I want to
share with you what happened to me the very next weekend. My husband and I have a motorhome and take our dogs camping with
us. I finally talked him into going to Graceland. We camped at the Elvis Presley Campground, which is located <literally>
at the end of Lonely Street behind Heartbreak Hotel. One of my LH Dachsie boys hates being left. We were gathering everyone and looked
around and couldn't find him. He sometimes likes to go around a corner or behind something so we think he is playing his normal
game. Not inside, not outside. (We use xpens outside for a yard area for them attached to the camper). Somehow he went over
or under the pen and was GONE. Strange city, no one he knows, Panic time.
Hubby takes off on foot and I get in the car. We are
looking all over, asking everyone we see if they have seen him. I recall you saying dogs taking the path of least resistance and realize that, gulp, Lonely
St. is the path of least resistance heading to Elvis Presley Highway, a VERY busy street. I drive to the guard house
and let them know my dog is missing, brief description, our campsite number and go back to keep searching. I am almost convinced
a departing camper has stolen my dog when I hear Owen is up by the guardhouse. (that path of least
resistance!) I BURST into tears and say thanks as I am trying to remember how to shift the car. I race
to the guardhouse and there is Owen ... the guard says he just came trotting up the street.
I am so glad I met you and you planted the idea for me to look for the path of least resistance. We
were calling him as we were looking, no response-as you had said in your seminar, is common. It was quite a wake-up,
to be in a strange city, losing our dog. We did some things right before and are now carrying pics of them with us so
we can be better prepared should we have to do this again. Which I hope to NEVER have to do.
This was the longest 10 minutes of our lives. We have
now revised our leaving the camper method and are determined this will never happen again! But like you said... the most experienced
and careful handlers experience missing dogs so we know to be prepared for anything. Thanks for reading this long email. I just wanted you to know you helped even though at the time of the seminar,
no one was missing!! Jenny Gerritse | 
