yup, varmint control is part of the gig. be careful with handling the carcasses of those dillos, though. have read they carry the bacteria that causes leprosy. (not sure how accurate that is...)
January 18, 2015 at 12:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Good girl...go get another one.
January 18, 2015 at 12:35 PM
Anonymous said...
Our Polly used to eradicate critters from our property. She was a Border Collie/Coyote cross, from Arizona. We rescued her at about one year old. She was as fast as lightning, and outran everything she went after. Just doing their job, as nature intended.
I saw a pit bull that came into the vets office with all its guts out from tangling with a wild hog. so that is not good for her to try. hogs are mean and bad.. good girl bonnie, beautiful and useful to.
I feel sorry for it just because I have never seen a real one. Tess chases the heck out of rabbits but never catches one. The cats on the other hand are relentless in what they bring me.
Excellent varmit catcher! I just read the other day about the ten dogs that died after killing some wild hogs--they got that disease that pigs carry. They are south and west of our place and I've heard nothing but bad news about them. Way to go, Bonnie!
I love that she brought the prize home to show you all. No different from cats bringing home mice n such eh. Good Girl Bonnie , valued member of the farm team.
I think it's difficult for people who haven't lived or worked in a farm to understand what it takes to run the place efficiently (mentally and physically). Bonnie id doing her part. And she seems to have done it just perfect with the armadillo. Maybe snakes are just not her thing. We had a dog--Kenny--who would go against any critter (he was a great snake hunter), but the moment he saw a jurón (a kind of racoon), poor Kenny would take off.
You have a great pack, Gail. So far the feral hogs are South of us, I think. Not looking forward to seeing them, no matter how good they are supposed to be.
Looks like she did a good job! When our dog Ginger was younger she liked to race cars. If I recall correctly she could reach the high 20s or around 30 mph. Now she's older and slower, but she has done a good job catching the unwanted animals around the place over the years.
Go Bonnie! I personally wouldnt have it any other way. Dogs belong on farms..so many uses. They all have jobs according to their abilities.
January 20, 2015 at 6:46 PM
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has her own chaise lounge.
Bonnie began her training in a crate and still goes there when we leave the house. She graduated to and outgrew the old recliner. She now claims the chaise lounge which usually holds what Hubby throws on it.
As much as we love dogs they are also needed on a farm. Varmint control, guardians of our farm animals and of our place are just a few of the important jobs they do.
Just shy of eighty-five pounds and fourteen months old, Bonnie is very much a part of our life and our working team here. Bonnie can sprint at twenty MPH but can maintain a solid fourteen for an indefinite period of time. Yes, Hubby has clocked her.
This summer Bonnie trained with the other members of our working farm team: Lil, Ki-Anne, Squigs, JR and Lizzy (all outside dogs). Each have their own job and work well as a team. They've herded cattle and have kept our area clear of poisonous snakes and animals that could harm our live stock.
This summer Bonnie "alerted" us to a Copperhead but really has mostly stood back and observed. We thought maybe she's not gonna catch on to the job requirements here.
Yesterday Bonnie showed us she was paying attention. She caught her first armadillo all by herself. At least a quarter from the house and proudly carried it all the way home.
Armadillos can reach a speed of thirty miles an hour but Bonnie exceeded this one's speed. Hubby did not clock the chase but was very pleased with Bonnie's performance.
It's a fact of farm life. Some critters just can't co-exist on a farm. This is one critter of which we have tried to control the population. Their burrows can break livestock's legs, they tend to dig in the garden because the ground is softer, and they do kill many plants. On the good side they eat lots of insects and worms and are good to eat (recipes here) although we've never tried one.
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The other members come to check the prize.
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Bonnie has reason to be proud.
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She shows off her catch.
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After her good girl praises
she drinks and chills.
When the wild hogs come
we may have a chance!
22 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment formShe must be one fast pooch! And that's a large armadillo.
January 18, 2015 at 12:00 PM
yup, varmint control is part of the gig. be careful with handling the carcasses of those dillos, though. have read they carry the bacteria that causes leprosy. (not sure how accurate that is...)
January 18, 2015 at 12:19 PM
Good girl...go get another one.
January 18, 2015 at 12:35 PM
Our Polly used to eradicate critters from our property. She was a Border Collie/Coyote cross, from Arizona. We rescued her at about one year old. She was as fast as lightning, and outran everything she went after. Just doing their job, as nature intended.
January 18, 2015 at 12:39 PM
I saw a pit bull that came into the vets office with all its guts out from tangling with a wild hog. so that is not good for her to try. hogs are mean and bad.. good girl bonnie, beautiful and useful to.
January 18, 2015 at 1:45 PM
Jake's tally is 7 rats, 3 possums, 1 raccoon, a duck and NUMEROUS lizards, maybe thousands.
January 18, 2015 at 1:47 PM
What a good girl...saving you from the armadillo!...:)JP
January 18, 2015 at 6:03 PM
I feel sorry for it just because I have never seen a real one. Tess chases the heck out of rabbits but never catches one. The cats on the other hand are relentless in what they bring me.
January 18, 2015 at 6:09 PM
Excellent varmit catcher! I just read the other day about the ten dogs that died after killing some wild hogs--they got that disease that pigs carry. They are south and west of our place and I've heard nothing but bad news about them. Way to go, Bonnie!
January 18, 2015 at 8:46 PM
Way to go Bonnie she is learning! :)
January 18, 2015 at 9:22 PM
I love that she brought the prize home to show you all. No different from cats bringing home mice n such eh. Good Girl Bonnie , valued member of the farm team.
January 19, 2015 at 6:35 AM
Good dog Bonnie!
January 19, 2015 at 7:48 AM
I think it's difficult for people who haven't lived or worked in a farm to understand what it takes to run the place efficiently (mentally and physically). Bonnie id doing her part. And she seems to have done it just perfect with the armadillo. Maybe snakes are just not her thing. We had a dog--Kenny--who would go against any critter (he was a great snake hunter), but the moment he saw a jurón (a kind of racoon), poor Kenny would take off.
Bonnie is such a pretty girl, by the way.
January 19, 2015 at 9:19 AM
What a beautiful dog and she proved she is more than a diva. She is just a specialist.
January 19, 2015 at 10:14 AM
Woah, isn't that a hunter!
January 19, 2015 at 12:36 PM
You have a great pack, Gail. So far the feral hogs are South of us, I think. Not looking forward to seeing them, no matter how good they are supposed to be.
Thanks for the link to 'dillo recipes!
January 19, 2015 at 1:55 PM
Looks like she did a good job! When our dog Ginger was younger she liked to race cars. If I recall correctly she could reach the high 20s or around 30 mph. Now she's older and slower, but she has done a good job catching the unwanted animals around the place over the years.
January 19, 2015 at 6:10 PM
Bonnie is learning quick. Way to go Bonnie, give her a scratch behind her ears for me.
January 19, 2015 at 8:02 PM
She is fast, our Goldie chases them too, catches them but then lets them go, our bullets get the other ones...
January 20, 2015 at 11:59 AM
Big and fast! 85 pounds? I would say your dogs earn the keep around your farm. Armadillos are good eats?
January 20, 2015 at 2:05 PM
Good job, Bonnie!
January 20, 2015 at 2:10 PM
Go Bonnie! I personally wouldnt have it any other way. Dogs belong on farms..so many uses. They all have jobs according to their abilities.
January 20, 2015 at 6:46 PM