I'm just glad I didn't call for help!

This evening I took the boys out with me to shut the chickens in. Malcolm went trotting off down the garden, Bandit got in the coop and hoovered up some poop and Scooby (being Scooby) stayed in bed inside. Once I'd checked shut up the coop and got back to the house I called for Malcolm (Bandit was already inside).

I tried happy voice, mildly annoyed voice, deep voice, high voice and whistles but still nothing. So I headed back out with my rapidly dimming torch to search for him. I roamed the garden calling getting slightly more desperate with each shout until my torch finally ran out of juice. At this point I retreated to the house where Bandit was dutifully waiting at the door for me.

Out of sheer desperation I thought I would check Malcolms favourite spot behind the sofa and sure enough there he was wondering what all the commotion was about.

I'm guessing he was stood behind me when I called him from the house and I didn't notice.

What I'd really like to know though is how he got back in without me noticing? Or did I just make up taking him with me... As the title says though 'I'm just glad I didn't call for help' my neighbour would have laughed about this for weeks

I do this all the time! Bentley is usually looking at my back wondering who the hell I'm saying 'come' to

I did something similar the other day, it's really scary when you think you have lost a dog

But don't you just wish that they would clear their throat, or cough or something to let you know that they are there!!!

That feeling of panic is awful though, and I am so glad that Malcolm was safely indoors and not out hunting in the night.

You poor thing - I know that feeling only too well. A number of years ago while I still had my little Lhasa I went to call her in from the garden to find she had disappeared. Panic set in and after calling her, shaking her food bowl etc etc I got my OH and son to help look. I even looked in the river thinking she must have fallen in as I knew she couldn't get out of the garden. A good 20 minutes later my son called me in to say she was asleep on his bed I didn't know if to laugh or cry

Malcolm must have wondered what all the fuss was about ..... or maybe not

I thought I lost Rocky once and it was such a horrible feeling - because there was no way he could get out I could only think he had been stolen but then I looked in the shed, and there he was with a broom in his chops wondering what the fuss was about

Nice to see Malcolm keeping you on your toes as well

used to have the same thing when we had a garden, i had ferrets aswell so had to make sure phoebe was in before i let them out as she hated them with a passion. i was sure she was out so was checking all the garden behind the garage everywhere, she was in the kitchen watching me through the patio doors

I'm glad I'm not the only one! As Bitkin said don't you wish they'd just made themselves known. I actually think they plan it sometimes. I'm also beginning to wonder if dogs are blessed with ability to walk through walls and we just don't know it

Lesson learnt though - Next time check the house first