Walking on the Wild Side

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Mr. N has a penchant for the precarious. He adores walking on steep ledges and peering over. Being part mountain goat, he has never yet taken a tumble but he wears a sturdy harness and leash so that I can pull him up if need be.

I’ve never had to save him from falling but being able to haul him up by his harness and leash has come in handy a number of times when I’ve had to rescue him from aggressive dogs and bikes about to run him over.

Isn’t he ALL legs?

He decided it would be an excellent idea to walk on the rocks outlining the ledge instead of the path. Past the rocks? Probably a hundred-foot drop to the water. We made sure to hang onto his leash very tightly. He loves peering down at the water and scrambling onto rocks so we let him have his fun as long as we have a safeguard in place.

When we were hiking Beacon Rock which is all switchbacks with Sage, we had to keep admonishing Sage not to get too close to the edge because we certainly couldn’t haul her back up if she fell (size + equipment + lack of strength). Mr. N took a certain glee in being able to explore where she couldn’t.

Which precautions do you take to save your dog from themselves?

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36 Responses

  1. cupcakepetrillo

    April 18, 2016 10:37 am

    Good to be ready for a rescue if need be. Once, Cupcake wanted to see over a stone wall down to a creek. She flew, I reeled her in like a kite before she got high enough to jump the wall. Whew!

    Reply
  2. Denise Gruzensky

    April 18, 2016 8:10 pm

    Your a brave and mighty explorer Mr N. Good thing your Dog mom is able to keep you safe! Shasta often gives me a fright as he is like you small with a brave heart! 😉

    Reply
  3. Janet Keefe

    April 18, 2016 8:58 pm

    Mr. N, you are a daredevil! I never noticed how long his legs are, no wonder he's so agile!
    We used to have a boat and our beagle Kobi used to love to get right up in the front of it to stand on the edge when we were moving! We also had a harness on him and I held on tight to his leash until we stopped.
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

    Reply
  4. Edie ThePug

    April 20, 2016 12:19 pm

    Miss Edie is not as brave, or should I say, adventurous as Mr. N when it comes to climbing on cliffs and ledges! Thank goodness, because I don't think my nerves could handle it Lol!

    Reply
  5. Talent Hounds

    April 20, 2016 3:43 pm

    Mr.N looks just so pleased with himself. What an adventurous little guy. Kilo also wears a harness and I can use it to pick him up safely and quickly if needed too, it's a great advantage of smaller dogs.

    Reply
  6. Elizabeth Keene

    April 20, 2016 9:20 pm

    Well, I leash them in the yard, even though I really really really don't want to (lazy). We don't have a fence and I just cannot handle the risk of them running into an oncoming car (or up to someone walking down the street who doesn't like dogs). I do let them run around with their leashed attached, so I can step on them (the leash), if they start to make a break for the perimeter.

    Mr. N looks so proud of himself on that ledge! Yeah, I'd have my hand tightly around that leash, too! (I can lift my foster chihuahua in her harness, though, I haven't needed to to save her from herself, yet!)

    Reply
  7. FiveSibesMom

    April 20, 2016 10:42 pm

    Oh Mr. N! (Heart in throat!) You little (cute) daredevil! I use a double leash and harness & collar system on my Huskies so if the unthinkable should happen, and one of the leashes or collar comes undone, I have a backup in place.

    Reply
  8. Jane H

    April 21, 2016 12:07 am

    My dogs know their boundaries on our property, so I really don't have that concern at home. They have excellent recall. If we go out to a public place they are always on leashes, I'm not sure what they would react to in unknown territory, better safe than sorry!

    Reply
  9. Katie A.

    April 21, 2016 3:19 am

    What a brave boy! Gracie doesn't get close to ledges like that, but she will climb up one in a second! Once we were walking at the lake next to a ledge that was several feet taller than me and next thing I know she is up on top of it waiting for me to climb up too ?

    Reply
  10. Erin Amanda

    April 21, 2016 4:18 am

    Kennel training! If Tera were left to roam the house while I was gone, she would rip everything to shreds and eat it! But she does love her little cozy den!

    Reply
  11. Sandra A.

    April 21, 2016 12:45 pm

    Oh wow, I am such a paranoid momma I would probably have a panic attack as he did this! Haha! Great that you let him have his fun but have figured out a plan just in case he were to slip or fall!

    Reply

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