Saturday 30 January 2010

Ancestral habits


Kitty is doubly a sheep dog, being a Border Collie and an Old English Sheepdog cross. You can see the ancestral genes in her passionate devotion to straw. When the fresh bedding arrives she lies back in it, and won't get off, even to bark at The New Dog Next Door. Thousands of ancestors before her, no doubt, hid in the straw in the barn and refused to go out in the rain. (Frost - yes, snow -  yes, rain - no) 




Although she does keep an eye on the fence in case the new dog digs under and invades her straw.




Whereas Paddy, being a huntin', fishin', investigative sort of dog, after he has pawed all the straw on to the path to check there's nothing underneath, goes off to forage in the garden.

When the straw gets old and wormy it goes off to the garden and Kitty gets to bliss out on a new batch.

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