A Game of Dog and Mouse

~Sheba and Todd~

Up until 2011 when Todd came along, we never had a dog that could catch and try to kill something with such extraordinary focused ability.  And up until September when Shadow came, I never had a Golden that could do that either. This afternoon both Todd and Shadow each caught and killed a mouse.  Both were tiny, harmless creatures that were going about their business along the edge of our barn.  The other dogs were totally unaware of the small lives being lived just inches from where they had been walking.  I too would never have known of their existence, had I not been outside and heard Todd exclaim in excitement and saw a small tail hanging out of his mouth.

I managed to get the mouse from Todd with a little bribe that he foolishly fell for.  Then a few minutes later, it was Shadow's turn.  The life of the mouse he caught ended along the edge of the barn without his even breaking stride.  Shadow had snatched the poor creature and was busy administering the fatal chomps when I grabbed him and made him "drop it."

I have to admit that I was saddened by the death of the two little mice which I buried just inside the woods. Todd moved on from the excitement this afternoon but Shadow remains totally convinced that the mice must somehow still be along the edge of the barn.  Even in the darkness he was staring where nothing had happened for hours--He is such a Golden!