Celeste killed the Easter Bunny
Sorry folks, Celeste killed Jesus the Easter Bunny, so there will be no magical resurrections from chocolate eggs this year.
Border Collies aren’t really known for their ability to course game, but they are quite fast and Celeste has proven an able huntress. Above is the first rabbit she ran down in the back yard, but it’s not her most memorable. While my father was in the hospital for weeks on end, my mother and I would bring Celeste to visit him several times per week. She had grown to be quite an apt therapy dog during similar visits to my Grandmother. She has a very motherly and giving temperament and will lick the inside of your wrist as you pet her. She is very patient and will lie quietly on a hospital bed giving and receiving affection.
Because of the dozens of visits Celeste made to the hospital, she was the most in-tune with what was going on with my father and visits where we didn’t bring her were never as successful as the ones when she came. So when dad finally came home, the other dogs excitedly greeted him at the door and wondered why he smelled funny, Celeste beat tracks out the back door. In a few minutes she returned and placed a freshly killed rabbit at dad’s feet, then nuzzled his calf as if to say, “welcome home, here’s some food to make you feel better.” The border collie version of chicken soup.
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Anton
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So when can we expect some lurchers? And will you be crossing her with a Bearded prior to a Greyhound?
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It’s an American coursing collie!
I have an American coursing retriever, and her only difference is she brings them to hand alive!
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Wow, cool story. Celeste really illustrates the versatility of dogs. Congrats to your family for her presence and help. Are her eyes your header?
Yes, that’s her in the header. She’s an incredibly attractive dog with a sweet face that fits her personality. A real gem of a dog, we’re very lucky.
My heeler/aussie girl kills any rabbit that is too slow to escape my yard, even baby bunnies. Then she eats them. The best kind of “raw” diet?
Totally Locavore, all organic.
Not surprised at all. Collies have greatly enhanced stalking ability which is part of the canine stalk/rush/bite hunting style.
Our late dog taught me something: squirrels do not run up the near side of a tree when pursued, they run to the far side of a tree and then climb up. He was a puppy when he first chased squirrels and did the “Where did it GO?” when the squirrel ran around a tree and apparently vanished.
Later when he had matured and was a proficient hunter, he would stalk squirrels to attempt to get close enough to rush them. He rarely got one since squirrels stay close enough to trees to be able to flee to safety.
I never knew how many rabbits he got. Unlike most of the varmints he killed, he considered rabbits prime eating so I never had corpses to clean up.
Lovely story about Celeste and her responsiveness to your father. I never cringe at Easter bunnies being killed by dogs. Sure, bunnies are cute, but so are the dogs! Just doing what comes natch-ral. 🙂
Get that dog some rabbit stew!
Sweet girl. <3
And rabbits don't last 2 seconds should they be unwise enough to cross the fence line into the dogs' area.
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Chris I had a collie rough years ago that killed the Easter Bunny when it attempted to kick her in the face. She took it back to her ten week old puppies. I have had rough collies that have found baby bunnies and brought them back to me as well. Rabbits are moving targets to a dog that can see well enough it would seem.
Wah Im gob smacked what a beautiful beautiful cuddle puddle of a dog that she is, and aren’t they all in each their own way.
They do actually use BC/greyhound or whippet crosses in the UK to produce coursing dogs, pups are frequently advertised for sale. This works out well only draw back is that the lurcher can end up more intelligent than the owner (Bwa ha ha) so in fact three quarter or even more of hound is preferred, a bit like an Irish hunter. Equals things out somewhat without it seems distracting from the task at all. Maybe there is a tiny weeny bit of a [gasp] sheep biter in em all, the mature wolf.
The retractability of the BC is the real draw card especially for the lazy.
That’s “coursing” of course!