success!

He came back! Except for bothering some horses (trying to- they didn't care, thank goodness) and the fact that I was only able to catch him at the end of the walk because he was too tired to run anymore (and there was manure to sniff) it was grand. He even stayed much closer than has been the norm.

Dodger waded into the canal more than once and forded the river twice. I guess he doesn't mind water, after all, Sue. Both dogs enjoyed running around getting filthy and were well mannered with the only other dog we met. Pleasantly, Dodger and his buddy, Emma, also got on well in the car. Luckily, Emma is very good at coming when called, so we only had one dog to be worried about.

Excursion was uber stressful for me, but I'm hoping that the huge fuss that we made over him with love and treats when he came anywhere near us will condition his furry self to stay closer next time. Next time, he isn't going off leash until we are much further form the horse pasture. :-P

Poor guy was so sleepy after the hike and his usual afternoon walk that he spent today conked out. Didn't even go out to pee for 7 hours.