She’s Gone Rogue

Journey has always been willful. When she was a tiny puppy her littermates would all run in one direction and Journey would go the opposite way. She rarely got scolded. With those beautiful blue eyes all she had to do was look at you and your heart would melt.

Mom took Journey to so many classes she lost count. Basic obedience, advanced obedience, how to walk nicely on leash, intro to therapy dog training, how to behave in elevators, use public restrooms, even how to ride in an ambulance. Mom had friends help her with training. They would hide from Journey then call her and she’d get a big reward when she found them.

But then things took a turn. Journey flunked her first therapy dog test. Why you ask? Not because she didn’t have the basic skills – she certainly did. No, it was because Journey made it clear she didn’t want to be a therapy dog. She wouldn’t pay attention to directions or stand still when petted. She always had her nose to the ground searching for a scent.

Eventually Mom realized the whole therapy dog thing would never work. She had to find something Journey actually wanted to do. That’s why we started nose work classes. Journey loves nose work and she’s very good at it. It’s mentally challenging and she likes the treats. But we can all tell that nose work isn’t really satisfying for Journey. You see, Journey just wants to hunt and kill. That’s right – Journey is a first class predator.

Journey began her career as a serial killer when she discovered moles. She could smell them and hear them moving around under ground, but it took her a while to perfect her hunting skills. When she first caught a mole she didn’t know what to do with it. She played around with it and eventually tossed it to Mom who threw it over the fence. As time when on Journey perfected her snatch and kill technique. Dig out the mole, grab it by the neck, give it a quick twist and voila! Another dead mole. In the month of June Journey killed eight moles. That’s her personal best.

You can tell from looking at her face how happy Journey is when she murders a mole. I don’t know what to say about that. She’s her own dog and I respect her,  but sometimes I wonder what goes on behind those baby blue eyes.