Groundhog

I've mentioned before that there is a groundhog which lives under our shed (along with a bunny).  Well this week, the groundhog has been taunting Casey and Poly.  It has been coming out from beneath the fence and wandering around the yard.  Poly sees this and barks her little head off, begging to go outside.  Casey recognizes her "there is a creature in our yard" bard and joins her at the back door.  Once, Casey jumped a good 4+ feet in the air out of excitement.  I've never seen him jump so high.


Before they go outside, they must first sit.  Poly is famous for putting her rear on the ground for a milli-second and looking at us, as if to say "what?  I sat!"  I then open and close the sliding door a few inches to let the critter know that it needs to return under the shed or slide under the turkey wire into the neighbor's yard.  So, Casey and Poly then race each other, taking off at full speed, for the shed.  They both try to fit as much of their bodies underneath as they can; they also like to dig at the rocks on which the shed sits and kick them into the yard.


It is difficult to get them both to come inside after they have spotted the groundhog or bunny.  This continues for several trips outside, sometimes into the next day.  They become totally obsessed!  If left inside, Poly will continue to bark, sometimes for more than an hour... even if she is locked out of the kitchen where the sliding glass door is.  She is one determined little thing!  Casey isn't totally innocent in this adventure.  He will also bark, but is more apt to quiet down when distracted from the door.  He does run from me if I attempt to grab him and bring him inside.  Poly does as well, but we have her dragging around a leash so she has become far easier to catch.


I have to wonder if the groundhog and bunny will ever get the point that there are crazy dogs living in our home and that they need to find someplace else to  reside rather than under our shed.  I can keep wishing...!