The Family Dog is a mixed breed, mostly consisting of Labrador Retriever and Rhodesian Ridgeback. The Labrador Retriever was bred to swim into the ocean and haul in the fishing nets. The Rhodesian Ridgeback is an African hunting dog used to bring down lions. No wonder the poor fellow is confused. He loves to hunt but is hopelessly bad at it.
When we lived in New Jersey, our community was filled with squirrels. The Family Dog's approach was to leap in their direction, barking loudly, giving them ample opportunity to scurry across the street or up a tree. He did once flush out a dead one for a second, before I had the chance to pull him away.
Back in California, he has found a wealth of prey. There are squirrels here too as well as rabbits and the occasional roadrunner. But he likes hunting lizards best of all. They are even faster than squirrels, and he has no chance of catching one, but that doesn't stop him. He is regularly covered with leaves from diving into bushes and attempting to score a lizard. I am heartened by his can-do attitude. How many of us can fail time after time and approach each new opportunity with a whole heart and utter confidence?
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2 comments:
There's something about lizards that intrigue our dogs and cats. I guess it's the way they move. They are irresistable to our animals. Cute story.
Molly, the Family Dog at our house, is excellent at catching squashed lizards on the street. We have to watch all the time when we're out for a walk, or she'll snatch up one of the poor dead rascals. When it comes to live ones -- or any living thing, for that matter -- she's completely hopeless.
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