Country Dogs

 

 Life in the country is different in many ways. I must admit I’m really enjoying this season of my life living in a rural community.

I can’t say that I felt the same way thirty-seven years ago when as a newlywed I moved to the country. I’m afraid my city-girl roots were still too deep to appreciate what a rural community had to offer. That, and I liked to shop too much. 

As you may remember from a previous posting Chuck and I acquired two Black-mouth Curs a few months back. They had been dropped off in a very remote location, and were posted on a community page on Facebook.

Chuck had just started working from home, and apparently this was the breed that he was hoping for someday. He thought two larger dogs would be a perfect addition to our country home. 

Now it’s taken some time for these two sisters to settle in. Sadly, we had some pretty serious fights between the two, and were at our wit’s end trying to figure out what to do. After a consultation with our vet we made the decision to put one of the girls on medication for anxiety. It seems to have made all the difference, and the two are getting along much better. 

That being said, one of their favorite things to do in the morning is to run out into the woods, and drag back anything they can find. You know, things like deer legs, skulls, and hide. Chuck made the comment that our backyard looked like a bone field. 

The other day I looked out the window and one of them was chewing on a huge turtle shell. There appeared to be no turtle visible, thank goodness. However, I wasn’t sure a turtle shell was the best thing for her to be chewing on so I took it away. 

Moving right along, the other night one of the dogs followed Chuck down the driveway to the gate, and had an encounter with a skunk. Luckily, she somehow managed to escape a direct hit and came away only with a slight odor. Nothing a little baby powder couldn’t help. However, the next time I was in town I stopped by the pet store for skunk spray. 

Next time, and somehow I’m pretty sure there will be a next time, we’ll be prepared. 

We’ve enjoyed having these two as part of the family, and are hoping that as one in particular gets a little older her rambunctious nature will settle down.