Cookie Is Okay. We ... Might Be, Eventually. (Don't Try This At Home)

I have mentioned in the past that while loving, affectionate and eager to please, Cookie has a strong wild side to her. It's kind of ironic because one of the reasons we wanted a Rottie again was that they don't have a strong hunting instinct and prefer to stick around.

At least all of our other guys did.

What? I ALMOST had it, mom.

Cookie is the exception that confirms the rule.

Rottweiler or not, she has the heart of a hound. Her prey drive is extremely strong.

She'll go with us, she'll come back to us, but when there is a fresh track, she has to follow it.

The fresher the track, the more determined she gets.

Jasmine's ranch and the surroundings are all bush with only one road going through. So we accepted Cookie's desire for adventure and let her chase her critters. It's either that or keeping her on the leash at all times because one never knows when she comes across a fresh track. For Cookie, spending her time being tethered to somebody at all times wouldn't be much of a life. And I have the feeling that if she ever broke free then, it would be a long time before we'd see her again.

We decided to trust her and give her her freedom.

She knows how to come back to us and she does that happily.

So there we were on one of our walks when Cookie tore off into the bush.

Braced with patience, we let her go, while going along our original path. She always knows how to catch back up with us and where to find us.

At times we heard her running through the bush, at times we didn't.

And then we heard horrible screams.

Our hearts stopped and we took off tearing through the swamp and brush in that direction, convinced that something was ripping her to pieces.

I don't know how long it took for us to find her, felt like forever.

She came, wagging and wiggling her whole body, apparently looking unharmed.

We checked her all over, there was nothing wrong, not a scratch.

So what the heck was a reason for all the screaming?

We found out today, when she decided to grace us with a repeat performance.

She must have not only found a fresh track but actually spotted something. We didn't see it but we saw her screaming through the bush. Literally.

Apparently, that is Cookie's hunting voice.

All the excitement, adrenaline, mixed with frustration of the prey getting away ... gets her to sound like that. Well ... I certainly wish I could teach her some proper hunting sound. One that doesn't give us a heart attack.

Cookie is okay. We ... might be, eventually ... Don't try this at home.

Related articles:
From The End Of A Lead Line To Casa Jasmine: Meet Cookie, Our New Adoptee
Creative Solutions And An Incidental Product Review
Taming Of The Wild Beast: Cookie's Transition To Civilization  
Staying On Top Of The Ears: Cookie Is Not Impressed  
Who's Training Whom? Stick And Treat 
Observation Skills Of Dogs  
If You Want Your Dog To Do Something, Teach It  
Tricks? It's Not Just About The Tricks 
What Constitutes The Perfect Dog?
Are Dog Training Classes Really For The Dogs?  
Look Where You Want To Go: Finding My Reactive Dog Training Zen Zone? 
Dog Training And Emotions 
Dog Training And Emotions: Postscript
Dogs Love Sentences In Question Form?
Not All Dog Trainers Were Created Equal Either 
A Thought On Separation Anxiety
Happy One-Year Adoptoversary, Cookie!
About Freedom, Trust And Responsibility: A "Pilot Study"
So, We Have A Bear 
About Happiness: What Makes Your Dog Happy? 
Our Example Of The Use Of "Look At That" (LAT) 
Why Do Dogs Dig?
Who Is In The Wrong?
Your Dog Wants To Follow You. You Just Gotta Be Going Some Place
We Still Have Two Dogs: A "Pilot Study" Part Two  
Early Winter Safety: Exploring New Territories  

Comments

  1. The first time my Jack Russell's prey drive kicked in as a puppy I thought she had gotten her leg stuck on something. No, she only saw some birds in a bush. At the age of 10 I've heard it alot, but never get used to it. It is a great voice if she were working underground, you'd know right where she was, but above ground, oh boy.

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  2. Oh good heavens....

    I've heard of terriers having a "death scream" when they've latched onto something. Funny that Cookie has one too!

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  3. She must be part Viking.
    LeeAnna at not afraid of color

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  4. Oh too funny...well probably not when it happened, my hear leapt to my throat, but now that you know what it is..

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    1. Definitely not when it happened. Problem is, how will we ever tell whether that's her hunting scream or whether she's actually hurt? That's what worries me and that's why I'll probably hurl myself into the bush after her every time it happens.

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  5. My cousin Mitzie the Boston Terrier makes these weird gremlins screams instead of barking, too. I guess we pups have a pretty wide vocal range! Stay safe!

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    1. Wide vocal range is cool. And Cookie's even include things like baby dinosaur sounds. But this is just heart-stopping no matter how one looks at it.

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  6. That would have scared me to death too! They can make some pretty bizarre noises when excited, haha!

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