Mutt Monday: Abby's Love (or Hate) of Squirrels

So through another blog I read, I found some postings (a few years back) about Mutt Mondays. I thought it was a cute idea, and have decided to go with it. I have all kinds of stories about my beagle pup Abby, and am always told I should write a book about her. I thought it would be fun to document some crazy/funny things from the past, as well as new things that she does in the present. Hope you enjoy.

Here is my girl, Abby, right before Christmas time.

She is wearing her holiday bandana I made for her.

When I first came across this idea, I knew I had to totally post about Abby's love (or maybe hate) relationship with squirrels, especially since we just had another incident last week.

I have been living in my apartment for a little over 6 years now. I live on a golf course, so there is a ton of great greenery and wildlife, especially squirrels. I have never seen so many squirrels in my life!

When I first moved it, although Abby does like to howl at EVERYTHING (people, dogs, bugs, whatever), she never really took to the squirrels. She never really took to rabbits either (which she should since she is a beagle dog).

Well about 2 years after I moved in, something happened, and Abby was able to catch a squirrel. One of my good friends was visiting, and I hear her say "Jen, come here quick, it's Abby!" At first I thought she was hurt or something, but I look out, and there she is with a squirrel on it's back, in her mouth. I freaked out, yelled at her, and she dropped it and backed away. I then tried to get the squirrel to run away (I think it was shocked at first), because I was afraid it might then try to attack her, or even me. It finally ran off and we went on with our day.

After that, Abby could not stop looking for, and howling at squirrels. She would sit under this tree in the backyard, and just look up at it and watch for the squirrels. We would take walks around the complex, and the min she would see one, she would go crazy (like super crazy to the point where I was having trouble controlling her, and she is only 35 pounds!). It got so bad I had to start taking her to other parks for walks because I could not take her around my complex...too many squirrels.

Only one other time had she caught a squirrel, which I was once again able to get her to drop it, until the other night. She was being very quite, and had been outside for a while. It was very cold out, so I was getting nervous, so I decided to check on her. My boyfriend was over that night, and luckily because she comes running up to the door with something that looks like one of her toys. I was confused because I didn't remember her taking a toy outside, but sometimes she does manage to sneak one out on me.

She comes up to the door, and I quickly realize this is not a toy, but a dead animal. Luckily it appeared to be frozen to death, so I don't believe that Abby had actually killed it, but still it caused me to freak out. I got her to drop it, and then let her in. My boyfriend, who at this time is telling me to calm down and that I am over-reacting, finally scoops up the squirrel in an empty cereal box, and takes it out to the woods to dispose of it. I am sure my neighbors were wondering what the fuss was, but let me tell you, it totally freaked me out.

Although I didn't get a pic of her that night,

here she is begging to come in a the back door (taken today).

So my little rabbit dog, is a squirrel dog, but as the vet says, that is her nature, and nothing I can do about it. I love her anyway!!