T'was the night Dewey ran away . . .

Last Thursday this area had quite a bit of snowfall. It was about 4:45 p.m. and I decided to go shovel the walk ways while I let Dewey outside to use the bathroom. I let the dog outside and then turned around to get my coat. I headed outside and started shoveling the sidewalks. I hollered ("called" is the appropriate word for you in Ohio) for Dewey but couldn't see him anyway. I just assumed he was around the other side of the house. I went to the other side and . . . no Dewey. So I calmly finished shoveling. Rosalie peeked her head out the door and I told her what was happening. She got me a flashlight and a hat. I search all around the farm yard looking for Dewey and calling his name while shaking his treat bag. He will usually come running when he hears that. It is getting pretty dark and it is snowing heavily.

I find some tracks in the snow over behind the house and so I decide to follow them. They looked like a dogs tracks. I followed them in circles in the yard and then they suddenly followed the fence out to the direction of the road. I followed the tracks (by now I am running and shouting). I continue to follow the tracks out the front gates around a tree and down the road a bit. The tracks then cross the road (which is fairly busy) and I think I have lost the tracks. I decided to cross the road anyway and there I find tracks again. They circled around a culvert (which I went slip and sliding around) up and into the subdivision that is across the road. I continue to follow the tracks around the subdivision sign (Yankee Estates) and through someone's backyard. I was hoping that they wouldn't see or hear this lunatic running through their back yard screaming "Dewey" and flashing a light around at the ground. The tracks circled back (must have made about 5 ot 6 circles through the whole thing) and went back out to the road. Just as I was turning around and calling his name, I saw him out on the road. What I also saw was a car coming. I bent down, rattled his treat bag and screamed his name all at the same and luckily he ran off the road and to me. He looked so scared. His ears were laid back and his hair was standing up on his neck. His ears were flapping and flying as he ran towards me. I began to run in the direction of the house so he would follow me, which he did. I had been running this whole time looking for him. He followed me without incident into the house and I could hardly breathe enough to get my story out to the eagerly waiting crowd inside.

As I was running around looking for him, I was thinking about all of the wonderful things I would miss about my puppy if he really ran away for good. Smiling, jumping into bed with me and snuggling for hours after a good lick in the ear, and sleeping in my lap. Fortunately, I still get to experience all of those good things because Dewey was found and escaped without incident. I have been wondering this whole time why he got away. I think he may have been a bit disoriented by the dark and his first big snow. Perhaps he lost his scent for a while or maybe was just chasing something. Anyway, now I don't let him out after dark without a leash and many times during the day I just tie him up outside to his doggie run! So, there is the story of Dewey's escape and recapture!