Happy

It happened again...

We didn't have anything planned Friday morning so I decided we should go for a walk.  Getting Jack back upstairs to change his clothes after breakfast is not an easy task.  I finally got him clothed, but he ran back downstairs while I was getting myself dressed.  

I heard him saying something about "my present" and I assumed he was talking about his big floor mat with all the roads on it.  I yelled down to him that it was in the closet.  

A few minutes later, as I was on my way downstairs, I heard him saying Tugger was running to someone's house.  I thought he had his floor mat out and his tiny toy Tugger and was playing on it.

Seconds later, I saw the front door open.  

Seriously...do I have to chase this dog again?!?  

From what I could gather, Jack opened the door because he saw a bag on the front porch that I had left for a charity to pick up.  He apparently thought it was a present for him so he unlocked AND unbolted the door and went out.  Tugger took the opportunity to go out as well.

And the chase was on.

I put the kids in the stroller and armed myself with a leash and some treats.  We started to follow Tugger around.  She decided to go for a swim in the little pond near our house.  I went to grab a tennis ball in case I could get her to play a game of fetch in the water and get her to come back to me.  As soon as I got the ball, she was on to check out a new backyard.

People down the street were waiting for me to catch her.  There was a little boy out waiting for the bus and I think he was afraid of Tugger.  Tugger didn't go anywhere near the boy but I was feeling like an idiot because I couldn't get my dog.

Before we left the house to begin the chase, I told Jack that I was very, very unhappy and that he should never open the front door and let Tugger out again.  Every time Tugger came close to us, Jack asked, "Are you happy now, Mommy?"  And every time, I told him I wasn't happy until Tugger was back on a leash or in our house.

The whole time I was trying to get her, we were getting further and further from our house.  

Giving her bacon treats to lure her to me no longer works.  She knows what will happen when she gets close enough to me.

She ended up heading down the street to our friends' house.  Luckily Shannon was out watering her flowers.  After Tugger scared the crap out of Shannon, we were able to lure Tugger into her fenced backyard where she finally surrendered.  

And I told Jack that I was finally happy.  Except for the blisters on my feet from the extra walking I didn't intend to do.  And this recurring problem of my dog escaping.  I wish I knew how to fix the fact that once she does get out, she won't return.  Because I'm all out of tricks.