So...we put the dogs in their respective crates and rooms so we can go into town for a bit. We've done this sooooo many times before. When we came home this time something was different. The dogs were barking, howling, whining, and generally causing a ruckus. With the exception of Faleen. Not a peep. We get into the house and notice things are...askew. Toaster oven on the floor, TV crooked and about to fall, papers everywhere. That sort of thing. We also notice the bathroom door is closed. It's never closed unless someone's in there. As many problems as we've had with teenage miscreants we decided not to chance it and went back outside to the car where we called the cops to report a break-in and that possibly someone was still in the house. It was torture waiting because I wanted so badly to go in and check all our babies but Eric and the cops said not to. When the police got there they went in with guns drawn. They heard noises in the bathroom and yelled for the person to "Come out hands up! NOW!!" and tried to yank the door open. It didnt budge and the person's response was completely unexpected..."Whoof?" Yep. Somehow Faleen had busted the plastic bottom of her crate and gotten out. Parent free house...time for exploration and mischief! We're guessing she went into the bathroom for water and who knows how she got the door shut behind her but she must have tried to paw at the knob because it was locked from the inside and the lock refused to be picked as the burglary run turned into a rescue. The people who lived there before us had reversed the door and thus the hinges don't fit properly meaning we couldnt just take it off the hinges. I know I'm small enough to fit through the window so I go to it and...it's sealed. It can't be opened. At all. Rather than just break the window and risk Faleen getting cut by it (not to mention me getting cut crawling through) one of the officers called a buddy of his who brought tools to cut the window out as well as, thankfully, a way to board it up after. Finally I can reach my baby! I crawl through and land in the tub where I immediately smack my head hard enough to see stars and I'm pretty sure only Faleen's tonguey frantic greeting stopped me passing out. Got up and got the door open. Congratulations all around. We thanked the police, the buddy boarded the window, we thanked him, and everyone left...laughing quite heartily. I on one hand am just so very glad she's okay. On the other...soooooooooooooooo embarrassed! I didnt think these things really happened. Especially when we try to be so careful! The knot on my head says otherwise though. For now, Faleen is using her sister's crate since Kahlia can be trusted not to destroy things while we're gone but we will be buying a new one. No plastic. Ugh. Please tell me I'm not the only one who's ever had this type of experience!
Niki locked herself in
We went out one afternoon. I came back to find she had locked herself in the bathroom. No hubby around to get her out. I couldn't jimmy the lock. I couldn't get through the window, it was too high. I didn't want to try to get the door off it's hinges. I went next door to see if I could borrow my neighbor's husband. She asked what for and when I told her, she said I didn't want her husband, I wanted her teenage daughter. How right she was. The girl popped the lock in seconds. And I know she was thinking what an inept adult I was. Couldn't blame her.
pups like to do this
i think they're as capable as kids of embarassing their "parents".
len used to work 3rd shift so it was just cowgirl (our first dane) and me home at night in a sort of large house.
around 3 am one night/morning, cowgirl starts barking like crazy. she was never vocal - so something was wrong. now the bedroom door is open, but she's standing in the doorway barking like - "somethings out there mom, go check".
well by this time i figure if someone was out there, they would have left by now after hearing her so i go out to the front door, call her out to show her nothing's wrong and then i hear what sounds like someone cutting a screen in one of the back bedrooms. she starts barking again, and the next thing i know i'm back in the bedroom grabbing the phone (don't know how i got there). called 911 and the dispatcher says to stay on the line, cops are on the way. since we live in a pretty quiet town, within about 3 mins there's 2 cop cars outside.
dispatcher says, they're there, open the door. now i'm afraid cowgirl's going to eat anybody who walks thru the door but of course, she welcomed them in, wagging her tail and waiting to be petted.
turns out, while they were checking the front yard, they discovered that one of the sprinkler heads had turned around and was running over the screen. as he was telling me this, it happened again, and sure enough, sounded just like someone cutting the screen and cowgirl starts barking again.
the cops checked out the whole house anyway, including the back yard but i felt like a huge horses rump, but they said i was right to call. guess it gave them something to do.
of course my heart was still going 100 mph and i had to pour myself a glass of bourbon before i called len. since i absolutely never called him at work he was beside himself that i was calling at 3:30 but had a good laugh when he heard the story.
LMAO
OK I am so glad you are ok or I would feel so bad about almost peeing my pants reading this! I could barely get thru reading it to my husband.... glad your head is ok!
Penance?
My head is fine. I've a hard one thankfully! I don't know if Faleen is doing puppy penance or what but she sure has been much more quiet and lovey. I think oddly enough the whole thing just helped to reaffirm the bond between us so maybe I'm crazy but I'm kind of glad it happened. As for sharing the story...why not? The whole neighborhood already knows so why not tell those who understand the craziness of being owned by pets? lol Hope everyone has a happy St. Patrick's day!
Ouch!
Hope the bump on your head goes down fast!!! What a story! Guess this is one you'll be telling for years to come!
I've never had anything like this happen to me, but I sure can see how it could happen to any of us!
So glad the police were understanding! It was obvious that you had someone pulling a fast one on you...who would have ever guessed it was Faleen!!!
I love it.....
I have never had a dog pull a trick like that, but when my son was 2,he locked me out of the house. I had gone outside to feed the dogs, and when I returned to the backdoor it would not open. After several minutes of discussing what he should do to let Mommy in the house, I gave up and ran four doors down the street to by best friend's house. She rescued him, as well as me with a key she had. Thank goodness I did not have to call the police. I am glad all came out well for you guys. I wish I had been a fly on the wall...... on either side of the bathroom door!
Hysterical
That whole scene had me laughing so hard, I almost was in tears! I am glad the police were not angry and helpful. Sometimes they can be a bit if a butt, if you know what I mean...I am sorry you conked your head but was glad Faleen "saved" you by licking..especially a BIG thank you for sharing your story, that took courage on your part! Judy, Scooby, and Daphne
OMG
That is soooo funny. I am sure the cops will share that one for awhile. Sorry about your head but I am sure Faleen is so happy to have been rescued. Chad locked got stuck in my bedroom once, but luckily didn't lock it. Weird thing is I came home couldn't find him and was yelling his name but he didn't "whoof" or anything. So glad this had a happy ending!
Sara (Bubba Chad's and Shammy's mom)