If not for bleeding heart libs they could be cained.

So yesterday, i take a bud to hunt hogs in the west Texas desert southwest of Odessa and southeast of Kermit. When we come out just before dark and on a county road running to the south of the Odessa/Kermit hwy i see a dog sitting in the right of way. As i have left the caliche and reached the blacktop part of the County Road im going pretty fast.

As we go by the dog walks up to the roadside wagging its tail and acting friendly. Well, it takes me a ways to get stopped and pull over to get out and look for my emergency over night in the desert cans of sardines.

I had gone out of sight of the dog by the time i got stopped, but was planning on going back. By the time i found what i could give i looked up and here it came on a limping lope.

I got a plastic gallon of emergency water and cut the top off and set it out. I didnt know what to do. It wouldnt let me get close but as i drove off it was drinking water until i was a quarter mile away and lost sight of it in the rear view.

I cant believe some people are sorry enough to put a pet 30 miles from town in the desert. They think the coyotes wont kill it because its big?

Well, i got to thinking i could maybe go back and get it in the truck and at least drop it off with some food at the pound.

Of course, today the wind is 30-40 with gusts to 50 and 4 mile visibility. I got on the road at 6pm after taking a few puffs ov Advair and asthma tablets and headed west 30 miles after stopping at Dollar general for dog food and water.

Well, of course i had some trepidation as i didnt know what i might find. I got to the county road and headed south and went about half a mile and low and behold i saw there was a work truck up ahead with a man standing outside, bent over, with arm stretched out toward the dog standing facing him about 8 ft away.

I pulled up beside them and he asked if it was my dog. I told him no and explained the previous day.

I told him i had some water and food. He had the name Silva on his shirt and worked for a big pipeline co. She laid down in the grass between our two trucks as we talked over what we thought we should do. He had turned down the road on his daily trip from the Kermit/Odessa run to potty and, as we noted, she had trotted up.

He got in his truck and circled around to the south and upwind of her and opened the bed of his company truck. I cut the top off the water and placed it just downwind of the truck bed and upwind of her. She came and drank when i backed off a bit, wagging her tail happy as could be. I moved the water to the bed. No dice. He had already tried unsuccessfully to get her in earlier.

He got a hard hat and i poured a little of the gravy/meat chunk purina can in. She gobbled it up but would not get in the bed for more and wouldnt let us get beside her to lift her in.

She was pertty thin with hip bones prominent. Feeding her more from the hard hat i was eventually able to scratch under her chin and behind her ears, but we still couldnt get by her.

I gave MrSilva some money to get her some food and water to drop off for her tomorrow on his trip through.
Then, as we drove off, dayomed if she didnt come trotting after us.
Well, we left her there and hopefully she will be there when he comes through tomorrow.

Anyone with dog sense have any ideas?

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I can't abide cruelty to dogs. Hats off to you for caring that way.

I might have a look around the area to see if the owner isn't nearby, perhaps incapacitated. Something not right about the dog staying there like that..

I'd try a "Catch Pole", for starters......that whole routine can be a very slow process,....and wear on one's patience.
The dog has to think that BOTH of you have all the time in the world, and so do YOU.

GTC

Dogs are humanity's barometer.

You're a good man JagTX.

There is no one living anywhere around for miles. The dog didnt run off into the desert when let out to pee. If the dog knew which way to go to get home it wouldnt be sitting by the county road out in the desert, it would be headed home rather than waiting to die.

People lose jobs and cant afford to feed their dog and dumb suckers put them out to die rather than do it themselves. I know lots of ranchers who feed many dropped off near their home away from town. If the dog is dropped off across town it finds its way home in a few days. They take it a long way off so it cant make it home.

This is a family pet that couldnt be provided for any more.

We live about a mile and a half from a state park. Last week someone dumped 4 terriers up there. State park people were trying to catch them when we took our walk up there. A neighbor vet finally caught them.

People who dump pets are scum.

this is just one small example of many
pets that get tossed out every year.
this one just got lucky that someone
who cared happened by.

