freaked out by flying newf!

ward_hill

New member
From the day he came home, Buckley has loved hanging out on the porch, either watching the world of people and other animals go by or sleeping peacefully.

Most creatures draw little reaction, except for raccoons, opossum, and CATS! And, because of the feral cat colony nearby, there are lots of cats hunting and passing through our property and the adjoining ones.

Particularly at night, Buckley will go ballistic whenever a cat appears within scent range and/or sight. He jumps onto the porch railing with his forelegs hanging over and woof-woof-woofs until the cat runs away in fright, or wanders away in boredom knowing that Buckley is stuck up there. If it's before 11pm, I usually let him bark. After that time, I will quickly bring him inside, usually by grabbing his collar and leading, sometimes wrestling him through the door (last ones on the right go into the hall).

Last night, about 1am, woof, woof, woof. Out I go, grab him and start toward the door. I can't even see the cat. In an instant, Buckley broke free and hurtled toward the end of the porch, leapt up, AND WENT RIGHT OVER THE RAILING AND ONTO THE GROUND BELOW!!



In the nano second in which I'm wondering what horrible injuries he's sustained, my heart nearly stopped .... It was pitch-black, but when I looked over the side, he wasn't even there! I ran out the front door calling him. For a second, nothing. Call again, and he comes bolting toward me from beneath a stand of rhododendrons!

He followed me up the steps and into the house. He sat, I started checking him out from stem to stern. Put him in a down, rolled him over, checked all over his underneath, belly, hips, elbows, ankles(?!), feet. Then, I noticed a little blood on my hands. Frantically opened his mouth, thinking he knocked out a tooth! No, it was, literally, just a scratch on his jowl, right below the nose!

This morning, he appears to be his usual self ... gait normal, not favoring anything, and not showing any sign of pain when I reexamined all of his joints. He hasn't been weighed for a while, so I'm going to take him down to the vet for a quick exam, just to make sure I haven't missed anything.

My heart is still skipping beats just thinking about it. Has he learned his lesson? Or will he be emboldened the next time he thinks he can catch a kitty?! I'm now trying to think of a way to create a higher barrier that will fit in with the house.

This kind of excitement, I don't need! Anyone else have a flying Newf?!
 

BLCOLE

Active member
I had a flying Labrador. He was very dominant around other male dogs. He was riding down a major thoroughfare in Greensboro, NC in my dad's SUV. It was a 4 lane road and they were traveling 45 mph. He saw another male dog in a yard and went sailing out the back window...
 

wrknnwf

Active member
My heart is pounding just thinking about it! I have a second story screened porch and the dogs keep popping out screens. I don't let them out there any more, because I'm afraid Piper might make the leap of faith...onto the rock garden below!!!!

I can't imagine what you could put up there that would stop him and still look good. Your house is so pretty! If it was me, I'd just not let him out there. Looks like you have a separate exit to the yard.
 
WOW!! What a shocking scary moment for sure. I am not sure if Snuffles would go over a rail, but he definitely would have done the chase, And it is amazing how fas he can go from all sprawled out to full run if there is a cat or bike to be chased.

Hope all is well with Buckley at the vets. Sounds like he is OK.
 

Lori

New member
Wow, Buckley! You had my heart racing reading your story. I was so glad at the end to hear you are ok. Hope everything checks out at the vet.
 

Tracy

New member
Sounds like he will need a cape...They just look more fearless while wearing a cape when they fly. Glad Buckley is ok, he probably landed nose first, that might explain the cut. The only thing is now he knows that he can do it. You have your work cut out for you.
Tracy
 

Newfobsessed

New member
WOW!! What a wake up call!! Your house is beautiful!!!! Let us know that he is truly okay after the vet exam - that was quite a drop! I had a foster Newf who insisted on flying at my head whenever she went around the yard with me. She hit my head, and I could not believe she could reach my head. I had a headache for a while, but no one yet (thank goodness) has done what your boy has.
 

dumainedogs

New member
HOLY CATS!!! Seriously, you might could just raise the level of the railing a foot or so. While he still might be able to clear it if he got a running start, it might be enough of a psychological barrier to be effective without completely destroying the aesthetics.
 

anya

New member
Well, my heart stopped just reading this. Wow. Glad to hear no injuries were sustained!
 

BlackLightning

New member
WOW!! That is scary! We had a similar situation with our lab when I was much younger, except that she had her leash on at the time and had been tied to the railing while we were clearing the dishes from dinner on the porch. Well, over she went, tied to the railing. Thank goodness there were stairs on the other side of the porch railing leading to the backyard. She was hanging on by her tippy toes, almost choking herself. We were right there when she did it so we could quickly free her. That was the first and last time she was left on the porch, leash or no leash. We were too worried she'd jump it again.
 

KS Newf

New member
Wow! That was scary!! Loved the cape comment!! I sort of think his success will encourage him sorry to say.
 

victoria1140

Active member
not a flying newf but a flying gsd cross, he went over a sea wall when we were on holiday, looked down and a 6 foot drop.

I can sympathise we were checking him over for days too. I wont take ours anywhere near cliffs or quarries now as they just dont think.

Hope the vets exam gave the all clear
 

R Taft

Active member
Phew.............I have never had my dogs do that. Mind you the house we live in now is right on the ground. Our dogs do not even go through all our fly screen verandah's.........Scary, i am glad all is well.
As to feral cats, we have them here and the dogs hate them. it is odd, because our dogs do nothing to my friends pet cats who live her when she is away. But they ( Tessa and Abbey) have each killed a feral cat. We loathe them, because they scare you witless when the attack us.
 

CMDRTED

New member
First I love the House! I LOVE old houses. Built when a House was a home, and not a pre-fab look-a-like.

We've had flying newfs here also. I will not tell the story of Judy being knocked on....er.....her side (whew) by a Flying Smoochie Newfie.
 

kagricola

New member
My first dog, a Newfie/Lab, took off after my cat days after I adopted her (I accidentally clipped her leash to the ring for her rabies tag instead of the collar ring and it broke right off) ran up on to our deck and then leaped off after the cat. It is at least 13 feet off the ground. I was screaming hysterically as my husband drove up. She didn't limp or act worse for the wear, but I also wondered if she blew out her ACLs a few years later as a result of that leap. We added a gate to block access and the dogs are not allowed out there.
 

ward_hill

New member
Thanks everyone for the stories and well wishes (and house compliments too!). He checked out fine at the vet. At this very moment he's upset that he's not allowed on the porch! Woof woof!

He's just going to have to get used to spending more time in the yard, which is surrounded by 6 ft farm fence. He likes the action out front though! ...
 
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