I Am NOT An Animal

Nigel and Divot continuously make me laugh about something and they are just about as opposite as you can get in the same breed of a dog. They get along very well, and they do have many of the same traits and actions but there are some distinct differences. One way they are opposites is that Nigel is not a hunter and Divot is. Nigel just doesn't seem to have a real strong instinct for hunting. If he sees a squirrel in the back yard he may run after it but once it's treed, he stands there looking up wagging his tail and then walks away when he realizes that the squirrel isn't interested in friendship. I think in Nigel's mind any living thing is a potential friend first and foremost. Divot on the other hand, my petite little girl, is a killer at heart. Any time the back door is opened, she immediately charges out running at full speed hoping to catch some critter by surprise. Awhile back, she had a chipmunk trapped inside a small rock retaining wall. She was perfectly still and rigid, with only her head tilting slightly as she listened. It's fascinating to see how that instinct works. I was observing the scene of Divot hunting and Nigel doing his usual perimeter walk of the yard sniffing around. I called him over and said, "Nigel come here! Get the rat!" He strolled over, looked at Divot, sniffed the rocks and then strolled away and took a dump on the grass and continued on his way checking out the yard. I called him again, and said, "Nigel! Come here and get the rat!" He came by again looked at the situation, looked at Divot, looked at me and then strolled away and lifted his leg on my Hosta as he headed for the door. Time to go in. Divot would have stayed there all day. Frankly, I just don't think Nigel quite sees himself as a dog!