A Dog with Separation Anxiety
Having a new dog – with anxiety issues – means you have to take it slow, so the dog gets used to different situations. In our camper, Maya seemed OK alone for up to three hours… that one evening in Iowa, pre-fireworks. During subsequent tries, she always got in trouble, somehow.
When we arrived at “our room above the garage” in Newburyport, Massachusetts a few weeks ago, it was another new situation for our dog. Leaving her downstairs on the porch while we ate three meals a day and cooked dinner, proved to be a non-issue after a few days. Once she was comfortable with the bedroom as our base, Mark and I increasingly left her alone, filming her behavior in real time with Skype. Whenever she jumped on the cabinet or scratched the door, we corrected her behavior, remotely.
While we saw improvement, we didn’t feel comfortable leaving her for longer than a couple of hours. That was an issue, as we had a fun evening with friends planned at a restaurant, two-hours away; four hours of just sitting in the car, without counting our social time. For days, we contemplated what to do. It would be too hot to leave her in the camper van on the parking lot and check in every hour or so. We’d be gone way too long to leave her home…
A Pet Sitter We Know
The solution: the three of us would drive to a friend’s place, join them to the gathering on Friday evening, and have teenagers (their responsible son and three friends) watch Maya. I even happened on a translation project that day, to tip our dog sitter. Before we left, we took Maya for a walk around the block and gave the kids instructions. I worried. Our small group of friends left to join the others. The plan was a good one… in theory.
Before leaving Maya to go out with friends.
The Story of What Happened
“I can’t believe everyone was able to make it tonight!” Denise smiles, as Kevin drives six of us to the restaurant, an hour away. Mark and Ryan are sitting in the back of the minivan, laughing over old college photos our friend dug up from his basement.
“It’s pretty awesome, especially on such short notice. It will be fun to see everyone again,” I reply. Mark and I visit Massachusetts once or twice a year and our friends always try to organize a gathering, either at someone’s house or, like this evening, in a strategically located restaurant.
We greet the group, hugs all around, and friendly exchanges take place until all twelve have arrived and a big-enough table is ready. We seat ourselves, have a second drink, look at the menu, and chat.
Ryan leaves with his phone, returns, taps Mark on the shoulder, and they both disappear. My girlfriends turn their heads. What’s going on? Probably another college prank, I think.
Mark’s face is grave when he enters the restaurant again. He taps on my shoulder. I follow him outside. What is going on? Everyone is alert now.
“Maya escaped,” Mark says. “The kids left the door open and she took off. She’s probably looking for us.”
My heart skips a beat. “Oh no! This is not good.” I stare at him in disbelief. We are an hour away, in someone else’s car… Ryan is on the phone with his son. He and his friends are scouting the area on their bikes. Did they spot her? Maybe they can grab her and this will be over soon! How will she ever find her way back? She’s not familiar with the neighborhood, having arrived only a few hours ago.
Denise joins us outside and gets on her phone as well. She calls neighbors and puts “missing dog” posts on Facebook, accompanied by the photo of Maya Mark texted her. Holly does the same. She and Kevin are fine with the four of us taking the minivan back to the house. It remains quiet on the hour-long ride home. Ryan drops Denise, Mark, and me off and jumps in his own car to immediately return to the restaurant and pick up the other couple. The minivan is out of fuel. We call Maya’s name in vain. It’s pitch-black. Mark sets out on foot with a flashlight; Denise and I go in a different direction by car.
Holly (as well as other people) posts that Maya is missing.
A phone call. Neighbor Nikki spotted Maya near West Hill Dam. It’s where Mark is headed. Denise turns the car around and I join my husband. We unite with Nikki, who saw two eyes and heard dog tags. It had to be Maya. For the next two hours, we roam the trails and woods around the reservoir on flip flops, calling for our dog, swatting mosquitoes, and sweating like crazy. Nothing. Not a peep, nor a jingle.
Exhausted, Mark and I walk home, while the girls drive back. I hope going back on foot leaves a scent trail for Maya, along this extremely busy and dangerous road. She will have to cross it again. When Ryan, Kevin, and Holly finally arrive, it’s 1am. They drive and walk around a bit more as well, before calling it a day.
“I’m sleeping in the van tonight,” I state to Mark, who prefers an air-conditioned room without bugs. “I’ll leave the door open, just in case Maya finds her way back to the camper.” It’s the only semblance of home she has, despite sleeping elsewhere the last ten days.
