Squirrel or Chipmunk, The Chase Is On

     A squirrel or a chipmunk crosses your path, what do you do? Probably, with a smile, you stop and watch it scamper away. However, to a four-legger the instant they get a glimpse of one, the race is on to nab the teasing intruder. It doesn’t matter the breed of dog, all dogs want to catch that elusive little creature.

     Whether the animal is an annoyance to our dogs or the chase is simply a fun game, a squirrel or chipmunk can keep our four-leggers busy for hours. A day outdoors ‘on the chase’, can be an enjoyable, but exhausting task for the four-leggers. When they settle in for a long night of rest and their legs begin to move as they dream, my guess is that they are still on the hunt.

     I have yet to meet a dog that doesn’t enjoy the chase. My former dog Willie was no exception―squirrel chasing was his favorite pastime. If I said the word squirrel while we were in the house, he would instantly charge at the patio door―excited for the game to begin. In fact, his favorite spot to nap during the day was by this same door; not just to absorb some sun rays, but also to make sure none of these pests ventured into his space.

     While Willie snoozed inside the house, an unattended yard was an irresistible invitation to the squirrels. Inevitably at least one would climb onto the deck, peer through the door, and chatter at Willie in a taunting tone. By the time I opened the door, the squirrels had scattered, and Willie flew out the door in pursuit. Game on!

     As the game began, the squirrels would dash around the yard, with Willie in hot pursuit. Each squirrel always seemed to have an escape route planned out―except for one. The one that dared to stay in the yard would scurry up a tree and chatter down at Willie. Once the squirrel was treed, there was no distraction that could pull Willie away from his duties of guarding that tree. Eventually, unobserved by Willie, the squirrel would find his escape by jumping from tree to tree to the neighbor’s yard.

      Only one time in this daily game was Willie able to catch one of his tormentors. When I saw he did have one in his mouth, I mistakenly yelled his name. In the split second that he glanced at me, the squirrel dropped from his mouth.

     It wasn’t until Willie came whimpering into the house that I realized his tormentor had bit through his lip. While I tended to his wound, I looked into his eyes and said, “Let that be a lesson for you to leave the squirrels alone.”

     Perhaps that lesson lasted as long as two days, after that it was game on again.

     So long, I’ll see you soon!