Posted by: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I guess I should start by introducing myself. My name is Andrea, and I've
been lurking for a while now...I have 2 rescue Danes (Lazarus, and Zeus) and
a Beauceron (Paladin). I've been debating mentioning this incident for a week
now as I didn't want to be picked apart as a bad dog mom. But what happened
is just so strange I was hoping someone could help me identify what happened.
For starters we just recently moved to the country I found a little place
on 800 wooded fenced acres....a doggy heaven right?? I didn't want the dogs
to stray too far (if the fence was down somewhere and they wandered off the
property and chased cattle they would be shot...we now fenced a small area by
the house for them), and Paladin and Laz both chose to roam. Zeus on the
otherhand always stayed at my side...he'd never wander off...always walked in
an off leash heel (which he hadn't been taught), and if we were walking in
the woods Zeus would actually step on the backs of my shoes he followed so
close.
Anyhow, we would all go for a long off leash hike every morning, the dogs
really enjoyed it and would stay within sight. On this occasion we came to a
clearing in the forest, and a deer leapt out in front of the dogs. All three
shot off after it into a small grove of trees, I assumed they ran out of the
grove and into the woods on the other side. I called and called and called
the dogs with no luck, and went into the woods to look for them. Paladin and
Laz came up after about 10 minutes, but no Zeus. I searched for another 2
hours before returning home. They hadn't had their breakfast yet, and I
figured he'd get hungry and head on back home. He never came.
Evening started to roll around, we went to all the neighbors, but no one
had seen a large black dog. We drove up and down the dirt roads and driveways
calling his name. Zeus never appeared. We continued to call him until
midnight...and I even left the front door open so if he came back he could
come right in and wake us up. I lay awake the entire night with horrible
thoughts running through my head.....He'd gotten out chased livestock and
been shot, he'd been chasing the deer and had a heart attack, he'd bloated,
he'd fallen and broke a hip, his collar was caught, someone was poaching
(it's bow season) and shot him accidentally.....I started bawling, and
continued to cry throughout the night. As soon as the sun came up I was out
searching for him again. It was coming around on 24 hours and I decided to
hike up to where I'd seen him last.
I called his name the entire way to the clearing, and then I saw
it....vultures were circling over the small grove of trees the dogs had
originally run into. My heart just sunk, I knew what I was going to find in
those trees...I plodded into them, thorn bushes catching my skin and
clothes...I didn't feel a thing. In the center of the grove was a small
clearing...this was the point that the vultures circled. I saw Zeus' red
collar first, he stood sideways to me and I screamed his name. No movement,
no response...had he been blinded?? I began running towards him, calling and
crying. He very slowly turned and began to advance towards me as if I was a
stranger. His tail did not wag, and I stopped dead in my tracks...was this my
dog? He began to trot a little faster towards me, and I was actually scared
for a minute that he'd completely gone insane and would attack. I questioned
his name in a shaky voice 'Zeus?' when he was a couple feet away, and he
leapt upon me...suddenly wagging his tail and bouncing everywhere. I have
absolutely no doubt in my mind that he stood in that clearing for 24 hours,
but why? He was dehydrated, and starved...why would he not come when called?
He has excellent recall. I tested his hearing, and it was fine. I tested his
sight, again it was fine. I've stopped taking the dogs for hikes in the
morning and Zeus has resumed his normal behavior. I was so relieved that the
ordeal was over and that Zeus was unharmed...but what happened? The only
other thing in the clearing was a long dead cow. The entire skeleton was
intact, and bleached and weathered from the elements. None of the three dogs
showed any interest in it at all....I wonder if the same thing happened to
the cow long ago? This entire experience has chilled me to the bone, and I
cannot come up with any rational explanation for what his behavior. Zeus
should have heard me calling when I searched the first day, he should have
heard me calling from home, he should have heard me calling as I walked up
there...but most of all he should have sought out water at the very least.
There was a stream not more than an acre away from him. When we crossed it on
the way home he drank very long and deeply as a dog who hasn't had water for
24 hours will do. Does anyone have any ideas?
Andrea
