One dead R.O.U.S.

My dogs are contained in our yard by Invisible Fence.  It’s pretty effective.  The only time one or both of the dogs got out was when I had their leashes on too loose and they weren’t getting shocked.  Then they developed some bad habits of ignoring the shock when we fixed that problem and had to retrain them.  But now they’re good and don’t venture out of bounds.

That said, this morning when I went outside to feed and greet them they didn’t come running to the front porch as they normally would.  I was scared as I looked first in one direction and then the other and still couldn’t find them.  I was panicking.  I did not have time to chase them down in the neighborhood and chain them up and retrain them.  Urgh!  But, luckily Mosby stuck his head around the corner of the house.  He was filthy.  I saw his sister’s butt sticking out of the fenced area around the air conditioning units.  She too, was filthy.  They were in the middle of a hunt, and didn’t need me disturbing them.

They had tunneled under that fencing and around the base of the AC unit.  As I walked around to see what they were up to, I noticed a large gray rodent take off running.  I thought it was a small ‘possum – turned out to be a very, very large rat.  It was no match for Mia and Mosby working together, however, and it died a pitiful, tragic death this Sunday morning.

Upon our return home from church this afternoon, my seven year old daughter, who clearly isn’t squeamish, decided that its carcass lying in the yard was an eyesore, so she tossed it by its tail into the woods.  I promptly told her to go wash her hands.

Now the dogs are back on the porch, probably bored, keeping watchful eyes out for any other animal interlopers that may be lurking.

So far this spring, the great hunters have bested three (at least) lizards, a bird, several large bugs, and now – their piece de resistance – a rodent of unusual size.

Okay, it wasn't THIS big....but to my bleary Sunday-morning eyes, it seemed pretty close! Thank goodness for my dogs! They rescued me.

Happy hunting!

Thanks!