“What are you going to do about the mosquitoes?” Mark asks.
“Nothing,” I answer. As long as Maya returns, I don’t care about being eaten alive. I take my clothes off and go to bed – it’s hot and humid and insects zoom around my head.
“Holly’s babysitter just saw Maya. Holly is on her way here to pick us up. Quick as a bunny!” Mark yells, as he runs by Zesty. But I am no bunny. I fumble with my clothes, while the two of them speed away. I grab a flashlight to walk down the street. Maybe the dog runs my way. Nothing happens.
I stroll back to the house, where Ryan is donning his shoes. “Come on,” he says. We both jump into his car and – communicating with Holly by phone – we drive to a cul-de-sac bordering the woods, where Maya vanished, after Holly spotted her and Mark called her name. This is a losing battle. How do I yell her name without waking the neighbors? How do I battle branches and poison ivy in flip flops?
At 3am, we stop the search and go to bed. By then, we have researched a plan of action and flyer options, notified Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, and contacted Missing Dogs Massachusetts. Two hours later, Mark is up and about. More research. More worrying. Quick breakfast after a night without food.
Initial post on Missing Dogs Massachusetts’ Facebook page about Maya going missing. Hundreds of people reacted to and shared the message.
The first call comes in at 7:30am. Maya has been seen somewhere near the dam again, first by a woman in her car, then by a police officer. Our team of friends and neighbors hits the road – all the kids on their bikes, some adults on foot, others by car. People walk their own dogs in order to attract and spot Maya. Food and water have been put out. Today will be the hottest day of the year. We better find her soon! After surveying the dam area in vain, I join Ryan by car and set out on foot later. Mark teams up with Denise and borrows a bike afterwards.
Multiple sightings are reported. We disperse. A woman sees her in the woods. A man spots her in his front yard. I’m right there! “Maya!” She doesn’t listen. She is elusive. Denise sees her running along the sidewalk and calls her. She bolts – back from where she came… the woods. She seems to hang out in the block behind our camper.
Kim from Missing Dogs Massachusetts joins us at the house. She comes prepared with liquid bacon-flavored smoke (which she sprays around the camper), “missing dog” flyers to distribute, and a motion detector camera, which she points up the street, so we don’t have to keep watching our camper. Something we do anyway. Mark and Holly have created a food trail into Zesty, in case Maya comes down that sidewalk again. Volunteer Kim knows what she’s doing. She’s amazing and professional.
A simple flyer to get the point across and people informed
We are doing whatever we can and whatever is needed in order to get our dog back. We’ve learned that calling her doesn’t help and finding her makes her bolt. She is in “flight mode”, some sort of survival mode. She just runs and doesn’t recognize anyone, let alone listen to them. The only thing to do is be patient and hope she finds her way to the camper somehow.
Right before lunch, Mark decides to take the bike for one more loop around the block. He rides down the driveway.
“She’s right here!” he screams, as he calls Maya and follows her up the road. Again, she was almost home – in the neighbor’s driveway – but becomes frightened and takes off. By the time I reach the street with her leash, nobody is to be seen. I take a break from the heat and humidity to eat a sandwich inside the house. For the rest of the afternoon, I lie on Maya’s blanket in the shade of a small tree, feet from the camper. My headache is getting worse. It’s 100 degrees outside (38C).
Shady patch while waiting for Maya all day in 100 degree weather
Kim from Missing Dogs Mass swings by again to set up a humane trap. We fill Maya’s food bowl with dog treats, hotdogs, and beef jerky, leaving a trail towards it and the bowl. The sturdy camera is moved to this area of the yard as well. Each time something sets off the motion camera, Kim receives a photo by email. This way, we can keep track of Maya entering the trap, without having to watch it.
Nothing else happens in the afternoon, or evening. It’s extremely hot. Nobody is out to notice her. We assume Maya is resting somewhere. Luckily, there is lots of shade and water nearby. We have asked the neighbors to remove all the food put out for our dog, since we want to lure her towards the house. She must be hungry by now!
Holly reposts on Facebook that Maya is still missing.
8pm. Maya has been missing for 24 hours. It’s getting dark. As mosquitoes feast on my blood again, I finally leave my perch. My head is killing me. I take more medicine and rest on the bed inside. The others eat dinner – take-out Chinese. Nobody can think about anything but losing Maya. We’re all exhausted.
