Dog on the run.

On Wednesday morning I went to the post office to post a letter and like mostly I went on my bike. Earlier in the morning my wife had used her bike to go to the doctor, on returning she had left it out side for me to put it in the cellar later on. On arriving back from the post office I opened the house door and left it opened while I got the key for my wife’s bike not thinking one minute about our dog Toby.
I didn’t realise that he had shot out of the door behind my back while I was getting the key, when I did it was too late. It took me a few minutes to orientate in which direction he could have gone. I took off after him. I saw him coming out of the woods, on seeing me he took off in the direction of the main road, which is a dual carriage way. I just managed to get to the bend in the lane to see him run straight across the Zebra crossing of the main road, luckily for him the traffic lights were red.
Across the road I dashed just to see him run down the main road that links with the dual carriageway. He had probably gone about 50 meters when with out stopping swerved left straight into the road, how the car missed him I will never know. A lady that was taking her dog for a walk on the other side of the road screamed when she saw Toby run across the road in front of the car. Not for a moment did that bother our Toby up the road he ran then left into the woods that line the side of the road.
Now this is were fate came into it, I was probably 30 meters behind Toby and really didn’t know which path he had taken in the woods, when suddenly this dog from the lady was at my side and with it’s nose to the ground. I put two and two together and followed the dog, my hunch was right. About 20 meters down the path there stood Toby and the other dog. On see them together I thought I could coax Toby to stay were he was, on calling his name he looked up turned on his hind legs and was off like the wind with the other dog after him.
This when it started to get difficult, (for me that is) through dense undergrowth he ran me after him, brambles and thorns were tearing at my legs (I had shorts on at the time) I didn’t have a clue were I was then suddenly we were in swampy ground. This didn’t stop our Toby or the other dog both of them ran full pelt into the swamp, Toby got further then the other dog being the lighter of the two, he got to a point were I could not follow him.
Behind the swamp there was a small pond of fowl water, into it he sprang and started to swim for the other side. Suddenly he stopped and started to swim back and managed to crawl out onto a mud bank about 15 meters from were I stood. He was totally exhausted and led there panting. All my coaxing couldn’t get him to move, the other dog was prancing around and barking but Toby wouldn’t move.
There was only one thing I could do, shoes off, shorts rolled up and into the swamp I went, I had no idea how deep it would be but I was lucky it went just above my knees. I got Toby by the rough of his neck tucked him under my arm and started back to dry land. The mud that I stirred up stank horribly just like a sewer.
Back on dry land I realised that I had lost my bearing I didn’t have a clue were I was it took me at least 20 minutes to find my way out and another 10 to locate the owner of the other dog. Meanwhile my wife had also gone off into the woods searching for Toby. On arriving home I put Toby in his box and as filthy and stinking like a sewer as I was got on my bike and went looking for my wife. After having a shower and bathing Toby I was exhausted.
PS It took at least 2 days till I got the smell out of my nostrils.
That was my week, never a dull moment.
Take care out there were ever you are Tshüss.