Mama, Hold My Paw!

If you have ever known a child that seems to need their mama with them at all times, then you know the pains I'm going through with a newly fenced in yard.

We've lived on this culdesac (sp?)-on an island and in the country- for 6 years now. For the first 4 we had a red doxie, named Dutch.


He was friends with every living thing, and I could let him romp around the yard without much worry of him wandering off. He loved to visit the next door neighbor, play with their grand kids, and get a treat when he could. Or he'd roll around in the grass while I gardened, barking at squirrels and passing boats.

We lost our Dutch in late July 07.


Withing two weeks, we adopted Freckles, who needed a new home as much as we needed another pup to love. Freckles delights in running outside. When he's at his happiest, he will leap 4 or 5 body lengths at a time, and has almost caught a squirrel or two. He has a few potty problems, but running back to me when I call him has not been an issue.





A year later we got Snoopy, who we think is secretly part Beagle or something. He has papers (previous owner,) but he is a regular escape artist. Calling him only seems to taunt him into running in the other direction. He aspires to explore every sniffable place he can reach or dig to. When he's on a leash, he's pulling with all that his 10 pound self can muster, and it doesn't matter what kind of lead he's on. He even ended up in the creek at full tide one day. (Thank heavens he was on a leash so I could reel him back in.) He didn't enjoy it much....

To make a long story shorter, Snoops is even good at getting into other dog's yards. And his New Year's gift to us was to let the pit bulls across the street know that he has no fear. He got away from my father-in-law, who was walking him, and ran straight through their gate. He was lucky enough to get away, but not fortunate enough to escape without injury. It took a very arduous 6 weeks to heal the puncture wounds and ripped skin (about a foot long tear) on his back and abdomen. The new fence went up within a week. (I'd been asking for one for months!!!!)

While he was healing, he had to be walked on a leash. Now that fur is slowly inching over parts of his scar, he can run about at will. You would think he'd be romping with Freckles non-stop.

Nah....He's a mama's boy, and mostly sits on the back porch barking up a storm unless accompanied by a human adult. Today he made his voice heard for 40 minutes. Until I let him back inside. Perhaps he's cold without the customized onesie and ace bandages wrapped around his sutures and bandages? It was 70 outside earlier. ??????

Nonetheless, it's a lot like having a dog child who needs a constant, doting parent to hold his "paw."