The Journey That Matters

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.

~

Ursula K. Le Guin

To the Woods

If you have ever gone to the woods with me, 

I must love you very much.

~

Mary Oliver

I Love Boca

It's a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy. 
~

Lucille Ball 

Summer Wonder

A dog can never tell you what she knows from the smells of the world, but you know, watching her, that you know almost nothing. . .

~

Mary Oliver

Wading

"Look! A trickle of water running through some dirt! 
I'd say our afternoon just got booked solid!"

~

Bill Watterson

The Tonic of Wildness

We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. 

We can never have enough of nature.

~ 

Henry David Thoreau

A Walk in the Woods

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.

~

Rachel Carson 

Grasstronauts

A blade of grass is the journeywork of the stars.

~

Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

When A Border Jack Can't Keep Her Eyes Open

Ruby counts defying gravity among her many talents...

...but sometimes you just have to give in to a summer afternoon's alluring lullaby...

...and use your sister's butt as a pillow.

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Enjoying the Colorado Mountains with My Dogs

The leaves are changing, the kids are going back to school...summer really is drawing to a close. These past few weekends I've been taking full advantage of the last of these long, warm days and enjoying the natural beauty of my home state. I have every other Friday off, giving me a great opportunity to take Ruby on hiking trails that would be too crowded on the weekend. I wanted to decrease the number of people we encountered as much as possible, so after perusing hiking books and trail websites I decided we would make the long drive on Highway 285 to the Lost Creek Wilderness area and hike for a ways on the Goose Creek Trail (a 24 mile backpacking loop if completed). 

My dad was able to come along as well, which I was grateful for because the road was more rugged than I expected and he ended up doing some of the driving. My little Impreza got a true Colorado Subaru initiation on the steep, washed out Forest Service road and we were certain we were lost no less than five times. Two and a half hours from the city on back roads and we still arrived to a fairly full parking lot, but my remote destination was successful in that we only met a few other hikers and two other dogs at the very end of our hike. They were taking a different fork of the trail so it was easy to pick Ruby up and turn her away until they were out of sight. 

Boca seemed much more comfortable than she did on her solo hike the previous weekend - she liked having her scrappy sister along. She was my dad's charge for most of the hike, although if we were in the lead she pulled to stay close, so I took both girls at times. We crossed back and forth over the creek six or seven times and Ruby was such a champ about scrambling over the log bridges or hopping from stone to stone. Everyone got their feet wet at one time or another. I had a hands-free leash system for Ruby (along with several back-up safety measures) which was really nice. It was a warm day and we didn't have a lot of shelter from the sun due to the area still recovering from the 2002 Hayman Fire - we drove through the burn scar for much of the way. 

Ruby and Boca were both wary of the other hikers we passed - most were carrying big frame-packs and/or walking sticks and they just didn't know what to think of those unusual silhouettes. One pair of hikers passed us as we were stopped for lunch and Ruby did the most barking at them, I think because they had a lot of equipment jangling which Ruby associates with dog tags. All in all it was very manageable and we were lucky that we didn't meet anyone at creek crossings or narrow places. I made the girls some doggie "trail mix," a combination of several different kinds of treats, and we also shared our string cheese and carrots with them. They had their own water bottle and I think next time I will have Boca pack out the poop bags in our Outward Hound pack. 

The Ginger Sisters seemed like they enjoyed themselves. We hiked for about two hours and even the Border Jack was slowing down slightly by the end. Ruby did some serious digging in the rich, black mountain soil and managed to coat the entire white side of her face with dirt. I thought it was well worth the long trip and would like to explore the area again sometime. Ruby rode wonderfully in her travel crate, although she was sick on the way up (the road was so bumpy and windy, I can hardly blame her!) - that was definitely one of the best dog purchases I've ever made. Boca slept the entire way home and didn't want to move the rest of the evening - little did she know there was another adventure in store for her the next day!

 

The next day Boca and I set out for Elk Meadow, an off-leash wonderland in Evergreen, about thirty minutes from Denver. I'm not a huge fan of dog parks in general - I think they can be recipes for disaster and there are too many unknowns for this control-freak; however, Elk Meadow is a true gem. I had been there once before for last year's Colorado Potcake Meetup, organized through a Facebook group that I started. We intend to get together more than once a year, but it's hard to coordinate with everyone's busy schedules. This time there was a great turnout, and Boca got to meet more of her friends and very possibly family from The Humane Society of Grand Bahama. She knew Ellie from last year, got to see Fig and her favorite person from Pints for Potcakes last month, and met several new faces: Kenna, Judah, Finn and Abby. It was amazing to see how they greeted the other potcakes as if they really did recognize one another.

