This was my puppy Sunday. Oh my god, my heart stood still! Hubby, puppy and I were hiking along a creek through a very muddy gully - the creek splits in this area and it’s eroded both sides of a narrow island - you have to cross the creek on one side or the other to get back to the main trail. As we approached the gully, our puppy found a very energetic friend to play with, a young, female pit bull he’s played with before. They were running all over this little island and jumping from one side of the creek to the other - having a great time!
Unfortunately for Jake, as you hike farther along the island, the creek bed drops precipitously, creating a steep canyon on either side of the island - the depth varies from maybe eight feet to fifteen feet. Hubby and I crossed where the drop off is maybe three feet - I used to be able to step across, but now the gap has widened to the point where I have to leap and hubby has to catch me on the other side. Jake had run ahead with the other dog and when he saw us crossing, he decided to jump the chasm, not realizing it was at least twelve, thirteen feet across and maybe ten feet down to the creek. He crashed…big time. Hubby and I saw it happening in slow motion. He had this wonderfully happy expression on his face as he leaped from the bank, which changed to a look of surprise and terror as he lost momentum halfway across and fell. We heard this awful shriek and I just knew my dog was either dying or severely injured. Heedless of his own safety, hubby threw himself over the edge while I covered my eyes. I thought at the very least, the dog would have badly fractured legs - I was expecting to see bones sticking out everywhere. But after a few moments of total shock, Jake scrambled out. Miracle of miracles, other than some emotional trauma, a realization that he’s not immortal and he can’t fly (because believe me, German shepherds are remarkably human and they think about things), Jake seems all right. We’ll see how he is tomorrow. The event left me very shaken.
He really did look like Wile E. Coyote in those Road Runner cartoons - when he falls off a cliff. Tough way to learn a life lesson.
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Oh sweetie that must have been terrifying. Hope Jake is okay today.
Hugs
Oh no, Julia! That is a heart-stopping moment! That happened to me when my doxie Rudy was a pup, too. She went running over a railroad tie, not realizing there was a 15 foot drop on the other side (she was a new puppy…fit in my hand!). I saw her go flying over the wall and I screamed. She came running around the side of the wall, shook herself off, and ran back to me. And she never did that again!
Jake sounds like a toughie.
I suppose they have to learn about gravity sometime and fortunately for Jake, he didn’t have any serious physical issues as a result.
Poor guy. Poor Jake’s mom and dad.
OMW - Julia. That’s scary. I hope Jake is okay today.
Well I’m happy to hear he recovered well from his ahem, emasculation. He sounds like a wonderful puppy and it’s good nothing happened to him during his gravity lesson.
OMG! Poor Jake, I’m glad he’s okay. I think you’re the one who suffered the most in this fall! lol
XXOO Kat
OMG poor thing. I’m glad that he is ok and hope he will be. I guess dogs are like people, they also do stuff without thinking sometimes.
Awe, poor little guy…thank God he’s fine. I can imagine the fright you and hubby felt. A tough lesson for Jake, but it will keep him safer in the future.
Evie
You all are so sweet! Oh Penny - I can’t imagine such a little dog falling - but at least she didn’t have much mass.
Jake hid in the bedroom this morning when he knew we were going out. Once he got on the trail, he was fine. German shepherds never forget - they’re like us Jews - long memories! Plus they worry a lot and look guilty much of the time.
Many baby animals are flexible…perhaps this was the case…or like you said, devine intervention. Keep us posted on his progess
Evie - thank god he’s flexible. My other shepherd was not and he would have broken something or many somethings.
You should post a pic of him here (if you haven’t already)-I love German shepards. Oh, and I just noticed a silly spelling error in my previous message, lol.
Sounds so scary. Glad Jake is okay.
Thanks, Charlie - he’s good.