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Dogs And The Animal Kingdom
May. 1st, 2013 06:05 pmThe dogs seem fixated on hunting little mammals, gophers, squirrels and rabbits. They would also chase cats if I let them, Birds are not very interesting, but reptiles are off their radar.
The dogs and I happened upon a harmless gopher snake, so I tried to teach them the word "snake" and to be careful, but they were both oblivious to the snake. Halo seemed like he didn't notice it, and finally when it slithered into a hole, Pogi showed a little curiosity.
I'd like to think they have instincts to avoid snakes. I had a cat once that jumped three feet into the air when she encountered a dead snake.
Back to birds, the dogs get their dander up if the chickens actually come into the yard, but almost always the chickens are pecking around outside the fence, and the dogs seem to like that. Having a flock of big squawking, clucking ground birds foraging nearby somehow strikes them as funny.
The most interesting are other dogs, especially largish dogs. The little yapper dogs can be bothersome, but there is a female Queensland Heeler nearby that they both love.
Halo, at least, is a cowboy breed of dog, and he seems to have a special interest and affinity towards horses. They were watching a rider galloping his horse close by, and both dogs were quiet and very observant of the spectacle.
The dogs and I happened upon a harmless gopher snake, so I tried to teach them the word "snake" and to be careful, but they were both oblivious to the snake. Halo seemed like he didn't notice it, and finally when it slithered into a hole, Pogi showed a little curiosity.
I'd like to think they have instincts to avoid snakes. I had a cat once that jumped three feet into the air when she encountered a dead snake.
Back to birds, the dogs get their dander up if the chickens actually come into the yard, but almost always the chickens are pecking around outside the fence, and the dogs seem to like that. Having a flock of big squawking, clucking ground birds foraging nearby somehow strikes them as funny.
The most interesting are other dogs, especially largish dogs. The little yapper dogs can be bothersome, but there is a female Queensland Heeler nearby that they both love.
Halo, at least, is a cowboy breed of dog, and he seems to have a special interest and affinity towards horses. They were watching a rider galloping his horse close by, and both dogs were quiet and very observant of the spectacle.
