Juneau: Snake Hunter!

She did it again!  Conker and Juneau were out in the backyard and sniffing around in the bushes.  Conker got that look, the "I'm hunting!" look and Juneau joined in.  They were getting closer to the location of their prey when Conker leapt downhill and found the snake.  It was attempting to make it into a hole and right as I got there and saw him try to bite it, Juneau swept in and BAM!  Bit the snake.  Then she did it again, and again, and ended up pulling the snake from the hole it was in.
I could tell from the small glimpses I got of it that the snake was a goner and taking it away now would only have been cruel. So I let Juneau gnaw on it until it was dead.  This snake was bigger than the last, probably two feet long.  Still a Northwest Garter.

After showing the snake to Mom (who congratulated Juneau) we tossed it into the brush on the other side of the fence and sat around the pool talking about coffee.  When all of a sudden...
Juneau was hunting again!  This time she was a lot faster than before and she got the snake and killed it in seconds.  Conker was running around like a dumbass, probably excited yet annoyed that he didn't get it first, while I examined the snake to make sure it was dead.  Remember the first snake Juneau caught?  Well, this second snake was that very same snake.  The stupid thing didn't learn and this time wasn't so lucky.

The TABLE has been Conker'd

That's right.  The table.  Conker has figured out that there's FOOD on the table, and that we tend to leave plates of scraps on the table. And that he can get ON TOP of the table by jumping up on a pulled out chair or stool.  Mom said he licked the breakfast plates clean.  So clean that they were shiny.  Thankfully it was just eggs and ham and he's had both before with no problems so I doubt he'll have any digestive upsets.

I was asleep when this happened.  I just found out a couple minutes ago when Mom came home from shopping for my sister's 16th birthday (tomorrow).

This table conquering has opened up a whole new door.  We've got a "bar" that the stools sit near and food is often left on that bar or it's used for preparation.  The bar is attached to the counter by the sink and the main counter food is prepared on.  If Conker generalizes stool + high place = food, I might have a counter surfer on my hands.
I attributed this event to the beginnings of Conker's true Shiba self-awakening.  He is only a year old and has plenty of time to bloom into what a "normal" Shiba is known for.  Dun dun dun...


In other news...

Juneau is a snake hunter!
Yesterday she was onto something in the bushes.  Conker joined in and when I saw his tail wagging I knew the snake was actually there.  About 10-15 minutes later Juneau dashed out of the bush and grabbed the terrified snake and shook it, then dropped it and tried to grab it again.  Janelle (oldest sister, now going back to Phoenix) grabbed the snake before Juneau could then gave it to me.  The snake was relatively unharmed, though quite frightened, and Juneau had no interest in it once we had it.  She was still looking for the "real" snake on the ground. Conker though, he's seen me get four snakes before he did and knows that when it's in my hand the game is over.  He tried and tried to jump and snatch the snake but failed every time. 
I gave the little snake a good examination to make sure it didn't have any gaping wounds.  The end of it's tail was gone, Juneau bit it off (I'm familiar with snake anatomy and it still had the "back end" so it was good) and since it wasn't bleeding profusely I released it on the other side of the fence.  Conker was again pissed that another snake escaped him and Juneau got two eggs instead of one in her kibble that night.

Boring lasts forever

There is NOTIHNG FUN to do around here.  I now remember why I didn't like Grant's Pass when I was here last year.  Very boring, less to do than Vancouver Washington.


We found another snake yesterday.  That makes three snakes in the backyard and one elsewhere.  All have been Northwest Garters, harmless little dudes that look pretty neat.
I knew a snake was near when I looked over at Conker and saw him doing this.

Hunting Shiba is hunting.

Like all the times before I have gotten the snake before the Shiba hunter has.  And every time he thinks I'm going to give it to him.  These little snakes have only been about a foot to a foot and a half long and aren't very fast.  I don't know why Conker hasn't gotten any of them first, but the general rule is if I get it before he does it goes free.  If he happens to catch one, I'm gonna let him kill it since I wouldn't want to take it away only to see it's got bite wounds and would suffer if I let it go.