The photo above is poor quality, but I had to include it because of the sheer joy in Boca's bounding leap. I let her off-leash next to the stream with the other dogs, and she took off in gleeful circles splashing in and out of the water. Then she demonstrated that her recall was not quite as good as I thought it was in such a fun environment, and considered taking off on a hike of her own. I re-attached her leash for part of our group hike, then let her off again once we were more of an established unit, and by that time she stayed close and checked in frequently, which I praised her immensely for. After our hike we returned to the fenced area to let the dogs rest and socialize more. The number of other dogs in the meadow area ebbed and flowed - at one point it was a little too chaotic for my taste, and Boca did get intimidated by a couple of large dogs. She has very good social skills overall - no doubt from living communally with so many other dogs at the shelter yard.

 

Boca looked at me like I was slightly crazy on Sunday morning when it was time to take a drive again - she was perfectly happy to sleep all day and recover from the Goose Creek Hike - but I think she had one of her best days yet. Elk Meadow has many different options, from fully fenced wooded areas to miles of off-leash hiking trails. The smallest fenced area is an open meadow on a hill, the perfect place to relax and wait for friends to arrive. Boca plopped down happily in the sun with her frog-legs splayed out behind her, much to everyone's amusement. Later she explored the perimeter in the tall grass with Ellie, engaged an adorable Bernese puppy in play, dug a giant hole, and chewed up a tiny stick that she found. I loved meeting the other potcakes - such a sweet, easygoing group of dogs - and a wonderful group of people. It's a beautiful thing that a group of formerly unwanted dogs from an island in the Atlantic can find loving homes and unite a bunch of strangers thousands of miles away.

Potcake In Bloom

These cheerful flowers are the perfect backdrop for Boca's sunny disposition.

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My Dog's Summer as a Social Butterfly

Jessica, Chester and Gretel with Boca and I in downtown Denver

Boca has had a very busy summer with lots of social engagements. When I adopted Ruby, I was hoping that she would be a dog that could go everywhere with me, but due to her reactivity that did not turn out to be the case. We've found other ways to have fun together, such as trick training, and I feel so lucky to be able to take my placid potcake on doggie dates. When I learned that Jessica from You Did What With Your Wiener (my favorite blog name ever) would be traveling through Colorado, I was so excited at the opportunity to meet her, Doggie Daddy, and star adventure dachshunds Chester and Gretel.  We decided to rendezvous at Denver Beer Company, since it had high ratings on dog friendly destination sites. I'd never been there, and I think on a normal weeknight it would have been perfect, but there just so happened to be a race that evening so it was...overrun...with participants. We grabbed pizzas from a food truck and walked to a downtown park to eat and chat. Boca was great with Chester and Gretel, and I so enjoyed getting to know Jessica. All of the doggies got "pizza bones" - I couldn't resist Chester's stealth determination or Gretel's adorable face. The time passed too quickly, but the adventurers had to get back on the road toward their goal of tackling a Colorado 14er (spoiler alert: they did it!). Hopefully we will get to hang out again sometime.

Boca with our silent auction winnings

In mid-July, we attended Pints for Potcakes, a fundraiser set up by some local potcake fans to raise money for The Humane Society of Grand Bahama, the shelter who saved Boca from the streets. On the day of the event we had severe thunderstorms shortly before it was time to leave. I debated taking Boca after all, but I had been looking forward to it for months and knew some of Boca's fans were excited to meet her. I checked the radar and it seemed like we were headed for clear skies, so I put Boca's Thundershirt on for the trip and away we went. I felt like I was with a celebrity when we walked into the Ugly Dog Sports Cafe and I heard "It's Boca!" from several directions. That's the way it goes when your dog is cooler than you. We joined some lovely people at a table and met some of Boca's fellow HSGB alumni. The dogs were all friendly and mellow - it almost seemed like they recognized each other (and it's possible some of them did). Boca picked a favorite person and settled practically in her lap at a booth for the majority of the time. I placed some silent auction bids and ended up winning an awesome gift basket. The bar staff were all incredibly accommodating and they had a nice set-up with a fenced dog play area on the patio. It was delightful to connect with more Colorado potcake people!

