BY FRAN JEWELL
What does one have to do with the other? Right now, we are all excited about the longer days and warmer nights. For us, that means more time to spend with our dogs getting closer to the magnificent area we live in. Not a moment goes by for dog lovers of the Wood River Valley that they are not thinking about long hikes and getting back to nature, especially now after an incredibly hard winter.
A client and friend just called me about an event that shattered her nerves and brought her to tears. Her wonderful dog, that has 100 percent recall, had wandered a very short distance from home and was drawn to a nearby pond. Unable to hear her owner, the dog fell in at the middle of the pond and was unable to get out. A very brave passerby, Nina Tooley, saw the dog swimming in circles, trying desperately to get out of the water. Without hesitation or regard to her own safety, Nina ran over and crawled across the ice to rescue the dog. Already beginning signs of hypothermia, my friends rushed their dog to the vet. Her life was saved by the heroic actions of an amazing person!
Had Nina not been nearby, this incredible Labrador retriever would have never shown up back home and my friend would have never known what happened to her dog. We are all so grateful for this caring and selfless neighbor!
This near tragedy points out to us that we need to be incredibly careful this time of year when recreating near any water sources, such as rivers, streams, ponds or lakes. What might look safe to the dog may be a death sentence. Even a small stream or slow-moving river may be swollen with runoff and moving very fast and strong. Portions you may not see could still be ice-covered. A dog that loses its footing can be swept downstream and sucked under the ice, never to come out the other side. A place your dog may visit in the summer may now be more dangerous than you can imagine.
As if spring water danger wasn’t enough, we are also surrounded by hungry wildlife that pose a danger to both our dogs and to us. Another friend of mine has had a lynx hanging out on her front deck! Having a three-and-a-half-month-old puppy has caused her great concern. We all have heard the reports of mountain lions everywhere up and down the Valley. I live in Hailey and one neighbor reported a mountain lion on my street. And, another a few blocks from me had a moose in her yard! With the snow melting and the warmer days, the bears are coming out of hibernation and are very hungry!
Living here, among the incredible beauty and wildlife, we must remember that our dogs are not the top of the food chain. When we built our homes in this Valley, we invaded the wildlife habitat. Golden Eagle [subdivision] used to be the winter area for all the elk. Elk now frequent Cold Springs and other spots along the Valley instead.
To protect ourselves and our beloved dogs and cats, be sensible. Please do not frequent areas of known waterways right now. Keep your dogs close to you. Use a leash more than the time you don’t. Even 100 percent recall cannot protect your dog from slipping through the ice!
Fran Jewell is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, IAABC-certified dog behavior consultant, NADOI-certified instructor #1096 and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC, in Sun Valley. For more information, visit positivepuppy.com or call (208) 578-1565.