bad to the bone

Meet Snickers. This is the procoscious dog I'm sitting for this week. The family warned me about him but I thought, "How bad can this little dog be?" At first he seems friendly and lovable. But then you let him out of the house and he turns into a wild animal running free. The first time I let him out, he ran around the back yard for a few minutes. I thought to myself, "He's not that bad..." but then he went to the fence and jumped through the bars and starting running around the wooded area behind the family's house. He heard another dog and ran in that general direction. I called his name several times and he didn't come back. Finally, I decided to go in and figured he would come back when he got thirsty because it's so hot outside; and he did, but when I opened the door, he ran away again, thinking it was a game. Frustrating!

Yesterday I let him out and tried to keep an eye on him from the window. He heard something in the front of the house and ran for it. I walked to the front of the house and saw him chasing a van down the middle of the street, barking like crazy. I grabbed the leash and walked outside, muttering under my breath. I saw him near some trees a few houses down and he started walking towards me. Just as I was about to grab him, he ran toward a house where the kids were playing outside. I yelled, "Grab him, please!" and one of the girls picked him up. I apologized but they said it was okay because they knew him. I told them I was housesitting and haven't figured out how to keep him from running away.

I'm thinking about nominating him for "The Dog Whisperer"...