But I'll start at the beginning... Granny had been press-ganged into helping us this weekend, and was just leaving when Cookie spotted the open door and darted out. After a brief search of the back garden, she tracked down Skinny Cat and followed him straight up the tree. Barking coming from about ten feet above my head made it easy to triangulate her position, and the yowling and hissing noises from about three feet above her made it obvious where Skinny was, too. Eventually, he made a leap for freedom, launched himself to the ground, and a few seconds later Cookie followed suit, with a crash and a thump and a few broken branches. She raced off in the direction the cat had gone, I reassured Granny that she was fine and we said our goodbyes.
I decided to leave Cookie run off some steam before I tried to catch her, so about twenty minutes later I went outside again to find her. Normally, you just stand still and she whizzes past you after a few minutes, or at least you hear her tags jingling as she runs around.
Nothing.
I called.
She whimpered.
From somewhere above me. Sigh.
I peered into the tree top and called again. Branches rustled, the top of the tree waved backwards and forwards, and a little face peered out at me for a moment. From about as high up as she could possibly be, short of perching on the tree-top like a blackbird.
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| The white patch is her hind leg |
No joy. Apparently, a hyper-terrier will only launch itself from a tree if it's aimed directly at the tail of a retreating cat.
The LSH was on a conference call. I sent him a text "YOUR dog is definitely stuck up a tree. At least she's not killing hedgehogs."
Somehow, he excused himself from the call and appeared on the scene. The ladder was leaned up against the tree and I held it while he climbed. Well, I held it until I took this photo, anyway.
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| Reaching for Cookie |
I think Cookie was very happy to be rescued. He caught her easily and tucked her under his arm while he climbed back down.
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| Yes! I can see her bum under his arm |
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| Safe on the ground |
For perspective :
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| She was just above the highest point of the ladder |
Fingers crossed I never have to dial 999 and try to explain that my dog is stuck up a tree.
Or, worse still, try to explain it to the Reillanne Pompiers in French. They'd think I was barking mad altogether.
Sorry. . .This made me laugh! I am glad Cookie is okay, but I have never heard of a dog going up a tree before! And she climbed high!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of a dog climbing a tree before. This post is priceless! When cats go up trees here, the dogs give up, barking and whining around the trunk of the tree.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but I was laughing. I know it probably wasn't funny at the time but...This is first time I've ever heard or seen a dog climb a tree. Very clever. Usually, they'll just stand at the base and bark or jump up and down in place. You've got a unique pup that most likely not many others do. Thanks for the laugh.
ReplyDeleteCookie is so naughty, you just have to take a deep breath and not freak out sometimes. I can usually see the humour in whatever situation she gets herself into - after a few minutes, anyway.
ReplyDeleteThis particular tree has lots of branches all the way up the trunk, so from a terrier perspective it didn't present a challenge until she got up into the light, thin growth near the top.
I've also seen her throw herself at a smooth-trunked (horse chestnut) tree - thankfully she didn't get high enough to get a grip on a branch. If she ever gets up one of them, she would be well beyond the reach of the ladder and the LSH and I might actually have to call Emergency Services!
My JRT has treed herself going after a cat, but thankfully not so high as to necessitate emergency services, or even a ladder. Mine is more of a runner than a climber - naughty just the same.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by our blog and following - looking forward to following along on your adventures. :D