I think my dog is going through a crisis. She tried to commit suicide not once but twice last weekend.
Last week we were lucky enough to be invited up north to cottage country in Muskoka. It’s the first time we’ve gone to Muskoka even though we’ve lived in Ontario for almost twenty years.
Muskoka is a popular vacation spot for many Hollywood A listers hoping to escape the rat race. Cindy Crawford was updating her Instagram recently from Muskoka on her annual summer trip. I think I saw her waving to me as I kayaked past.
Zoë (our spoiled pug) has never lived seaside, lakeside nor walked on a beach so we decided to broaden her horizons and take her with us. She isn’t accustomed to long car trips and was quite anxious on the three hour trip. Normally it’s a two hour road trip but since everyone and their dog (ha ha! literally!) head to the cottage on the weekend the traffic is insane.
The cottage and our hosts were wonderful. We received the full “cottage life” experience including; dining al fresco, kayaking and canoeing, a big bonfire with s’mores, a boldly painted sunset and a night sky bursting with so many glittering rhinestone stars they made me dizzy. It was straight off a postcard!
My Dog Tried To Commit Suicide
It was fabulous right up until my dog tried to commit suicide.
I’m sure some of the other guests at the cottage thought I was being a helicopter Mom as I was too nervous to let Zoë go off leash. It’s been my experience with past pugs they sometimes wander off and I didn’t want to risk Zoë disappearing into the Muskoka forest to live out the rest of her days with beavers.
By day two I was starting to feel over protective of the pug and decided to allow her off leash while keeping an eye on her. She was happy to be free and was excitedly running around sniffing everything like it was Christmas morning, so many new smells! So little time.
Splish Splash Pug
Three of us were standing near the end of the dock chatting when we heard a large splash. We turned around to see the pug had jumped off the end of the dock and was paddling as fast as her little legs would take her, desperately trying to keep her head above water. The sheer terror in her eyes and the panic on her face said it all. She needed help.
Pugs are notoriously bad swimmers as it is difficult for them to keep their flat noses above the waterline. With no time to waste Robert plunged fully clothed into the water to rescue her. It was all quite dramatic! Both the husband and the pug looked like drowned rats afterwards.
What Happened?
We still don’t know if she jumped, slipped or simply couldn’t see properly and walked off the end of the dock into the deep lake below. Needless to say it scared me half to death and I feel like I aged five years in five minutes.
We’re all still smiling so there’s that.
Suicide Attempt #2
I thought Zoë’s troubles were over for the day after that bizarre event. We made our way back home and on our walk that evening , totally out of character, Zoë wiggled out of her collar and leash and raced over to confront a well known psycho Dalmatian that lives in our neighbourhood. This dog is more vicious than Cujo. It was total mayhem trying to grab Zoë back. The Dalmatian was ferociously baring all of its teeth and snarling like a possessed demon while lunging at the little pug barely out of reach. I’m sure it looked like something from an episode of Mr. Bean, one small dog running back and forth barely escaping the rabid dog’s jaw. Zoë wasn’t even barking, she was just taunting the other dog. I was relieved the woman with the Dalmatian was able to hold onto her dog.
We eventually captured Zoë and after my panic finally died down I reflected on her strange behavior. I decided that she must have a death wish. She is the same age as I am in dog years, fifty-three and is now considered senior for a dog. I had to ask her… are you having difficulty coping with aging?
What’s Your Problem? Aging Getting You Down?
The cotton voile dress is currently for sale in my Etsy store.
She claimed she didn’t give a damn about getting older, all she wanted was a treat and an ear scratch.
Ah, simple pleasures.
Just a treat and an ear scratch can improve one’s perspective dramatically, no matter what kind of a day you’ve survived.
Linking up with Visible Monday, Turning Heads Tuesday, Fancy Friday, and Spy Girl
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