Wendy and Boca at Meyer Ranch

One of the best parts of this summer has been reconnecting with my childhood friend, Wendy. We both grew up exploring nature and riding horses in southwestern Colorado, but had lost touch for over twenty years. Thanks to the wonders of technology (i.e. Facebook) we found each other again and we have been getting together several times a month. Our first hiking attempt was rained out, but we were determined to make it work this past weekend. We settled on Meyer Ranch Open Space, a short drive from the city. I knew it would be difficult to manage Ruby since our local trails can be extremely busy on the weekends, so she had to stay home again. Boca was still lounging on my bed when it was time to leave - not the picture of a dog ready to go hiking! She was quite nervous as we started out, which surprised me, but I realized she hasn't really been to the mountains without Ruby and I think some of her street dog survival skills were kicking in. She was very alert and somewhat hesitant - she definitely wanted someone else to be the trail blazer. I was happy to see her relax mid-way through the hike. Her tail came up from between her legs and she regained her merry amble that I love so much. We passed quite a few dogs and her greetings were polite and appropriate each time. I realized just out just how out of shape I am as I huffed and puffed up the hills, but so enjoyed being out among the aspens with my old friend and my good dog.

In the woods with my island girl

I feel bad leaving Ruby behind on these excursions, but my dad keeps her company and I always make sure she gets some extra attention such as a solo walk or play session when I get home. She is ever so glad to have us back and likes to jump on Boca and sniff her all over for the olfactory details of where we've been. Now that I'm familiar with a few more trails nearby, I plan to take her up on one of my upcoming Fridays off when it's less crowded and my dad can join us. This weekend we have another hike planned with the Colorado Potcake Meetup Group, where Boca will get to see some of her friends from the fundraiser again. It seems like the summer always goes by too quickly, but we've managed to fit in a lot of fun, and I'm especially proud of my Bahama girl for being game for almost anything and becoming a social butterfly.

Sisters On a Summer Evening

Watching Ruby and Boca interact is one of my favorite parts of life with dogs.

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Summertime with the Ginger Sisters

Summertime is in full swing here in Denver, and I spent much of the weekend beautifying my patio in anticipation of spending a lot of time out there with The Ginger Sisters. Boca likes to lounge on the dog bed and Ruby loves chasing her pink tennis ball. This required the obligatory trip to Home Depot. I had already planted some tomatoes and a few flowers in pots - including marigolds with seeds I harvested from last year's marigolds, which I think is really cool - but I needed to improve the tomato situation and wanted more useful plants. I was also hoping to get a lounge chair - my mosaic bistro set is cute but not one bit comfortable to sit at for long. I had plenty of pots but I couldn't resist a darling fox one - it looked too much like The Ginger Sisters. I repotted the three tomato plants and made sure they were out of reach of the dogs since the leaves/stems are toxic. I also had to put two other things I bought (a lobelia and something unidentified that had been pre-treated with pesticide) out front instead of my patio for the same reason. Note to self: look up pet-safe plants before you shop. Then, after all my fretting over the plants, Ruby and Boca decided the potting soil was delicious - thankfully I bought organic. I am thrilled with how it turned out and that I have basil, rosemary, mint, sage and thyme fresh for the picking outside my door, and will hopefully harvest my first patio cucumbers and tomatoes before the year is through! I also planted a cat garden for Nina - catnip and cat grass. It's wonderful to sit in my lounge chair and have a view full of sky. I know that I will be spending a lot of time out there in the coming months.

On Saturday, Boca had her annual wellness exam. We are still seeing the ophthalmologist regularly and she is completing a three-month course of doxycycline in case her eye issue is bacterial in origin. So far, the left eye is holding steady and her grafted right eye is healed completely and doing great. Aside from her eyes, she is a very healthy girl and she met her prescribed weight loss goal, coming in at 32.9 lbs. We saw a new vet who is helping temporarily while another partner is on maternity leave, and she was very nice. She remarked on how easy and sweet Boca is. After our appointment we stopped at a pet store to get some more goat's milk for the girls. I've been using The Honest Kitchen powder but decided to get them a carton of fresh, raw goat's milk and also a small bag of Wild Calling kibble since we were down to one bag in the pantry. I like to stay stocked up! Everyone wanted to say hello to Boca and know what kind of dog she is. She is such a wonderful potcake ambassador!