I'd go back and get that dog. If she sees you a few times, she will take a ride, and keep her. If not, maybe Silva will.

Some things we can't fix, but maybe this one can be.

+1 - and Silva.

After you get her/his trust a bit, try putting food in your car with door open and back away. Don't push the stress factor in any way. The dog obviously has issues. Let the dog dictate the parameters.

You might also try just sitting down with or without food nearby and letting the dog come to you.

Play posture - on your 4s, head down, butt up might be worth a try too.

Good luck with this deal Jag, nice job.

I would turn sideways to her and sit down with food offered.

No need for talk.

Good luck with her.

Having had to catch a few skittish "runners", I employ the possum approach. Just flop down on my back in sight of the dog and the hound will invariably come check you out. The fun happens when you grab its scruff

I can see how that might happen, but it hasn't to me in several...

Like they say in the old joke: "Don't you think you ought to pet him first?"

That's a fine looking dog! Waiting for her family to come back, and wary of substitutes...

Bastids!

Ha, you bastid. Cousin told the guy who walked to work at the sawmill how to handle the big cur that ran up to him all bristled up every time he walked by the Chalmers place on his way to work every day.
Cous said LeRoy mnissed work a few days and when he finally returned he had bandages and stitches all over his arms.

Cous said he asked LeRoy wth happened. He said well Lou, i did what you told me too. I squatted down and held up a chicken breast in my left hand. When he took it i grabbed his belly with my right hand. Hotdayom Lou, that summbitch went fuggin crazy on me.

Well done Sir

That is a good looking mutt. Kudos for helping her out.

A couple years ago, deep in the mountains of Central Idaho, we had to stop to let our Jack Russel out to pee. I thought I had him safely contained between a large creek and me on the road.

Big Mistake.

That little bastard got a whiff of something on the breeze and flew past me at mach 2. Over the mountain he went.

There just ain't no stopping a terrior in pursuit.

All we could do, was sit on the side of the road and wait. About thirty minutes later he came back over the ridge toward us, still on a dead run, with his tongue hanging out. But proud as hell and wagging his tail.

That was the last time he got out of the truck without his leash.

A bird in the hand ain't equivalent to a crotch in the hand..

dog or human.

Yep.

One time some years back I espied a tiny chihuahua on a 100 degree day in summer walking miserably down the side of a busy road. Couldn't get close but I lay down flat on my belly with a bowl of water in my hand. Sure enough, came close enough for me to grab, didn't try to bite. Just crouched down motionless, scared.

A nice dog, but flithy and skinny, with overgrown nails. My guess was a high dollar dog that someone had stolen from the original purchasers. Brung her home, cleaned her up, and the first night left her in the bathtub with a shirt to sleep on, figuring when she peed or pooped it'd be easy to clean up.

Didn't take but a couple of days for that dog to come around. Turned out to be a well-bred, expensive-looking teacup chihuahua for which we had absolutely no use. No microchip to say where it was from, no missing dog signs, no newspaper ads.

Shortly thereafter we was walking the dogs in the park, this tiny one on a leash, when a lady says "Oh what a beautiful chihuahua, I've always wanted one like that"........

She was a tad surprised when I handed her the leash

Only 30 minutes? I can't count the cumulative hours I've spent waiting for the Dachshund or Lab to quit running and come back. The Weasel was worse- and took longer!

I can't wait to get doggy again!!!

This^^^^.

Now las, by dayom, youre a dog man.

Damned wiener dog is where I learned the possum trick. POS Huskie is where I learned to be careful when you snatch 'em by the scruff!

Well, maybe, I'm a bit doggy.. Generally they are about a half step ahead of me. At that, I read them better than I do people. Not to be confused with people who actually understand and train them.

After 7 years here, I haven't a clue to most of the neighbor's (within 3 blocks) names (I've been introduced) here in Kotz, but I know their dogs' names. And most (not one, tho) of them have offered to let me walk their dogs on leash. Some off leash out of town.

Except for Rex, I don't.

No need to clutter my old brain with extraneous information like people's names...I can live with that.

