That's Not Very Neighborly.

Sometimes Belle has to wear a bark collar. Just for a little bit at night time after Finley has gone to sleep so that she won't bark at squirrels or Sol coming home. We're not sure that Finley waking up is Belle's fault - we're just trying to be helpful in the transition to quiet, peaceful bedtime.


Yesterday she wasn't wearing the bark collar. She barked enough to get me up and moving, and it's a good things she did. I saw Copper tearing down the street without abandon. This is one of Copper's favorite tricks. It never fails - whenever someone new is around, Copper manages to escape. Rachel's poor cousin Nick didn't close the gate all the way, and Copper made his dash for freedom. Rach & Sol were at church, so I hurried to help.

I threw on some clothes, put a leash on Belle, and grabbed my car keys. It is impossible to catch up with Copper on foot. I clocked him at about 15 mph as we drove down Holmes Run. Belle was anxious to get out and run too and actually was not very helpful as I tried to lure Copper back to my car.

Epic. Fail.

Chased Copper all the way down to the neighborhood park where I had to lose my wheels. I hurried after Copper into the park, hopeful that he would tire soon. I was hopeful when I saw two neighbors out with their dauschands down the way. Copper loves to run up to dogs and sometimes their owners help us catch him.

Not this time. As I run by and their dogs bark wildly, one man yells at me, "There is a REASON there is a LEASH LAW!"

Seriously. You live two doors down for us and you have never seen Copper escape? You think I am running through the park like a crazy person in my slippers because I want to break the leash law?

I shout back as I run by, "I'm trying to catch him. I have been since Sycamore!"

And ever helpful, the man retorts, "You better catch him soon."

He was not very neighborly about the whole thing. Eventually a nice owner of a black lab lured Copper close enough, and I took the two dogs home. We really feel a lot of remorse when Copper gets away. It's scary because we don't know what the dogs would do if they got far away up to Gallows Road or the beltway. And only Belle comes home. Copper likes to wander.

I'm dreading running into the man when I take my dog out in the morning. He was pretty rude about the whole incident. Or I might let Belle poop in their yard when they're not home and then I will feel like the score is evened up a bit.