9:15pm. A massive storm passes: roaring thunder, piercing lightning bolts, buckets of rain.
“How much worse can this get?” I ask. “All the scent that was left around the house will be gone.”
“And both food trails and goodies in the trap will be destroyed,” Mark adds.
“I’m glad you closed up the camper right in time,” I mutter. We don’t need a ruined van interior as well. “But this storm will have chased Maya even further away. She hates thunder. Who knows where she bolted to next? She’s probably left the neighborhood by now. We haven’t heard anything about her for eight hours.” I’m losing faith in ever finding her.
“I think you should sleep inside tonight,” Mark suggests. “She’s not coming home and it’s too gross inside the van.”
“I will at least stay awake until the rain stops, so I can open the sliding door again for her,” I say. Mark goes to bed and I sit on the porch, waiting for the weather to improve. It has cooled off a tad.
At 10pm, I wake Mark up. “I’m sleeping in the camper. I’m not taking any chances, just in case she returns.”
“What will you do if she goes inside? She will run away from the moment she sees you. Or what if other animals are attracted by the food inside?” he wonders.
“I’ll deal with that when it happens,” I reply. I kiss him goodnight and return to my own bed, after opening door and hatches. Not too bad tonight.
A sound underneath me… Something knocked over the can with wet dogfood on the floor. A raccoon?
I creep to the edge of our bed and peer over. It’s not a raccoon! It’s Maya’s bum, jumping out of the camper.
This is good, I remind myself. She found her way back. That’s amazing. She is such a smart girl!
I lower myself, put more clothes on, grab a flashlight, and sit on the edge of the floor, searching for Maya. The beam of light finds nothing. I call her with a deep, comforting voice. Nothing. I resign to sitting on the porch again and hope she returns. At least, she’s close by.
As I approach my chair on the deck, I see something curious. Maya sits in front of the door. I walk towards her. She licks my face and wags her tail. I grab her collar, open the door, and let her in. Tears of joy. It’s 1am on Sunday morning.
A Hollywood Ending
Denise, Ryan, and Jake had changed their plans for Sunday, not willing to leave for the day with our dog still missing. They threw an impromptu BBQ for which we stayed. We celebrated Maya’s return, a happy ending to this story, and the value of friendship and community.
Thank you to everyone – friends, neighbors, authorities, animal organizations, and residents of Uxbridge – who helped in the search for Maya!
Mission accomplished! Kim, Mark, and the Horgan family.
Discover more from Roaming About
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
July 28, 2019 at 14:36
Wow, Liesbet, so glad to read the happy ending after the ordeal that you, Mark and Maya have gone through. Your friends and the community support are amazing.
July 29, 2019 at 06:56
Thanks for reading and following along in Maya’s adventures, Natalie. It was a trying weekend that left us quite emotional and – again – less trusting of our girl. This will improve again, I’m sure. 🙂 Have a wonderful week ahead!
July 28, 2019 at 15:17
I admit I went straight to the end of this post to be sure Maya was found before I read all the details! Poor baby … or really, poor you guys! The stress must have been enormous; I can’t even imagine losing my dog for so long. So thankful she made it back to you. Phewwwwww!
July 29, 2019 at 06:59
Good idea to quickly check the bottom of the post before reading, Lexie. I might have done the same!
One thing I never realized before is that in a situation like this one, where your beloved animal is gone, you can’t do anything else but worry, search, and be on the lookout the entire time. I couldn’t even send emails to my best friend and parents, for example, about what we were going through. All I could think about was poor Maya and how she must feel… We couldn’t be happier once reunited!
July 28, 2019 at 16:35
I totally should have done what Lexklein did and went straight to the end first!I was sitting on pins and needles all the way through this post. So glad that Maya returned safe and sound. You are wonderful dog parents….and have very amazing friends!
July 29, 2019 at 07:06
Haha, Donna. Sorry about that! But, writing it like this was the only way to convey the angst we went through. Lexie cheated! 🙂 Dog lovers and (ex) owners like you totally understand this situation. Thank you for reading and leaving this compliment! We are so grateful for all the support we received that weekend and for having our friends take care of the logistics as we were too stunned to think straight!
July 28, 2019 at 16:39
Oh my word! What a nail biting post, Liesbet. I’m so happy to read the happy ending. The support by your community and friends is impressive. Thanks for sharing this with us.
