This is not a good story, in the sense that it shows my total failure to get anywhere constructive with Total Recall, but I am going to show myself up anyway, since you couldn't make it up. We are dog-sitting my SILs dog who is BALL OBSESSED in the extreme. I was up at 6.30 to walk the dogs before work. We were puddling along off lead on our local track. I was keeping an eye on Lilly who was as usual doing her own thing, while flinging the tennis ball for Georgie. I spotted a deer on the track up ahead - a much earlier bit of the track than you would normally see them, they are quite common a couple hundred yards further on by the woody area, but I am usually keeping my eye out and any hint and its on lead,and I make loads of noise to chase them off. About 5 seconds after I saw it, and whilst I was madly calling her back, she spotted it and took off like a greyhound. Down the track, round the corner, out of sight, then back they BOTH come (deer and Lilly - Georgie is still hopping about trying to get me to throw the ball) head to head like they were having a game of chase. I did the first thing that came into my head and threw the tennis ball, trying to make the deer divert off into the field. Georgie took a couple of steps towards the deer who was only about 10m away at that point, but then just stopped. Next thing I realise, the ball has hit the deer!! The deer promptly fell to the ground did a tumble, then hopped back up and ran right past me, within an arms length, with Lilly in hot pursuit, in and out the fields, both heads popping up in among the barley crop. Georgie just retrieved her ball, totally ignored Lilly and the deer, and brought the ball back to me to throw again, and again, and again..... I got Lilly back about 15 minutes later : : It felt like an hour I wasn't a happy Pixie by the time I got back, late, still to get ready for work, have breakfast and drop off Sophie....... Oh well. Somehow I think fresh sardines might not have done it either.
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... Crumbs - a playful deer! Not something you could anticipate, don't beat yourself up! A large glass of wine is prescribed by Dr Boogie
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... [quote author=Boogie link=topic=7084.msg96947#msg96947 date=1406233897] A large glass of wine is prescribed by Dr Boogie [/quote] Why thank you....don't mind if I do ;D Couldn't decide which of the two dogs or the deer were more stupid. Please note I don't include myself on that list - I am clever enough to be leaving the walks to Sophie tomorrow. Later in the morning is likely to be more free of wildlife.
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... Oops, think Lilly was having an observant morning Glad she came back though
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... Oh my good lord! And I thought Riley was a horror this morning but Lilly you may have outdone him somewhat
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... Ooh heck! Not the way you want to start the day! Huge sympathies. There but for the grace of god go I...... I'm still doing 6am walks despite being on holiday as temperatures are stifling any time after 9am down here at the moment. Had a deer incident myself on Monday - right up the track near the houses! I wonder if grazing is getting scarce with the hot weather? Only managed to get the dog back by a whisker, and she was going nuts tracking it all down the track. Nice work with Georgie though! And my OH says 'good shot' with the deer ;D ;D
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... OMG! What a shock! I second the very, very large glass of wine.... (umm...I laughed when I got to the bit about the ball hitting the deer - bad person, bad, bad, bad...)
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... I cannot believe that you hit the deer. I laughed too. Can you imagine the story the deer is telling right now?
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... [quote author=Oberon link=topic=7084.msg96974#msg96974 date=1406237664] Can you imagine the story the deer is telling right now? [/quote] LOL ;D
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... Oh my...I have nightmares about this very thing myself! The other day we were giving Simba a bit of off-lead freedom and hubby spotted a deer, which Simba was heading straight for, but he had his nose down to the ground so didn't see it. I called him back and he came (phew) and we popped the lead back on. Good thing too as a little further along there were two more. He saw those ones and was very interested! Good choice on enlisting Sophie to do walkies....
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... My sympathies here, Tarka in her younger chasing days would have done exactly that. I think 15 minutes is quite good really, I lost Tarka chasing a red deer stag in the Cairngorms once. She came back covered in grass seeds and we were at least 2 miles from the nearest grass field. Never managed to actually hit a deer with a tennis ball though. That takes SKILL.......
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... Yes, congratulations on your aim! That is spectacular! I'm glad you got her back and as Lochan says, 15minutes insnt too bad. At least she didn't get lost!
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... [quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=7084.msg96943#msg96943 date=1406233689]... Next thing I realise, the ball has hit the deer!! The deer promptly fell to the ground ...[/quote] An alternative career as a baseball pitcher in the USA awaits you I think, all things considered, your experience turned out far better than it could have done. I also suspect that none of use have ticked off 'calm in close proximity to deer' on our dogs' socialisation experiences and so none of us would have been any better able to cope in that situation than you did (and I'm sure none of us could fell a deer with a thrown tennis ball!). Well done. When are you planning to repeat the process? ....
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... I couldn't resist a smile as I read your description of the dog and deer head to head then you hitting the deer on the head and Georgie completely oblivious to it all, just concentrating on "the ball, the ball' However, I do appreciate what a heart stopping time it must have been for you, luckily we have no deer around here and it was bad enough when mine chased a hare and disappeared out of sight!
Re: A bad morning, a long story..... Perhaps this could be a new sport for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games? I can hear the commentator now: "And all the way from Fife ready for the first round of the Deer Felling (20m) Event it's Lily and Jaq who are coming to the games from some very successful training and all Scottish hopes are on them today......"
