Pied Piper of Dogtown

THAT's what my name should be. Either that, or Mary, you can change my middle name to Too Patient. Here's what happened Sunday. I was out walking; it was a beautiful day: sunny and warm enough I could go out with just a sweater on. Anyway, I was out walking and decided, on a whim, to go feed the dogs, which I don't usually do on weekends. I stopped at the Minii and bought some hot dogs and some Vienna sausages, planning to save the sausages for another day since they were canned. My doggies were excited to see me. I fed them and then started to leave, but they followed me down the block. They've never crossed the street before while following me, but this time they did, even the youngest puppy. I stopped, rushed back and picked up the puppy and deposited her back on her side of the block. I was afraid that she would get lost on a block that, to my knowledge, she had never visited before. I walked the pack back to the school and tried to make my getaway again. Same thing happened. I decided to feed them the Vienna sausages, hoping to escape while they were busy eating, but the truth is that 6 dogs can gobble down 4 cans of Vienna sausages faster than I can throw them.

I tried walking the other way, away from my apartment, but they followed me that way, too. I walked to the back of the parking area, looking for another way out of the lot, but there isn't one. I waited around the lot for awhile and the dogs stretched out in the sun, but everytime I moved toward the front of the building they followed me. I walked directly across the street, jaywalking to the opposite block but, you guessed it, a puppy followed me. Again I picked it up and brought it back to the right side of the street. I went INTO the school building, thinking that sooner or later the dogs would leave the front of the building and go back to the area where they sleep. I won't tell you how long I stood in the building where I couldn't be seen by them, but when I went back to the front door, there they were!

By this time I was getting desperate. I wanted to go home and cook my dinner, but I didn't want the puppies endangered when I left and I couldn't figure out how to achieve this. Finally it came to me: I would just disappear via taxi. I was fairly sure that they wouldn't follow a car down the street, so that's what I did. I flagged down a car right in front of the school and got in. I motioned to the driver to make a right turn...and then another right turn...and then another right. I had him drop me off in front of BBQ Chicken, which, of course, is just one block to the left of where I got in his car. He must have been bewildered at my instructions, but at least I escaped my dog pack and got to eat my dinner. This morning the dogs were not in front of the school as they often are, but I did not go to the back to feed them. I'd had enough togetherness for a while.