Opossum Hockey

[jfh28]

All the opossum stories reminded me of this....happened a couple of weeks ago.

I let our Pyrenees out for his nightly duty in the fenced portion of our property. Fence is 7 feet high because he was able to jump the 5 1/2 foot one when we first got him. So I don't wory about him getting out and leave him unsupervised to patrol to his hearts content.

As usual he runs out the door and disappears down the hill, barking....it's what Pyrs do best Only this time he won't shut up. After about 10 minutes of constant barking I finally put on a coat and go out to see what's going on. He's jumping around, hitting something and then running after it.

Our whole area is covered with frozen snow and ice (brutal winter so far) so I know can't go down the hill or I won't get back up. After getting a flash light I see what he's doing. Apparently a opossum ventured into the fenced area, probably from a tree, and our Pyr found him.

The opossum seeing this huge white thing coming at him must of curled up and played dead. Not the least put off by this the Pyr proceeds to whack this lump with his paw, sending the "dead" opossum flying across the icy ground. Naturallly the Pyr has to chase this and once it stops sliding, whack it again sending it to a different part in the woods. He's not trying to attack it, but is obviously enjoying this new found game.

After watching the opossum sail around a few times I realize this is not going to end anytime soon....the Pyr has his "painted" ears on and has no intention of listening to me. So down the icy hill I go and after much struggling retrieve a disappointed Pyr and get him back inside.

I checked back about a half hour later and found the opossum about 10 feet up a tree....slightly dazed but apparently no worse for the wear.

Jack

 

[WayneB]

Now it is stories like this that demand pictures! Sure it was just a bunch of fun to see.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

my husky cross used to play a similar game with opossums when they fell out of the elm over the back yard. (every June we go through a variation on this theme)
I go out to feed him one morning and he won't come eat.
when I come back out with a flashlight, I see him hooking his nose under something and throwing it in the air, catching it and throwing it back in the air every so often he'll miss the catch and have to hook it back up with his nose to get it flying again.

he got mad one time when I took his toy and tossed it back over the fence, so the next time he caught 2 - one to bring to me and a second one to play with by himself.
while I was tossing momma over the fence, he swallowed the half grown juvenile whole. ick.
I picked up wormer on the way home that night.

 

[chh]

The Lab we used to have and our other dog(big mix) used to love the game of tug-a-armadillo. Don't think the possum in a half shell thought much of it though. The wife really hated the sound of it too.

 

[jfh28]

Yes I wish I would have thought of pictures, but it was cold, dark and late. The brain was only thinking "get this stupid dog inside"!

On the plus side I'm just glad I didn't let the wolfhound out first.....being the goof that he is, he would have chomped on it and brought it inside to play with!!!!

Jack

 

[Wayne County Hose]

....... he would have chomped on it and brought it inside to play with!!!!

Jack

Hey, at least the camera would be close enough for a pic.