Off-Leash in the Country

MUCH fun was had by both on Christmas Day.

Initially they were together in a big pen, while the humans enjoyed Christmas lunch inside the house. (Animals aren't allowed in my parents' house.)

At some point in the afternoon, our houdinis escaped the pen and tried to enter the house...Jake through the back door (straight into the kitchen), and Isabella through the front door (into the foyer and next to the desserts). A joint effort to break in, and they almost succeeded. :) Luckily I caught Jake, and Isabella came fairly willingly back to my husband.

Later that afternoon, they enjoyed some time out in the yard with Skunk. It took Jake and Skunk a little bit of time to get adjusted to each other, but after that they all had a blast chasing each other. Isabella and Jake don't get many opportunities to run as hard as they like outside, off-leash, so they kept doing funny little jumps into the air almost as a way of expressing their pure delight at being allowed to for once.

Late afternoon, we went for the usual Christmas afternoon walk out in the country, with my dad and some aunts and uncles, and Isabella, Jake and Skunk in tow. We took their leashes off at one point, amid all the cow pastures, and they took off again, enjoying the freedom and taking in all the smells (aahh, cow patties...).

Alas, that's when things went a bit downhill...for me and my husband, at least. Skunk suddenly darted off through the pasture, Isabella and Jake hot on his heels...and right past a huge, muddy water hole. Have I mentioned my huskies love water? Oh yes...Skunk doesn't like to be wet, so he went around the huge hole (like a good dog), but not my dogs. Jake merely walked through the muddy mess to the other side, after a drink or two...but Isabella DANCED in it, like a dog that had never been given such a pleasure in her whole life. It took a bit of convincing to get her to come out of it, especially since she was pretty sure she was in trouble for it. Needless to say, both were a mess when we finally got their leashes back on them. They both knew they were in trouble, but they didn't look near as worried about it as they usually do.

After a hose-down at the house, a bit of towel-drying and a little more air-drying in their pens, we drove our huskies home for the night. Quick baths (no way they'd stay in the house smelling and looking like that) and they were out like lights, worn out from the days' events.

A very good Christmas in all...