Lost Dogs

Oakley and Kudo, our two boxers, love to go on trail rides with the horses. Last Monday evening I thought that I would get in a quick ride on Beau who has had a little difficulty going out alone without one of his herd buddies. I took the two dogs with me and we started up the hillside towards Sliding Rock. Both of them were actually being pretty good and staying close at hand. Usually they are pretty hyped up and like to run after everything that moves. They have learned that quail are pretty good at getting away from them but they still haven't learned that deer can run a lot faster and farther through the valleys and over the hills than they can. Kudo has been pretty good at staying nearby while Oakley goes running after the deer. Everything was going pretty good up the hill, they started off after a couple of deer two times but quickly responded to my call to return. It had been raining all day off and on so the ground was a little wet but not too muddy. The oak brush leaves were very wet and as we rubbed against them I got pretty wet. We made it up to Sliding Rock just about sunset and started to return. I have a couple of different paths to the top and to return and I like to make a circle rather than up and back the same way. We met a couple of kids trying to fish in the pond (I didn't think that there were any fish in that pond and while I was there, they didn't disprove my hypothesis). There was also another small group of people with a small dog. We made it past without incident. On the way back home, at the top of the hill before the drop off, Kudo took off like a flash after a deer. It was in a place that they had seen and chased deer before. Oakley also ran after them. Usually they are gone for about five to ten minutes before they return, either back to the place where they took off or further up or down the trail. I usually stick around near by where they started their chase. By this time it was sunset, the clouds were gathering again and it looked like rain may be coming. I went up the trail a little and called for them to come. I went back to the 'take-off' point and waited some more, then back and forth on the trail for about a quarter mile in both directions. I was starting to get a little worried because it was getting darker and I needed to get down the mountain. I was more mad than worried about the dogs. I turned and started to head over to the drop-off point and Oakley came running up from behind, completely wasted and panting hard. Well at least I had one of the dogs back and if Kudo never returned, at least it wouldn't be a complete loss. I decided to make one more loop around the top and back to the pond where the other people were to see if Kudo had circled over there and joined up with the other people that we had met earlier. About half way over Oakley took off in the opposite direction at a dead run and didn't turn back around. When I got back to the pond I did see one of the fishermen (still no fish) and asked if he had seen the dogs. He said that he had seen Kudo about 15 minutes earlier at a hard run over the hill heading in the direction that we had used to come up the hill. I thought that was a good sign, however the problem was that there were two significant drainages between the pond and where you start back down the hill towards home. Now both dogs were missing again. I figured I had about 15 minutes until it was going to be dark. There was a full moon but it was going to be blocked out by the clouds. I started back hoping that the dogs would have enough sense to go back to the pasture. There are a number of different paths back down the hill and they all come out at different places in Alpine. Both dogs are pretty friendly and would be fine going with anyone that showed them some attention. I was really trying to figure out how I was going to tell Ronda and Jerusha that I lost the dogs. I headed back down the hill, calling for the dogs about every thirty seconds. I had a pretty good view of the surrounding area and the pasture for most of the trip down the hill. I didn't see either of the dogs. I did see someone at the pasture area, but couldn't tell who it was. By the time I got back to the pasture it was mostly dark. It was Mike (and Sandy, his dog) at the pasture. To my surprise and relief, Kudo was with them. Mike said that he had shown up about 10 to 15 minutes earlier. But no Oakley. We waited another 10 minutes to see if she would show up but no luck. I asked Mike to drive over to Fort Canyon, to the gate and see if maybe she had joined up with the other people that we saw earlier and he drove off. I started back up the hill and to my relief saw Oakley waiting at the gate to get let through. Both Oakley and Kudo stuck to me like glue as we moved through the field and to the truck. When they got home they laid down and slept all night and all of the next day. A lot of thoughts go through your head when you think that you have lost your dogs. I had about an hour to think about it. Some are thoughts about how to find them, how to explain how you lost them to Ronda and Jerusha, how to rationalize that you would be OK without them, how dumb could they be to keep chasing deer that they couldn't catch and where would you advertise "LOST DOGS".