After a really lovely rainy spell, our temperatures have been climbing, with Sunday being our hottest day yet hovering around 95 degrees. This is my first summer without A/C (long story) and so far it's not too bad. The dogs are definitely lower energy but seem to handle it well. Boca has taken to crawling under my bed at night - I think this is a holdover from her street dog days when she would find a dark burrow to keep cool. I moved some things around so she has space under there but she really barely fits and it is quite a production, silly girl. The downside to leaving the windows open to cool my room off overnight is that the dogs can hear all the neighborhood sounds: other dogs barking, people talking in the alley, and the odd pre-holiday firecracker. Both Ruby and Boca are noise-phobic, and we are not looking forward to the Fourth of July. A nearby municipality also has a separate fireworks celebration on July 25th, so we will be hunkering down with music, fans and thundershirts several times next month.

Walks with a reactive dog are more challenging this time of year, when everyone else is out enjoying the sunshine, too. We have scooters, skateboards, bikes and strollers to contend with, as well as the occasional off-leash or escaped dog. Last week a Westie on a Flexi-lead got away from its elderly owner and came charging over to us. The loose dog and Ruby had a snarky terrier-off but I was able to keep myself positioned in between them until its owner got hold of its leash again. Boca paid them no mind at all. The owner was very apologetic but can I just say again how much I hate Flexi-leads? I saw so many when I was at the park this weekend and they are useless at best, dangerous at worst. Ruby has been getting better about cars and people, as long as the people aren't moving quickly directly toward her. Sometimes we can even see a dog all the way across the clubhouse lawn and not have a total meltdown. I will call that improvement!

How is your summer going so far? 

Loving My Little Life With Two Wonderful Dogs

A room full of dogs and books is my idea of happiness.

Happy Ruby Tuesday! While I don't do it on a weekly basis, my aim with the Ruby Tuesday updates is a more "old fashioned" blog post of the journaling type. Back before blogging became so popular, I had a LiveJournal account where I shared thoughts, poetry, pictures and travelogues. My account is still active, in fact, and while I don't write there regularly, I love having more than ten years of my life chronicled there. Some of my very favorite blogs lean toward the wordy, honest and personal, and so I like to have an element of that here, where I can look back on the daily details of life with Ruby and Boca, these two precious dogs that have been with me through some of the most difficult times and also at a time when I am doing some serious introspection.

Recently I said to a friend, when asked what my big life dream was, that I thought I would like to move to Spain and rescue dogs. She looked momentarily surprised, and I realized that wasn't what most people expect, especially now that I am single. No babies, no weddings, nothing very ambitious or extraordinary, but something very definitely including dogs. I'm incredibly grateful that I live in a time when that is becoming increasingly acceptable, and increasingly normal. Lately I've been simplifying, reevaluating. I'm finding that some things that used to be important to me (like fancy shoes and late nights out dancing) have fallen by the wayside, and some things I thought I'd never want (like living somewhere rural) have become suddenly intriguing. While  I occasionally hear things like I'm too wrapped up in my dogs, the great majority of my friends and family are supportive of my somewhat solitary, but personally satisfying lifestyle, and they get it when I just want to stay home with my dogs. (Either that, or I make a point of surrounding myself with only people who do).

During the week, life is largely routine, especially when incorporating the care and feeding of The Ginger Sisters into the few hours between waking and work, work and sleep. I find comfort in this routine, and waking up as I did this morning to find Ruby laying on her back, nestled into the crook of my arm and gazing up at me, is often the best part of my day. Right now my dad is living with me, and I'm blessed with knowing my dogs have company while I'm at work and can spend these warm afternoons sunbathing outside. The weekends are when the real fun happens: sitting on the patio playing ball with Ruby, making them special treats like the frozen goodies pictured above (Freezy Pups mix and Merrick PowerBites treats), walking through our little slice of wild marshland between the light rail station and the town house complex, photo shoots and silly trick training sessions, trips to visit family, outings to new places, or blissful reading breaks on the guest room daybed in the best light.

The girls are doing splendidly overall. Ruby has had some great moments (passing people fairly close on walks and not barking) and some not-so-great moments (going berzerk over horses on TV despite my efforts to DS/CC with peanut butter). I took her out for a training walk this weekend and she did very well with checking in and maintaining focus on me (which is a huge deal for her). My secret was using some of Boca's "pill cheese" - more on that in a moment - good old processed American cheese product. Her reactivity means a lifetime of management, but when I look at the big picture, I can see some remarkable changes. She is never relaxed outside, but I am seeing little moments when we are close to home where her body becomes looser and even get a tail wag once in a while. She solicits pets every evening (with very particular requests: inner thigh and back scratches).  Her relationship with Boca is beautiful to watch, and while they can get carried away sometimes with their play, I see a lot of really sweet, gentle interaction, too.

