In my last post I forgot to mention the car ride to the Vet….
As my wonderful wife was taking our sick puppy to the vet last week, she put him in the back of the Jimmy like usual with his collar and leash on. As she was driving down some of the residential streets at a slower speed she thought it would be nice to open the back window for the sicky. (Guinness LOVES to stick his head out the window while we drive; I think he gets high with all the smells) As my wife pulled out from an intersection stop sign, Guinness thought it would be a good idea to jump out the window. OMG! It is amazing where dogs can squeeze their bodies through!
After pulling through the intersection as to not cause an accident (and probably starting to freak out), my wife gets out of the vehicle at which time Guinness now thinks they are playing a game. It was not until some very helpful kids corralled Guinness that my wife was able to catch up and grab his leash to bring him back to the Jimmy.
So, out of this, we have a puppy who is sick, is quite defiance (just the breed and we know it) and could have possibly been hurt quite seriously. We are very fortunate that he is getting better and did not kill himself jumping out of a moving vehicle (even if it was only going 5 mph).
I thank all of you for your previous comments on the nipping (which is getting better by the way) but now ask for any thoughts or suggested solutions to our vehicle jumping puppy issue. Obviously, keeping the window up comes to my mind. The second option is to tie his leash to the cargo straps in the jimmy, or load up his wire kennel every time we go somewhere (which is not hard, but a big pain).
Does anyone have some ideas for us?
Would you also allow a small child to play at the top of a flight of stairs, because the child liked to toss a ball, and watch it bounce down the steps? All while you might be let’s say, doing some ironing?
The answer is of course not. Young children do not know the end results of their actions, such as wanting to chase that ball down the steps.
But, adults do. And so it is with puppys. You just found out first hand what they’re capable of. If it had been run over, how would you feel? Would you be furious at the other driver?
I dont own a dog, but I like ‘em. As long as they’re controlled by responsible people. Puppys, like kids, are unpredictable.
My advice is to get some tutoring on dog ownership, or start reading some books on the matter.
And I pray that you won’t be one of many dog owners in this city, that walks their dog at night, in the cover of darkness, so that the dog can poop on other peoples lawns, and so that the dog owner doesn’t have to clean it up.
It’s these kinds of practices by dog owners that makes me lose sympathy real fast if something unfortunate happens, such as a dog being accidently struck by a car because the owner let him run at will.
Do NOT tie your dog’s leash in your vehicle to anything! My friend did this & when he got to his destination, he beloved Sheltie was dead–strangled. My friend was sick with guilt–rightfully so, in my mind–how stupid! He will have those flashbacks all the rest of his days & nights…as will his son, who was 12 at the time. What a horrible nightmare. As long as your dog is unruly, you must kennel him in your vehicle–yes, it’s a pain, but at least you won’t contribute to his death in any way. Please…kennel him every time you take him places–he’s SO adorable, you wouldn’t want to lose him in any way. It’s also safest for ALL dogs to be kenneled while driving, in case you’re involved in an accident–your dog will be better protected inside his plastic box, rather than slamming through the windshield or flinging completely outside of the vehicle, either of which can cause death, permanent injuries, or brain damage. And your guilt WOULD last your lifetime.
Thank you both for the great feedback. We love our little guy like no other no matter how frustrated we get with his puppy tendencies.