First of all, I just want to say that Houdini is just a big loveable ball of fur that is so gentle he would not hurt a flea - but when it comes to horseflies, then I’m not so sure. We adopted Houdini just over a year ago and we have found that in that huge body is a brain the size of an ant, or so it seems at times. Or maybe it is so large that it is not usable – whichever it is, he doesn’t seem to use it properly. Most of the time Houdini just likes to lay around and sleep, snore or eat and sometimes he can pass some really stinky gas (I accuse him of eating my Nutrisystem food, because it sometimes causes that awful side effect).
Anyway, a couple of days ago Rick had to make a trip to Bristol, so Houdini and I stayed at home. But before he left, Rick had taken Mr. Furball out for his morning walk, and there just happened to be a huge horsefly that came inside the same time Rick and Houdini did. But of course, it stayed hidden until after Rick got gone, then decided to make it’s presence known by coming into the office where I was playing on the computer. And Houdini found it about the same time I did. That crazy fly began making circles around my desk and of course Houdini thought that he could catch it. I had no idea this big 150 pound dog could jump so high – nearly to the ceiling. But he didn’t catch it, just managed to chase it into the kitchen. And of course, he had to follow it and continue his pursuit.
Well, things quieted down for just a few minutes, then all of a sudden I heard a commotion coming from the kitchen and by the time I got up from my desk and through the hallway into the living room, which connects to the kitchen, Houdini had made his way into the living room. I have never seen anything like the sight that greeted me. There was this monster of a dog (in size anyway) that was all tangled up inside Madison’s high chair. His big head was through one side and his legs were in some of the strangest positions I have ever seen . And of course, Houdini was terrified and slinging that chair and his body all around the room, trying to get out of it.
I tried to grab him and hold him still, but the more I tried, the harder he shook and he was hitting me with the chair and his body, and this went on for a good (or bad) five minutes. I was out of breath and crying because I was just as scared as Houdini was. I was afraid that he was not only going to hurt me, but with his head caught inside the bottom of the chair, I was afraid that he was going to choke himself. I finally got him calmed down enough to get one leg untangled and he was quiet for about 30 seconds, when my darling hubby decided to call me. And that darn phone ringing got Houdini all excited again and of course he started that slinging himself, the chair and me all over the place again.
How it happened, I just don’t know, but somehow all that movement finally helped with Houdini getting himself untangled from the chair. But not without tables being moved all over the rooms and a very sore leg, arm and back for myself. And of course, by this time, that crazy horsefly had hid, so I couldn’t find it, but Rick found it hiding in his bathroom after he got home and he gave it a proper burial.
Oh, by the way, I called Rick back and I was breathing so heavily and still crying so badly that he thought I was having a heart attack. He was ready to hang up and call 911 for me, but I finally managed to explain what had happened and he rushed on home. I’m really surprised that nothing got broken, just wounded me. And you would think that Houdini would not want to get anywhere near that chair again. WRONG….that crazy dog goes and smells the chair and sticks his head underneath it. Maybe I’m still wrong about the size of his brain – maybe he doesn’t even have one !