Boca remains her delightfully easygoing and goofy self - she is the first dog I've had who can happily take a nap at the vet's office. Unfortunately, we've still been spending quite a bit of time there. We had only a short reprieve from the Ocular Ordeal before she started developing an opacity in the other (left) eye. At this time it is not causing her any problems or discomfort, but the ophthalmologist is still unable to determine a cause. We are trying a long course of doxycycline in hopes that it will slow down any progression if there is a bacterial component. I'm not as stressed out about it as the first time, because at least we know the treatment/surgery route to go if it does get worse. After our appointment on Saturday, Boca and my dad and I discovered a pretty park full of little lakes and streams. It was refreshingly serene even though it was in the middle of town, and a place I could safely bring Ruby, especially on one of my Fridays off. We even spotted a huge turtle in one of the ponds!

Time seems to go by faster and faster - just like people are always telling you it will - and I want to make the most of this summer. Everything is gorgeous and green right now following our more than twenty consecutive days of rain. This weekend I hope to get a lounge chair for my patio, so I can read out there while the girls sleep in the sun. I have planted marigolds and tomatoes in containers and I am going to plant some herbs and lettuces as well. I want to scout out more places to take Ruby - taking Boca first is a perfect way to do so, and also gives me the opportunity to have some one-on-one time with her. I am hoping to attend BlogPaws in Phoenix with Boca next year, and need to be sure she is comfortable in more busy and crowded situations. We have some fun events coming up - a potcake fundraiser at a sports bar and a graduation party at a local park - which will be perfect practice! It's my favorite time of year (from now until October), and I'll be spending it with my two favorite girls.

What little things about life with dogs make you the happiest?

Wisdom Panel 3.0 Tour On Its Way to Vail, Colorado

This post is sponsored by Mars Veterinary Wisdom Panel 3.0. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the new version of the Wisdom Panel DNA testing kit and the Wisdom Panel 3.0 Tour, but Rubicon Days only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Mars Veterinary Wisdom Panel 3.0 is not responsible for the content of this article.

Ruby's Wisdom Panel DNA test results have helped me immensely in understanding the breeds that contributed to her personality and understanding her exercise and training needs. The more I learn about Jack Russell terriers and border collies, the more confident I am that Ruby's test results were accurate. She has so many of the physical, behavioral and temperamental characteristics of both breeds. Since it's a product I am both familiar with and believe in, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Wisdom Panel to promote their new test kit and their summer "Swabathon" Tour, in which dogs can be DNA tested on-site at several events around the country for a discounted price, including the GoPRO Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado. 

DNA testing is helpful for a variety of reasons, including size prediction, breed-specific health concerns and characteristics or just purely for fun. The Wisdom Panel 3.0 test adds one more extremely important element to their results, that of MDR1 mutation screening. The MDR1 mutation is found in some herding breeds, sighthounds and mixed breeds and can cause extreme sensitivity to some common drugs, including ivermectin. I learned about this mutation recently in a heartbreaking situation where a friend lost her collie due to accidental ingestion of horse deworming paste containing ivermectin. Since Ruby is part border collie, the MDR1 mutation screening is something I should strongly consider for her. 

Not only does Wisdom Panel 3.0 provide potentially lifesaving genetic information, but the expanded breed database can identify over 250 breeds, including all those recognized by the American Kennel Club. The testing is as easy as swabbing your dog's inner cheek and sending the swab back to the lab via regular mail. Results are available in 2-3 weeks and include a detailed profile with three generations of probably ancestry, predicted weight range and the MDR1 genetic mutation screening results.

This summer, Wisdom Panel 3.0 is on the road at several events around the country:

• June 4th-7th: GoPRO Mountain Games in Vail, CO
• August 1st: Amazing Pet Expo in Austin, TX
• TBD October: Mars Pet Adoption Fair in Franklin, TN
• Date TBD: Amazing Pet Expo Holiday in Los Angeles CA

At any of the above dog-friendly events, Wisdom Panel will be providing on-site DNA swab testing for $39.99 and take-home testing kits for $49.99. Kits can also be ordered directly from Wisdom Panel (MSRP $84.99). Boca is hoping to hitch a ride to the beautiful mountain town of Vail, Colorado, and find out what breeds might be present in her Bahamian ancestry! 

