Here is a case of Providence. About 1:45am, Robbi awoke from her slumber for no apparent reason and was prompted to get up and proceed to her second floor window. Looking down at that very moment, she caught the glimpse of a proud, high flying, fluffy tail high tailing it down the darkened alley. Taz was on the loose and on a roll.

A very swift and powerful husky, he can clear distances faster than most any dog I have seen. And now he was off and running down a dark alley in a big city, downtown, urban environment.

Robbi quickly donned some sweat clothes and dashed out the door to search, but transversing far in dark alleys at this hour in the downtown of big cities is not recommended. She quickly came back to the yard...just as a flash of red and white fur came flying down the street and ran right into her! She latched on to the collar, and Taz was home.

Think about this now. I truly don't believe so much irony can exist in one situation. Here is what, as Paul Harvey would say, is the “Rest of the Story."

The guardian angel of huskies gently touched Robbi in her sleep, quietly suggesting she may wish to look out the window. Guardian angels are very smart, he could never have awakened me. While Robbi was coming downstairs and into the street, the angel then went to Taz, roaring full bore down the alley. Instead of yanking his chain, the angel simply placed a fun thought, "Hey! Let us go this way! It looks like great fun!!" leading the dog on a left turn. A second and then a third same, such suggestion led the unsuspecting husky in a mad dash...directly around the block, racing him, unsuspectingly, past the front of the house!

Taz' punishment for this indiscretion was to spend the rest of the night with me. Don't laugh. My snoring can be heard through solid walls. Undoubtedly, sensitive husky hearing remained under torture for five hours.

The next day we found that huskies have tremendous intelligence but lack the common sense God gave to ordinary ground squirrels. When God was handing out common sense, the huskies were all out playing. I know this to be true because I was there with them...uh, never mind that last comment! What Taz had accomplished was outstanding. He had actually unraveled two links at the bottom of a chain link fence, then dug down several inches to exact the escape. Once outside though, all smarts were just like the rest of him...gone with the wind.

For those who wonder what fence would hold such a one as this, here is our recipe: Start with wire cutters. Cut many, aged, wire coat hangers on each side of their apex and once again at bottom mid-center. Under the repaired fence, dig a trough one foot deep by a half foot wide. Carefully frame the trough with boards on each side. Combine concrete ingredients thoroughly in big, big mixing bowl and blend. Then stir mixture into the empty mold. Measure the concrete to two inches above ground level. Set the bottom edge of the chain link into the concrete. Taking one, split coat hanger--angle the corner that the clothes often slip from and fold it well over a bottom, fence link. Then delicately smush the hanger ends into the wet cement. This locks the links about 8 inches into the concrete. Repeat process every seventh link. Let bake in the sun until crisp and then mix with rambunctious husky. Voila! Taz has not left the yard since.

On a final note, I also put in a gate on the side yard. Never have I seen a dog study every move I made the way Taz did while I assembled the thing. And guess what happened? When I had finished and turned to walk away, he unlatched the gate in less time then it has taken to read this sentence. I don't know whether to be proud of the dog for the intelligence or denigrate myself for not outguessing his strategy. I guess I'll do both.

Scott, Robbi and TAZ

"Happy is he who has been able to learn the causes of things".
-- Virgil

Copyright - Scott Ski
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