Due to an injured shoulder, I can't hold a leash in my right hand and decided to walk Daisy and Buddy leashless. Even though I never leave our property and since I never know if there are hunters about, my dogs always wear their cow bells on their collars.
For those L'ers whose dogs are hearing impaired when it comes to obeying the Come command, I would recommend testing the attractiveness of your bait before leaving the house. During the entire holiday season, Jack has been taking the dogs out while I applied heat packs to my shoulder. Today, however, I had to take them out. I foraged through the refrigerator. Under the mountain of holiday leftovers I saw a package of string cheese. Mozzarella! The king of cheeses (for my Berners!). I cut four cubes and gently put them into a paper towel. Hurriedly I put on my outdoor No-Human-In-Sight ensemble: worn-out shabby red knit dress, white socks, blue rubber shoes (we still have snow), a warm parka and mismatched gloves (don't ask). Seeing me scoop up the cheese, both dogs velcroed themselves to my side. We wedged out the door. Berners don't seem to mind walking on ice. I have found that rapid mincing steps keep me upright longer than loping along like a geriatric gazelle. Waiting for the cheese kept both dogs firmly at my side: Buddy on my left and Daisy on my right. Slipping on the ice, I hobbled down the driveway to the tiny barn where Buddy and Daisy were given much praise for staying at my side. I gave them two of the four cubes of cheese. We turned and headed back to the house -- at least two of us were headed back. When I looked, I saw that Daisy had remained in a very upright regal Sit. She wore that bull-headed look I have come to dread seeing. "Come Daisy!" I said with no real hope. I immediately turned towards the house trying to speed up my mincing gait. I refused to turn to see where Daisy was. I was too busy trying to avoid slipping and falling over Buddy who kept trying to get in front of me to sit for the treat. Suddenly with snake-like stealth, Daisy wrapped her paw around my ankle and nailed it to the ground. Caught in mid mince I started to topple over, arms flailing. Sensing an immobile opportunity, Buddy splatted into a Sit directly in front of me grinning engagingly. The final cube of Mozzarella flew into the air. In my entire life, I would never have dreamed I would one day say that a cube of cheese saved me from injury but then Berners do indeed push the inside of the envelop. As soon as Daisy, behind me, and Buddy, in front of me, saw that white gleaming piece of cheese arcing gracefully over my head, they lunged, effectively bringing me to a standstill. The cheese disappeared into the foaming vortex of Buddy's mouth. Sensing Daisy's reaction, he took off like a scalded dog. Daisy exploded after him. In lonely splendor I trudged up the stairs to the house and turned towards the swirl of Berners. I stood tall and grim and silent. The swirling mass came to a stop. Two Berners looked at me, studied my expression and finally obeyed the long past Come command. I guess you could say I waited with ... baited breath. Maria Catoctin Mountains, Maryland
