A very scary story with a happy ending.

So yesterday I gave in and took Jack to the groomer. Though I like my chiropractor, (alot actually) I don't much like dealing with the screaming back pain bathing him myself gets me afterwards. He loves his spa days and they love having him. http://www.yankeeclipperpetgrooming.com/ He is all beautiful and fluffy now and has that fresh groomed dog smell that I love.

This morning I wake to the sound of the plow truck in our driveway and a few Jack woofs outside. (we got LOTS of snow these past two days) My husband gets up before me and typically takes him out for his morning potty time. It's "the boys bonding time". I figured they were outside together and didn't think much about it. I rolled over to catch a few more minutes of Z's. I have never been much of a morning person.

I get up a short while later and don't hear Jack or my husband. OK so they are still outside. Maybe he is shoveling the steps or something. I look out my front door and see that my husbands truck is gone. He is gone and Jack is not inside. Mmmmm okaaayyy. Jack is NOT in the house, I double check. I then open the door and look to see if Jack is in the yard. Yes he is. He is still in the yard even though THE GATE IS WIDE OPEN. Holy crap!!!

I call Jack inside and he comes running, "Hey mom, look there's snow! I love snow! Didja see the snow?!"

God love him he is such a goofball!

I call my husband and say: "You are SO lucky."
"What do you mean?"
"You left Jack in the yard, WITH THE GATE OPEN."
"Ohhhhh nooooo"
"It's ok, he was still there."
"I'm so sorry. I was brushing off the truck and needed to get to work early and must have totally forgotten him."

I'm lucky my head didn't explode. I was actually pretty calm on the phone at that point because Jack was safe and none of the horrible possibilities that could have been came true. And I knew it was an accident. I have a very good husband who is normally very responsible. I only wish I had thought to re-phrase the first thing I said to him to "Where's Jack?" so he could have gotten the full "Oh My God!" rush that I did. (but I guess that would have been kinda mean)

To make this even scarier, because he had gone to the groomer yesterday he wasn't wearing his normal collar and tags. I had taken them off to wash and forgot to put them back on. Something I am normally fanatical about. It was the perfect storm of how things can go very bad. Fortunately due to repetition and training Jack knows to stay in the yard with the gate opened until we call him out. He isn't normally in the yard with the gate open either unless we are outside with him, usually because we are in the driveway or side yard ourselves.

But in all honesty I have to say we also got VERY lucky. He is a dog after all and dogs behave like dogs. It is luck that nothing caught his attention enough to make him want to leave his yard. He loves playing in the snow and eating it so I imagine, aside from barking at the plow guy, that is what he spent his time doing. Who knows what he thought when his dad drove away. I guess he knew I would let him in eventually.

Nothing like an adrenaline rush to get my morning started!