The Importance of Teaching Your Dog "Drop"

What an eventful evening last night.

First of all, the jeep is back in the shop.  When I fill the tank, it REAKS - inside the car when I drive away from the gas station and then stinks up the garage for about 3 days afterwards.  Last night we left the garage door open just to air it out.

Back to the rental (a Jeep Patriot this time).  Anyway, I didn't have a garage door opener so I stopped out front of the house, ran around back, let the pups out, opened the garage and drove around.

When I was in the garage, I heard this SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK!  I run out to the yard and Esa has a baby rabbit.  Immediately I yell -

DROP!

She does and I grab her collar to pull her inside.  Zed, in the meantime, is wondering "What the hell is going on?  What is it?" and is trying to sniff the bunny.  I get him in and run back outside to check on the bunny and see if I can get him back through the fence.  Finally he got through the fence and just inside the neighbor's yard.

A little later, I went out with the pups, armed with a spray bottle.  They were sniffing all over the place, but seemed to be over it.  Bunny gone.  I could see him.  Still breathing.  Mama bunny had come over and checked on him.  First time I went out she was about 2 feet from him and then the next time on the other side of the neighbor's yard, but still watching.

I figured crisis averted.  Not quite.  I let Esa stay out (since she seemed to be over it), but next thing I know - SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK!  I run out and say DROP! and the bunny goes into my flower bed.  Great - even farther from the fence, but still alive.

Pups are back inside and about 30 minutes later, I went to check on the bunny and it wasn't there or it was totally nested there.  Esa couldn't find it the rest of the night, so I'm thinking it went back to the neighbors.

We knew the nest was next door.  Esa had noticed it about 2 weeks ago and started barking at it.  I didn't even think the bunnies would make it over to our yard especially since the dogs hang out on that side of the house.

This isn't the first time Esa has gotten a bunny either.  The first year or two when we got her, she did the same thing - mouthed it and threw it in the air.  Didn't hurt that one either.

So THAT was my evening and the reason it is important to teach your dog the drop command.  You may save a bunny's life.