Sammy Story 11: Left with Dad

There was no help for it. I had a writer’s conference in Calgary to attend for the weekend, and Sammy had to be alone with Daddy. We were not at all sure that this would go well. We suspected there might be a few hiccups.
We were right.
Theo had closed the bedroom door so he couldn’t hide up there, and would be forced to be near him. He needed to let him know who was in charge, and he didn’t want to have to clean up messes indoors if he could help it, although he was prepared for that too.
Mostly, he curled up in my downstairs recliner, but he wouldn’t eat or drink. When Theo felt he probably needed to go out, he went downstairs and the dog zoomed past him upstairs, hiding behind my chair. Theo tried to coax him out, speaking soothingly, reaching slowly for him…
Bad move.
Sammy bolted, spraying urine and feces everywhere in the living room. Finally, he found the open door and out he went, down the outside stairs and into the back yard.
After cleaning up the living room, Theo went outside to find the dog.
He looked everywhere, but Sammy was nowhere to be found. He was certain there was no way to escape, no holes in the fence large enough to get through, but who knew what a terrified dog could do?
Then he found him. Sammy had wedged himself in the small space between the shed and the fence. There was no way he was coming out on his own. When Theo reached for him, he bit him. He was absolutely terrified.
Theo’s heart went out to him, but he had to come out; he couldn’t leave him outside all night.
Afterwards, Theo stopped up the space with wood, and Sammy got used to the idea that the backyard was escape-proof.
So, not a good daddy-doggy bonding experience. He was very happy when mom came home.