Market Farming

[Chris Sawyer <css AT ioa.com>]

Hi Robert,
It seems that Jake does not eat much of them, he just carries them around
till they die or he buries them. Poor Bo who is part chow, part lab, and
part basset can find them but he is too short and fat to be much of a
runner. Jake knows a rabbit has two doors and while Bo will just stand at
one, Jake is constantly looking, and when they scoot, well that's it. I do
praise him and never scold him for chasing rabbits, no matter if it is
through a newly planted row. In this manner we plant for sale, for dog
damage, and some for the insects as we are certified organic and do still
loose some food to them all. ( However our studies in beneficial insects
are finally paying off and we have a large measure of control over most
pests.)

Our new baby, rescued from the neighbors who just tie a puppy up outside
and he broke loose, (they did give us permission to keep the dog) is part
lab, part newfoundland, and part chow. I don't know what it is with chows
around here, they are certainly not my fav dog, but many curs seem to have
a chow background which is signed by the black spots on the tongue. We
named him Lucas, and I hope he too learns from Jake. OUr plan was to get
the pup whilst Jake is still in his prime, at six, to be the teacher. I
think it easier to train dogs if one has an already well behaved dog in the
crowd.

Our dogs stay in the house at night and sleep either at the foot of the bed
or on the couch with a blanket throw over it. I think a lot of the rabbit
hunting is pure instinct. I never really taught Jake to hunt and we own no
guns as I have a bi-polar Adhd teen in the house.

Chris