Seal-Dog

My dog, the one in my display pic, just gave me an-almost-heart-attack this evening.

When I arrived home, as usual, I see Tom Tom and Timothy eagerly waiting for the gate to open their path to adventure in the wonderland that is my neighbourhood. They never quite understood that my mom thinks it's not safe to wander about with proper human company (you have to keep alert for potential snatchthefts! vans!) or by them-tiny-selves (they don't know how to watch out for traffic!) in Selangor.

So I parked the car outside and opened the gate a TINY bit, well not that tiny since my big tummy could fit through the gap. Of course, even as I entered, the little monsters tried to exit through the gap, which I blocked with my big legs, until I got through it.

As I auto-closed the gate, still blocking the two monsters' path, suddenly Tom Tom did some lightning sliding maneuver past my legs to the gate's gap.

Here comes the heart-stopping part. The heavy-weight metal-super-strong gate could not close - it stopped short, blocked by Tom Tom's nose, and Tom Tom yelped like a seal! YES a SEAL! (Upon further research, I think he sounds like the seal pup. Click here and listen to harbor seal pup. It's so strange, it's alarming.)

I was super shocked, and pressed the gate buttons a few times, hoping there'd be no bloody cut in his nose, till the gates finally reopened.

And OFF that IDIOT Tom Tom went. It seemed like his injury wasn't that bad eh. And a neighbour who was just getting into his car asked what happened. Yeah, his awful seal-like-yelp attracted neighbours and he just ran away from the scene just like that.

Upon catching him, he totally resisted me, as usual; who likes their adventures to be interrupted? And my neighbour told me I had to pat him and reassure him I'm not going to punish him to get him to be less resistant. I knew better that his priorities are 1st to adventure, 2nd to food and only 3rd to master.

And so I had to carry this monstrosity all the way back home. I think he must be like 25 kg or something. After some checking of his gum that appeared just slightly reddish, I declare him healthy enough to skip the vet.

Moral of the story:
1. Dogs' noses/jaw/mouth are very strong.
2. I must hold the dogs upon entry, before starting the auto-close.
3. My dogs are risk-takers, except Timothy, who's clearly risk-averse.
4. Courage the cowardly dog should continue to be kept in the wet kitchen in the evening. Handling three dogs upon entry would be too much.