Their First Victory

This morning I woke up and went downstairs to let the dogs out like I always do.  Still half asleep, I wandered over to the thermostat to mess with the settings.  It was then something entered my consciousness- scuffling, a wail, then silence.

I ran into the backyard.  The dogs were both hunched over something laying in the yard, which was now dead.  I wanted to throw up.

Because we have a privacy fence, we generally don’t have anything in our yard besides the occasional squirrel or bird, which the dogs aren't fast enough to catch (but they still try).  I didn’t know what they’d found this time, and I didn’t want to know either.  I called them several times, but they were too enthralled by their prize.  I started to panic, not wanting them to start eating whatever was out there.

I called JD, who had already left for work, “The dogs just killed something in the yard!”

“Good for them!” he said.  “They’ve been trying to catch something for a while. What is it?” 

 “I don’t know and I don’t want to know.  I’m not going over there.  You’re going to have to clean it up later.”

I could tell he found this amusing.  “Okay babe.  Tell the dogs I said good job.”

“Ugh, whatever.”

Meanwhile, the dogs were still sniffing their new toy.  I yelled.  Boyd trotted towards me guiltily and I got him into the house, although it was very clear he would have much rather been outside.  Harrier trotted away, then trotted back, then went into the corner to pee before I caught up to him.  I brought him inside.

Boyd got distracted by breakfast (his real breakfast), but Harrier sat by the back door, staring out into the yard.  He saw me watching him and wagged his tail expectantly.

“You’re not going back outside,” I told him, but felt a little bad.  He looked so excited!

Boyd finished his breakfast and joined him.

For the remainder of the morning, I was very aware that there was a dead animal in my yard.  So many thoughts crossed my mind- What if the dogs have dead animal in their teeth?  What if it starts to smell before JD gets a chance to clean it up?  What will the neighbors think?  What if it was something poisonous and both dogs are dead when I get home?

For the record, none of those things happened...