Etta

I had only had Etta one week. She was 8 months old and had been in a kennel most of her life, so she knew nothing of the real world. I was doing some yard work outside, she was staying close to me and the two other dogs all day. I went to finish one last project, that took about a half hour. She was here when I started, but no where to be found when I finished. I immediatly ran around the property calling her name, I live on 20 acres way out in the country. Cattle are free range out here, and most roads are dirt. Most properties are between 5 and 600 acres, which made searching difficult. When I didn't find Etta the first night I called Annette the first thing in the morning. She told me that Etta had seen some rabbits and had a fun time chasing them but turned around and could not see the house and didn't know how to get home.
I was a wreck, knowing she had only been here a week and never been off the property I didnt' know if she was going to be able to find her way home. Not to mention the danger of the coyotes, bobcats, bears, and cattle ranchers who shoot dogs. I passed out flyers to everyone I could, got word to several of the cattle ranchers, put flyers on the gates and posted them on poles everywhere. Etta was extreamly shy of people and would not go up to anyone. She was afraid of cars and quads, and would hide when people would drive by and run if anyone tried to get close.
Annette was able to steer me to different areas, here discriptions where so accurate it was amazing. Including several of the 20 acre ranches that were below me. I had never been on these property, but no one lived on them so I was able to walk through them. She was so accurate that there were trailers, barns with hay and a car with no doors, just like she said. Annette had said there was a barn with really bad hay, and sure enough the next 20 acre property behind this one had a old barn with really bad hay. She was able to see that Etta was mostly staying near the stream. We were able to focus a lot of our search near the streams. There were even times when my other dog Talyn could pick up her sent, so we had a pretty good feeling she had been there and we were on the right track.
Etta was so shy, I had a few sightings and people would try to get her, but she would just run away. Annette kept telling Etta that the people were trying to help, and to go to them when she heard her name. Well, after 6 days, she finally did. She had followed the steam back into a canyon and some people who received a flyer recognized her and where able to coax her into their house with some cat food. This was probably the longest 6 days of my life. I know it was no picnic for Etta either!
I could not have gotten through the ordeal without Annette. Knowing each morning that Etta had made it through the night and was still alive gave me the strength to go out everyday and look for her. And steering me in the right direction for my searches gave me so much hope. It was amazing the accuracy in her descriptions. I live in such a remote place in the county, there was just so much area to search. I just dont think I could have done it with out her. And I dont think Etta would have had the confidence to trust someone without being told she could.
I can't thank you enough for your help, I dont think Etta or I could have made it through this with out you!
I don't know how I'd live through another trial like that, but this certainly has made a good story.
Anna, Etta, Talyn and Raven too! (CA)