• If you're a past member of the board, but can't recall your password any more, you don't need to set up a new account (unless you wish to). As long as you recall your old login name, you can log in with that user name then select 'forgot password' and the board will email you at your registration email, to let you reset your password.

He nearly gave us both a heart attack...

CSutherland

Well-known member
I don't know who to be mad at--the hubby or Bentley--but it could've been a bad situation. The hubby stepped out on the front porch and held the door open just a tad too long. I yelled, "Watch it, your boy's coming!" (meaning Bentley) It was too late and Bentley flew off the front porch and right down the driveway. Our house sits over 700 feet back from a fairly busy state highway. Next thing I hear is husband starting the car, a trick that usually works as Bentley thinks he's going to "go someplace." As husband is flying down the driveway to retrieve Bentley, the dog is on the sidewalk right in front of the house! BUT when he sees the car he chases it all the way to the highway. Next I hear the car horn honking frantically and husband shouting "Help!" I got there as fast as I could and they were both in &/or near the highway and Bentley was on a mission: "I'm loose and I'm going to have fun!" I followed him to the house that's across the road and he wouldn't allow me nearer than 3 feet of him, then he'd dart away. I finally was able to get him cornered near their porch (they weren't home) and he knew I had him and gave it up. I got him in the car and drove him back to our house only to find that the hubby had done all this chasing in his sock feet! All he had intended to do was step out on his own front porch.
This just confirms that Bentley has to be on a leash 100% of the time when outside. I'm even more afraid now that he has seen how exciting his world could be if only he could be uninhibited.:(
 
Goodness, my heart was pounding so hard just reading this. My Claire has not shown herself worthy of being off a leash. As much as she will come in the house, she has scared us a couple times outside. Fortunately we live at the back of a small sub, with hardly any traffic, and just woods, but, she tends to be a runner.

My heart hurts that you har to experience this.
 
Whew! My goodness!! What a story!!
Yes, Brooklyn is an "on-leash" girl too. I kinda always knew she would be judging from what people tell us about cavs, but last month our wallpaper man left the front door open buy accident and we had no idea! Two seconds later, Brooklyn was GONE. SO fast. She is the fastest runner on the planet. My hubby did get her back, but if we lived on a busy road, gosh knows what would have happened.

She is fine off lead at the dog park or off lead areas, but leaving the door open or just letting her roam free is not something she will be happy with. It is a bummer though, most of the dogs in my neighborhood go for their walks without leads and they stay right next to their owner happy as can be, but to be honest, I feel more comfortable with a leash anyway unless we are in an off lead area. I am slow, and Brooklyn could outrun me any day if something more interesting was across the road!

So sorry you had to experience this! I just know that feeling of total fear. Happy Bentley is okay though!!
 
I know how u felt,my mum had Dementia,before she died,she opened the front door thinking it was the back door to the garden and let Alfs out,god i nearly died to.
 
lindylou

pleased to hear bentley is save and back home
my louie escaped from the front door when he was 1 and ran over the road to the house were they have a nasty dog:yikes so pleased their dog was not sitting on their front door step. i do'nt think louie would have been hear today
 
I didn't realize how lucky we are. Our 3 have never run out the door.

Tucker is really well behaved off leash and stays right with us. Vikki & Willow aren't allowed out front unless on a leash because they get very distracted and I don't trust them not to take off.

The minute I say "cookie" all of them pay attention :wink:
 
Goodness, how scary :(. So glad you got him back! The one time I almost lost Coco was my fault. She is really good off leash, and doesn't bolt out the door. We practice wait at the door every day and she cannot go out unless given permission. One time when she was out with me I was taking out the trash and forgot she was with me and closed the door too quickly for her to get back inside (of course I had no idea at the time). A few minutes later I heard barking, then couldn't find Coco, and panicked. Then I got a phone call, thank goodness one of my neighbors grabbed her and gave me a call.:lpy:

We all have scares from time to time, it only makes us more careful in the future!
 
You poor thing, it must have been a nightmare. Having had something similar happen, we have an extended baby gate between the outside door and our kitchen door. I am glad Bentley is safe at home.
 
My heart was pounding as I read this. I am so glad it turned out well. I am so thankful our front door is down a level & a door upstairs separates it. Never the less I always fear that one time.
 
We don't allow Bentley out off-leash either! My husband just was momentarily careless and, believe me, contrite. We really aren't very good disciplinarians of our dog and have no clue how to "not allow" him to get near the door. Obedience school didn't work very well for us so we did not go to the more advanced classes. Maybe we should've waited until he was a little older before we tried obedience school. I'm afraid he's a spoiled baby. Funny, our 3 daughters were not spoiled; in fact, I've almost detected a jealousy of Bentley from my 48 year-old twins as they've both said something like, "I think you love Bentley more than you did us!" I teasingly have told them that perhaps that's because I can put him in a cage and leave the house for 3-4 hours and nobody will put me in jail. I didn't have that luxury when they were babies. All in good fun.....
 
Our Charlie is good off the lead in the park but sometime when he is going out to the car off the lead he runs over to my mams next door and runs around her garden. I nearly die but if you go get him he lets you catch him. Our other dog however would be gone up the road if you let him!
 
Sure glad it all ended okay. I used to live near a very busy major road and I always made sure to never walk Lucky near that road in case he might be too familiar with it and if he ever got loose try to go that direction. Not sure if that is the right strategy or not. Must be more challenging though if it is at the very end of your driveway, because I guess you are sort of limited then to walks on your property or walks in parks that you have to drive to.

That said, my mom's Lhasa used to dart out whenever she could, but she did not really get regular walks. Lucky and Sparky get at least two twenty minute walks a day and that seems to easy their need to dark and explore. I dropped Lucky's leash a couple times and I've been able to just remain calm and pick it up. It amazes me (and I don't take it for granted, becuase I know the results might be different next time).

I also usually try to crate them or confine them so they cannot get to the door whenever I have to open it. Lately however, I haven't been 100% about this because they've been so good. I think I'll take your experience as a cautionary tale though and make sure I do that in the future. It is not worth taking any chances is it? I am pretty sure if my dogs saw a squirrel they'd be after that squirrel regardless how busy the road was.
 
Back
Top