Charlie, Great Hunter
He and Toby have spent the past few months stalking a trio of squirrels in my yard, with a lot of determination but no real success. Now the apricot crop is gone and the squirrels are off foraging in other yards. A few days ago though, we were out in the yard and Charlie suddenly became very interested in a large dense rosemary plant. Again and again he thrust his whole head inside the shrub. I figured it was one of the squirrels or maybe a lizard or a snake and all he was going to get would be a head smelling of rosemary. Then, after another head-first rosemary dive, Charlie came out with something struggling in his mouth. He jumped around, shaking his head and then dropped a small mouse on the lawn. Toby came over to investigate as Charlie circled the now still rodent and then suddenly flopped on top of it, rolling on his back over his kill with glee. By this time, I had gotten a shovel, pushed him away and scooped up his prize and disposed of it in the trash. Charlie came back with me, walking stiff-legged and showing off in front of Toby, who turned around and went into the house, unimpressed. For the next few days Charlie continued his interest in the rosemary, but this morning, he shifted his attention to another, larger shrub. Then in a flurry of motion he dived behind that plant and came out with something much larger than the mouse in his mouth on the first attempt. He shook his head once and dropped it on the ground, standing over something, daring it to move. I looked closer. A big, nasty rat. Good grief, my little sheepie has become a killer. He doesn't eat them; he doesn't even seem to draw blood. He just snatches them up and kills them with a shake of his big head. I dumped this newest victim in the trash as Charlie once again went into his stiff-legged, "I'm so tough", victory display. It seems hard to believe that my big goofy sheepdog can even catch anything but he obviously is pretty good at it. Squirrels beware. |
|
|
| well all i can say is yuckkkkkkkkkkk |
I never would have thought of a sheepdog as much of a hunter either... your description of him being so proud of himself is great, I can picture it perfectly.  |
What a great story. Thank you for sharing. Great hunter Charlie.  |
Wow I dont think Tiggy would even notice a mouse. 
What an observant boy. |
| Who needs a cat, you've got a killer wrapped up in a fluffy sheepdog coat. Good boy Charlie!! |
| Our 1st OES, Oliver did that. He learned to rodent hunt from our min pin and rat terrier. They were the most awesome hunting trio - they worked together . Mice, rats, rabbits - got them all! |
got sheep wrote: Our 1st OES, Oliver did that. He learned to rodent hunt from our min pin and rat terrier. They were the most awesome hunting trio - they worked together
. Mice, rats, rabbits - got them all!Reading your post Dawn brought me to mind how I always felt my cat Pearl was really waisted as a city cat. She would have done so well on a farm...she is a great hunter of lizards and even at 14 1/2 is quite quick. |
Great story, so well written!! Kudos to Charlie on his prowess! 
A RAT??? Ugh, even just the thought of it makes me shiver!!  |
violet wrote: got sheep wrote: Our 1st OES, Oliver did that. He learned to rodent hunt from our min pin and rat terrier. They were the most awesome hunting trio - they worked together . Mice, rats, rabbits - got them all!Reading your post Dawn brought me to mind how I always felt my cat Pearl was really waisted as a city cat. She would have done so well on a farm...she is a great hunter of lizards and even at 14 1/2 is quite quick. I know what you mean. Lizards - acckkk! My daughter Lisa is here from NY and brought her 12 year old rescue min pin, Spike Lee with. He is LOVING being on the farm. The 1st day here, he got to finish off a baby rat (I know - yuck, but goes with the farm and the grain) that Tipup the cat had caught and stunned. He was still drugged from the meds he takes to fly, but he was tossing it and doing the "death shake" on it. He is taking to farm life like he never was a city boy in New York his whole life. |
| I love that Toby sort of gets jealous, so cute! |
| My parents GSD cross would "stalk" garter snakes, one quick lunge it was in his mouth & with a quick shake of his head the snake would fly in 2 differnt directions. He always threw-up aftwards but we had a snake free yard! |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|