July 29, 2019 at 07:08
Thanks for reading and commenting, Jill! We are so grateful for all the help from strangers and support from our friends and are beyond happy to have our girl back! Maya is smart but stubborn!!
July 28, 2019 at 17:54
Thank goodness I knew the end ahead of time (thanks to Instagram) as this was SO stressful JUST to read about!!!
SO happy she came back and it ended well. I guess being an anxious dog and all the moving around she just wasn’t ready for more newness . Whew!!! What a story Liesbet!
Peta
July 28, 2019 at 18:07
And amazing she found her way from the friends house back to the camper an hour away!!!
July 29, 2019 at 07:15
I might have written that a bit confusingly. The camper remained parked at the friend’s house. 🙂 She appeared to have ran and roamed around the neighborhood in a radius of about one-two miles, the entire time.
July 29, 2019 at 07:14
Hi Peta! It was quite the weekend, as you gathered from that initial Instagram/Facebook post!
Maya has separation anxiety, which remains a bit of an issue. Whenever we are around, she is totally fine everywhere (except crowded festivals and firework areas), but once we leave, she lies at the door or tries to get to us somehow. We are working on this, as Mark and I need to be able to go out with friends (or to the grocery store, or for a bike ride) together.
Our previous dog had severe separation anxiety for the last year of his life and it was all but fun and very difficult for us and our lifestyle. We hoped not to repeat that! We will get there, but are recently struggling with her being itchy (ever since she returned), which makes it harder to leave her alone as we need to prevent her from chewing her body.
July 29, 2019 at 09:34
What a terrifying ordeal! I’m so glad it came with a happy ending. That dog is gonna be a handful, a wonderful, agonizing, handful. Much love to you!
July 30, 2019 at 11:45
Thanks, Ryan. Maya sure has her issues, but most animals adopted at Best Friends seem to, as they are usually the ones that are less prone to be adopted out from other shelters. Or, ones that have been on the “kill list”. The problem with Maya is that she is very sweet and responsive when she feels safe – she is awesome at training and her being food oriented helps a lot – BUT… when something freaks her or she is stubborn, she won’t listen at all. Not even to Mark, whom she bonded with really well. This will be the issue when we take her off leash. So far, she has been doing really well hiking and being off leash in nature and at our campsites, but recent experiences with her make us trust her less nowadays.
July 29, 2019 at 10:50
Poor Maya, she’s having to take on so many new surroundings and people in a short space of time and it takes her a while to get used to anything new. Adopting a dog like Maya, who cannot handle too many changes at once, is going to take a huge commitment on your part and will require a different kind of planning around your social life. We’ve been there too with dogs we had in the past and we have the same with Pearl, who also suffers from separation anxiety. We have adapted our meetings with friends (she was too scared to go into their houses on social visits for fear of being left there) and now we meet our friends for walks and picnics or they come over to our house. It’s not fair to ask someone else, especially anyone as young as a teenager, to look after a dog with so many issues still to work on. It’s the accumulative effect of so many scary moments (fireworks on Canada Day and on 4th July and all the random ones going off in between), strange places and strange people that will provide the tipping point for a dog like Maya. The one thing that is so important to help a dog with these issues is routine, and she’s only experienced that in very small doses. I’m very glad Maya has found her way back to you and the help you received is amazing. I hope that you’ve had time to reflect on all that happened. Adopting a dog with separation anxiety is a huge commitment and will take a lot of patience, love and time. Maya relies 100% on you and you and Mark are 100% responsible for her well-being and care. With a dog like her, socialising and meeting up with friends will sometimes have to wait, or be arranged in a way that includes her. It’s far too early in your journey to leave her with strangers and I’m very sad to see she had to go through this.
