Good Morning Everyone!

The family I Baby(teenager)sit for, went to Mexico for Christmas. So I'm off for 2 weeks, except for walking the dog. Another neighbor has the daytime walking and feeding, I've only got the 2am nighttime walk (normal for the dog's routine as that's when my friend reuturns from work and I go home).

The nice little doggie is a cross between a Jack Russel and a bulldozer. Nina can pull me right off my feet when she wants to. I ride a Mobility Scooter, and have been taking her out for a middle of the night run, as I can keep up with Nina on the scooter.

The bulldozer likes to explore everything, and she's too dumb to figure out that she can't circle around a plant/bush/pole several times without hopelessly tangling up the leash. I'm sorry, but at 2 or 3 am in freezing 25 degree weather I'm not getting off the scooter to follow her in a ring around the rosie in the bushes under someone's bedroom window to free the leash.

So, I've been keeping her running and not slowing the scooter when she tries to explore the bushes. Gives her a slight tug when we reach the end of the 20 ft retractable leash if she tries to stop. When that happens, she'd run at full speed and catch back up to me and pass me. I thought she'd gotten the message over the past several nights that we were out for a run. Keep it straight down the middle of the apartment complex driveway.

Tonight we went a little farther than usual. My mistake! There was a Fire Hydrant on the corner. Nina veered off in it's direction I kept going with the leash playing out behind me. This mangy flea ridden excuse for a Mutt circled the hydrant! When the leash was fully extended, it pulled my arm back hard enough to pick the scooter up on the two rear wheels, before I could let go of it. When the scooter did the wheelie I held on to the handlebar with my other hand. In doing so my gloved hand pulled the throttle full on and I went full speed at a 45 degree angle into the back of a parked car. Got my hand out of the throttle just as I hit the car (thus engaging the brakes) the scooter going up on two wheels again, this time the one front wheel and one back wheel. I got my foot down in time to keep from flipping over, the scooter then coming down on my foot.

The Fokking Mutt comes running up to me as I yell out for her. Looks right at me with a "How'd ya like them apples" expression. I grabbed her leash and she ran full speed leading the way back to the apartment. For some reason, wouldn't let me pet her once we got inside. Good move on her part.

Tomorrow night I think I'll just tie the nice little Nina doggie to a tree for 5 minutes, and skip the run.

Steve