Look At That Smile!
This is Abby, the delightful Cocker Spaniel who lives next door. You’ve already met my neighbor’s dog Rudy, a handsome lad of unknown parentage who would just loooove to catch one of those pesky bunnies that hop about the yard and is sure he’ll succeed in his life ambition. Some day. Maybe. After he gets done playing catch. And snuffling about in the raspberry patch. And racing around at random whimsical intervals. Sure. He’ll look into catching that bunny. Again. Maybe.
Abby is as sweet and well mannered a pooch as you’ll ever meet. I’ve had a life-long love of Cockers, and as a child used to pet-sit for three different Cockers when their owners went on vacation. One was a buff, one a black and white, and the third a deep shiny black. All three had sunny personalities, much like Abby, and seeing her smiling face brings back very good memories of those much-beloved dogs. One of my riding buddies in graduate school also had a Cocker Spaniel, a spectacular buff-colored male she’d named Travis. Travis was a total hoot, as cute as a button and a real pistol. His favorite thing was visiting the barn’s compost/manure pile if he could sneak out there. I’ve never met a dog more devoted to rolling in horse manure than Travis. The riper, the better, I might add – pee-eewww!
Come to think of it, Abby does have one vice that also makes me laugh: she is the world’s most devoted when-her-owners-are-away-it’s-time-to-raid-the-indoor-garbage-can thief. Just ask my neighbor. He set up a remote camera to catch her doing it when they were away, and got some of the most hysterical video I’ve ever seen.
Geez, I wonder if Dan ever put that video up on YouTube… I hope so. If he has, Oh Best Beloved, I’ll post a link later in the week. It’s priceless!
Village Life | JAS | 
June 15, 2009 11:53 pm
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By Dan, June 16, 2009 @ 11:18 am
Nice shot of Abbey girl
I have the video on my facebook page but i forgot all about putting it on youtube. I’ll send you the link when I get it on there.
Oh Rudy’s bunny catching skills are too impaired by his A.D.D (Just like his dad) to actually catch a bunny.
By JAS, June 16, 2009 @ 12:45 pm
That’ll be great to have that video on YouTube! Rudy and A.D.D. – hmmm, that does explain it!
He really is funny, the way he goes from one thing to the next midstream. Not bad funny, either, it’s really endearing. The two are so different. Abby gets her mind on something, and that’s what she keeps doing and Rudy is like, “Oh, a ball! My favorite thing! Let’s play– Oh! I can dig in the dirt my favori— Oh! A bunny! My favorite…”
By Dan, June 17, 2009 @ 8:48 am
Hey, Guess who found a bunny’s nest in the raspberries last night? Yeah, that little white and tan sweety pictured above. I was pulling a few weeds and I heard a squealing noise when Abbey came trodding out (away from me of course) with something in her mouth! I yelled at her, she just froze and I snatched a tiny bunny covered in slobber from her mouth. The bunny didn’t seem to be injured so I put it back in the nest and brought the dogs inside.
Well, I can’t believe it but now I’m guarding the little nibbling schiesters.
By JAS, June 18, 2009 @ 12:41 am
Oh, yeah, all I can say is better you than me for once! I’m not too surprised the baby bunny wasn’t injured, given all those generations of genetics behind a Spaniel that says “never chomp down on what you are nabbing.” Oh, and can you please train YOUR bunnies so they aren’t nibbling MY flowers when they grow up! 
Good luck with the guard duty, BTW, in all seriousness. Those little hoppers may grow up to be destructive, but they are sooooooo cute as babies, and heck, even when they’re full grown.
By Dan, June 18, 2009 @ 8:28 am
After talking with my parents last night I realized that Abbey may have had other plans for the bunnies.
As you know she used to be my sister’s dog. My nephew had told my parents that she had taken all the bunnies out of a bunny nest a few years ago, put them in the garage and was trying to nurse them
BTW, i’ll get working on that nibbling training.
By JAS, June 18, 2009 @ 12:22 pm
She’s a baby bunny bandit! Whoa! That’s amazing!
Make sure you prepare your yard properly for the nibbling training BTW — you know, like taking down the rabbit fencing around the veggie garden. 