picture by Audrey Pavia
The Amazing Olivia is quite the hunting watch
Most urban farmers are n’t too concerned with rodent command . A mouse in the house is more of a trouble for us urban character than a mouse in the metric grain room for rural farmers . But as my admirer Lisa ’s domestic dog Olivia showed me , urban farms can certainly do good from the instincts of a good Orion .
Olivia is aRat Terrier , the first I ’d ever meet . Rat terrier look a small likeJack Russell Terriers , so I made a passel of assumption about Olivia before I got to sleep together her . I figured she would be autonomous , hard - headed , difficult to train and a not trusty around other animals . Boy , was I ill-timed .
Turns out , Rat Terriers are not at all like Jack Russells . They have a very various genetic background and a very different temperament . They are much more trainable , cushy with other dogs and less aggressive with other favorite . And they have an “ off switch . ” Although they are incredibly participating , Rat Terriers can go from 90 mph to 0 in an eye blinking , if you only just ask them .
When Olivia first issue forth to my house , I was afraid she would killmy chickensand my rabbits . And at the very least , harassmy computed tomography . After all , Rat Terriers were breed for many year to hunt and kill their quarry . But it soon become obvious I had nothing to worry about . The first time Olivia appear at my chicken with interest , Lisa said “ Olivia , no . Do not bother the chickens . ” And that was the end of that . Olivia never see at them again .
Then there were the rabbits . Olivia can bound like a gazelle , and I was distressed she would leap over the fencing of the use playpen where I keep myRex hare , Prudence andSmokey , and make brusk study of them . “ Olivia , ” Lisa said to her the first time Oliva saw the hare . “ Leave the lapin alone . ” Olivia never pay tending to them again .
I started to think that maybe Olivia just did n’t have that hunting inherent aptitude that Rat Terriers are supposed to have . If she did , how could she turn it off so easily just because her mom recount her to ? She is a terrier after all .
But the other daylight , I went outside to fertilise the horses and notice something dead lie in the poop . Upon close examination , I bring in it was a spermophile . A gopher ! I had never seen a gopher before in my life , let alone in my backyard . The creature had two tooth marks in its bureau and its fur was pixilated . It had distinctly been in the mouth of a dog . BecauseNigelhad gone off with Randy for a few days during that time , it could n’t have been him who made the putting to death . understandably , it this was Olivia ’s handy work .
Now when I front at Olivia , I not only see a sweet , tender and playfulness - loving little dog , but also a skilled and discriminate hunter . Any dog that can be tell which critter to go forth alone and which ones to take out is pretty unbelievable to me . That ’s why I no longer call her Olivia . She is now The Amazing Olivia to me .
Read more of City Stock »
