On our daily walks with our hounds we have noticed that they have developed their own routine of off-lead and on-lead enjoyment. When ever we are in a safe enough place to let them off-lead they immediately go into scenting mode ....... Tickling them scenting bones!
After giving them plenty of time to enjoy themselves we put the leads back on to head for home. However, going home is often the last thing on their minds when put on the lead.
Let me explain ......
Walk a mile and a half to reach the field .......
Enter said field and release your hounds ......
Without a backward glance they are off, following their noses ....... Bliss to an Otterhound!
Give them plenty of time to chase scents this way and that.
Our two inevitably end up around the edges ...... Following bunny trails.
Sometimes (like this time) it is noticed that they spend an awful long time in one place!
Hmm, wonder what's going on here then?
"Watch this Rosie, if I dig down far enough and go back further enough we may be able to see a bunny"!!
"Oh do hurry up Rocky, I want to see a bunny ......
Now"!!!!
"OK, just a little bit more"!
Unfortunately for Rocky we turned up just then and decided that digging out under the fence wasn't perhaps the best thing to leave him to do ..... So we called them off.
"Doh, I was so nearly there too"!
"Oh Rocky, you have an awful lot of mud on your nose"!
Our two hero's walked off disconsolately and tried to find some interesting scents in the longer grass.
"I've found something Rocky, what do you think this is"?
"Dunno, but it's not as interesting as bunny smell"!
Being still somewhat of a teenage rebel, our Rocky thinks he'll go back to his well dug hole and hang what we think!
"I'm going back to my hole and hang what they think"!
So off he trots, full of single minded purpose and on a mission.
So, noticing he had returned to the mud (we're good at that), we give him a call; as it really is time to go home.
Deciding to ignore us, and with his trusty sidekick at his side , Rocky carries on regardless.
"Dad" decides the only way we are going to get home today is to put our rebel on a lead.
"Aw but dad, I've put such a lot of work into this"!
The moment he is on the lead there is an instant change of purpose in our hounds .......
.... Rocky gives in gracefully and almost skips away from the fence .....
..... While Rosie decides that playtime has begun!
"I've got you now big fella". As she grabs firmly onto Rocky's lead, as close to his head as she possibly can" ..........
...... "It's time to lead you astray (so to speak)"!
Rocky instantly gets into puppy mode, grinning all over his face ..... The rebellious teenager gone as quickly as it had arrived"!
So Rosie tugs and pulls .........
....... And skips and bounces.
Then they both skip and bounce!
A large Rook lands a little farther up the field ....
"Ooh, what's that"?
"Does it want to play"?
"Oh well, it's gone ....... Now where were we"?
Rocky is thinking about ending this game ....... for once Rosie has the advantage!
But Rosie continues to tug and pull and skip and bounce .....
He tries hard but Rocky finds it difficult to resist!
Rosie breaks away in an effort to get him to chase her ...... It works (she knows all the right buttons to press)!
"Come and get me ....... Bet you can't catch me"!
So Rocky ambles up towards her, being nonchalant and acting slightly disinterested.
Then ....... Pounce ...... Charge ....... "I'm going to get you"!
It is often difficult to work out who has got who in this game!
"Dad" tries again to head for the gate and home.
Just as it looks like we might make it .....
"Got you .... Bit your bum"!
"You little monkey ....... I'm going to get you now"!!
Long story short ...... "Dad" and I just had to stick it out; laugh out loud at their antics and wait until they were ready to go home! There wasn't really anything else we could do!
As soon as they got in the door, it was straight up on their sofa. They lay there panting and smiling for quite a while, reliving their fun and games.
Our honorary Otterhound, Mij, had been having just as much fun on her own while we were out ...... Yes she can be just as much of a handful!
Rosie was so tired when they eventually fell asleep that her tell tale "deep sleep" sign had popped out!
Mij decided to jump on "our" sofa to get comfy enough to snooze .........
...... And after a brief interlude of position changing, it was soon a case of night, night Rosie.
...... And night night Rocky, dream of finishing your marathon hole digging, coming face to face with a bunny and giving it a big slurpy kiss hello!!!
2 comments:
What fun!!!! Being off leash and exploring. And having a fun playmate too. We felt like we had been there too. It's all good!! From the looks of Rocky & Rosie they had a fullllll day of play and slept great with dreams of digging.
Wags & sniffs
Ernie & Sasha
ummm--is Rocky still growing??????? he looks even bigger in these pics--lol
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