Scariest 24 hrs of my life!!!

Okay, so you know I use Invisible Fence. Well, Thursday morning I let my dogs out of their kennel and went inside to comb my hair and eat breakfast...without putting their IF collars on them. I looked out the window when I was done, they were sniffing around the yard. I put my sneakers on and went out to take them on a bike ride; NO DOGS!!!!!! 2 minutes...thats all it took for them to disappear. I was mad at them...for the first 15 minutes. But when I had called and called and biked down the road both ways looking for them, I was worried. We are surrounded by cornfields that haven't been harvested yet, so there was no way I could see them. I drove around looking and calling and about a mile from our place I was on a bridge over the interstate that's being constructed and I look down and saw them running as fast as they could down the paved section of the interstate. I asked a construction worker if I may go look for them and he said I could, but by the time I got there they were gone again. I thought like a dog for a few minutes and decided to check the turkey barns not far from where I had last seen them. I know the guy that owns the turkeys and he said he'd let me know if they showed up. Worst of all, when I saw the dogs they were headed in the direction of the highway, with about a mile to go. After searching for hours I finally gave up and spent the day worrying about them. I checked the highway, turkey barns, and construction several times. I went to bed that night hoping they'd come home overnight. They didn't. I got up early and made flyers with their picture and posted them several places before I went to work. Finally, at 11:15, my mom sent me a picture of my dogs laying under the van, tired, dirty and happy. They had showed up at the neighbors house and his son brought them home.I rushed home to hug them and ended up taking Buddy to the vet to remove grass seeds from his eyes and get pain medication because he was really stiff and sore from so much running. I'm really grateful to have such a great boss; she let me have off for an hour over lunch, and again for 1 1/2 hr. to take Buddy to the vet. I am extremely thankful to have my darlings home again, and now I know...never leave the dogs unsupervised without their collars. :love:

I would have been a basket case and unable to function, until they returned home. So glad that this story has a happy ending. Don't you just wish that they could talk and tell you about their adventure? What a "tail":p they would have to tell.

I know it could have ended REALLY bad!!! The entire time I was mentally kicking myself for not realizing what would happen when I left them alone like that. It's not the first time they left and I should have known better. I kept envisioning one or both of them hit on the road somewhere, or injured and dying slowly all alone. Yeah, I wish I would know where they went :)

Wow...happy ending! These two are real stinkers aren't they?

It is very scary when they wander off. Casey did this once when she was still with me. I was outside with her and she was gone in a second. This was when her hearing got very bad and she couldn't hear me to call her. After that she didn't get to go out without a leash any more. :(

Unreal! What a horrible experience man :eek: So glad it all turned out :love:

Yup! They're both so 'dog-tired';) Buddy slept the whole way to the vet and back yesterday and that is NOT normal. This morning I took Lolli on a bike ride just to make sure she uses up her energy, and she didn't want to run...all she did was trot beside my bike the whole way. Buddy is too sore to want a bike ride. Maybe they learned their lesson???? :p

They sure sound like stinkers to me, they JUST love going on walks without permission, huh? So does Mikey! LOL, I HATE it though! The thing I hate most about Mikey's "walks without mom" is the fact that he PLAYBOWS at me when I'm chasing him, they really just think it's a big game. :p I am so happy to hear there is a happy ending to this story! It must be a lot harder to find 'em in a rural area too!

Gracious, that must have been sooooo scary! Thank goodness everyone is relatively okay, and thank goodness your boss was good about it, too!

That is one of the most frightening feelings. So glad that they are safe if a bit sore. Really glad they are safe and home!

I got dry mouthed just reading about your dogs. What a horrible experience, not so sure I could have gone through something like that without losing my sanity. The best part was the happy ending. Bet you won't forget those collars again, I hope they will remember how sore and tired they were and won't try that again, but dogs being dogs I guess it's too much to ask.
It would be so interesting to hear the version of their adventure.

That had to be awful! I hope it never happens again. Not to anyone! Good to know they're home safe and sound!:)

Man I am so glad this all turned out ok I know how you feel it's not like you lost your dog but your kids. Nike and Jed one time when they were alive took off on there own when I found them they came running to me but Nike headed right into the road to avoid the tall grass on the side of the road and although I dont live on a really busy street the cars just fly through here when they do pass by but all turned out ok and again I am so happy you have your babys back home with you:)

Very VERY lucky...

Glad they are ok.

Just a thought... is there nowhere you can hang their collars by the door on the way out to the kennel ? Or.... can they not be hung up IN the kennel out of reach ?

Either way you have to pick the collars up before the dogs go out.

Not a critism.. just a suggestion. You said this isnt the first time.... there simply may not be a good outcome to a "next time".

:love:

yeah...the kennel is out of the Invisible Fence range so the collars cant go to the kennel, but I do take them out with me and put them on right away now.