You guys, I hate to brag (I mean, I hate it a little…) but it has been absolutely gorgeous around here lately.
By all accounts around here, this was a really hard winter. Of course, that’s all relative. Ice twice = worst. winter. ever. I found it to be a lovely winter, but it sure is nice to get outside and play in the yard with the pups on a more regular basis.
Remember when we first moved here, I was a little concerned about the boys and the toads due to the tripping dog story? They’ve shown very little interest in the frogs, toads, salamanders, anoles, and all the other scurrying herps in our backyard. (Now, the rat, well that’s a different store. They are VERY interested in the rat.)
Turns out Molly has a Huntress side. She has caught 20+ lizards. So sad for the lizard population in our backyard. Last night, John pointed out that we don’t know how long she was on her own on the bayou, so she was perhaps surviving on the little guys and, hence, honed her lizard-catching skills.
We should’ve named her Katniss.
Last night she encountered her first toad. The funny thing was she play bowed to the little fella. He must’ve hopped or something because she FLEW backwards several feet, gave a little yip, then pounced. Luckily, we spotted the situation and removed him from the yard before she tried that “drug.”
Since this is the last summer we’re going to live in this house, I’m sure the herp population will revitalize once we’re gone or – fingers crossed! – once Molly finds a forever home. Either way, I do feel a little bad.
Has your dog ever hunted/caught wildlife? Any hunting prowess among your pups?
I hope you’re having glimpses of spring where you are!
Is there a doggy rehab she should go to???
Love that tree! We’ve got to get Bailey & Charlie used to being outside again. I tried to stay out with them a while yesterday evening. Bailey just wanted to lie on the swing, and Charlie kept begging to go inside. I have lazy girls!
Our dogs particularly like the plentiful possum. The problem is, when they catch them, and we realize it, we can’t tell if the possum is playing possum or really dead. So we have to check back the next morning to find out. Once the possum really was dead. Another time, it wasn’t there anymore and we hoped it wasn’t terribly injured. Hoping the Lab part of our Pit Bull used his gentle mouth.
Last night Hershey was worrying the remains of what looked to be a cedar waxwing. I hope spring and summer don’t bring too many more such casualties.
oh my gosh–if everything works out, we will rename her Catniss (Has to be with a “C” for the consistency with the others)!
Ray has an “I see a bug” expression. It’s pretty funny because he isn’t hunting or playing with it. He wants me to kill it, big baby.
Silas is a mighty hunter of flying insects, especially house flies. I find this handy and encourage it. He has mixed feelings about the lizards. He wants to chase them, but when they move it scares him away. LOL. My elderly neighbor has fits with her cat bringing in lizards. I bite my tongue about her letting the cat (aka Silas’s nemesis) outside in the first place.
It is FINALLY Spring here. But it is also now severe thunderstorm/tornado season. That tree is gorgeous, and I swear more daffodils and crocuses are popping up daily at my house.
Fingers crossed for your lizard population, but it is always nice to have a good hunter around.
My little wimp pack decimated the magpie population in the area a few years ago. You never know what an animal is capable of doing.
It’s been nice here but we haven’t had full blooming flowers like that.
Better find Molly a home quickly before you become a 4 dog household. I can tell from your posts your getting a little too attached. 🙂
Katniss, haha. Sweet Molly! Our dogs are absymal hunters. We were standing in front of this giant herd of deer the other day on a walk, and the dogs were completely uninterested. They are so lazy. 🙂
That bush is gorgeous!! Our snow is slowly melting but we still have a ways to go before we see anything green or flowered. We are still only getting occasional nice days.
Our dogs don’t show much interest in wildlife. One dog we used to have, Shelby, was a terrier mix and many squirrels and chipmunks didn’t survive her.