A couple months ago I was dropping my wife off at the air terminal, and there was this big Lab running around inside- scaring some people (Some Eskimos fear dogs- having experience only with "sled-dogs", usually kept chained and not well acclimated to strangers, i.e. defensive of their space - the length of their chains.)

"Rex- come with me". We went 4 blocks home, Rex at heel, uncommanded. He is my next door neighbor's dog, and we have an understanding. We adore each other. He's a smart bugger too- and vastly undertrained/appreciated.

You know how confined dogs will resist re-confinement? Sometimes when Rex is loose unsupervised, I'll go over , unkink his chain, and call him over. He ill think about it for a few seconds, then slink over, head down, and let me put his collar back on. That's a DOG! He is of configuration that collars short of a chain collar, doesn't fit well... so he slips it often.

He growled at me the first time I met him. 3 milk bones later we were fast buddies. He got to the point that when my Lab (now deceased) stole his bones, he wouldn't object. He would just look at me and grumph- knowing I'd get it back for him.

One day when my wife was taking our Lab out for a walk, she had the dog on leash, doors opened, when she went back for her gloves or scarf or something. She started to yell at Tripper Lab for pointing the milk bone box, when she realized the leash was going out the doors.

I have no idea how Rex knew where the milk bone box was kept......

If Cris ever wants to let him go.....

Dog looks good natured and that breed usually friendly, how about another dog in the back of the truck? Bring the dog out of the truck, then put him back in the bed, see if the stray will follow.

Thats a good idea. Thanks.

Too bad DeFlave (is that French) couldnt get one.

Hats off to a fellow dog lover, you did good!

O when I read the heading thought it was about my grandsons track coach. Sorry carry on.

Same thing happened to me. Dog didn't know whether to follow the truck, run uphill or down, just confused. Skinny as heck. Fed him and got his photo. Posted it on Craigslist lost and found and maybe Facebook. My wife went on the local website for the shelters and found a photo posted of a lost dog that matched. We got ahold of them thru the shelter and told them approx where it was. They went up there and found him and posted it on Facebook.

Social media is a fantastic tool since so many people are active on it.

Good looking dog, JagTX.

Best of luck with this.

I'll bet if you can get close to it, you could give it a Sit command and slip a rope leash over it's head. I see a lot of dogs that are lost and confused until they have a leash on. It seems to give them a lot more confidence if they have a rope around their neck.

Keep trying. My best dog is out of a feral mama. It took some time for my wife to win over mama but she did. Mama got a home and we got one of her pups, Izzie. Great dogs all around. Rescue that yellow dog and you'll have a really loving dedicated loyal dog.

I think you might have a new dawg there Jag.

And a very grateful one who knows who saved his life.

Ha. Great story, las.

Good idea, and true.

Kinda' confused here,....is this dog now in and under somebody's care,....or still out in the desert on it's own ?

GTC

Do you know anyone with a stock/horse trailer?

They are low to the ground, easy to get into.

I wonder if she might step into the back of one of those to get food and water.

You could tie a lariat rope to the door and yank it shut from in front of the trailer. Might be far enough away so that she would not be skittish getting in the back to eat.

Then you could latch the gate and take her to town.

Just a thought.

Borrow a large have a heart type trap, local humane society or pound or shelter or vets probably has several. Bait it, drive off and she will go in and get caught

A dog has never hauled ass, never to be seen again until hunters found him in the middle of nowhere while hunting.

Silva got the dog folks.

Probably has happened. Normally if someone takes a dog hunting or travelling and lets it out for any reason it has a collar. Not if they dump it and dont want it back.

Good to hear!

I was thinking camp chair, ice chest, and a good book. Maybe a .22 in case of squirrels. Have the food nearby and some dog treats on top of the ice chest. If the weather is good, it might be a good way to spend the afternoon.

But good on you and Silva. I hope she has a great life.

I live out in the country in NC. My last two pets were young dogs that some scum had driven out in the country and dumped.
We had Sparky for 10 years and Cookie for 17 years, they were great pets.

It is sorry scum who dumps pets out in the country.