Chasing Tail (Rated G)

Yesterday morning’s routine was interrupted when I looked out the window to see a Siberian husky bolting down the street. Uh Oh. Someone was out for a joy run! I grabbed a leash and stepped outside. Nola’s owner is experiencing the fun of back issues right now, so off to convince Nola to shorten her joy run I went.

Anyone who has owned a husky knows they love to run, and all it takes with some of these furry ones is the slightest bit of daylight to whiz past you and out the door. Nevertheless, I had a great time watching Nola, as she really wasn’t running to another place. She was just running. Every time she reached the end of the street she’d turn around and come back in our direction. Sometimes she was in the alley and sometimes in the front yard. Just as she approached us, she would pick up speed and do a drive by. Thankfully, after several minutes of zoomies, I snagged her and no one was hurt. A note to would be husky owners, when you have a husky runner, more times than not, they are just full out running in the opposite direction. Nola likes adventure, but she’s not what we call a husky runner.

Thank you for tolerant neighbors. I’m pretty darn sure my neighbors were not impressed with my incredibly loud voice yelling high pitched “Come on, Nola. Time to come home. Here Nola.” Thankfully, I wasn’t issued a disturbing the peace ticket! So, what’s my point?

Neighbors just being neighborly.  I loved that one of our other neighbors came outside to see if she could assist. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in our schedules, to do lists, and routine, that we forget how much just giving even 10 minutes of our time means to someone to know they are not alone in the world.

Thank you goes a long way. Not only did my neighbor thank me when her dog allowed me to catch her and put her back inside her home, my neighbor also called to reinforce the message. While we don’t help others expecting anything in return, the thank you does encourage us to help the next time someone’s in need.

Don’t chase a running dog. As a reminder, when you are wanting the dog to return, don’t chase, but do follow. Have you ever noticed that the more you chase the dog, the more he runs? Sometimes, sitting and calling the dog works. However, with a dog that has freshly escaped and is out for a joy run, do keep the dog in sight, but don’t chase the dog into a perilous situation. Sometimes chasing a dog, especially one that is not yours, will distract the dog. He can run into a street without paying attention and get run over. He might also think it’s a game. Nola definitely wanted someone to chase her. So, keep it fun. Why would the dog return to an angry human? In the end, keeping an eye on Nola and continuing to talk to her in a happy, playful tone, helped to keep her in the area.

Now back to our regularly scheduled routine.

Husky Hugs.

LK

www.lkgreer.com

P.S. I hope you enjoy the picture of a foster dog from many years ago we named affectionately named Raven Maven. The tales we can tell about that one are hilarious! Stories for another day.