Dogs & Emus
In last week's post, I showed you pictures of our rheas. Here is a picture of an emu father and his chicks. The chicks are striped when they're little. (see them in the foreground)They're far more striking than the rhea but not overly friendly. As with all our animals, we introduced the dogs to them one by one.
Back then, there was Isis, the Smartest Dog In The World. Chelly, the dog you see in my author picture. And Nacho, another rottie who was a puppy at the time.
Isis was cautious. The emu male approached her and she took a step back. He pushed her a little farther and she took another step back. All of a sudden Isis was backed up against the barn wall and this look came over her that said: I don't think so, Fluffy. Those hackles raised and she walked that emu right back to the fence line.
Chelly didn't know what to make of the giant bird. This time the emu didn't take any chances and he charged her, stomping on my poor dog with his big clawed feet. All four legs splayed out, but just like a cartoon dog, Chelly popped back up. I was so angry at that bird that I chased him all the way back to his huddle of hens. Nobody messes with my girl. LOL.Nacho was in a class by herself. After seeing how the other two dogs handled themselves, we didn't hold much hope for a ten month old rottie. She was still a baby.
We were in for a shock. Once again the male emu charged, but before we could push him away, the puppy lunged at the bird, jumping straight up, then grabbed him by the throat. She kept him pinned down and never broke the skin--despite his thrashing. The bird outweighed Nacho, but that didn't matter to her. She was absolutely fearless. Of all the dogs we've ever had, Nacho was the most serious and steadfast. She never took a day off and looked after us to her dying day.
My girls were great helpers around the ranch. I still miss them. My boys are not nearly as industrious. I suppose Tank doesn't have to do anything but look big, and Iko is still my scorpion hunter, but they are lazy cusses compared to my girls.
Comments
Dru: Thankfully, my birds are much smaller now. :-)
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
But I would have enjoy watching them all together.
LOL
Are you really surprised, Maria? Really?
Though I agree it's interesting how each dog responded differently.
Linda: Being a 'little guy' myself, I would say it's just that we don't know any better. :)
Eileen: Well, the whole point was to eventually train them to herd the birds. (we had a great many at the time) So it was important that they not be afraid.
They ended up becoming a great team. Chelly, who was the one stomped, took to her herding instinct right away and was fearless even when the birds got rough. Isis was her partner and always worked the angles. :)
Sherri: Boys have it too easy. ;-)
Maria you have the greatest pet names, have you ever had a pet named THOR yet?
It seems like you’re had a lot of dogs. I like learning about them. Isis is such a cool name and all the dogs are so beautiful.
I don't know much about them at present, but it is interesting to find out how they react and each one differently. :)
One of my cats took a look at my parents little puppy and started licking his lips. I had to send him outside PDQ! :O)
Jackie: LOL. We agonize over their names. Usually they grow into them. Other times they name themselves. Nacho was originally Natasha.
Shirley: Dogs are so different. These girls grew up around a lot of different animals.
Angelina: That's true. Females are a lot more proactive about things that males. We do all the work, the guys get all the glory. :)
Joanna: It's been an interesting life so far.
Suzanna: Take your time finding the right dog. Most of ours have been rescues, and they make the best pets of all.
Madeleine: One of the first commands we teach the dogs is "Drop It". Comes in very handy with a rottweiler. LOL.
And, as a side note (no offense to the men types reading), but I only do female pets. I've just found that females are better critters overall: fewer bad habits, more calm and less inclined to wander or be bad. Well, except for my rat. The male was much sweeter... so I suppose there are always exceptions!
Marianne: Oh, that Nacho. She was daddy's girl from the moment they met. She'll always be remembered as the most loyal.
Sarah: Our dogs have a tendency to name themselves. :)
But then again, I've seen animals live in harmany and you can usually tell when they are sleeping or laying next to each other which is a site to see.
Thats why I love living out in the country. So enjoyable - have a great day
Cate: It's not something I'd do today. It requires more running than I'm capable now.
Misha: My babies have all gone to doggie heaven. Chelly was the last to go. Nacho and Isis lived to 12 years old. That's pretty old for rotties.
Barbara: They were real charmers too.
Temperance: Nice to meet you. Already followed back.