Toby ran away again. I have lost count of how many times he has done that. He loves us, he loves our home, he is full of fun and sweetness with us. But being a beagle, the call of the nature can exert such an irresistible force on him that he just has to answer and go sometimes. This time it was different, because I went after him into the woods, with my running shoes hastily put on. I was determined to catch him in the wild, because the anxiety associated with waiting for him at home had proven to be too much.
He was eagerly going after the smells of animals - rabbits, foxes, skunks, etc., running up and down, left and right, at the same time trying to evade my chase. A few times I got very close, but he, fully aware of my intentions and able to predict every move of mine, eluded me swiftly. I began to sweat and pant heavily, my right ankle, which had suffered a sprain just one week earlier, also acted up. But I didn't want to give up.
We came to a large open area. He suddenly took off, shooting out like an arrow, straight forward, body lowered, legs pushing the ground with full force. In the direction of his pursuit, about 200 yards away on a slope, there were about 10 deer. I knew that his hunting dog instinct totally seized upon him. It was a spectacular scene. The deer, each of them many times larger in size than the dog, quickly scattered in front of his rapid advance. They disappeared into the surroundings in no time. Toby slowed down a bit, started searching, over the creek, around the little lake, and finally into a neighborhood. Running after him each step of the way, sweating and panting more heavily, was still me, controlled by my own runner's spirit. He gave up his search for animals and tried all kinds of maneuvers to lose me. I simply couldn't let that happen. Finally, he was exhausted, answered my call and came to me. I put the leash on him and we walked home side by side. I talked, and he listened. "You can chase away deer, rabbits, foxes, and skunks, but you cannot run away from me", and that's what I said.
Once upon a time I was the fastest sprinter in my county. It doesn't matter how many years ago it was and how many injuries I have suffered since, my heart has never changed. I just had to win the race.
