Run Away Dog

He left the yard! This is an accomplishment that should not have gone unpunished. But after watching him become fearful of setting foot off the porch I didn't have the heart to scold him!

One morning this week I left him on the porch while we had breakfast. He had his beeper collar on but it was very lose. These days the beep alone is enough to send him running back to safety. I could hear a dog barking in the early dawn and watched Riley through the window. He seemed to be ignoring this greeting. I had returned to the kitchen when suddenly all hell broke loose. We heard a very excited bark that was moving quickly away from the house. By the time I opened the back door Riley was out of sight.

Across the street and 2 yards over was a large yellow lab with Riley doing his best imitation of that little dog in the cartoons we watched as kids. The one that kept jumping around the larger dog being a pest all the while. Does anyone know the names of those dogs? Help! I digress...
I called Riley and he ignored me. I started across the yards in my robe and slippers in the 25 degree air calling Riley. The lab took off and Riley disappeared into some shrubs. Then suddenly he was by my side, patiently sitting, waiting for me to leash him and off we trotted for home.

Oh yeah, the invisible fence, the one he ignored on the way out of the yard. Well he remembered it on the way back in. I drug him down the driveway, across the line of pain and into the house. He jumped for joy, ate some food and passed out. Too much adventure for an old fellow. Too early in the morning for this old girl!