Zorro and I got stuck outside this evening. He hadn’t gone to the bathroom in a while so I took him outside to see if he’d go. Usually he goes out the back but he wasn’t following me to out that way. So I opened the front door and he came right too me and we walked outside, me thinking we’d just go through the garage to the back. I didn’t put his leash on because I didn’t think I’d need to if we were just walking around to the back.

He hobbles. He wasn’t interested in the garage he wanted to go toward the grass and so he hobbled over there and sat down by the picnic table. I thought, okay, I’ll let you play here for a while since you’ve been cooped up inside. It seemed to him a welcome change from being depressed in the mud room. They said to limit his activity but he’s pretty much done that on his own. He has a cast on right now to immobilize his leg.

He sat in the grass and sniffed the dirt. After a while I wanted to go back inside. I said some like, “Ok, Zorro, time to go in” and he looked at me just sitting there like, “Ok and, why would I listen to you again?” He started hobbling toward the sunset and I was like “Oh geez, I need his leash”. He couldn’t move fast or go too far so I went inside and got his leash and walked toward him where he’d laid down and prayed he wouldn’t bite me.

He didn’t. But then he became obsessed with this particular patch of grass. I tugged on his leash and was like, “Come, Zorro. Time to go in.” I was talking in my baby voice but then tried a different voice because I read somewhere that with these dogs you’re supposed to be firm and in charge. But that didn’t work either and from my perspective he refused to move. Dad and the kids were at the conference track meet in Pawnee.

I think I was out there for probably a half hour. I start to get frustrated in times like this when I feel a creature is ruling me. There were these mushroom hunter guys around camp and Zorro would get focused on who he saw and barked once. I’m just standing out in this field holding a leash and trying to tug on a dog that won’t move. In my pride I did not want to call Josh and tell him but my desire for company is typically stronger.

By this time it was getting dark. I eventually decided to go inside and get some food and I was going to shake it and hopefully pique his interest to move toward that. I just left him out there while I went inside knowing that he couldn’t get too far since he’s crippled (sad face). Miraculously he moved with the food and we hobbled briskly toward the house. He paused in the driveway and his collar came off but he still just came inside.

Thank goodness. I’d already fed him supper but I gave him some more food since I had lured him with it. He never went to the bathroom but when he finished his food he hobbled over to the door that leads to the room where his bed is. He went inside his kennel and laid down in it. I hadn’t expected him to be going to bed that early but it was about around his usual bedtime. I feel like I didn’t really want the day to be over.