I’m Going To Smack My Dogs

As I sit here typing this I am probably the maddest I have been with the Dogs yet at the same time the most worried.

All three Dogs were walked this morning and I then took them on a little extra walk at nine thirty. It is now approaching two thirty. Daisy and her puppy Jet are yet to come home! They ran off in to the woods as they are all prone to do, but they all always come back when called. Not this time. I am seriously considering taking up one of the pets for sale classifieds and letting someone else cope with them. Well, not really, but I am angry.

Daisy has not come back when called once before, but she turned up at the house a few minutes later. The only other times the Dogs have not stayed close to the house was when we had the chicken incident, which was understandable.

I have spent hours looking for them, calling them but to no avail. There is nothing else I can do for a while apart from wait.

I will of course NOT smack her. It isn’t necessary. They know when they are being told off and a “bad Girl” is sufficient, with the appropriate body language.

It is not a good idea to smack a Dog as it can cause countless problems in the future. I certainly wouldn’t want the Dogs to become scared. Hitting is also an act of violence and if you go down this route the next time you are angry you may actually use force that could damage your Dog.

Daisy is by nature a very sensitive Dog and can be easily scared by things. I will of course tell her off but I am just worried at the moment. I can’t think of any danger in the area apart from the wild Goats and Boar but they normally run away rather an attack. Hopefully she will come home soon and look suitably guilty. I will be cross but relieved.

The Dogs are given a lot of freedom here. They are allowed outside for a high proportion of the day. This is under the understanding that they stay close to the house which they normally do. They are not roamers and do not go off on their own. This is something we have been sure to train in to them and for over a year they have responded very well and never go off the land. I can always find them hanging out at the front of the house or near to the vegetable garden. They know that being away from the house is absolutely not allowed.

I don’t know why Daisy has disappeared and I am guessing that Jet would have just followed her as she is still young and will copy the older Girls.

Looking after Dogs is , at times, a very serious business and can be a great worry. I hope she is okay.

The Girls have been trained well in the basics and something like this is far from the norm, especially for the very obedient Daisy. She absolutely NEVER goes off on her own and her training has reinforced her “stay close” nature.

I am going to go back out to look for her now. I am not going to post this until I either find her or she comes back. I hope no tragedy has occurred and if it has I will probably not post this anyway.

It is now three thirty and she has still not come home. Dogs really can be such a worry. I now don’t know whether to just be concerned or angry. This is just not typical behaviour at all. I also need to go out for a few hours and really don’t like the idea of the Dogs being out and not knowing what has happened.

I have decided to post this and will hopefully arrive home to two naughty Dogs (fingers crossed).