Art, Poetry and Life

Right in front of me, she got out yesterday. I have a four foot chain link fence in the front. A few months ago, I added a rolling security gate to roll across my carport so I can lock it up at night. I had just let my dogs out as I had a few things to do in the front yard. There is a walk through gate right next to the carport. It is always closed and latched unless I am walking through it to the car.

A lady was walking her dog and walked by along the sidewalk. CJ immediately went to the corner of the yard where there is a four inch space allowing the security gate to slide back and forth. I had wondered about this space but figured she couldn't get through it because her chest and shoulders are broader than that.

WRONG! To my horror, in a couple of seconds, she worked her way through and was barking at the lady and her dog. This wonderful lady, bent down and grabbed CJ by her collar and tried to hold her till I got out the walk through gate. The lady was even surprised and said 'that's a mighty small squeeze through space'. I said I couldn't believe it. In the few seconds it took for me to get to her, CJ had managed to get herself away from the lady but was only a few feet from me. Luckily, she didn't run off as she did once when I first got her ten years ago and another time when she squirmed out of her harness leash going into the vet's office.

I yelled 'CJ STAY', and immediately she realized what she'd done, or at least realized I was mad. She stopped and sat. I bent down to my knees, took her front legs, lifted her a bit (no not off the ground) so that she could face me and I said "BAD" several times, then took her back inside the yard, put her in front of the fence corner where she'd gotten out and repeated "BAD" several more times then brought both dogs inside. She immediately went to behind a chair. She started to come from behind the chair a couple of times and I made her go back for half an hour.

I am so glad I make it a point never to leave them in the front yard unattended. She would have been gone. I'm also glad my back yard is surrounded by a six foot block wall.

WHEW!

I must figure out something to do with that four inch space.