Whitby on the loose

[reddog]

We received a dumping of 6-8" of snow hwere Friday night/Saturday morning. Whitby loved it!. Her DNA sled-dog gene kicked in and she really pulled when we went on our walks.

She gave me a scare Saturday afternoon. She wanted to go outside to play so I hooked up the cable leash and put her outside. I kept checking on her every so often. You guessed it! I looked outside and she was gone - including the 20' leash. She had pulled so hard that she snapped the bolt off of the top of the tie-out stake that the leash was hooked on to. I grabbed my coat (I've learned to keep my shoes or boots on when she is outside) and went charging out the basement door. Our mailman was walking down the sidewalk so I asked him if he had seen her. He pointed to the house beside mine. I heard her leash on their wooden porch but by the time I got there I saw her going to the back side of the next house. I ran around to the side of that house and saw her going into their carport which is enclosed on three sides. I got to the open end of it just as she was backing out. I grabbed her collar and marched her home, scolding her the whole way. She told me the cats made her do it.

She seems to be obsessed with cats and unfortunately we have a number of strays around our neighborhood. I used to love cats. Now I dread seeing their pawprints in the snow - knowing Whitby's nose will be glued to each one as she picks up the pace when we go for our walks. Worse yet - let her see a cat and we are off for the races! Talk about pulling! At least I'm getting some strength building excercise with trying to keep up with her and hold onto the leash. Although - With her pulling, her leash and my hands aren't the best of friends. ( I have arthritis in my hands)

Think Spring

[cherriemater]

Oh Pam! I understand the cat prints. The dogs alerted us one night to the presence of a stray and then I found her prints on the top ledge of our "snow fence" ... like she'd been dancing out there, tormenting them while we, the mean ol' parents, made them stay behind the double sliding glass doors.

[Cocoa]

Cocoa is the same way with cats, she is just determined that she will catch one eventually. And I am sure that those evil cats know exactly what they are doing when they sit just out of reach tormenting the dogs.

[BeckiHutton]

Our neighbor has a cat, and our gardens are separated by a small wire mesh fence. Lily isn't quite smart enough to pick her back legs over the fence, but that cat will just sit there, staring, hissing and laughing at lily, knowing that she won't be able to get to her. I dread to think what would happen if she did get over there one day

[Rory's Dad]

Too funny, just had the same experience 5 minutes ago.. I was walking Rory across the 'back 40' and there was a cat sitting under the swingset. He just looked at it at first and then started barking. Wife came to look, cause he never barks outside, only at the doors. I held him back and let the cat run away. I dont think he is too happy with me at the moment.

[Loha'sDad]

Loha also pulls like a John Deere when he sees a cat. The times that it has been some tough, no back down, no run cat, however, he's held back and left the thing alone. If it turns and bolts, however, it instantly ignites his predator instinct and he wants to chase it down.

[Victory]

Firesong doesn't even like cats that are in their own homes! Several of my neighbors who live in garden apartments, (sort of basements with windows right at ground level) have cats that sit in the windows...Firesong tries to go after them, most of them just sit there and watch her act like an idiot, some of them will even move to make sure she see them..(I kid you not) Drives me nuts...between them and the squirrels our walks can be adventuresome. I wont mention the rabbits, and Dreamdancer's favorites, the birds...