Zim's First Escape

So, we've had yet another Shiba owner right of passage: we've had to get our escaped dog to come back.

So, Zim is not normally a doorbolter. He's more interested in the person coming in a door than in getting out. Well, today we were at the home of my sister-in-law and her husband for her husband's graduation party. Zim was alternating between inside and outside, but when he was outside we had him on a 50 ft leash. When he was inside, he was playing with Molly, my sister-in-law's beagle mix. Well, at one point everyone was outside except me, Molly and Zim. Molly wanted to be outside where everyone else was because unlike Zim, she still really loves people when other dogs are around (Zim normally loves people but is merely fine with them when there are other dogs for him to interact with). Well, she was trying to doorbolt the whole time and then finally one of the many people at the house ended up letting her out and Zim ran right after her. Now happily outside, Molly's attention turned back to Zim and they started playing chase. Well, we tried to call Zim back but Shiba selective hearing was the order of the day---his entire focus was on Molly. Luckily the streets were basically empty the whole time we were there (I saw a total of maybe 3 cars in the hours we spent there), because at one point Zim went into the street. It was at that point that it occurred to me that with his focus on Molly, we should be calling her instead, I only hoped she came back. Like I said before, she's people focused but I've heard stories about her occasional selective hearing. Still, I was pretty sure her recall was better than Zim's and I knew he would follow her if she ran back to us so I tried it. She came right back and Zim followed. We didn't catch him right away but at least he was nearby instead of running away. He slipped out of my grasp once or twice after this, still staying nearby because Molly was, before he suddenly decided he needed to poop. I grabbed his harness as he went and we then put him on the 50ft line so he and Molly could play outside instead.

So now we're getting Zim a Tagg Pet Tracker. We'd thought about it before, but it seemed like an awful lot of money for a dog who didn't doorbolt and who was always on a harness and leash when outside (and wasn't a harness escape artist). Now, though, we've decided. He obviously becomes a doorbolter when's he's with another dog who's a doorbolter and I do know he's capable of slipping certain kinds of harnesses (he just doesn't try). This will give us a little insurance for if he does do the unlikely and slip a harness or run through an open door.

On a way, way different note, I just found a picture online of Zim's uncle, the full brother of his father, Kisaragi no Kouten go Amamisou (Kouten). I don't really think Zim looks much like him now that Kouten has gotten older but I found this picture of Kouten from when he was younger that I really think looks a lot like Zim:

Makes me wonder if Zim will grow up to look like his uncle, or at least his uncle at the age pictured ( I would guess between 6 months and a year old).


Also, here's a picture that Fathead snapped on his cell phone of me and Zim earlier tonight, both curled up on the floor. Like owner, like dog I suppose.