Almost lost a shoe in a muddy ditch near the park on Tuesday

My dog Lucy spotted a squirrel and bolted, dragging me straight into a hidden mud puddle that swallowed my left sneaker whole. Had to hop out with one shoe while she looked at me like I was the weird one. Anyone else's dog ignore all training the second something small and fuzzy appears?

3 comments

3 Comments

jennifer20411d ago

Dog Lucy spotted a squirrel and bolted" - yeah, that part I get. But honestly, I don't think the dog is the problem here. You knew she has a high prey drive, right? That's not something training just wipes out. It's like getting mad at a cat for chasing a laser pointer. Maybe the real issue is you weren't paying attention to her body language before she took off, or you didn't have a good enough grip on the leash. I've seen too many people blame their dogs for being dogs when they should be blaming themselves for not being ready.

uma_ellis11d ago

Does this kind of thing happen in other parts of life too? I see it all the time with my friends and their pets, but honestly it's the same with kids, cars, even relationships. People get upset about something that's totally predictable, like a dog with a high prey drive chasing a squirrel, and then act shocked when it happens. It's like we have this weird habit of expecting the world to be different than it is instead of just paying attention and being ready for what's coming. You wouldn't blame a cat for being a cat, right? So why blame the dog for doing what it's wired to do when the real mistake was dropping your guard for a second. It's frustrating because a little bit of awareness beforehand could save everyone so much trouble.

josephmartin11d ago

Read a vet explain it's like getting mad at a dog for breathing.