Magicians were once considered the height of entertainment, but since Siegfried and Roy‘s illusions resulted in an unexpected necessity for plastic surgery, they seem to have fallen out of favor at the moment.
Back in the day though, certain ones became household names – like Harry Houdini. He is pretty much relegated now to the stature of a Jeopardy clue. I guess David Blaine is the more contemporary escape artist.
And Martin, the Black Labrador, is the dog-equivalent of Mr. Blaine.
“Why is he so adamant about leaving?” asks his perplexed owner. “He has everything he could possibly want right here. Great food, plenty of toys, daily walks, room to run, people who love him. What is he looking for?”
Ah, the existential question.
Here are some of the typical reasons a dog might be motivated to attempt escape:
BREED – Some breeds become bored easily, are intrinsically restless, do not like to be confined, or cannot resist the call (or smell) of the wild. Beagles, Bloodhounds, Huskies, Shiba Inus, and Scottish Terriers are a few that come to mind.
HORMONES – An intact (not neutered) male dog will leap tall buildings in a single bound to get to his lady love, the female in heat in the next county.
SEPARATION ANXIETY – A dog that desperately wants his owner to come back will chew through doors, bend steel, or break a window in a frantic, driving need to be reunited.
ABUSE OR NEGLECT – Dogs that are fearful of their owners, are hungry, or left alone too long, will seek relief elsewhere.
In Martin’s case, we identified the cause as Separation Anxiety and treated him successfully for this condition.
For more information on Separation Anxiety, read Don’t Leave Me Part I and Part II, Don’t Forget Your Lunch, Independence Day, and High Anxiety before your dog, like David Copperfield, does a disappearing act.
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