Yesterday was your blogger Tom's (Rocky Jones) birthday, so we headed down to Monterey, Calif., for a mini-vacation. Or maybe, "mini-long weekend" would be a more appropriate description. Anyway, we left Thursday afternoon after finishing up various chores, packing up all Daisy's things and loading the Mini.
Daisy, with her pre-cooked eggs and rice, brush, breath mints, toenail clippers, alfalfa and supplement mix, blanket, plastic bags, codliver and safflower oil blend, mouth rinse, poultry-flavored tooth paste, tooth brush, biscuits and lint roller, has more in her suitcase than we do. So off we went, delighted to have a couple of days off alongside a different beach than ours . You might wonder why we'd go to another beach, but this one has sun and white sand. Much as we love Montara Beach, change is good.
Oh no! We discovered an hour down the road that Tom, who was in charge of gathering Daisy's things, had forgotten her leash. Poor Tom, he was furious with himself. But there was no going back, and no walking Daisy without a proper leash. While driving along the curvy cliff road and watching the sunset, we considered our options. Finally we decided to check in at the "rustic cabins" where we were staying, then go find a pet store where we could buy both a leash and a Gentle Leader.
But once at the cabins, a remarkable solution presented itself in the form
of Tom's extra belt. We wrapped it around the front of her harness and buckled it. Voila! A "handle" for Daisy that fit neatly into the palm of one's hand. We weren't sure it would work, but in fact, this leash was almost as easy to use as the usual contraption. The length was so short and the grip so comfortable, we had a lot of torque. With one light pull, Daisy's front feet were off the ground and she'd have to stop. So if you're ever stuck with
out a leash, you might try out this invention.
5 comments:
Well, I had a nightmare last night that I had taken The Girls to a dog show, and forgot their leads. Spent the whole rest of the dream trying to find the leads, and ended up in a very creepy doggy daycare center, where I had to climb up a long unlit stairwell. But the doggy daycare owners wouldn't let me bring The Girls, so I ended up taking them into the ring holding their scruffs.
I read your post around 6 PM last night. THANKS GUYS! But an innovative solution, and it kind of looks cool in a service-dog/working-dog kind of way.
We're all very, very sorry for inducing bad dreams! Being a working dog, Daisy appreciates the compliment. But for her, a day at a dog show is the ultimate nightmare in itself.
Give it time. Maggie couldn't get within a block of another dog when I got her. Now, when I take her out to events, she prances around like a regular showdog, ignoring everyone else. I'm hoping to get her into the rally ring in the summer. We just finished an intermediate obedience class in which one of the exercises is doing long sits and downs next to other dogs, no more than three feet away, and she was fine. As long as they don't bother her, she's happy to have nothing to do with them! I have faith that Daisy will one day be just as snooty and aloof!
Maggie is such an inspiration! Intermediate obedience and attending dog events are major accomplishments. Poor Daisy doesn't have the confidence yet to be snooty, but maybe one day....
Well, then there's Lisa, who is still a "work in progress!"
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