I need a Coonhound

Well.  Yesterday I was talking about all the Coonhounds from the US.  And I joked that I need one.  Well maybe I REALLY do.

There was a story here in Nova Scotia about a raccoon – and I learned something I didn’t know.  It seems that a woman in a town about 2 hours from here, has a hunting dog – who looks to me to be a spaniel of some type.  Anyway, the dog took off after some animal (sound familiar?) and when the woman went to find her dog she saw that the dog had been chasing a raccoon.  And the raccoon was backing up into a pond – with the dog in hot pursuit.  Who knew that raccoons when cornered will purposely draw the dog INTO the water – so they can then attack them and try to drown them?!!!!  Well it’s good thing the woman knew it – because sure enough – it started to happen right before her eyes!!!! She ran into the water and fought off the raccoon – who WAS trying to drown her dog!!!!!!  Long story short, the woman won the battle – despite having lots of scratches and bites – and her dog was saved.  The woman has to undergo lots of shots to protect her in case the raccoon was rabid – but she doesn’t care because her dog is safe.

I would like to think my human would do the same thing…and I THINK she would.  For example, about 4 years ago, in the early spring, the ice was melting on the lake – and had separated from the shoreline.  Bucket Head took off one day and my human kept calling and calling him.  She raced down to the shore and found him ON the ice – about 10 feet from shore.  The ice went out quite a ways – and my human KNEW she didn’t want him to run out further, because he would likely fall in.  And NOT be able to get out.  She pleaded with him to come to her – but he kept racing on the ice and didn’t want to go back into the icy water.  So my human, didn’t think twice – and went into the freezing water to get him.  Bad enough she was in waste-deep water – she was also wearing rubber boots, which INSTANTLY filled with water.  She went to the ice and coaxed Paxton over to her. She grabbed him by the collar and somehow pulled him off the ice and into the water – so he immediately went for the shore. She then trudged out and went quickly back to the house – as she was quite cold.  Paxton on the other hand thought the whole adventure was great fun.  Needless to say, we are not allowed off leash when ice is melting on the lake.

So those are the adventure stories here.  As for whether a raccoon could draw me or Frodo into the water – it’s doubtful.  Remember – we are the guys who jump around puddles, in an effort to avoid getting wet.  Just the same – my human never wants to find out!

©  Linda Wozniak