Smooth Move, Nika

Nika is not exactly on my "best dog ever" list. She barely makes the "dogs whom I will let sleep on the floor in my living room" list, but one thing she isn't is boring. Tonight's fun started with her being hooked to her leash in the backyard as Ryan and I played various versions of "Mommy, kick the ball over here, No Mommy, THIS way." I heard some rustling and wasn't surprised to find her weaving herself around the bushes on the outside of the gazebo. It's kind of a gift. After a while, her whining intensified and I glanced over to see a speck of white showing through the latticework of the gazebo. The lattice work nailed to base boards which are set into the ground with no space under them. You're going to want to remember that for later.)

Closer inspection revealed just what a mess she had gotten herself into. Not only did she crawl under the 2-3" space under the deck, but shimmied over into the gazebo a/k/a prison area AND wrapped her leash around the center post a few times for good measure.

Here's a picture I like to call "Freedom: So Close, and yet so far away" *tear*

After 10 minutes of Ryan and I trying to lure her to walk in the correct clockwise direction to unwind herself, we literally hit a snag when her leash became entangled in the weeds and wouldn't go either direction. I finally reached my arm as far as I could into the abyss and unhooked her from her leash. She remained under there for another 10 minutes but I was finally able to coax her out. The leash, alas, is still hopelessly wrapped around the post because it turns out violently yanking on it does not, indeed, free it.

So, here's a helpful hint: If you have a gazebo (or a garbage can), don't get a Nika.