I know this story all to well, yet I'm writing to tell you I was the one who fell down the rabbit hole. I have warned my husband for the past 26 years that you cannot trust your beloved dog to always perform at 100%. I fell into the same trap to which too many dog owners succumb—expecting your dog's behavior to be consistent.
I was returning from a walk with Bella today. My car was parked at Petsmart from earlier shopping in which she was not included. (In fact, I rarely bring her in there.) I had Bella on a SIT by the car and was about to slip her seat harness over her head when she bolted. She has never done this before; never expressed any interest in doing this. "Bella, come!" failed.
She dashed past parked cars and was nearly hit by a car passing in front of the store. Bella was totally oblivious to anything but her desire to get in the store (almost amusing now after the fact). As she was jetting into Petsmart, a woman caught her collar. The driver, other shoppers, everyone was great. Everyone stopped to see if she was okay. Another woman followed me back to my car to make sure Bella was okay and told me a similar tale with her dog except her dog was hit. Awful!
I mention this story because I was so shocked by what she did. I have been lulled by the fact that she always waits patiently by the door to have her seat harness put on. So please, don't fall into my trap. Your dog may do something unexpected when you least anticipate it. Error on the side of caution. I will always keep a hand on her collar in that situation.
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