So scared (long)

[Bushfire2000]

I almost lost Buster.
I was reading threads here just enjoying myself one night.
When my son wanted to go to bed and asked where Buster was(they sleep together).
I thought he was sleeping in the kitchen but he wasn't. When my husband had left for a meeting he let Buster outside. So where was he?
I went outside to look, it was already after 9:00pm so, dark and wet, windy and cold. I looked every where.
I would think I heard barking ,so I would walk in one direction and then the coyotes would start so I thought it had only been them and I would head off in another direction.
I searched for over an hour and everytime I looked at the house there was my son in the window watching me.
After the first 10 minutes I thought I was looking for a dead dog. Because in the country if he doesn't come quickly I didn't think he would come back at all. I finally had to go inside and tell my son that I couldn't find Buster. He almost broke my heart by saying that maybe Buster would show up in the morning. I let my son sleep with us that night and here we were, me crying on my side of the bed and son crying in the middle of the bed.
In the morning I had to fill the van with gas (we can only get to the tank when the ground is frozen) and while scraping the window I thought I heard some barking. My husband walked over to the hay stacks reached over a snowbank and comes up with Buster. I ran over and grabbed Buster from HB ran to the house to give dog to son. We were hysterical with relief (or I was anyway) I'd left the van running in the middle of the yard. Buster only needed toweling off and a drink of water. I spent the rest of the day crying at the drop of a hat. I went to work and while telling my co-worker about it burst into tears again. Went to work the next day and also burst into tears and told them that if he had really been lost I wouldn't have been at work at all.
You know, you think you have it covered. I have a dog pen for the little ones so that when they are outside for any length of time they have protection. But for a quick pee we just open the door and let them out, watch from the window and let them back in again.
Buster was lucky, it had been him that I heard that night but when the coyotes started he would stop so I couldn't find him and they couldn't find him either. If he hadn't fallen where he did, between two haystacks he wouldn't have had enough protection from the elements to survive the night.

Sorry this is so long but I just needed to get this off my chest. Most of the people I've talked to just don't understand why I would be so upset about my dog. And don't know why I would feel guilty about it but I do.

[cpietra16]

I am sooooo happy that angels were watching over him and pushed him down between the stack. You're a good boy Buster. I am glad that this story has a happy ending.:love:

[Lissa]

Poor Buster! I am so glad you found him and that he's okay! It doesn't sound like he was too traumatized!

[Beaglemom]

I'm so glad that Buster is back home, safe and sound. I think we all understand how you are feeling right now and how you felt while Buster was missing.

[Soroush]

man just imagining what you went through makes me shiver.

Glad to read Buster is happy and sound!

[Prin]

That must have been horrible. I'm so glad you found him safe.

[AliSam]

A little angel was watching over him that night. Thank goodness he is safe and sound.

[chico2]

My Chico was missing for a couple of hours once and there is no worse feeling,I totally understand and am very happy he was found safe and sound

[Bushfire2000]

Thanks everybody.
Buster wasn't traumatized but I can truly say I was.

[Rottimom]

Wow what a scary ordeal I am so glad Buster was found safe and sound.

Being that you live in the country I am sure you are aware of the danger that coyotes pose to a little dog like Buster. Not trying to scare you, but we have had many encounters with coyotes here. A few nights ago, my Herc got attacked and bitten by coyotes - and he is weighs over 100 lbs.

It's very understandable how upset you and your son were.... Buster is a lucky little guy to be part of a family who loves him so much.

[Rottimom]

Sorry Bushfire, I had forgotten about your post about your little Elvis (RIP) You are obviously very well aware of the dangers.

[rainbow]

What a terrible ordeal for all of you. And I`m really glad it had a happy outcome.

[Bushfire2000]

Thanks Rottimom. I think that Elvis(RIP) is what made it so traumatic for me because as the minutes went by he was all I could think of. That it was happening again.

Thanks again to everyone else too.

[sealady]

I've only had just a bit of your scare.
My one loves to hide, and when she hides nothing can get her to come to me.
She is usually under the bed, well not this day.
I called and called, I checked outside till I almost had a path started.
Now my yard is small with a fence and yard ties around the bottom of the fence so they can't dig and I knew I had not let them out because I stay in the kitchen and keep an eye on them.

I was ready to call my husband and have him come home as I was losing it.
As I reached for the phone there she was, never did find where she was hiding.
I'm thinking of putting one of those key rings on her that rings when you push a button so the next time I'll be able to find her.
SeaLady
PS.
At night they do wear a blinking collar.

[starr]

...or the coyotes might have located him.

You probably know this by now, but letting such a small dog out at night in coyote country is asking for trouble, even if he stays in your yard. Some friends of ours did the same and after a few minutes heard terrible shrieking. They ran outside and couldn't see anything...grabbed flashlights and coats and went looking. They could hear the yelling fading but couldn't locate the origin of the sound as it was ricocheting off everything as sound tends to do in winter. The couldn't get a bead of shining eyes in the lamp light because the coyote(s) probably had their backs to the light.

Anyway, I won't get gruesome but they eventually found out due to tracks and other "marks" that the dog had been snatched only a few feet from their deck. Now they take the remaining 2 dogs out to pee on a leash at night. The strange thing is that the coyotes never manage to get the cats, but now our friends are worried for them as well.

So, in case you weren't aware of how bold coyotes can be, I thought I'd warn you. We have 2 Kuvasz who are very keen when it comes to coyote. They travel together around the property and never go too far. If one is in kennel the other one doesn't patrol alone.

I'm very glad your dog was ok.

[Bushfire2000]

Sealady

That's such a good idea blinking collors or beeping ones.

Starr

Thank-you for your concern.
You wouldn't know, but I did lose a dog(Elvis) to coyotes about six or seven years ago. It was very traumatic.
Since then I have a fenced in area that the dogs are normally let out into. On this occasion my husband left the house and Buster slipped out with him unkown to the rest of us.
Mavis lives outside, she is a true farm dog and part of her job is to keep coyotes away from the yard and help the momma cows keep their calves safe.

[mhass1129]

I live in an apartment on an air base so coyotes aren't exactly a problem, but I do get anxiety attacks when I can't find one of my pets - Specially hunter, who is usually all over us. That's when I turn off all appliances (dishwasher, dryer) and open all the cabinets. Specially with my cats - they like to jump in the dryer as I'm switching loads, and I may not be able to see or feel them since i'm getting big to where I can't bend down as far. I always try to double check.

When the cats go in a kitchen cabinet they'll meow and STOP meowing the minute I'm in the kitchen trying to figure out where they are. Fortunately they only get into empty ones, they haven't sneaked into the one where all the household cleaners are - then again, I never leave this one open for any length of time.

I can completely understand the panic of not knowing where Buster was! I think it's awesome that he was smart enough to hush when he heard the coyotes howling. Way to go! And it doesn't matter if people don't understand why you would get so worked up about it - we do! That's called "Pet-ernal instincts!"