Dog Wrangler

on January 17, 2012
in All Posts

How goes it? 

IMG_6150

It’s kind of funny, but after writing a post on choosing to be positive, I’ve been in a really crap mood all day long!  I feel really uncomfortable today – the bump is getting bigger and compressing my lungs – and just a bit off. 

 

I was very excited to hit the pool because it would’ve meant that I did 5 workouts this week (which would’ve been an amazing first-time pregnancy accomplishment!) but ended up blowing it off.  The dogs and I were on a walk when a big brown Labrador came running up – it had clearly broken out of its yard and had a collar on – and started to make the ‘let’s play!’ motion with James.  James started to growl and snap because he hates big, aggressive dogs, and Maggie started to cry and try to back away out of her collar.  Meanwhile, I’m throwing myself in between the dogs, telling the playful lab to go home because I was scared James would set him off.  Then, I end up feeling guilty because the dog has a collar on, and I should find his house (I have this theory that if I always find lost dogs’ owners, one day someone will return Maggie and James to me – dog karma).  So I’m juggling Maggie in my arms and stepping between the dogs and freaking out that I’m going to fall on the baby bump and trying to grab the lab’s collar… when, thankfully, the owners comes around the corner. 

 

Point of the story:  My blood pressure skyrockets, my heart is pounding, and it’s all I can do to drag the dogs back home and collapse on the couch.  It took me 20 minutes to get over the encounter (so melodramatic, I know) and by then, a swim seemed totally impossible.

IMG_6151

Another morning, down the hatch.

 

On a less frantic note, lunch was delicious.  Just a sunflower butter sandwich (with smears of caramel sauce):

IMG_6145

And a lovely salad with some gouda cheese on the side.

IMG_6147

It was really good-da. 

IMG_6149

Fact:  I bought that wedge of gouda cheese just so I could make a good-da joke on the blog.  Truly.  I am that easily amused.

{ 49 comments }

 

  • Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife January 17, 2012, 3:28 pm

    It’s good to be easily amused 🙂 I laughed out loud, if that helps!!

    Glad you’re safe and the dogs are safe too! P.s. gouda cheese is OH so delicious–so any excuse to buy it is a good one in my opinion, hehe

  • Cara @ I Don't Believe in Diets January 17, 2012, 3:29 pm

    Holy moly that encounter terrified me too while reading it. I am so glad everything is okay.

  • Penny January 17, 2012, 3:33 pm

    You’re not melodramatic at all. When a girl is pregnant, fear of harming the bump or the munchkin insde the bump is a very exhausting, all consuming concern. That episode would have upset and tired anyone, but to a pregnant person, something like that is twice as upsetting. You handled it well, I think

    • CaitlinHTP January 17, 2012, 3:35 pm

      Oh thank you for making me feel less crazy!!!!

  • Anne @strawberryjampackedlife January 17, 2012, 3:40 pm

    I have that theory, too. We found a dog on a Sunday once. She didn’t have a collar on and the animal society was closed. However, we talked to the police, we finally got in touch with her owner, and she was returned within 1.5 hours of being with us. It felt so good to have helped someone out.

  • Kelly January 17, 2012, 3:43 pm

    I HATE dog encounters – and not just because my own dog goes off his tits and tries to “fight” anything and everyone. My other dog is a golden retriever, and is pretty much afraid of his own shadow and let me tell you, we have had so many aggressive dogs attack us – more so than with my littler, more snarky dog. It angers me, and I get so worked up, I end up huffing (literally out of breath) it home. I’ve even had to resort to kicking one dog to get it away from us. I hated to do it, but things were starting to look ugly. I cannot imagine encountering – even playful – dogs while pregnant.

    And, I did the same thing recently – write a private journal entry about “choosing joy” and then about three days later realized I had written yet another journal entry that was about as miserable as they come!

  • Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs January 17, 2012, 3:45 pm

    Other dog encounters can be very unsettling! You just never know how they, or your dogs, are going to react. Glad it was all fine in the end!
    Your lunch looks yummy – the gouda looks especially good…a. 🙂

  • Holly January 17, 2012, 3:49 pm

    I had a similar experience last week when I was walking our dog and these two big dogs came running up to us. They didn’t have collars and they had my dog completely freaked out. In the moment I just wanted to get out of there…I didn’t realize how much it stressed me out until I got home and my heart was pounding out of my chest. (And I’m not pregnant so I didn’t have the added stress of bump protection!)

  • Johanna B January 17, 2012, 3:50 pm

    Glad all the dogs got home safely. My daughter’s husky like to jump fences and has gotten out several times. She’s been lucky because someone nice has always brought him home. Thanks for being so thoughtful about the pups.

  • Rachel January 17, 2012, 3:50 pm

    Maggie’s facial expressions are hysterical!

