Good sized blond Lab mix guy showed up here this morning. About six-ish, barking. I threw the door open and said, "Hey what's going on out here?"Most wandering dogs will run off when I do that. This one didn't. So I said, "This is my house! You go home!" Most dogs that haven't run off with my first greeting will leave when I tell them to go home, but this one didn't. He backed off, but stayed, and kept barking. I told him to cut it out, go on, go home, and pointed to the road. He headed out the driveway, but would not go into the road. Every time I came inside, he would come back and bark again. The last time I went out to order him home he went toward the road, but veered left and went around the house, coming back up the other side. I turned to face him, saying, "Nice try, pal, but you didn't fool me. Go on home now" but he stayed put, with his head down and his tail between his legs.
By simple observation I noted that he appears to be well fed. He's wearing a collar, not very new, one of those nylon strap kind, red, with a tag jingling from it. He's a neutered male. Good size, a block headed Lab. Mix, I'm pretty sure. I'm not good at determining the age of a dog, and this guy, being blonde, it's hard to tell if he's gray around the muzzle or not because he's so light colored. Several years old, though. By the worn appearance of his collar and the tick on his shoulder I'd say he spends some time outside, but may be accustomed to being indoors some, too. Big ol' boy. Not as big as some of Dad's Labs, but pretty good sized.
He was not acting in a menacing manner, he just wouldn't leave. The more I scolded him, the more he had his tail between his legs. I called him to me (to see what was on the tag) and he came right over. The tag was from our local vet, Dr. Terry Wood. The dog's demeanor perked up by the small attention I gave him in talking to him and petting him (so I could read his tag).
He is clearly someone's pet - well fed, decent manners - but lost, and a little clingy. I'm thinking he may have been frightened by the weather because he seemed anxious about the distant thunder when he first arrived. Or maybe his people are out of town for Memorial Day Weekend. I called Dr. Wood's office, but of course they're closed for Memorial Day, as are Animal Control.
This guy knows "sit" and "no." He'll go lay down when you tell him to. He seems to want to come inside, but isn't pushy about it. When I go outside he sticks pretty close to me.
The cats are not at all pleased about his presence. Not at all. In fact, they have both dematerialized.
I do not have facilities to keep a dog - no pen or fence - and he certainly cannot come inside. If he's still here tomorrow when Dr. Wood's office opens I'll call again, but I'm not interested in trying to put a big muddy dog in my little car to take him over there, so I'm not sure how that will work out.
Steve is on a long errand today, so we'll see if this guy is still here when Steve gets back.
