Okay, so today, my husband accidentally forgot to close the front door all the way when he came in from checking the mail.  You can't miss 2 GSP's for long without realizing it, so almost immediately, I ran to the front door. Sure enough, both were sniffing around the front yard.  I gave them the "here" command, and they both looked at each other and BAM, they were GONE!!    My husband jumped in the car and took off after them......NEVER caught them.   About 1 minute later, I looked out front, (I was getting my bike ready to go), they were in the culdesac in the middle greenway.  I gave them the command "here," and they both came running in.  This is the second time they have taken off like that....once at the dog park, and once in our own front yard.   BOTH times, luckily, they came back.  We are also EXTREMELY fortunate that it happened in the middle of the day, and there were NO cars in our neighborhood.  I am also fortunate that they ran our bike rought, which runs accross one major street and then the rest is a big loop of houses.  I am purchasing a door chime, as the existing one is no longer working.    Thank God they are home again and safe.....they could have been hit by a car, stolen, or lost.  I hate to even imagine what could have happened.   The second crazy is that our 12, almost 13 year old super arthritic BLACK lab decided to join in the run....we did not notice she was missing though, as she is usually in the back room sleeping on her ortho bed.  I guess my eyes were focused on the 2 brown GSP's rounding the corner towards a 4 way high way, HOPING they would turn into the loop of houses as we do on our route.  About 2 hours later, I was letting all the dogs out to pottie, and noticed Katie was missing.  I ran to the front door, opened, it, and there was Katie.  She looked HORRIBLE.  She was panting so heavily, and could barely walk.  Her tongue was pale.  I had to lift her inside.  I took her temp, and it was 108.  I grabbed her and took her to the north side of the house and hosed her down for 3 minutes. I could not get her to lie down.  She seemed to know she would be cooler if all sides received a breeze.  Once I got her really wet (she has multiple coats), I brought her inside and put her in front of the fan.  I offered her water, she would not take it.  I retook her temp after 5 minutes, her temp was 107.5.  I took a wet cool, but not COLD towel and placed it on top of her back and head.  She was still standing.  I tried to offer water.  She wouldn't take it.  Her eyes were open, but she was out of it, and would not follow commands.  I kept wiping her down, and put rubbing alcohol to her tummy and pads of her feet, and replaced the now warm towel with another cool towel.  After 5 more minutes, her temp was 106, and then after 5 more, was 105. At this point, she slowly drank cool water..... After a total of 20 minutes, her temp was 103, and cooling attempts were stopped per petmd!   She was soon 102 and  her normal self.  She is eating, drinking, peeing, pooping.  Not once did she fall, lie down, vomit, or stagger.   This dog is completely immortal!  I told my husband, if she survives this, she IS IMMORTAL!  She has had 9 lives and then some.  She survived eating a glass plate, an entire chocolate cake, an entire 13 pound back of puppy food, 2 rotten chicken carcasses, swallowing a sharp object and vomiting blood, and pyometra with surgery at age 11 with a 60,000 white count.    Because of her age and SEVERE arthritis and inability to get around, my husband and I both agreed that if we had to take her to the vet for heat stroke, we would have had her put to sleep.   I guess neither of us wanted that so we worked hard to revive her at home.  She recovered within 20 minutes.  I know the next couple of days will tell us more, because I know that organ damage , and clotting issues don't always show up on day one.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.......and then praying for her to give us a sign to let us know when she's ready to go.  I don't want her to suffer, and wonder if she isn't already.  She still LIVES to EAT and LOVES to be with us, despite the fact she can barely walk, and is in pain doing so.   I don't want to take what little joy she still does have away from her. I don't want her to be ready yet!  But.....I don't want her to suffer either.   Her fight today though sort of told me she's here to stay with us a few years longer .......hopefully!

 Yes, it was SUPER SCARY.  Our labs had SUPERB recall as well.  We could trust them to stay at a heel no matter what crossed their paths.  However, they were e-collar trained.  Perhaps I am going to HAVE to do this with them as well.   Just gotta get on the stick and buy one for them.  There are four commands I want SOLID with this breed; Sit, here, leave it, and down, .....forgot one, and whoa, since we bike with them.    I do have to say that AFTER they run the energy out, they have superb recall as well!!  Lol!!  I could call them clear across the dog park and they would come instantly, but they had to be tired.  Same with yesterday, after their 2 minute run......if that long, they both looked up when I called and came running in.   It's just their crazy energy........that they ALWAYS have!!  

 Hello Nancy,  Yes!  It was a very scary moment indeed.  I remember talking to a lady at the dog park a few months ago.  She said her GSP runs out the front door and takes off as well.  She eventually returns as well after her run!  My labs, when they would escape NEVER returned on their own.  We always received phone calls from our neighbors!  Luckily we have been in the neighborhood for 10 years, and our neighbors know our dogs, but the don't know we have the 2 GSP's, as they are fairly new additions to our family.   Our two have a healthy respect for the door, and will never just dart out.....however, when given an open opportunity, they will walk out slowly and respectfully, but if we don't catch them on the front porch, apparently they think it's another open opportunity to RUN.......and they take every advantage of that opportunity!   I caught both of them in my front yard within 5 yards from my outstretched hands....If I had had the bubbles with me, they would have most certainly chased after the bubbles in the front yard.  THen I could have tired them out in the front lawn!!  Oh well.  brainstorming for ideas to prevent this from ever happening again.  We are SUPER lucky.  I'm glad Lucy came back to you as well.   They must have a built in GPS....into their GSP brain!