Please visit Wisdom Panel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest or at one of the stops on their "Swabathon" Tour this summer. If you decide to DNA test your dog, I'd love to hear about the results! 

Ruby Reviews: Pet Naturals Flea + Tick Repellent

We don't have much of a flea problem in Colorado, but both of my rescue dogs arrived from elsewhere with some unwelcome hitchhikers (ticks) and depending on the weather patterns and area, ticks can be an issue here. For this reason, and because I avoid using chemical flea/tick products for my dogs, I was excited to try the natural Flea + Tick spray and wipes from Pet Naturals of Vermont.

Both the wipes and spray are made with natural lemongrass, cinnamon, sesame and castor oils that disguise the dogs' scent, making them less attractive to blood-sucking pests.  The products can be safely applied to skin, fur, bedding and collars.
 

My dogs are not huge fans of the spray sound/sensation, so the wipes are a better fit for us. The wipes are generously sized and perfect for getting the ears and face (avoiding the eye area of course). They do have quite a strong citrus and cinnamon smell, but I found it very pleasant.

I applied the repellent before taking my dogs into a field of tall grass near my house, and we returned from our walk bug-free. The spray and wipes also repel flies and mosquitoes, so I think they will be a great natural summertime essential.

DISCLAIMER: I was provided Flea + Tick wipes and spray from Pet Naturals of Vermont in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and I will not publish reviews for a product I will not use myself in the day to day life of my pets.

A Naked Dog and Lessons Learned

This lovely sun-dappled shot was taken after a short morning hike that turned briefly into an educational and hair-raising adventure. Spoiler alert: everyone was okay! I spent the weekend with my aunt and grandmother and attended a benefit for Ruby Ranch Horse Rescue. On my way home I stopped off at an open space area that I discovered when I took Ruby hiking for her birthday in October. I call it "Hidden Gem" because we are almost guaranteed to have the place to ourselves, and it's such a lovely dose of nature not far from the main road. A path traverses through a meadow, down a marshy ravine and up onto a piney hillside. The wildflowers were in bloom due to an unusually rainy spell, and the ginger sisters were happy to follow their noses through the yucca. Ruby stopped to do some terrier excavation while Boca supervised.

 As we made our way through the tall grass, I would intermittently say "Go Run!" and dash after the girls as they raced down the trail. We did this several times without incident. The next time, Ruby tore ahead and Boca lagged behind and crossed in front of me. I knew that I was going down before I hit the ground, catapulting (dogapulting?) over Boca and landing on my hands and knees. I either recovered Ruby's leash automatically or kept hold of it, but when I looked behind me to make sure Boca was okay since I'd practically fallen on top of her, I saw her leash attached to...an empty harness. Naked Boca grinned up at me and gamboled off into the grass.

"Don't panic..." I told myself as I brushed off my skinned knee. Remember that Boca has only been with me for about a month and a half, and that I've focused mainly on letting her settle in with not a lot of training. I called her and she came near me, but realizing the fun of being free, leapt away and continued bouncing around the meadow. I unclipped her leash from her harness and slipped the end through the handle, making a loop. I didn't want to chase or grab her, especially because she seemed a little wary of me after being such a klutz, so I tried sitting down on the ground and ignoring her. She stayed close, but was still enjoying her great escape. I got up and kept moving, running and calling her every now and then to make it into a game. She would follow and then wander off to smell something. While Boca was engaged in sniffing the ground I was able to slip it over her head and take perhaps my first deep breath of the last few moments! 

I got Boca back in her gear and we continued our walk with no more surprises, but the event has definitely prompted me to make some changes. First, work on the dogs' recall. I know it is the single most important thing to teach your dog and yet I don't practice it nearly enough. Although she's been with me for less time, I am still thankful that it was Boca that escaped and not Ruby. Boca is calmer and less apt to take off after something, and Ruby thinks that "Catch Me If You Can" is the best game ever. From now on the girls will be wearing collars as well as harnesses. Boca's harness did not come unclipped and I'm still not sure how it came off  - I think that I pulled it over her head as I was falling. I had no idea that the step-in style was so escapable. While both dogs are micro-chipped, let's face it - not everyone knows to get a lost dog scanned, and that entails a trip to a vet's office or an animal shelter instead of just a simple phone call. I've gotten out of the habit of carrying treats with me and that is something I want to change as well. You just never know when a quick walk could go awry. I'm so happy that this story turned into nothing more than some new goals and habit changes and a post for Ruby Tuesday about that time my new rescue dog got loose.