Lunch Date

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a fast moving yellow blur and instinctively slammed on my brakes to avoid hitting it - a good sized yellow dog, mostly lab I thought to myself and without the slightest street sense, darted in front of me and skittered past an oncoming trash truck - making it to safety by a whisker.  I was already running late but there really wasn't much choice and cursing under my breath, I pulled into the next driveway and turned back.  He came easily enough when I coaxed, jumping into the front seat and making himself at home.  Leather collar but no tags, I saw without much surprise, friendly but a little skittish.  I drove back home and wrangled him into the back yard, gave him water and distracted him long enough to close the gate before heading back to work.  This was a problem for later, I decided, I would deal with him when I was done work if he hadn't broken free - a young, very strong, unaltered male dog easily weighing three quarters of my own weight made a poor lunch date.

He hadn't broken free.  I'd stopped for a tether - leaving him in the back yard wasn't an option on account of my own little ones - and despite the killing heat and humidity, I managed to get him leashed to the railing,
fed and watered, and then took his picture to post.  He was fine - I was exhausted and half blind with sweat - and not long after, his owner saw his picture and called, reclaiming him while it was still light.  It took the rest of the night to quiet and reassure my own dogs and by nine, I'd collapsed.  All in all, it'd been a good day's work, I told myself, but it'd nearly killed me.  Watching man and dog leave together, I said a small thank you prayer that my dogs are small, reasonably well behaved, and familiar with the word "no".  I didn't envy the lab mix's owner - the dog was powerful, willful, inordinately stubborn and totally untrained - the first time he'd jumped up and thrown all his weight against me he'd knocked me off my feet but on the second I'd kneed him sharply and sent him sprawling but unhurt.  Each time I'd tried to go back inside the house, he'd lunged at the door and forced himself past me, refusing to back off and though I blocked him, pushed and pulled with every bit of strength I had, it was like trying to move an 80 pound boulder with my fingernails.  He'd never been taught any better, I realized, and sadly, dogs have been owner-surrendered for a lot less.  So I watched him go, fighting the leash and struggling against his owner with every step - I was relieved but not happy at this reunion - dogs are like children in some ways, they need love and care and consistency as well as structure and discipline.  Hard headed, badly behaved dogs are made not born.

The pickup drove off and I decided I needed a cold shower, a change of clothes, and the company of my own dogs.  The lab mix and his owner were on their own.