Sarah Nigbor

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” This quote has been attributed to Albert Einstein, but internet sleuths argue that it first appeared in an Al-Anon article in a 1981 Tennessee newspaper. Whoever said it first, I like it. It can be applied to many areas of life, if you think about it.

One example came to mind this week as I combed through police reports. When you compile as many police reports as I do, you start to notice “frequent flyers,” or people who call 911 so many times that emergency dispatchers must know them by their first names. I mean, I have certain addresses memorized because I’ve seen them so many times. Some frequent calls are valid, I’m sure, and I’m doubly sure the Pierce County dispatchers treat each one with professionalism and care. But if I were them, I’d scream, especially when it comes to repetitive calls about loose or lost dogs.

If you have a dog, chances are it’s gotten out a time or two. While many dogs stay on their own property, some take their newfound freedom as an opportunity to see the world and pester neighboring people and animals. How does my rambling all relate? If you have a dog that constantly runs away or gets loose, maybe you should try something new because obviously, what you’re doing is not working.

We have a Bagle hound (half Beagle, half Basset) who likes to follow his nose. He’s a pretty good listener, but to be on the safe side, whenever I’m home alone and he has to go outside to use “the potty,” I take him out on a leash. It only took one time of him following his nose to the neighbor’s during an ice storm for me to learn my lesson. I’m not what you would consider an athlete, and running after a hellbent hound on slippery ground is not my cup of tea. Thankfully when he ran onto the neighbor’s driveway, he slipped on the icy surface and slid down the driveway into my arms. It was the only time I was thankful for sleet.

Our neighbors have a bulldog named Gemma and twice she escaped and trotted to our house bent on making mischief. The first time, she attacked our elderly Beagle/Lab mix (who has since passed on) in the driveway. As Ramona cowered under a trailer, Gemma snarled and growled and tried to bite her. The neighbor came over right away to retrieve her and seemed appropriately contrite.

The second time, Gemma attacked Ramona while she was on her lead rope in the yard. Our son was outside with her and could do nothing to stop the attack. That dog had one mission and one mission only and that was to attack Ramona. As she went for Ramona’s throat (she was a timid, shy dog), my husband was able to rip her off Ramona and throw her far enough away that Ethan got Ramona into the house, who was bleeding and terrified. Again, the neighbors came running to lead the snarling Gemma away; this time, they barely spoke and offered no apology.

A couple days later, their two Boxers ran toward my daughter and scared her to death as she was getting the mail, but the owner got them back in the house before they reached her.

I will give them credit. Within a couple of days, a fence went up around their backyard and now we hear their dogs barking but they stay away. They knew that letting them run loose wasn’t an option and found a solution.

If your dog keeps escaping its yard, maybe it’s time to find a new solution. Or I’ll see your repeat calls in the police blotter! Your neighbors probably don’t like it either.