July 30, 2019 at 11:55
I appreciate your input about and experience with this, Xenia. We realize Maya has her issues and we are working around them as much as we can. We have altered our plans and schedules 99% of the time, these last 7 weeks, and are working towards leaving her alone longer and longer in a familiar environment. This particular evening was the exception. The gathering took place because Mark and I are in town, something that rarely happens. We could have left Maya in the van nearby – which is her home – but that would have caused her more discomfort due to the heat, hence our second option. If she wouldn’t have been able to go outside, she would have remained laid down in front of the door we left through (and was locked) with our clothes and belongings, treats, food puzzles as toys, and a 16-year-old that would check on her regularly and give her treats. But, the best laid plans…
Anyway, we are very patient with her and work with her multiple times a day to make her more comfortable with her environment and with being left alone. We also feel that exposing her to unfamiliar situations as if they are non-events (with us), will make her get used to them over time. Yes, we move a lot when we travel in our van, but, believe me, she is pretty happy running in the woods, the grass, and the rivers on a daily basis. 🙂
July 29, 2019 at 12:13
I already knew from IG that you went through this, Liesbet, but to read the whole story and details still made me weep! When it was just you and Mark on the road with Maya, things were different. It really is a conundrum to figure out what to do with a dog while away from home even for a few hours. Maya IS smart and I think your instincts were spot on to wait in the camper for her. Amazing community of support and help through all this! I still can’t leave Brodie by himself and just take Aero out of the house. I fear Brodie will tear open the fence or gate to get out and we know he howls endlessly if left alone (tied him up outside at the delta last year and friends heard and kept him company–long story involving a SUP session). But our dogs are family and deserve our love and attention, and extra care and planning it takes to keep them happy and safe. We now plan our travels to include them or pay for a house/dog sitter to stay at OUR house if we travel by air. Small price to pay in the long run 🙂
July 30, 2019 at 11:59
As a fellow dog owner, you feel exactly what we went through, Terri. It was pretty scary. I’m sorry that Brodie has similar issues. I’ve heard about and know of many dogs who have separation anxiety. It is more common than I ever thought! Yes, our dogs are family and we want to keep all its members happy! 🙂 House and dog sitters are the perfect solution for your pets if they can’t come along on the trip. There are a few house sitting sites out there where you can find reliable and trustworthy house and dog sitters for free, Terri. Send me a message if you’d like me to email you more information.
July 29, 2019 at 22:20
OMG Liesbet, what an ordeal! I was praying all along you found her because she’s a traveling dog and never been anywhere long enough with you guys. What a smart girl for sure. Happy endings! 🙂 x
July 30, 2019 at 16:24
Thank you, Debby. Let’s hope none of us have to ever go through this again. If we would have a stationary home, I wouldn’t be worried about her finding her way back home. But, we don’t and that might be a problem. Hence, we are looking into GPS trackers. 🙂
July 31, 2019 at 09:31
Great idea. Put a microchip in her collar. See, having a pet costs money like children, lol. 🙂
August 1, 2019 at 09:22
Maya actually has a microchip already, but one would need special equipment to read it, like vets or animal shelters. The GPS (a little box attached to her collar) would be so we could track her in case she runs off again. Yep, every family member costs money!! The dog category will be well-presented in my upcoming monthly expense reports!
August 3, 2019 at 08:28
No doubt! I’ll be checking out the new numbers, lol 🙂
August 5, 2019 at 07:50
Hopefully, I get to that today. 🙂
July 30, 2019 at 01:00
I read this with my heart in my mouth. I totally feel your stress. Must’ve been awful. Poor Maya. She must’ve been so scared. But she made it back. That says a lot. And what wonderful support you had. A post with good and bad, thank goodness there was no ugly!
July 30, 2019 at 16:25
Nicely phrased! The bad ended with the good. Maybe the ugly is that she has been itchy ever since she returned and we are trying to resolve that issue now… 🙁 Thanks for following along on the adventures, good and bad.
July 30, 2019 at 13:49
Hi Liesbet! Wow! When you posted on FB that you had found Maya after a 24 hour absence I knew it had to have been VERY difficult. And you expressed that very well in this post! Plus I was reminded why I am so happy we are using a pet-sitting service rather than friends . (and especially teenage friends) to watch Kloe while we travel. While friends have the best intentions, I am finding that my trusted housesitters are VERY careful and that gives us peace of mind. Hopefully your heart has stopped beating so fast by now and that you are back to enjoying each other! ~Kathy
August 1, 2019 at 09:18
Hi Kathy! Thanks for the insight about your house sitters. I’m glad all that is working out splendidly. If only we could be the pet sitters for our own Maya. 🙂 We obviously made a mistake with our choice of pet sitters, not understanding that them going outside would turn into such a big problem. Even though I was apprehensive about it, when they mentioned they might go swimming during our time away, I couldn’t really restrict them doing so. On hindsight, I should have stayed home that Friday evening. Which would have been sad as well, since it – truly – has been the ONLY evening we planned on seeing friends without Maya in two months!
While we dealt with plenty dogs with issues at Best Friends when we volunteered there, it’s a different ballgame when it’s your own dog. Therefore, there is currently still more stress and work than enjoyment, unfortunately. It proves to be a long road with Maya. But, hopefully, we get there (again).
