Staring at ceramic geese

My Danny Boy Dawg is a hunter at heart, but now that he's somewhere between 10 and 12 years old, with arthritis in his back and hind legs, he can't hunt like he used to. Ever since we got him from NBRAN (a Brittany rescue organization) 2 years ago, he spends his doggy days with his nose to the ground leisurely exploring his back yard or lying in a patch of warm sunlight on his soft blankets, chasing birds and other small, furry critters in his dreams.

Every once in a while, he shows his true hunting nature though. Several weeks ago when a baby bird fell from its nest during a bad storm, Danny had his nose to the front door all day long, wanting to go out and get the bird sitting on a fallen tree branch .

There's another nest of baby birds in a bush just off the front deck that he loves to watch as well - he could sit there for hours just staring at them, every muscle in his body tense and ready should they dare to leave the nest. And all the local chippies know they better hide when Danny's outside.

But my favorite Danny Dawg hunting incident happened last week when we were on vacation at our friend's cabin. We took Danny for a walk around the campground. Suddenly his body tensed and he inched as close as he could to two white ceramic geese, each about a foot tall, in a permanent camper's yard. For several minutes, he stood perfectly still, eyes focused on the pair, willing them to move so he could chase them.


Even though he's older now and apparently can't see very well, when he encounters a bird or small animal, his hunting training and instincts kick in. He focuses on that which he's been trained to do.

What a great reminder for us as Christians! "Teach me your way, Lord, so that I can walk in your truth. Make my heart focused only on honoring your name." Psalm 86:11 CEB

Amen!