How to Catch a Whippet – or not…

Paula is a great dog. However, she has a flaw – the recall. As far as she is concerned, she only knows her name if I am offering something she wants.

Paula, watching flies.

When I first moved to my present house I checked all the fences to make sure they were secure. Obviously, as it turned out, I didn’t do a great job. One day, after we had been here for a couple of days, I went outside to see what Paula was up to (the back door is always left open) and she was no-where to be seen! I tried shouting for her, but no response. Then I just happened to glance down into the field that is next to the garden and there she was, chatting to the cows.

Calling her brought absolutely no response so I climbed over into the field and tried to entice her to come to me. Not a hope – she had some new friends and I was surplus to requirements! So, I followed her down the hill and watched helplessly as she had a great time chasing a bunny around the field (it got away!).

Anyway, after about an hour of trying everything in my repertoire to encourage her to come back;  like sitting down in the field and being really interested in the blades of grass (well, it has worked before with others!), walking away (she couldn’t have cared less) and calling her name in an excited and happy voice (I’m glad I have no close neighbours!), I gave up and just followed her around until she got tired and the cows had lost interest. I followed her back up the field to near our garden.  She came to me only because she wanted to get back into the house for a drink and had forgotten how she had got out in the first place.

 So after a hike across three fields, two streams and a lot of nettles and brambles, I could have just stayed at the top of the hill and watched and waited, because I really should have known that I would have no chance of catching her unless she wants to be caught! For the remainder of that day I went round every inch of the fencing and I defy a mouse to find its way out now!