Murphy had an inspired day this week - I had run along the railway line with them and back again and was doing my stretches before heading back to the car. Murphy is patient and sits around with me (most of the time) but Maddie tends to wander off (through the nearest garden!) so I had a brilliant idea and attached their leads together, Murphy's attached to his harness and Maddie's to her collar. Well, Maddie pulled and pulled until eventually she pulled the harness off over Murphy's head.
She then started to edge off along the path; Murphy knew she shouldn't be going and followed her, keeping pace with the harness as she dragged it ever further away. He was quite worried - kept looking at it, looking at me and went and nudged her a couple of times too - all to no avail.
I then saw a cat further up and knew that she'd take off, leads and harness and all, if she saw it - so I started calling to her to come back. She sped up a bit and Murphy still kept pace, clearly getting ever more worried.
By this time I'd finished my stretches and started off after them - Murphy, after thinking abotu it and sniffing at the leads and harness as they were dragged along, took decisive action and picked up her lead in his teeth and put the brakes on, holding her back til I got there. What a clever boy! I was so impressed and pleased with him! Good boy, Murphy!
Til we got home and while I was drying Maddie in the vestibule Murphy started doing that thing that all pet owners know means their beloved is about to throw up - rather than have him throw up onto the doormat which would be difficult to clean, I threw a towel down in front of him and he used that. He'd obviously been surreptitiously snacking on either horse or dog poo - large amounts thereof! - and reaped the consequences, as did we all. Sigh! Towel now cleaned off, hosed down and sitting in the garden til it stops raining enough for me to remember to take it in and throw it in the washing machine. Bad boy, Murphy!