July 31, 2019 at 05:21
Lots of drama and suspense here! I especially liked the part where Kim from Missing Dogs Massachusetts comes to spray around the house with liquid bacon-flavored smoke. Who knew? And who doesn’t like stories with happy endings. All the dialogue made your story so RICH! Thanks, Liesbet.
August 1, 2019 at 09:20
One thing is for sure, Marian, our life is NEVER boring. Even when we plan a “benign” few weeks in order to work and get things done in a house! Adding Maya to our family is truly adding an entire new dimension. 🙂
July 31, 2019 at 11:25
I used to have a dog, Booman, that ran off a lot. He did not have the kind of issues that Maya has – rather he was just a little shit that liked to follow his nose (I say this lovingly). Once he escaped with my other dog and two dogs that belonged to the owner of the house where I was staying following along (he was a bad influence). Everyone came back except him. He ended up at my exes when someone found him and called the telephone number on the tag which I hadn’t changed yet. Once he was gone for 5 days. This was way before the internet so we posted flyers and looked for him at the local shelters. He eventually showed up at a shelter and we were reunited.
I have lots more stories about Booman but the thing is I know the helplessness you must have felt when Maya was gone. I am so sorry that all of you went through this. I also know that some dogs have a propensity to run away. Thinking about how many times Booman ran away I worry that people might think that I was a bad dog mom. But I really did my best and I know absolutely that you and Mark are doing the best for Maya. You never know how she will react to a situation until you are in it. It is learning prosess for all of you and I am impressed at your commitment to Maya.
Thank goodness for the internet and great neighbors. And for Missing Dogs Massachusetts! What an amazing organization.
So, so, so glad this story had a happy ending! But I had no doubt she would come home to you.
August 1, 2019 at 09:26
Wow, Duwan, Booman was a handful. He would be a great character in a children’s book or non-fiction story!
You are so right about not knowing how a dog will react – especially a dog like fearful, anxiety-rich Maya with a troubled past – until we are in it. The last week has been extremely challenging, since there have been more situations in which she reacted oddly. After making a lot of progress, we feel like we lost an entire month these last few days. It sure is a learning process in many ways. I’m glad you are so confident in Maya and in us! 🙂
July 31, 2019 at 14:15
What a trauma! So glad it all ended well.
August 1, 2019 at 09:26
Thanks, Anabel, for reading the story and feeling our relief!
July 31, 2019 at 17:59
What a harrowing experience – I had a knot in my stomach just reading about it! I’m so glad it had a happy ending. Here’s hoping the rest of your life with Maya won’t be quite so eventful! 🙂
August 1, 2019 at 09:29
Cheers to those hopes, Diane. We still have a bit of a road ahead of us, but we are trying to work with Maya and her issues. Separation anxiety is not an easy “trait” to deal with, especially when – at the moment – she is itchy and has chewed herself, so we can’t leave her alone for one second… Surely less eventful, but a tad challenging nevertheless.
July 31, 2019 at 20:52
What a quest! I loved the ending with Maya safely back with you and Mark. And what wonderful support you got from the community. Maya certainly has issues, but she also has a big heart, well-deserving of the love and care you give. I hope she can adapt to all your adventures — and that she appreciates you braved mosquitoes to be there for her!
August 1, 2019 at 09:33
That’s such a tough question to answer, Beth: do dogs realize/appreciate our love and commitment to them? If so, Maya would know we always come back and would not have separation anxiety. Yet, she has a big heart and is extremely sweet and loving and cuddly, as long as she feels safe. She’s had a rough past and her head is a bit messed up. Like most people, she “comes with baggage” as they say. Yes, I hope we can all adapt to our new family dynamics, without us losing all our freedom and her ever feeling frightened again.
August 1, 2019 at 08:21
Wow, Liesbet, I would have been just as frantic as you were at Maya’s disappearance if Cali wandered off. I was unaware of the Missing Dogs group. What a great resource. And so pleased for you that this had a happy ending.
Think of you guys often and how close you are to our Pond…think we can find a place to put Zesty…
August 1, 2019 at 09:35
Hi Nancy! I don’t remember whether I ever mentioned that we used to have a dog (Australian Shepherd mix) named Kali. 🙂 Yes, the Missing Dogs Mass is a fantastic organization (and all volunteers!). Maybe there is a similar one in New Hampshire? If we end up near you, I will certainly let you know. Your pond is such an oasis of peace and beauty!!
