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I didn’t enjoy the dynamics of Stormy, Blondie and Owl as much as I did Stormy, Blondie and Bonita. The biggest difference is once Blondie accepted that Bonita’s presence didn’t mean less for Blondie, she wasn’t still posturing and threatening. Stormy bites and bullies Owl regularly. The male breeding imperative or as a human male I know once put it, “Be afraid; be very afraid.”
Blondie and Stormy taught Bonita each day; it was fun to see. Blondie teaches Owl. I see them hunting on the side of the hill. He does very well with the gimpy rear leg even when they wrestle and chase around the house. Stormy comes up to stop the fun. Blondie always sides with Storm turning on Owl.
Blondie has taught Owl the art of rat hunting. He has that sporting dog eagerness for the hunt. That group has far more virtues than I realized. You can see him thinking as he chases his prey. Some dogs just seem to make a mad dash. The dogs hunt and kill rats, whether they eat them or not. The dogs brought us a couple this week.
The trio acts like a pack at the doggy meet and greets. They seem to back each other up. Owl and Blondie back Stormy. Both boys bolster Blondie’s status. Owl just stays behind the two; he’s just there to learn. I have a feeling, if he were to make a mistake pissing off a dog at the get together; he might be on his own. That could change.
Watching the neighborhood meet and greets makes me think; all that is left of this ritual for pet dogs is the information they leave in scent marks. Wow, I always thought that the scent marking WAS the deal. I realize now that it’s more like an outdoor assembly hall, where messages are left.
Next breeding season Owl will migrate to where the bitches’ pungent odor calls. In the last five years, I’ve seen a fair number of dogs float past.
It’s taken that long for me to see loving dogs as the archetypal predator. Even the abandoned pets like Owl learn to survive, when they hook up with the savvier satos.
Seeing how the feral dogs survive, I have new respect for our fox and coyotes back in Illinois.
The neighbor boy found this baby in his dad's pick up. Open mouth barely able to hold his head up; we dripped water into his mouth every few minutes. Later he drank from my finger nail. A few hours later he flew off. Anybody have any idea what kind of bird this is?
Just the week before I got this adult building a nest, what pretty birds.
A little off the subject, but I hope you enjoy.
Have you ever said to anyone, “If I were to come back as a dog, I want to come back as your dog”? Or maybe someone has said that to you.
So you’re coming back as a dog, three spots are available. You get to choose.
Spot #1 is for a pure breed dog in the home of a rich lady. She is very nice; you’ll get regular meals and veterinary care. She needs a loving companion in her life, but she works long hours six days a week. Those days you’ll be put on the six by ten porch for an hour, then led by the collar back to the garage, where you’ll wait until after dark for her to come home. Depending on how her day went, she’ll talk to you as she leads back to the porch. On Sundays you may get some of her time.
Spot #2 is for a beautiful toy dog. The family is of modest means; you’ll eat generic kibble. The little boy will like to grab your muzzle to get you to show your teeth and snap at his hand. You must never bite hard or you’ll be smacked.
The lady of the house is in a wheel chair, when she’s depressed she likes to hold a dog on her lap petting while she moans in sadness. You will want to love her and be there for her. She has a dozen other dogs, so when it isn’t your turn you’ll be kept on a two foot chain with access to water and shade. Once a day, the husband will hose down your area. Each dog is on a similar two foot chain so you can only get to within inches of each other.
The only time you’ll be off your chain is if you are on her lap or if they take you in your crate on a family outing. The family can’t afford veterinary care, so don’t get sick; they will do what they can for you.
Spot #3 is for a street dog. The litter will be birthed in a banana orchard; half will die before being weaned. You will learn the dangers of the road, when you see the last of your siblings run over by a car. You will learn to hate cars. Geckoes and lizards become your first prey. Your mom will teach you to become a competent ratter. You’ll find a spot in front a fine house. At night you’ll bark warning when strangers approach. Any rat venturing close the house is dinner. The lady of the house provides tasty scraps. You’ll watch out for her family as your own, dedicated and loyal.
Days will be spent hanging around with other dogs or human friends. Sometimes you’ll go off in the woods exploring all day. You’re on your own, when sick or injured.
So which life would you pick, if you were coming back as a dog?
When we arrive home in Puerto Rico, good times roll for the neighborhood street dogs. We feed twice a day, snacks are given often. A bowl of fresh, clean water is available all day. We pet. We clean and treat wounds.
Dogs at our kennel in Illinois may not see us for a year, but they’re happy when they come back because we’re good to them. I guess I expected it to be that way, when we come back to the dogs here.
Blondie was happy to see us. She moved back up the hill the night we got home. She goes to visit the neighbors, but she stays with us.
Stormy may or may not come up for a meal; he doesn’t live here anymore. He lives in the street in front of Mike’s house. As long as Mike’s family is home; Stormy does sentry duty. When they leave, he will come by for a visit. After the family settles in for the night, he’ll sleep on our cushion.
Stormy did give up this spot to Owl, but some meals Stormy won’t let Owl near any food dish. He asserts his superiority, Owl backs down. Storm has what he wants, unchallenged by Owl.
Blondie plays with Owl. The old dog seldom plays, but Blondie and Stormy still go off on adventures together. At this point, if push came to shove with the boys, I think she’d back Stormy. Except for occasional feeding time power plays, all behave properly in our presence.
I don’t think that Stormy stays away because of Owl. He is fiercely loyal to those who are here with him. It has nothing to do with the quality of care they give him. This family has dogs; he is not one of them.
I’ve had this little dog’s love like that and lost it. Having a relationship with this dog isn’t about reinforcers or slick training gimmicks. It’s a matter of earning his trust.
Nobody seems to honor that the feral dogs are part of the ecology on the isle of Puerto Rico. Pick up and euthanize them, tell us it’s in the dog's best interest to be dead.
We have here a historic relationship between man and dog, fighting a common enemy.
People aren’t aware of the valuable services these dogs provide. Perhaps, if school children were taught what the satos do for us; they would be more cautious drivers later.
For years I’ve watched the satos turn down edible stuff. Dog people would authoritatively say things like, “ He doesn’t know it as food.” Let me get this straight, a starving omnivore doesn’t know food. Okay, how about we try, they’re going out for fresh later and don’t want your crappy food.
Like any wise consumer, Stormy avoids highly processed foods. The less self sufficient satos scour the roadside for discarded human trash. Owl has a taste for geckos.
Rat hunting goes on at night; you don’t see it. The acoustics of this region allows you to hear well. The hunters don’t have the distinctive bay of hounds hunting in the mountains at night, but what sounded at first like squabbles in the night, now makes sense as some dogs after a pair of rats.
Lucky Puerto Rico has a friend to combat the invasion of rats. A recent Yahoo news article told of the Galapagos spending one million dollars for phase one of a program to get rid of rats destroying the environment.
So Puerto Rico what’s it going to be; care for your satos or a few million dollars? Please, don’t tell me you’d think about illegal poison! I just read about the neighborhood that lost so many loved family pets to a person, who just poisoned some rats.
Puerto Rico will have better policies for handling the dogs when she sees her satos as a special gift, maybe then we'll have an animal control plan suitable for the island.
