Our one-year-old Westie, Winston, has amazing lizard radar. When he catches the slightest glimpse of one, inside or out, he’s on a mission to hunt it down and do something with it. I don’t think he would eat it. I think he just wants to play.
Lizards make their way into our back porch, hiding among the many toys we’ve accumulated to entertain the grandchildren. Winston knows they are there, constantly pulling books off the shelves, rooting around behind cubbies, and knocking over stacks of cardboard building bricks in search of a lizard.
So I didn’t think much of his scrambling around the other night. It was dark and I figured he had a lizard cornered. I grabbed a broom to sweep it out the back door. But I didn’t see a lizard. I glimpsed a slither and before I could react, Winston grabbed the small snake in his mouth and ran outside.
Most of the snakes I find in our yard are harmless, but you never know. In the darkness I can see Winston circling, crouching, and pouncing in the grass. As much as I enjoyed watching his fancy footwork, I knew it was time to call the fight. I grabbed a Milk Bone and lured him back in the house, and everyone was back where they were supposed to be.
On the one hand, I’m glad he got the snake out of the house before my wife got home from work. But I’m also glad I didn’t have to make a trip to the emergency vet for a snake bite.
I think we’ll stick to chasing squirrels, bunnies, lizards, and an occasional bug.
Waite for it... 