Conker was determined to find a snake even though I took it and released it on the other side of the bottom chain-link fence.  He found an old wood thing and dug out a hole in it and found some holes that he dug out even more.  But no snake appeared.
And today I spotted him sitting near the ivy where the snakes usually are.  He would get up and sniff through the bushes a bit then return to the concrete by the pool and wait.  I guess he wants to get the fourth backyard snake before I do.


And...

Finding Nemo sheets!

Conker got beef meat and kidney, chicken leg, heart, gizzard and liver.  And he again demonstrated today why I want to get a meat grinder.  Conker decided to crunch up the bone in the chicken leg but not to chew the meat apart and attempted to swallow the whole thing mostly-whole.  I said no to that and pulled it out of his throat so he could at least chew it in half first instead of gag on it.

For a while I'd forgotten why I wanted a meat grinder then today I was reminded of the very reason.  Because my dog is a dumbass.

Conker the Almost Hunter

Today I was chilling with Conker in the backyard since there is a great lack of anything else interesting to do.  First we chilled by the pool, then on the diving board, then in the shade and lastly by some ivy-bush things.
Conker suddenly dove into the ivy, nose going a mile a minute, his eyes glued to the twisting vines under the leaves.  He jumped around rapidly, ears alert, in a stiff but limber stance.  He was hunting.

What was Conker hunting?  I asked myself as I parted some of the vines.  Then I saw it.  The slick black body, slightly kneeled scales, bright yellow and red stripes.  Another Northwest Garter Snake.  This snake was a crafty one and eluded both Conker and I as we searched the ivy for it.  I with the intention to remove it and place it in safety on the other side of the chain-link fence and Conker with the intention to kill and eat.

I spotted the snake several more times as I combed the brush for it.  Conker, much to my surprise, was actually very responsive to me while we were searching.  I thought for sure if he got the snake first there would be no stopping him.  But instead he listened to every command I gave and went where I pointed. (I directed him away from the snake.)  I guess since we were both hunting the snake we were a team.  If he was the only one doing it he might not have listened to me.

After a while of not seeing the crafty snake (I grabbed him several times but I don't like pulling on them when they are tangled) I was about to give up. Conker was off sniffing another set of ivy that snakes are known to hide in.  But alas, the snake re-appeared and I was able to snatch him before he could hide again and before the now alerted Shiba did.
I carried the angry snake down to the lower yard and to the chain-link fence where I have released the other snakes I've caught.  Conker kept trying to jump and grab the snake and chased it when I put it down near the fence.  But the snake was too quick for him and he didn't get it.


As awesome as Conker catching a snake would have been, I do not want him to think snakes are fun to chase.  There are rattlers up here, though somewhat rare, and while Conker was very fast I don't think he is faster than one of them. 


Today Conker got:

Halved turkey neck and scraps, beef meat and kidney, chicken liver, heart and gizzard.

June 3rd

Today Conker got pork meat with a chicken heart, half a turkey gizzard, beef liver and kidney and part of a turkey back.  And a small bit of chicken meat.


On our way to the dogpark we found this:

A Northwestern Garter Snake.  It was MAD and tried to bite me as I attempted to catch it and put it off the sidewalk.  Conker was interested in the snake and I kept telling him to leave it while I chased it off the sidewalk and into the brush.  Once in the brush it tried to bite me about five more times.  Since I didn't know what kind of snake it was at that moment, I stayed out of it's range and wasn't able to get a better picture.  I figured it was some sort of Garter but I tend to be a bit more cautious with snakes that I'm unfamiliar with.  I'll still try to catch it though.
Anyways, it was neat to see the angry little snake, and Conker got to see one for the first time and hopefully next time he won't be so interested since I was very adamant that he left it alone.