Dogs Will Be Dogs

Welcome to yet another day on La Niche Chien! Today on La Niche Chien, I want to relate a story of a dog and a rabbit. It so happened that my friend was walking Schmoogie when Schmoogie spied a rabbit and took off after it (and tried to kill it). My friend was extremely upset, but this is normal behaviour for a dog, after all--especially hunting and herding dogs.

Here at La Niche Chien we like rabbits as well as anyone, but dogs will chase them, and it's a given that sometimes rabbits will be caught and injured. Most working dogs are hunters or herders, and all dogs have the instinct to chase and catch prey. After all, dogs evolved as predators, and so there should be no surprise when a dog reverts to its instinctive behaviour and chases (and catches, and eats) some form of wildlife. So be prepared for the occasional bloody incident, and remember, your dog is doing what she or he was born to do!

Why Leash Laws?

Welcome to yet another post on La Niche Chien! Today on La Niche Chien, I want to address leash laws and their utility.

My friend loves for her dog to run around loose, and I agree, that's what dogs were evolved to do. However, dogs did not evolve alongside cars, and therein lies the problem. My friend used to walk her dog at night, when it was cool, and let her go to the end of the block without a leash, because it was in their own neighbourhood. However, one night, Schmoogie saw a rabbit, and took off after it, just as a car was speeding down the block. Fortunately, the car missed her, but that was a coincidence. Schmoogie could just as easily have been killed by the passing car in an instant.

So regardless of your community's laws, never let your dog off the leash in an area where cars are driving. You could be risking your dog's life, and making the life of someone innocently driving a car down the street very miserable (remember, car drivers own dogs, too).  Avoid a totally unnecessary incident by letting your dog run free only in protected areas (dog parks, etc.) and never in urban settings without protection from cars and larger dogs.

Lead and Follow

Welcome back to La Niche Chien! Today on La Niche Chien, I am going to relate a story about the time I took Schmoogie for a walk and she nearly died, even though she was on the leash. Let this be a warning to dog owners everywhere.

I was walking Schmoogie because my friend, whose dog she is, was teaching a class all day and would not have time to walk her. I took Schmoogie out, and admittedly, it was hot. This was Texas in July, after all! But because my friend was not with her, Schmoogie took to laying down every few feet and not wanting to move. I kept encouraging her because I knew she really needed to go, and she was just being stubborn because she wanted to wait for my friend. Since Schmoogie lives on a quiet, little-traveled street, I was trying to be patient with her.

And then something totally unexpected happened--she lay down just as a car was approaching--and accidentally rolled off the curb into the street, and in the path of the approaching car. I screamed her name in fright and ran over to pick her up just as the car swerved to avoid us (would it have avoided just the dog? I don't know). In any case Schmoogie was saved, and she evidently understood my distress, because since then, when I have walked her, she has never tried to lay down and not move again. She may not be happy in the heat, but at least I know she is safe when we go for walks now!

Walkies!

Welcome to another edition of La Niche Chien! Today, on La Niche Chien we're going to look at one subject that is central to every dog owner who lives in the city -- walking the dog. As you remember, last time on La Niche Chien Schmoogie got lost (and fortunately, found). Now one thing changed after Schmoogie got lost -- she used to not like to walk. Evidently exploring the neighbourhood was enough to get her interested in walking around. Now she will go for long walks except in the daytime when it's too hot. Early in the morning, or at night, Schmoogie will walk until her little feet are sore! And so walks turned from a chore to a pleasure, and Schmoogie gets quite excited when she knows it's time for her walks! She follows quite well on the lead and stays close when cars are passing up and down the street (but more about that next week on La Niche Chien, when I'll tell you about one really frightening experience I had with her.

Corgie on the Lawn Robert Mcclintock

She was fairly good on the leash, except that when my friend Teena was in the house, and didn't come out for a walk because she was otherwise occupied, Schmoogie would lie down and refuse to move. Since it was inconvenient, this turned out to be a real problem. (When Teena was gone from the house, she would behave quite well.)

Lost

Welcome again to La Niche Chien! Today on La Niche Chien I am going to relate a story of what happened within a few days after my friend got her dog, Schmoogie, and how you can prevent a similar thing from happening to you, and what to do if it does happen.

My friend had been taking her Schmoogie for walks, but did not leave her collar on in the house. As a result, one evening she went to answer the door, and not being used to having a new dog in the house, did not notice when Schmoogie slipped past her one snowy evening. My friend had an uneasy feeling an hour later, and when I arrived at her invitation an hour after that, she was searching for Schmoogie only to discover that she was missing.

Don't get me wrong--I like dogs (although I'm a cat person myself), and have been very deeply attached to my pets. But my friend panicked and instead of keeping her head, lost it. She got out in her car and drove aimlessly around for several hours calling out the window of her car, skipped dinner, and in general got herself into a state where she was pretty much useless.

Most dogs are found within less than thirty minutes after being lost. Knowing that fact alone will help you if your pet ever gets lost. And La Niche Chien has some recommendations for you to prevent your dog from being lost:

Your dog should have collar and tags on at all times, except when being bathed (and maybe even then, if your dog will do anything to escape baths).

For dogs who are relatively untrained, confining them in part of the house with a safety gate should be considered, until they learn only to walk with you or a trusted friend.

If your dog becomes lost, do not panic. Walk door-to-door and alert your neighbours if you do not know their phone numbers, and ask them to talk to the people they know in the neighbourhood..  Remember it is likely that by the time you notice your dog is missing, she or he is already found.

Post ads on Craigslist and Petfinders. Offer a reasonable reward, including a referral reward (for information leading to the return of the dog).

I hope that your dog never becomes lost. But if she or he does, I hope that the information presented here at La Niche Chien proves useful to you in recovering your pet.

Welcome to La Niche Chien!

La Niche Chien (in English, the dog kennel) is about my friend's dog, Schmoogie. She calls me up all the time to tell me the latest cute or interesting thing her dog is doing, so I thought I'd memorialize her dog in La Niche Chien.

From time to time I may post other dog-related stuff here too, but in the meantime, I hope you will enjoy my retellings of her sweet and adorable dog on La Niche Chien.

Schmoogie is a dog that was found as a stray near a small town in north central Texas and looks like a purebred Welsh cardigan corgi. When my friend got her at first she was a bit shy but now she is extremely friendly in small groups of people and will let just about anyone pet her. Schmoogie now lives in a nice part of Dallas and has all the love and attention she deserves (but not as much as she thinks she requires!) Schmoogie is definitely running the household over there, all right!