  • Sana January 17, 2012, 3:54 pm

    I fully believe in good karma and good korma 😉

  • JenRD January 17, 2012, 3:59 pm

    You were not being melodramatic–it sounds like a traumatic experience, pregnant or not!
    Just to throw some positivity your way, I remember times when I was particularly physically uncomfortable during pregnancy with the size/shape/placement of my bump. What I discovered was that those episodes usually only lasted only a day or two–I called it a baby growth spurt. Then, my body adjusted, and I felt “normal” (or normal for my pregnancy). Point is, I am sure you will feel less comfortable soon!

    Jen

    • JenRD January 18, 2012, 2:46 pm

      Oops, meant to say less uncomfortable!

  • Chelsea January 17, 2012, 4:05 pm

    Ah that would be scary! I can only imagine your two dogs running around in circles and tangling you up. I’m the same way though. If I everr see a dog with a collar I follow that thing until it gets tired and take it home <3

  • Sarah January 17, 2012, 4:07 pm

    Oh I feel your pain. The best part of having a freaked-out dog that you have to pick up and carry is when they evacuate their anal glands all over your shirt. Yeah. That happened.

    (Coincidentally, it was also a “friendly” off-leash Labrador that came bounding up to “play”. That behavior is still unbalanced and unacceptable!)

  • Sarah @ The Strength of Faith January 17, 2012, 4:19 pm

    There are no leash laws where I live and I definitely almost got attacked by a doberman while out for a walk one day. It probably would have bitten me if I car hadn’t driven by, saw what was happening and distracted the dog to chase him so I could get away. It was so scary! I don’t like to police other people but I am very pro-leash law. You never know what might happen!

  • Cristina January 17, 2012, 4:20 pm

    I totally believe in dog karma, too. I have returned a couple of dogs to their owners (one that we almost hit while driving, it had escaped from its yard during a thunderstorm), and one day our dog escaped from our apartment building without his collar on. Luckily, he stopped to bark at the UPS guy, so when we ran outside, the UPS guy was trying to catch him. I’m sure your dog karma is excellent!

  • KatieTX January 17, 2012, 4:29 pm

    hahahahaha. I appreciated the gouda joke. That is my family’s sense of humor right there.

  • Lindsey January 17, 2012, 4:31 pm

    My beagle, Chandler got attacked by a dog last year. I was walking him & out of nowhere this lost dog comes over and literally picked Chandler up and I had to repeatedly hit the dog over and over to get this dog to drop Chandler. Luckily, the owners had been chasing him and came around the corner and got the dog to stop. Chandler was okay, but I always get so nervous now when I see leashless dogs.

  • Alex @ Raw Recovery January 17, 2012, 4:41 pm

    When I walk my dog, I always get nervous about other dogs coming around, especially if I have the family dog with me. My little guy loves to play, but my older dog gets scared and either backs away or starts barking and baring her teeth. She’s not aggressive because when it comes down to it she’s afraid of people and dogs because she was abused before we adopted her, but that situation would make me really nervous too and I’m not even pregnant. Hope everything is calmer now!

  • kate January 17, 2012, 4:49 pm

    i am seriously enjoying the pup’s faces in the pics ! 🙂

  • Allison January 17, 2012, 4:56 pm

    Cheesy jokes and being easily amused are some of the best character traits- contagious laughing and appreciative of the small stuff in life 😀

  • Amanda @ AmandaRunsNY January 17, 2012, 5:02 pm

    hahaha, i can’t believe you bought gouda to make a good-a joke. hahaha

  • Claire January 17, 2012, 5:04 pm

    Interesting to note, the Dutch pronounce Gouda (as it is a Dutch cheese) as “HOW-da”. Just wanted to let you know so you don’t try that joke on a Dutch person. 🙂

  • Lindsay@FuelMyFamily January 17, 2012, 5:05 pm

    It is stressful when a strange dog meets you on a walk since you never know how it will react even if it is usually a nice dog, especially with the bump.
    And now I want some Gouda cheese… I think I could survive off cheese, and cereal!

  • Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) January 17, 2012, 5:05 pm

    It’s the little things, right! Sorry about the stress. Now it’s time to relax…

  • CJ @ http://healthy-happy-whole.com/ January 17, 2012, 5:30 pm

    i had a sunflower butter sandwich today for lunch too!!! with a deliciously ripe pear and a strawberry chobani, it was an awesome way to break up my day. is it sad to say that might have been the highlight???
    i hope you are feeling better soon. i always find you so inspirational 🙂 <3

  • Rebecca January 17, 2012, 5:43 pm

    Maggie’s face in the first picture… So cute. 🙂
    Sounds like a crazy encounter! Glad the owners showed up!! Hopefully the dog won’t get loose again? A leash law is useless if the dog finds its way out of a house or fenced-in yard without the owner realizing it, but still. If the dog was originally walking with its owner and got away, I’d have more of a problem. I don’t care how well-behaved and playful the dog is, it should be on a leash if it’s out of your house/yard.