August 3, 2019 at 10:29
I held my breath while reading the entire post, even though I knew (thanks to Instagram) that Maya came home. But I know the horrible pain and worry and angst when a dog goes missing. When I was a young teen my family adopted a rescue dog (well, we rescued Suzie when we found her shivering with no collar on a snowy night). My mom said, “Come here Suzie Q” and she came and was with us for 12 years. But. She was a bolter. If someone opened the side door too slowly, she bolted. My parents stopped worrying about her after about the 3rd time. Me? Up all night, sitting on the couch, praying and praying that Suzie would return. And usually around 3 a.m. I’d hear a bark at the door, and sure enough, there was Suzie, smelling horrid with a happy grin on her face. She knew she was loved, but she couldn’t help herself. My guess is that she had left an unhappy household when she was young (maybe 2 ish?) and bolted then, and never lost the habit.
Whatever, Maya is a lucky dog, and may she learn to trust enough to always stay near. xo
August 5, 2019 at 07:58
Hi Pam! That was incredible of your family to rescue Suzie Q and of her to listen immediately and adapt to your family. Apart from the adventures “abroad”. I knew of that behavior in huskies, who are escape artists and love to roam. I can imagine the worries you had about Suzie not returning – you just never know, right?
We had one dog during our house sits who would roam the woods off leash every day. She would sometimes disappear and not return for hours, but she would always come back. Except that one time, when dusk arrived and she had still not returned. As pet sitters, this is one of our worst nightmares. We started to contact family members and mobilizing the neighborhood, but, sure enough, right before it was pitch black, we saw her trot up the driveway.
In Maya’s case, she’d never run off when we are around (except when off leash during fireworks) and I truly think that she initially took off to find us. And only because the door was left open. The fact that she found her way home makes me a bit less stressed (I say this now) for potential repeats. Of course, you never know and our home is always parked in different places.
August 6, 2019 at 11:40
I’m sure Maya set off to find you two – her “people.” The scent (and need for family/the pack) is amazingly strong. Suzie certainly always came back home, albeit in the middle of the night. ;-0 🙂
August 6, 2019 at 15:18
You are right, Pam! And, I sure learned that scent is extremely important when it comes to finding the way “home” for a dog. Incredible!!
August 3, 2019 at 12:06
I would have freaked if Nelson had been on the loose for more than 10 minutes. And battling branches / poison ivy in flip flops plus the excessive heat would have pushed me over the edge. Luckily, you had the support of good friends and network of dog lovers to keep your spirits up during the hunt for Maya. I am glad that it all ended well and she came home on her own. Probably realized that she has it good.
August 5, 2019 at 08:00
If only Maya would realize she has a good life with us! Maybe you’re right and that is why she eventually came back. Or, she’s had enough of being hot, roaming the woods, and being hungry! 🙂 This weekend, Mark replaced the brakes of our camper van in flip flops! We rarely ever wear anything else. You can take the girl away from the beach, but you can’t take the beach away from the girl. 🙂
August 4, 2019 at 04:31
I bet poor Maya was terrified, Liesbet And you and Mark, too! I’m so glad that she found her way back home. It must be the power of love. And what a special community of dog lovers you have surrounding you. That sure does my heart good. <3 ~Terri
August 5, 2019 at 08:06
Oh, Terri! I’m glad you liked my story with a good ending. 🙂 While Maya was gone, I kept thinking about how freaked out she must be. All I wanted was to have her safely back home. So much so that I wasn’t able to do anything else that weekend. Who knows what goes through the heads of animals?
August 6, 2019 at 16:19
Oh my goodness Liesbet you had me at the edge of my seat through the whole telling of the story. Although we have never lost a pet our daughter has. Being involved in the search was heartbreaking. Thankfully like you there was a happy ending. What a relief to have Maya back. May your days be far less eventful ahead.
August 7, 2019 at 12:13
Mark and I had seen the signs for “missing dogs” everywhere before, Sue, feeling bad for the owners and the animals, never thinking we would have to hang up our own one day. It was a devastating experience. Adopting an adult dog with “baggage” is different than starting with a puppy. Maya has some issues, so I don’t hold my breath for “less eventful” days. That would be nice, though!
I’m glad the story of your daughter’s pet had a happy ending as well!!! It’s emotional stuff…