Every afternoon around 4pm, my dog transforms from a cuddly lapdog to a determined hunter.  Her quarry?  Bunnies.  The mere mention of the phrase, “Is there a bunny?” fills her with such excitement that all previous thoughts of belly rubs, bacon, or peanut butter treats are abandoned.

 

Bunnies are the reason she exists.  No matter that the wild herbivores are almost as big as she is or that they probably weigh more than she weighs.  They are Worthy of being stalked, chased, and routed out of the flower beds, even if it takes her all day.  Or five minutes.  She  vigilantly stakes out the back door or windows for her Foe.  We always know when she spies the Enemy because she simultaneously sounds the alarm while attempting to morph through the glass.

When that back door opens: watch out!  She spins her little feet a few times to gain traction and then zooms out the door.  For a little thing, she sure is speedy.

Pardon the blurry image.  I had to scramble over the deck to get to the grass in order to snap this shot.  My fingers weren’t quite fast enough.  Next time I’ll have to have a helper let her out while I stake out my own “shooting” grounds.  Notice how those ears are flapping?  This was not a breezy evening.  The Bunny Hunter streaks across the yard so quickly that her ears catch wind like Dumbo’s.  One day she may take flight!

Phew!  All that running is such hard work that it makes a girl practically fall asleep on her feet.

 

 

After a quick respite from running, The Bunny Hunter took off like a shot again, this time checking out the far back reaches of her domain. Our decrepit garden — the one that was supposed to be “bunny-proofed” due to a tall fence, has transformed into the Bunny Maternity Ward.  The Bunny Hunter discovered this one day to her immense delight and routinely stalks the garden in hopes of finding another special delivery.  When I told her that baby bunny season is over, her countenance fell.

 

But then she forgot all about the babies when she spied another bunny dart across the lawn and under the fence.  After a last quick reconnaissance of the yard, the Bunny Hunter was satisfied that all the invaders had been flushed out for the evening and could now allow herself to retreat indoors to belly rubs, bacon and peanut butter.

Dogs are great entertainment!