Did I ever tell you about our chocolate lab, Chip? That was the digginest dog! Yes, “digginest” is a word . . in my world! It means the dog dug halfway to China several times.
My dad gave Chip to Chad when Chad was about 4. OK . . puppies dig. We accepted it for a few years. When Chip was about 4 years old and still digging . . he’d dug up half my sewer system in Louisiana, he would dig holes and bury things . . big things. Dad found my yard pump type sprayer in a hole . . completely buried, after I left Louisiana.
Along comes Vince and he isn’t a dog lover anyway. Well, Speck changed that but he’d never seen a dog dig like Chip did so he talked to our vet and he told us that if they’re still digging past two years old, they’ll probably always dig. Chip always dug. In Kentucky, he dug so many holes that we couldn’t even cut the back yard with the riding mower for fear of flipping the thing in one of his holes. He was brown anyway but he’d dig a hole so deep that when got in it, you could barely see him. Some people told us they dig to stay cool but Chip dug all winter, all spring, all summer and all fall. Not sure what he was thinking. If the ground wasn’t frozen, Chip was digging!
Speck doesn’t dig because (1) he’s only outside on a leash and (2) his shoulders aren’t right and he can’t dig. The chickens though . . I go out there sometimes and they’ve dug holes and are flat even with the ground, all nicely stretched out in a hole . . or 10 holes because they all seem to have their own hole.
I walked outside the other evening and what did I see . .
A bunny! And, it looks like he’s dug himself a hole!
I move around a little closer and yes, he has been digging; just making himself at home!
Oops! I got a little too close and off he went . . quicker than a jack rabbit! Maybe he is a jack rabbit! He has a white tail so maybe he’s a cotton tail. Who knows . . but I wish he’d find somewhere else to live if he’s going to dig!
Linda (Petey) says
They’ll have a nest in those holes! We’ve found a nest after mowing over it with the rider…fuzzy rabbit babies (unharmed, but not for long). It is a battle against critters…they love what we are growing to eat!!
Dianah says
It is a cotton tail, you can tell by the white tail and short ears. Jack rabbits have LONG ears too. If you have one you’ll have 100. They are hard to get rid of.
Vicky says
That’s too funny about Chip. Maybe that’s where your lost things disappeared to!
My red doxie, Katie, was a digger, but only when I was out in the yard with a shovel. As soon as she saw that shovel, it was her cue to start digging. Funny dog.
quilterbee says
The bunny’s tummy looks big in the second picture. Do you think he is a she and she’s expecting and that’s why the rabbit is digging the hole? I don’t know anything about rabbits so it’s just a guess.
Quilterbee
Pat says
Are the chickens all moved into their new coop yet?
Erin says
YUP a nest in those holes Judy!! so little ones will be there soon!! oh mother nature is just awesome isn’t it!! thanks for sharing!
Howdy says
I did not send her to you… I promise! That is most certainly a female and if she didn’t have babies in the nest already she will soon. She almost looks like she’s laying over the nest so the babies can nurse. They dig a hole and line it with grasses and fur… have and leave the babies covered and then only return to nurse and care for the babies once or twice a day. Mother rabbits have the richest milk. How do I know all this? We recently had bunny babies in our yard… our fenced yard with the dogs… there are pictures/video on my blog – cute little bunnies for sure… but I hope for no more nests in my fenced yard.
Linda says
He’s a cottontail. Jackrabbits have much bigger ears. Does he need friends? We have so many here in town that everyone would be happy to help me catch some & send them to you. LOL
Ila Kool says
Jackrabbits go to South Dakota State University. Go Big! Go Blue! Go Jacks! http://www.sdstate.edu/athletics/index.cfm
Introduce Speck to the rabbits. That should be video-worthy.
Kelly Ann says
I guess you didn’t know that Labs are natural landscapers..our white lab, Zele, use to transplant bushes for me, we were lucky she out grew the digging just in time for our golden Stella to come on the scene and start her own collection of holes..and nope she’ll be 5 this year and still digs so she hasn’t out grown the mess.
Linda Steller says
He probably saw the dog and the chicken and figured you had the “animals welcome” sign out! I’m about to get a little digger myself. Well, if he’d ever get born! Dogs gestate between 58 and 62 days. I think Lola is on day 65! I’m waiting for my Schnoodle. He won’t be able to come home till the end of August.
Diann Smith says
I observed the ground “jumping” once and pulled back the straw and found baby bunnies. Such long ears on something so small. We played w/ them for a minute and put them back. Mama returned soon and all was well. You have baby bunnies in that hole I bet.
Bobbie says
What is cuter–baby bunnies-chicks-or new born colts or calves? I have a den of baby foxes right outside of my front yard, under a tree-they also have a hole to hide, sleep in and are sooooooo cute-getting older and probably won’t be in there much longer. They will move to the back of our pasture where their folks home is. Hugs, Bobbie