  • RunEatRepeat January 17, 2012, 6:01 pm

    I’m sooooo scared of encountering other dogs when I walk my dogs! This would have scared me for 200 minutes!

  • Amelia January 17, 2012, 6:01 pm

    Gah, dog encounters make me nervous! My whole life I never feared dogs until just recently. I was visiting a friend and was attacked (blood drawn in both butt cheeks) by a dog. We both could not figure out why the dog attacked. We could only determine that the male dog may have possibly smelled my female puppy. Who knows? My body definitely went into fight or flight mode…I’ll spare the details!

    Thank goodness none of your babies (fur or human) were injured. Something tells me that acupuncture can help with any stress you may have encountered.

    Sunflower butter and caramel = love.

  • Marlow January 17, 2012, 6:37 pm

    Funnily enough I wrote a blog post about eating healthy yesterday, and then proceeded to bake a gluten free chocolate cake and eat two pieces! It’s like we jinxed ourselves 😉

  • Lauren January 17, 2012, 8:06 pm

    You seem to attract random lost dogs on your runs/walks. LoL But I’m glad everyone and everything was okay. I can imagine that being stressful though so that heart rate rise was probably just enough for today. 🙂 Feel better girl!

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats January 17, 2012, 8:11 pm

    Hahaha, I LOVE gouda cheese, and that bread looks amazing! Also, I’d be frazzled by that whole dog situation too! More than one dog can be a lot to handle, especially when one isn’t on a leash!

  • Kelly January 17, 2012, 8:26 pm

    Yikes…what an experience…I am glad you and all the dogs are okay!!

  • Sarah January 17, 2012, 8:31 pm

    mmm caramel on peanut butter!!! Glad the dogs owner showed up!

  • nadine January 17, 2012, 9:58 pm

    I have two weiner dogs too, and we have been approched or attacked by so many dogs over the past 10 years! Rotweiler, St. Bernard, Shnauzer, Spaniel, Pit mix, Bull Dog, another daschund. MY 12 lb daschund HATES all other animals (except for the love of her life, Flash my other daschund). She bit the schnauzer on the butt. Other dogs I had to protect my guys from by picking them or by blocking with my body. It’s scary. I’m glad that you and the puppies are ok! Your safety and the dogs’ safety has to come before dog karma!

  • Jamie @ Don't Forget the Cinnamon January 17, 2012, 11:20 pm

    Haha well I very much appreciated your “cheesy” joke 🙂

  • Emily @ Comfortable Home Life January 17, 2012, 11:22 pm

    You honestly and truly make me pee my pants a little bit with laughter sometimes. And that, ma’am, is the highest of compliments! The good-da thing.. I love it! ..and now I want some gouda.

  • Bizzle January 17, 2012, 11:40 pm

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mags look so focused and just ALIVE before. All over a carrot. Hilar.

    • CaitlinHTP January 18, 2012, 10:19 am

      This comment made me laugh because you should SEE how Maggie’s focus changes when you have a treat for her. She hones in on it. And she spends the rest of her life staring into space.

  • Jen January 18, 2012, 1:13 am

    Good-da…hahahahaha! You are officially at least as goofy as I am. 🙂

    Glad that you & the kids (all three of them) are okay!

  • Sarah January 18, 2012, 4:14 am

    Oh my gosh, you defo weren’t being melodramatic! I probs would have been the same! That’s a worry of mine when I walk my inlaw’s dogs that something like that would happen. And with baby in the picture, yup I would have needed a large slice of a cake and chocolate bar after that to calm down. Glad you’re feeling better now. xoxo

  • Andie January 18, 2012, 7:34 am

    The photo of the sunflower butter sandwich is gorgeous. Seductive, almost.

  • Emily January 18, 2012, 9:40 am

    I think you can NEVER have enough cheese. Especially good cheeses like extra extra sharp cheddar, havarti with dill, brie, and gouda. 😀

  • Meg @ Runridelove January 18, 2012, 10:46 am

    I know what you mean about the dog karma! I have a hound (whose face happens to just JUST like Maggie’s) who got away a few times when I first rescued her, and someone always grabbed her and called me. So now anytime I see a dog loose I do everything I can to find it’s owners. You have to pay back good karma.

  • Amber K January 18, 2012, 3:00 pm

    I’m not even pregnant and that whole situation would have me reeling for a good long while.

  • Meshell January 18, 2012, 3:18 pm

    “If it’s gou-da nuff for you, it’s gou-da nuff for me!” — my favorite gouda joke.

    You are such a positive thinker. 20 minutes of melodrama? That’s nothing other than a duck ruffling its feathers. That’s Good-ah!

  • Lexi @ Cura Personalis Foodie January 21, 2012, 12:13 am

    Hahahaha that first picture is so cute. Reminds me of Bugs Bunny!

Previous post:

Next post:

Search The Blog

Read by Month:

Read by Topic:

Healthy Tipping Point