Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Still Sleeping with a Killer


It happened AGAIN yesterday. Mabel killed again. We were at the creek, midday - between doctor visits for me.

Mabel had been on alert. The ground squirrels were running and squealing all the way from the car into Dirty Creek. We've had a number of trees fall over the winter and then the floods washed out a lot of the ground around the trees. I have to hop over branches while watching where I step to avoid holes and stay on the trail.

I was mid hop when I heard screaming to my left. In the water, a mere 10 feet away, was a ground squirrel  - which looked a lot like a rat - running straight for me. Mabel was hot on his heels. I squealed and dance -hopped further downstream and turned around to see where they went.

Mabel - I kid you not - was doing a headstand!!! For like 10 seconds!!! I counted! The squirrel had headed under the branches of a fallen tree. With limbs everywhere and nowhere to really stand, Mabel was on her front paws and digging for the squirrel with her nose while kicking her hind legs in the air to stay upside down!!! She finally came down and bounced a bit to gain a foothold. And within seconds, she had the squirrel in her jaws.

I ran to them screaming at Mabel. "NO NO NO NO NO DROP IT NO!"

And then I heard bones crunching. Only then did she drop it. She picked it up and crunched some more.

Mabel dropped him again and ...pranced around all proud of herself. She bowed up and went looking for more!

And this is what bugs me about the killer I share my bed with. I can't pretend her killing is just a goofy dog who doesn't know her own strength...which is what I've told myself about incident #1. Nor can I say she does it for food.

'tila Boy, our hiking buddy, killed his first rabbit a few weeks ago. He ate every last bit including big ears and fuzzy wuzzy tail!  That, I can forgive. But not Mabel. She left it there as if to warn the other ground squirrels: Mabel Lou was here!

That was just the beginning of a brutal day for me.  I got some earth shattering news...bad, bad news. And nothing I want to share here yet. I finally crawled in bed exhausted at 1 am this morning and Mabel was being her usual bed hog self. I asked her to move several times and she refused. Finally I got out of bed to spin her around to her side and she snarled at me - certainly still feeling her oats. And I snarled right back! It takes a certain top dog mentality to live with a rottweiler. They test you.

I know she's "just being a dog" but it's hard to reconcile the creature I've seen kill two helpless animals with the one who cries and curls in my lap when she has a tummy ache.

13 comments:

Donna said...

Now I'm worried! I understand keeping bad news to yourself... I hope it's not as bad you think.

Mabel *is* just being a dog... (this coming from someone who's never seen a dog kill anything before)... eeep!

Snowbrush said...

I'll always remember the day when my sweet young schnauzer came into the yard with a dead baby rabbit in her mouth. She too was proud of herself. We keep our new cats indoors partly so he won't kill things. I'm horrified when people think it's cute that their cat drops dead animals on their steps.

I'm with Donna about the bad news.

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

Same here on the bad news. We hope all will be OK.

Thunder is a rabbit killer. Well, actually he swallows them whole if they are babies:( so we aren't sure if they are dead or not - Mom gets so upset with him, but hard to control when the dumb bunnies keep making their nests in the yard.

Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

Linda@VS said...

I'm worried about you and hoping that the "earth shattering news" is something you'll be able to handle. Please know that I care.

A couple of years ago I watched my next-door neighbor's sweet, friendly yellow lab kill another neighbor's pet white rabbit. The fact that it's instinctive doesn't make it any prettier.

Anonymous said...

When my mom had cancer when I was little, an Episcopalian priest came by to visit. During his stay, our cock-a-poo/toy collie mix grabbed a chipmunk by the neck and shook it to death. Taffy proceeded to leave it at their feet. My mother was mortified, but, as the priest said "that is the circle of life!"

I hope you are ok - please know if there is anything that I or the beading community can do for you!

Wishing You Well,
Suzann Sladcik Wilson

Anonymous said...

When my mom had cancer when I was little, an Episcopalian priest came by to visit. During his stay, our cock-a-poo/toy collie mix grabbed a chipmunk by the neck and shook it to death. Taffy proceeded to leave it at their feet. My mother was mortified, but, as the priest said "that is the circle of life!"

I hope you are ok - please know if there is anything that I or the beading community can do for you!

Wishing You Well,
Suzann Sladcik Wilson

Maggie Mae and Max said...

Mom and me hopes you is OK. I chase all da squirrels and chippymunks in my back yard but I has never caught one....yet. :) Mom screams at me too.

Woofs and Licks,
Maggie Mae

rottrover said...

You go, senior girl! Mabel probably would have eaten the ground squirrel if you'd put maple syrup on it for her. duh...

-Gizmo

kissa-bull said...

our twee rats are full of the sneaky smarticles or else we'd have a cemetary of squirrel bones in our backyard . we never catch them though *hmph*

pibble wiggles
the pittie pack

Brandon - The dog with a blog said...

Rudy thinks that sounds like a whole lot of fun!
We sure hope you are able to put a stop to it... good luck :)

Rudy's Raiser

Levi said...

I chase those squirrels but haven't been able to catch any yet but am pretty sure I'd do the same thing if I got one!

Paws are crossed and thinking of you, hoping you are ok and if we can be of any help be sure to let us know.

the booker man said...

miss creekhiker,

but it is our very serious job to chase 'n catch the squirrels, bunnies, lizards, mice, froggies, birdies...basically anythingie that's small enough for us to catch. heeheehee.
if it makes you feel any betters, my mama got SUPER upset when she saw me 'n asa tag team a bunny in our backyard and rip it apart and eat it last summer. (she's still cringing.)
anywho, me and asa and mama hope that you are okay, and we are sendin' extra cuddles 'n huggles just in case.

*woof*
the booker man

Dexter said...

ON NO! Momma, Pea, and I are all worried about your human. We are sending good thoughts.

Now, Miss Mabel, I understand the whole tree rat crunchy funballs stuff, but the snarling at mom is so not cool. You'd best rethink that behavior.

Slobbers,
Mango