Depression: Okay
Anxiety: Really bad
Tears: Loads
Laughs: Need more!
Furry Mama has been under strict instructions to only walk Pepper pooch on the lead so that he can't get in water. She has obeyed. But the pooch is only two-and-a-half, so he has a serious amount of energy to burn off. Clever Bird decided that they needed a change of scenery from just walking around the village, and managed to persuade Hormonal Hannah to actually go out somewhere away from the 'safety' of home. Dunwich Heath seemed like the perfect choice, especially as dogs have to be on the lead anyway at this time of year (dicky-birds to protect), and it's soft ground. It's a beautiful circular walk of about forty-five minutes and there's a lovely National Trust café at the end for cappuccino and scones!
Baggy always parks Billy Bob Jalopy campervan near the cliff edge, with a gorgeous view of the sea. The pooch waits while Baggy faffs about putting on jumpers, and sorting out her bag, then hops out when Furry Mama tells him he can, and immediately sits to wait for his ball. As soon as Baggy is ready, the pooch runs off to the footpath down to the sea.
Not this time! Oh no! This time, Baggy undid Pepper's car harness and opened her door to get out. Before she could, the pooch who'd not been off the lead for over a week, virtually scrambled over Baggy's lap and leapt out! Okay, no problem, he wouldn't go anywhere. WRONG! Like a greyhound out of a trap, he shot off, straight towards the cliff edge - the thirty or forty-foot, vertical cliff edge, down to a shingle beach!
'Pepper NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!' screamed Furry Mama, as Hannah and Freda Fretter had a panic attack. He carried on in an over-excited gallop, 'WAIT!!!'
He stopped, with maybe a foot to spare. He looked over the edge and Furry Mama thought he was still going to risk it, but he looked back at her rather sheepishly, then ran back to her and sat and waited.
Once Baggy's heart-rate had reduced to something vaguely approaching normal, they headed off on their walk - on the flexi-lead.
Baggy did struggle, and had to sit on a bench for a while to rest her knee, but the pooch sniffed and trotted, and attempted to jump in the muddy dykes.
That afternoon, Furry Mama related the tale at the vet's, while his leg was checked. The vet laughed, and related a similar tale of her own puppy. The nurse cleaned his wounds and put a new bandage on his leg. Furry Mama made an appointment for Monday to get the bandage changed again - fine, as the one in the above photo had lasted four days. Or so Clever Bird thought.
Today, Clever Bird decided that Pepper could have the full run of Gloria Gardener's garden, rather than being restricted to the bottom patio. MISTAKE! Not that she realised that until ten minutes later, when Furry Mama went to see where he had vanished to. His new bandage was hanging off, and his biopsy wound looked raw. Emergency trip to the vet, and Hormonal Hannah was beating herself up for being an idiot and not watching Pepper while he was in the garden. Freda Fretter was in tears driving home, she felt so bad for risking her beloved pooch's health, just because she felt sorry for him. He has pulled all the stitches out and opened up the wounds, so now has a full bandage, including over his foot. He's on antibiotics, that Baggy can't go near because they contain penicillin which she's allergic to. He is not allowed to jump, run, or even be walked on the lead. Furry Mama has to take him out to the patio to do his ablutions, while on the lead. He has to wear the cone-of-shame all the time, unless he is being watched, in which case he can wear his blue buster collar. He must not chase Bracket kat. Baggy has her work well and truly cut out for her for the next few weeks.......
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