Thriller’s interaction with the neighbor’s cows has improved greatly since coming to share her life with me just three months ago. Then, whenever Her Ladyship saw a bovine in the neighbor’s paddock (not always easy given that they have allowed the land to revert to scrub), Thriller would want to charge at them, and they would flee. Or more correctly, their cattle are always extremely skittish and would take off when seeing the resident Newfoundland or me, and then Thriller would want to give chase – and the venerable Miss remains a very strong girl!!!! Thriller would also give chase to kangaroos, deer and rabbits that moved too, if they remained immobile she didn’t “see” them – probably, due to her then entropion, as the little Miss kept her eyes closed or barely open to minimize her discomfort, and thus only seeing “movement”. Now, with the condition corrected, Thriller happily sees all!
Last Monday morning the little Miss discovered nine new cows in the neighbor’s paddock – a different lot to previous times. Unusually for Dennis’ bovines, they were not skittish – but still quite ugly like most he buys to fatten. They were just on the other side of the fence, and Thriller approached and enjoyed watching them through the barbed wire. Her Ladyship would dance about, whining and whimpering with excitement while the cows just stared back at the entertaining little Miss. Or she would sit, barely able to contain herself, then dance about some more. A couple of the more curious bovines came over to the fence, with one going nose to nose with the girl. After a time, we returned up the hill to the house, Thriller willing at first, then halfway she wanted to return – so we did. When eventually we reached the house, Thriller had a good long drink of water while I prepared the grooming gear including getting the blowdryer ready to dewater her front and chin, etc, only by then Thriller was off walking down to the cows again. She was given some more time with them, and was most pleased that Thriller is now sitting and observing rather than, as in her early days here, charging when she spied beeves lurking in the scrub next door. Thriller has seen them several times this week, and her reaction each time is one of barely contained excitement!
Thriller is very much enjoying her new life here. :-)))))))))
Arthur Witten
Thriller – I know they make delicious steaks out of those things, but I got kissed by a cow!!!!