Sunday, May 21, 2006
Riley and the Snake
(cross-posted with LJ)
Got a lovely note from the pet-sitter yesterday. When I'm doing 12 hour shifts away from home, I have a pet-sitter come in mid-day to check on the dogs, give them meds if necessary, snacks, put them in crates, let them out, whatever needs to be done ... since it's about a 45-50 minute drive to/from work on top of the 12 hour shift ... I dont like leaving the critters for 14 hours.
ANYWAY ..... yesterday, I got a note from my petsitter. When she got to the house, Riley (the collie) was barking up a storm. She never saw Bailey or Willow or heard a peep out of them ... usually, all three are at the fence being very vocal when someone arrives. I call them my 'dog alarm'.
When she went through the house and out the back door to the deck, Bailey and Willow were standing behind Riley ... she could only see his butt. When she walked down in to the yard, she saw they'd cornered a "FAT LONG SNAKE, grey/brown - all coiled with it's head up - trying to strike Riley. " All three would jump back when it'd strike at Riley, then the other two dogs would snap at it when he danced out of the way.
She said it was hell trying to call them off, Willow is the only one wearing a collar and she didnt want to leave them alone long enough to go inside and grab leashes, she had to drag Riley off by the scruff of his neck and then Bailey and Willow followed (they listen a lot better - Riley is the stubborn one, harder to control).
When she left (dogs inside), the snake was still in the backyard, stretched out by the fence ... about 5-6 ft long.
When I got home, I checked all dogs ... no injuries ... no harm done ... checked the yard, no sign of the snake, tho the dogs helped me investigate every square foot inside the fence by looking, sniffing, and listening. (Well, THEY did the sniffing and most of the listening!)
Even tho my petsitter described it as grey/brown, it sounds like a black snake. I've seen two in my yard, in the past few years. Very handsome snakes ... very large ... very intimidating ... non-poisonous.
I cant help but ponder a few things. What if it'd been a different kind of snake(we do have poisonous snakes around) ... what if petsitter hadnt come along, what would the outcome have been ... how many incidents have I missed, have they met snakes before that I havent known about?
Got a lovely note from the pet-sitter yesterday. When I'm doing 12 hour shifts away from home, I have a pet-sitter come in mid-day to check on the dogs, give them meds if necessary, snacks, put them in crates, let them out, whatever needs to be done ... since it's about a 45-50 minute drive to/from work on top of the 12 hour shift ... I dont like leaving the critters for 14 hours.
ANYWAY ..... yesterday, I got a note from my petsitter. When she got to the house, Riley (the collie) was barking up a storm. She never saw Bailey or Willow or heard a peep out of them ... usually, all three are at the fence being very vocal when someone arrives. I call them my 'dog alarm'.
When she went through the house and out the back door to the deck, Bailey and Willow were standing behind Riley ... she could only see his butt. When she walked down in to the yard, she saw they'd cornered a "FAT LONG SNAKE, grey/brown - all coiled with it's head up - trying to strike Riley. " All three would jump back when it'd strike at Riley, then the other two dogs would snap at it when he danced out of the way.
She said it was hell trying to call them off, Willow is the only one wearing a collar and she didnt want to leave them alone long enough to go inside and grab leashes, she had to drag Riley off by the scruff of his neck and then Bailey and Willow followed (they listen a lot better - Riley is the stubborn one, harder to control).
When she left (dogs inside), the snake was still in the backyard, stretched out by the fence ... about 5-6 ft long.
When I got home, I checked all dogs ... no injuries ... no harm done ... checked the yard, no sign of the snake, tho the dogs helped me investigate every square foot inside the fence by looking, sniffing, and listening. (Well, THEY did the sniffing and most of the listening!)
Even tho my petsitter described it as grey/brown, it sounds like a black snake. I've seen two in my yard, in the past few years. Very handsome snakes ... very large ... very intimidating ... non-poisonous.
I cant help but ponder a few things. What if it'd been a different kind of snake(we do have poisonous snakes around) ... what if petsitter hadnt come along, what would the outcome have been ... how many incidents have I missed, have they met snakes before that I havent known about?
# posted by Elims @ 7:47 AM 
Comments:
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Oh wow! Hmm. Look at it this way, if there have been other snake encounters, your kids are fine. And it sounds like they had things under control. Glad that Willow was staying back though! Too bad she wasn't staying back all the way across the yard.
Besides, I think the snakes have gotten the word. Do not enter this yard! No peace & quiet here. Too many dogs.
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Besides, I think the snakes have gotten the word. Do not enter this yard! No peace & quiet here. Too many dogs.
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