How Many Lives Do Dogs Have?

Yesterday I was walking along the concrete hall of my apartment complex, en route to the dumpsters. I was on the 2nd floor. As I approached the stairs to go down them, I heard a couple of dogs running out of their apartment, with their owner calling after them. The dogs rounded a corner and came into view. You may have noticed before that dogs don't do so well on certain surfaces, as far as traction goes. You know, when they get going, it takes awhile for them to come to a stop because they go into a skid first. Well these two dogs were small. They were so small, in fact, that one of them slid right through the bars at the ledge and fell straight to the gravel below. I watched in horror. The little dog didn't yelp, he didn't really make any sound, he just jumped up and went trotting off. I walked down the stairs, wondering what kind of impact that should have had on the dog. I heard Owner coming along, with the other dog now on a leash. I told her what had happened, she freaked out, and we went looking for Little Dog. I thought he had headed for the street in front of the complex, pointed her in that direction, and slowly headed that way myself. Little Dog did not appear, so I turned around and headed for the garbage, wondering if he was in the parking lot. As I entered it, out from under a truck trots Little Dog. He runs up to me and then backs away a little. So, I put everything down, scooped him up, and returned him to Owner, who had me recount the fall again. Then she walked off looking shocked and I continued to the dumpsters, probably also looking shocked. And so I wondered tonight, if cats get nine lives, how many do dogs get?