[pyrnet] CHAT: Road Trip

[Jeanne Bravin <gypsyunltd@yahoo.com>]

I just have to share this, because only pyr people
will really understand -

My daughter is currently in her 3rd year of college,
and competes in NCAA Track & Field.  When she was in
high school, Gypsy attended so many of her track meets
with me that she was named the unofficial mascot of
the team.  Since Daughter has been away at school and
it's a 4 hour drive, I don't go to as many meets and
when I do, I don't take Gypsy.  

A few weeks ago I was going up for a meet, and got
this absolutely brilliant idea.  I would bring Gypsy
to surprise Daughter!  My husband was going along with
me, we'd be using the van instead of my compact car,
and it seemed that it would be perfect.  Off we went
at 5:45AM, travelling from eastern Long Island all the
way up to Troy (just outside of Albany.)  It was rough
at first because it was so foggy we couldn't see, and
Gypsy was disoriented at not being able to see
anything out of the windows and was a little stressed.
 But she finally settled in, and we were making pretty
good time.  Having had a bit too much coffee, I was
looking forward to that first rest area after the
Tappan Zee Bridge!

But - just south of the bridge, we got stuck in a
horrendous traffic jam.  Horrendous as only a NY
traffic jam can be.  Cars were jammed bumper to bumper
in all three lanes and on both shoulders, and there
were no exits in sight.  We moved about 50 feet in
half an hour.  I was starting to get worried because I
didn't want to be late for the meet (not to mention
the 'too much coffee' factor!)  Now if I'm worried,
Gypsy automatically goes on alert.  So she jumps up
and starts looking around for what ever is worrying
me, getting stressed again because she can't find it. 
I'm trying to calm her down, husband is getting a
little cranky, horns are blasting all around...

And our van stalls out.  Dead as a doornail.  We can't
get it started, we can't push it because we're on a
slight uphill, and there isn't anyplace to push it to
anyway.  Now I'm really upset, and Gypsy reacts
accordingly by barking sporadically at the cars and
things around us to protect me.  Husband calmly calls
911 from his cell phone, and we need to wait about 45
minutes for the towtruck to show up - listening to
that pyr bark serenade a good part of the time.

The tow truck magically appeared in front of us,
because he didn't want to try to drive through the
traffic the usual way and had BACKED ON TO THE
ENTRANCE RAMP up ahead, and backed that big flatbed
through the traffic jam.  Guess what?  No room for
agitated dog in the tow truck, so she'd have to stay
in the van.  Which means I had to stay in the van to
control agitated dog.   And husband rode along with us
for moral support.

Did I mention that I'm afraid of heights?  Being
winched up onto a tremendous flatbed, and then having
to stay precariously perched up there - swaying back
and forth - while aforementioned towtruck driver
proceeds to drive off of the on ramp, over a divider,
and the wrong way on a one way road...  It was a bit
much, and I was very upset.  But now Gypsy thinks
she's got it figured out, and she goes into full blown
protection mode, barking/growling/lunging etc, trying
to figure out a way to get to that tow truck from
inside the van.  I try to calm her down, but she knows
that I'm lying and refuses to believe that it's ok.

The tow truck drops us off at a little service place
in the absolute worst part of town - drunks sleeping
in the gutters, that sort of thing - and I need to get
Gypsy out of the van so that they can work on it.  She
came out of the van like a wild beast because
something was scaring Mommy and she had to get it, and
started barking and lunging at everyone that even
looked at me.  It must have looked pretty bad because
I always use double collars and a super stong leash
when I take her out (had one break a couple of years
ago), so there I was standing over her and holding her
collars/leash with both hands to keep her under
control.  The whole time trying to explain that she
was really a very friendly dog!  

I still had the 'too much coffee' problem, but Husband
can't control Gypsy if she's trying to protect me and
I couldn't take her into the restroom with me.  So I
walked her for a while just to give us something
constructive to do.  That worked, and we both felt
better.  She stopped her super-protection behavior,
but the entire time we were there she kept her entire
body between me and what ever stranger happended to be
closest.  One of the mechanics commented to my
husband, "Nobody messes with your wife, huh?"  Husband
just laughed and said, "Not since she got that dog!"

The rest of the trip was uneventful.  We were on our
way before too long, Gypsy was thrilled to be at a
track meet again, and Daughter was duly surprised. 
Gypsy had no problem with hundreds of unknown athletes
and spectators getting up-close and personal, and was
her normal wonderful calm well-behaved friendly self
again.  No on would believe it was the same dog...

Jeanne Bravin
Mastic, NY
GypsyunLTD@yahoo.com

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