At Home: Tiger returns....x

For a good two weeks, Tiger has been following events around this house from afar. Like a spectator at the edge of a game, or a nosey pedestrian watching events unfold from a safe distance.

Two weeks ago he watched Poppy the Terrier, bound into his territory. He studied the way his humans dealt with the new visitor. He tried his hardest to do the same and make her feel welcome, even though he couldn't resist the odd pounce on her. But there was something about this little dog, that just didnt fit.

Then he saw it. Tiger considered himself to be a hunter for his human family. He knew what was good and right to catch. He also knows what is wrong to catch. Tiger walks through the chicken pen, even amongst the chicks. He knows these are his humans. These are not his prey. He sits or lays amongst them. Chickens are funny creatures, they form a mob, and parade up to him as a group, clucking loudly, not running away as you might expect.

Poppy on the other hand, made a grave mistake. Tiger looked on. I watched in horror. Her terrier instinct took over. She dug under and into the chicken pen and rampaged the chickens and ducks. Running, as a fox would from one to the next, ragging their bodies. Pure untrained instinct. Abandoning human contact, she stopped listening . Deaf with adrenaline. I grabbed her and threw her out of the pen. A few bloodied victims, non thankfully dead.

Farmers shoot dogs, that kill their lambs. I understand why. It must be hard to turn a dog off that rampaging instinct, once it has the taste for it. How do you ever let a dog like that off the lead? Its a tough call for any dog owner.

Poppy has gone to a lovely city home today, a quieter place, away from the temptation of things that might lead to her downfall. She will have a quieter life, thats for sure, but then I think just what she needs.....x