Dog Doos & Don'ts

     If I could throw a rock really well, I could land it in a corn or soybean field.  Living on the edge of a small rural community, there is never a lack of local wildlife. We have opossums, raccoon and lots of red squirrels but, on occasion, there have been white tail deer in front of the house.  A couple of years ago, we had a fox that raised her litter of eight in the culvert at the end of the block.

     If you have followed along with tRuth As I See It, you know we have a dog, Runtly, the Jack Russel Terrier.  Potty training this dog has been something of a learning curve experience.  Right now we seem to be on the downhill side.....which was the first uphill side.  The guide book for above mentioned breed of dog states it can take up to eight months for them to "get it".  It is my deepest hope that on June 29th something magical happens.  He has become a master at the disappearing and pooing act.  I thought I was on top of this game until I had walked him for over 30 minutes only to return to find he had already left me a prize by the front door......inside the front door.

     Runtly is a lot of things, but brave isn't one of them.  Oh, he sounds brave when he is on the enclosed back deck, but when it comes to fight or flight, he always chooses flight.  He does not like sirens, either in real life or on the television, or honking horns.  

     As I was standing outside the other morning, I could hear a flock of geese approaching.  I thought Runtly would enjoy this new nature experience and called for him.  The geese were getting closer and I picked him up so he could watch them.  There must have been at least twenty or more and they flew right over at tree top level, in a perfect V formation........honking.  That was enough for Runtly, all he wanted to do was get back in the house as fast as possible.

     Another recent addition to the wildlife scenario has been a flock of five turkey buzzards.  I see them almost everyday, lazily riding the warm air thermals circling round and round.  Yesterday while I was on the back deck, one flew over.  It was very low and had a couple of grackles in hot pursuit.  I looked down at Runtly and he had a look of terror in his eyes.  His tail was drooped and he was trying to crouch down to make himself smaller.  I opened the door and he shot straight to his crate and stayed there for over an hour.

     It's pretty obvious that Runtly is not and never will be a bird dog, but I'm thinking one of those inflatable garden owls hanging by the front door might be in our future.