Schnuazers Follow Their Noses

Our Maggie has always walked with her nose to the ground never looking where she is going.    We have a fenced backyard so that wasn't a problem she could roam our yard to her nose's content. We have always just let her out to the yard and in when she came to the back door and barked.   Now that she has the physical challenges we take her down the steps and she wobbles around the yard for 5-10 minutes as she rarely barks anymore and then we go get her and carry her up the steps into the house.   A few times someone has left the gate open and Maggie just wandered out and followed her nose whereever it took her.  One time she made it two blocks away, thank heaven she didn't go into the street.  Yesterday, I let Maggie out.   I gave her about 10 minutes then went to bring her in.   The first thing I noticed was the open gate, Roy had been out there.  I ran into to the yard and no Maggie.   I ran to the front of the house and didn't see her anywhere in our little cul-de-sac.   So at that point I called for Roy to help.  He went out the back door and I went out the front.   There she was two doors down in our neighbors driveway nose to the ground wobbling toward the street.   How she made it that far is amazing as her little legs give out on her frequently.   I made it to her first and picked her up and hugged her close.  I am sure she didn't realize the trauma she had caused us.  We brought her into the house and both spent some time loving on her.  Today, Maggie was out this morning when I heard barking at the back door.   It was Maggie, what a pleasure to hear her bark again.