The big payback: Babies and dogs gone rogue
Why dogs should be trained to never rush out of doors, even if they lead to gated backyards
I had a strange fixation with heat (and excitement) as a kid. It is probably why having an electric fireplace brings me so much joy now. I once took my diaper off and tried to sit on a BBQ grill like it was a potty seat. The problem (besides cleanliness)? The BBQ grill was lit. My grandfather used to tell me how depressed my father was for looking away a split second before I did this. I had an index-finger-sized burn mark under one cheek for years, but the scar is nonexistent in my 40s.
Then there was the time I tried to hug a hot radiator. My grandmother went flying across the room and burned her own back, blocking me from getting hurt.
And then my own dog Junee saved me from a fire by being so absolutely loud with the whining and barking while looking at my electric baseboard heater. To the human eye, there was nothing wrong with it. That is, until I saw sparks flying about 20 or so minutes later and took off running for my fire extinguisher. I was quite proud of myself when the black firefighter (chief?) took a look at the heater, then me in my pajamas (and my dog now crated) and gave me a fist bump for putting the fire out. (Honestly, Junee deserved 99% of the credit for keeping me awake.)
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You never know what you will do in a split second of a dangerous situation. But when my parents’ dog slipped out of her collar to chase a dog walking by, and then thought it would be fun to run into the street of oncoming cars, I had a decision to make.