Yesterday I had one of those moments where I was paying attention. I wasn’t harried by the kids or in the middle of something and not paying attention. I had been in my room and walked out, passing my husband in the kitchen doing the dishes (the dear). I had a prompting, a little voice, the Spirit, whatever else it’s known as to look for Toby. I glanced outside through the storm door and couldn’t see him.
“Where’s Toby?”
“He’s outside.”
Again, I felt prompted to investigate. There have been times where I have let things slide from these ‘little thoughts’: Move that, Cameron will destroy it, and I haven’t done it, either thinking I would see him and catch him in the act, or the idea of him even getting something out-of-reach was completely insane. Well, I have paid for it too, believe me.
I listened this time and stood at the back door, tracing the looping of his 30-foot leash snaking in the snow against the blinding non-warm sun and seeing it disappear. I looked beside the small bush where the part of it I could see was, and he wasn’t there.
Again, I felt compelled to open the door and get out there, despite the -10ºF weather.
Where’s your shoes? Did you put them away?”
“I have them on–”
“Not those, the brown ones.”
“–I put them away, do you think Toby’s leash snapped?”
“I’m not sure, but I need to check, I just have a feeling–”
At that point, he was at the door, and edging it open.
“There he is, by the bush over there.”
I was looking in completely the wrong direction, thinking he was further off than he really was.
“Toby, come on, let’s go inside!” Bryan said, lifting the intonation in his voice to chipper level.
It was then that I saw it. Half a foot of leash attached to his collar, dragging just enough in the snow. It had snapped — at some point — and he had become loose AND TOTALLY UNAWARE!
He bounced back through our back door, completely oblivious to the sinking feeling edging into my stomach and creeping up my throat.
“How long was he out there? Long?”
“Yeah, about 15 minutes.”
It may have been small, but that? That was a miracle. I have risked life and limb for this dog when he has escaped from me four times, once as he was let loose out the front door by the 4-year-old and chased after the traffic half a block to the end of our road and turned the corner towards and on-coming truck 3 times as big as myself.
I know how lucky we all were and I realised that although that little thing has turned my world upside-down, I love the scruffy little mutt!
I’ll never admit it though.
And while I’m sitting here in denial, I’ll be listening.
a Brit different 
Silly puppy. Funny that we were just on the google map of Scotland looking for potential Cairn names a minute ago. Puppy said we needed you to “translate” them for us.
Some dogs just don’t know how good things are at home. My human swears by a DVD he got called the perfect dog. It’s on the net I believe. It sure shaped me up. My human used to get over to London and Cheltenham frequently and loves the Isles and her people. Visit me at http://www.SandySays1.wordpress.com and read my latest post for some laughs – from a dogs POV
Ssshhh… we’ll never let on we know. I kinda like my two mutts too.
Ugh. It’s an awful feeling, isn’t it?
(The close call. Not “loving the dog”.)
Oh my gosh. I’ve had that feeling like it was only moments ago. Very scary. I’m glad he’s okay and I’m especially glad he’s a tough little guy in the cold. Chetie would have been a frozen pupsicle.
Was dreading reading the outcome…. but so glad he stayed close to home.
I love your writing, and welcome to the US!!
I have a neat product to watch your pets with.
Check it out at http://www.rogo.com
You can use a simple usb camera that plugs into your computer and because we use 3 jpegs a second it does not take up bandwith. So you can run ROGO on the background of your computer. You can also view from any web enabled cell phone with out downloading anything on to your phone. I use it to watch my short haired border collie while I’m away. Border Collies are smart and can get into just about anything!
You are like the pet psychic or something! Wow! Thanks goodness he was oblivious.
I’ve found it’s best to listen to the inner promptings of the Spirit. I’m often amazed to find God cares about small things and gets involved in the small details of our lives when our hearts are open to Him. Have a blessed day.
Yay for listening to your inner voice. I do think the Spirit has prompted me to do something when I wouldn’t normally do so. Glad the little pup is ok.
Hmmm you’ll have to teach me how to do that with my 5 year old. I always seem to have intuitive thougths AFTER the pen goes on the wall or the shampoo gets flushed down the toilet!
Awww, I was so glad to read that all ended well.
passo per caso nel tuo blog
un saluto from Italy, ciao
they *do* get under your skin.
although i’d still give up the rat dogs in a heartbeat 😉
If you think about it, that critter has been YOURS since about five minutes after you got it.
Thank God for little voices.
And dumb dogs.
😉
Great timing there! I’ve had my heart attacks recently with my dog. Enough already!