Find Maddy!

Home on a Monday and I had just let Mischa out on the porch to eat her bone, when I heard my neighbor yelling out for her dog, Maddy. I had hoped she would find Maddy on their back porch, sitting there waiting to be let back in the house. The calls within seconds were becoming louder and more frantic, when I heard my neighbor say to Mischa on the porch “help me Mischa, find Maddy”. I knew that moment it was different from the others and called Mischa inside and told her to “find Maddy!” We went outside and immediately began to walk the neighborhood calling out for the lost little beagle. Mischa was walking and sniffing the ground and ignoring the other dogs around. When I went to turn up the hill Mischa pulled back on the leash. I thought she was being stubborn, but little did I know she had a plan to find her friend. Mischa began to walk in the opposite direction towards the property fence. There was an old door in the fence that was cracked open. Mischa led me through the fence into my neighbor’s yard.

She kept walking and sniffing the ground for about a mile while I called for the missing dog. Then out of nowhere I heard that distinctive beagle yell. It was Maddy! Mischa walked all the way to the end of the street. Just then a man came walking out and asked if I was looking for a dog. He said he heard the dog barking in the back and allowed me access to his property. Mischa and I walked all the way to back of his property and called for little Maddy. We did not hear anything, but Mischa kept pulling into a patch of dense woods where I could not go. I was afraid to let her off the leash in fear that she would lose herself. I pulled her back and said let’s go.

I thought Maddy had moved once she heard us calling her, so I returned to the main road. Once we were up there we heard her again, by this time I had called her owner to meet me and she had arrived in the car. We went down to where we heard Maddy, back to that man’s property and she was found only about 15 feet from where Mischa had been trying to pull into the woods the first time. Maddy’s leash was stuck on an old stone wall and she was immobile. Maddy was about a mile away from the house when she was found. Mischa had never been trained to search and rescue, but that day she understood what she needed to do. Once we were back in our yard Mischa began to run around with a big smile on her face as to tell the world “I found Maddy and she’s safe!” I am so proud to be a pit bull parent….

Sporn Mesh Control Harness

Like many dogs, Mischa had the problem of leash pulling. I notice this especially when she was excited or could not wait to greet another dog, or even chase squirrels. I spoke with many pit-bull owners about the pulling and recieved some feedback on ideas that I was not crazy about. Some of the ideas for the behavior were the choke chain, pinch collar, and noise makers attached to the leash. One owner recommended the sporn mesh control harness, which sounded more humane than the other options. I decided to give it a try and instantly fell in love.  

This harness can be found at a variety of pet supply stores and even at Wal-Mart. It has a simple design and your dog will find this comfortable to wear. The mesh harness is made out of a breathable nylon fabric and has extra padded support under the front legs. This harness gives you more contol over dog and provides less stress for you when on walks. When your dog goes to pull, pressure is applied to the rear of their front legs which is uncomfortable for the dog. This harness worked magic for my 85lb strong, young dog. Paired with a retractable leash, it makes for a great time when on the trail or at the park. As soon as I stop, she stops immediatly. I no longer feel like my arm is going to detach from the socket when she pulls and this allows us to enjoy our walks together.