cool until crises have passed, but I was getting panicked at these bombarding worries all caving in on me in a matter of seconds. Hub was feeling the panic as well – not only do we love Most Beautiful Dog to a ridiculous degree, but we are both extra sensitive right now due to our friends’ recent mortal loss of the canine peg of their heart.

I could hear the blood thundering past my eardrums. I could feel the sickening lump growing in my throat and swallowed it back down. Hard.

Hub jumped in the car and blasted out of the drive to search the area, spewing gravel behind him. As he pulled away, I heard a faint, familiar jingle of tags. I looked at the next property over, and there stood Most Beautiful Dog. His face seemed to be saying, “What’s all the hubbub?”

I was so relieved I could barely stand. I called Hub and told him Most Beautiful Dog was found, and then lured the dog back home with Scooby snacks. His collar had lost its charge and somehow he’d figured out he could wander out of the invisible box. We showered him with pats, strokes, and kisses, and told him never to scare us that way again. His sweet angelic face studied ours inquisitively, not understanding what all the fuss was about, but not in any interest to discourage the loving attention he was getting :). He wagged his nubby tail and returned our kisses.

Hopefully this taste of freedom won’t start any bad thought processes in that most beautiful knuckle-head. If so, he’ll find out tonight that the mean ol’ collar is back in action. We’ve got our fingers crossed that the proper heeding and respect for it will still be in tact.

Incrediboy was napping through the entire search and rescue operation. I tell you, if it’s not one boy giving me a coronary, it’s the other … and I’m sure in no time they’ll be teaming up their efforts!

Happy weekend, everyone.