It Got Crazy Here!

It was a crazy evening here yesterday. With the goats not getting along and Sophie wanting to play with all the critters... She has managed to "open" up the self locking clasp that connects the lead to her collar and went to play with the ducks and chickens. For her its playing, but for DH it's panic time. Sophie is quite large now, but still a baby and she plays rough, not realizing how strong she is. Her favorite move is to run and pounce, she reminds us of Tigger, 

I was still working with the pressure canner when I starting hearing a loud commotion among the chickens and ducks and went to check on them. Immediately I saw Sophie's lead lying on the ground and she was not to be seen. Uh Oh! This can't be good!

So I drop everything and run out the kitchen door toward the chicken house. The chickens and ducks had been out in the yard foraging and we left their door open so they can come and go as they please. Heading quickly toward the chicken house, my heart is beginning to race by this time, and I admit to feeling a bit panicky, especially when I see one of the black ducks lying on the ground, beneath Sophie paw, and trying desperately to break free all the while quacking as loud and frantically as she could. 

Sophie! I called out trying to break her focus, which it did, and the duck was able to run for the door. Meanwhile Sophie just looks up at me as if to say "what's up?" and immediately ran in another direction chasing chickens. Running, and bouncing and pouncing..... It was obvious to me now that she wasn't trying to harm the birds, she was trying to round them up and send them back to their house.... which they all did, as quickly as they could.

She chased them all back into the hen house where they had all jumped to their highest roost, and their perceived safe area with Sophie hot on their heels. 

What a sight it must have been for the neighbors! The chickens and ducks all running a making a raucous, followed by Sophie doing her best imitation of Tigger trying to chase them all at the same time while they all scattered, followed by me running out the door in hot pursuit and DH following me terrified that the dog was trying to kill the birds!

It was much like a scene from a Bugs Bunny cartoon. I was "Granny", DH as Elmer Fudd, etc....

As things began to calm down, I explained to DH who was still somewhat shaken, that if Sophie had indeed wanted to kill one of the birds, she would have succeeded quite easily more than once. She was doing what she believed was her job, rounding up the chickens and sending them back into their house.

Good dog.