Close Encounters of the Wild Kind

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I had one of those days today I would prefer to forget!  Finnegan got into it with a groundhog that's been tormenting both of us for weeks! I don't know if he wanted to kill it, torment it until it died, or play with it! He had dozens of chances to kill it :( but he didn't, so I suspect it was one of the latter two. The stewpid groundhog had several chances to make a break for it but chose not to.  The problem was I couldn't get them apart!!

I started out calmly but forcefully calling, "Finnegan, come."  No response!  He was circling that GH at 100 miles an hour. I picked up the closest weapon I could find - a pooper scooper (I kid you not) , determined to knock the GH out or kill it myself.  I missed and broke the silly scooper in half. By this time, I was trying every command: NO! Drop it! Leave it! Come! I couldn't grab him because he was moving too fast and was entangled with the GH.  Basically, I suck as a survivalist!  I had my cell phone so I tried calling several friends, thinking if someone arrived FInn would run to check them out, but no one was home.  Scared the animal could be rabid, I dialed 911. I told the dispatcher I wasn't sure they handled this kind of a call but that my dog was in a stand off with a GH I thought might be rabid and that I couldn't get them apart!  By now, this had now been going on for over half an hour! He assured me they did and he would send an officer right away.  Then he asked me, "Who's winning?"  Since I barely had a voice left, I didn't find this funny!!  

Apparently, FInnegan isn't much of a survivalist either. The GH would snap and Finn would bop it on the head!  The GH would flip over and Finn would grab it by the tail and flip it back! I was turning into a crazy woman!  Finn is not treat motivated but he LOVES the car and his WALKS so I ran and got the car, drove it around, and opened the back door and yelled WALK, Finnegan! THAT got his attention... for 2 seconds. You could see he struggled with the decision, then turned back to the GH.

Finally, the officer arrived and after looking over the situation, said, first, I had to get the dog and GH apart. Huh????  But thankfully, when FInn saw a stranger approaching, he finally came running!!!  Usually, I believe in live and let live.  But after almost an hour of this fiasco, I begged her to shoot the GH. Apparently, that's against the rules :(  So was borrowing her gun, to shoot it myself :)

I checked Finn over and found no bites or blood, just some missing tufts of hair. He smelled awful, so I bathed him.  I just gave him a rimadyl tonight because he's so sore he can barely walk. Is there anything else I should look out for? He has both his rabies and lepto vaccines.  His face was covered with saliva but I didn't see any breaks in the skin.  Of course, his coat is thick.  

Tonight, I need a drink, a condominium, and maybe my money back for all those training classes :(  I'm just glad he's ok, but I hate seeing him in so much pain. BTW, we were outside taking pictures for the Nov. assignment when this all began.  I had camera in hand. Sometimes FInn will run to the camera when he hears the beeping. I didn't even know what I shot until I threw the memory card into the computer tonight. Camilla, I CAN shoot with one hand holding a poop scoop in the other!

[F, Calla & Luca]

If anyone in the world sympathizes with you I do. I have been through this many times with groundhogs, other critters and two doodles. I never thought of calling anyone but the screaming was ear shattering and neither doodle paid the least attention. I keep two sets of cords in strategic places in the yard now to grab doodles. I try to get a collar but you know how hard that is. I get one doodle crated and grab the other next, usually. I guess it is good to have two dogs cause the critter usually gets cornered and killed before I get the situation under control. By our standards yours is a minuscule groundhog. Not too bright either : ) My doodles have had no problems afterward but their encounters are much shorter. The vaccines should cover everything I think. I end up after these encounters saying, " I am too old for this".  So have your drink. I hope you both feel better tomorrow. At least you didn't end up with a dead squirrel in your bedroom. That really almost did me in.

[Donna Bay & Buzz]

Eeeeeeeeeek! That tops Lori's tick story!!!

[Kyoko]

The ground hog looks fiece!! So scary!! I see them often when we walk in the park, but I never thought it can turn out like this, nor the rabies issues!! Thanks for posting. I am sure it was scary to you!!  I am glad that he did not get bitten.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Thanks Kyoko. Yep, keep your dogs away from them. This one was pretty young and not too smart, I think.  Usually they run.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Once the doodles got a squirrel that ran around a tree instead of up. This was indeed dumb when there is a doodle on either side of the tree. I thought the doodles did the squirrel gene pool a favor by eliminating some poor genetic material.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Thanks for the laugh! I needed that.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Thanks F. Knowing that you screamed too with no result makes me feel better :)  I think it was an adolescent, born this year.  The bigger ones usually stay in the woods, away from the house and the dog. And yes, he was really dumb!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Cheryl, here are some of the woodchuck sagas I've written about. To say nothing of the rabbits, chipmunks...

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/the-killer-instinct?commen...

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/the-emergency-leashes-came...

[Camilla and Darwin]

OMD Cheryl, this is one of the strangest and scariest things I've ever read! I had no idea groundhogs were that big either! How terrifying, I'm glad it all ended okay. Holy cow. I think you need a drink, and a lot of chocolate! I hope Finn feels better quick.

I'm also extremely impressed that you captured such good images under the circumstances... maybe one day you will look at them and laugh? Or maybe not. :-)

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I hadn't thought of chocolate :) Excellent idea!  Thanks Camilla.

[DJ & Chance]

That last photo is amazing.  I hope Finn feeling better in the morning.

I know how hard it is to get a doodle to pay attention once it has a critter to chase.  I've resorted to shaking a bag full of treats and that will sometimes, but not always, get Chance's attention.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Thanks DJ. Finn is still limping a bit and moving pretty slow this morning but he had a good night's sleep.  Unfortunately, FInn doesn't care a bit about treats.  But he does care about strangers and he loves it when new people or old friends show up :)