Go Speed Racer, Go!

We fostered a pitbull named Juno, or Junie B. Jonesdog as she became quickly, for three weeks with a houseful of little children. She was quite a sweet natured puppy, and great fun to throw a kong to, but had very big always muddy paws. When Junie found her adoptive home, we spread the word that we wanted to adopt a dog of our own. A goat raising family heard of our dilemma and mentioned that she had a goat raising friend who had a stray wander up- a long haired dachshund. I was excited about the size of that dog! I grew up with a red shorthaired dachshund named Gretchen. She was hilarious and good with children. The possibilities were exciting. Stacy, one of the good folks at SM 3Pines Farm

Speed Racer standing guard

said she'd call the family who had the dog, and see if he was adopted yet. Speedy was soon ours. His foster family showed us his delightful trick. In addition to being an escape artist, he will stand up on his hind feet and wave at you for attention. We brought him home, put him with his favorite blanket into his crate, and let the children all get a good look at him, from behind bars. He's so fast, it might be their only chance.

What a character he is! Recently we repaired his underground fence which had stopped working with a foot of snow and ice on the ground. This returns him to the great out of doors for as he enjoys running paths around the house, keeping the chipmunks and squirrels in line. He's a great herd dog, pushing his cats around the yard, and playing crossing guard to the neighbors' cumulative 14 cats who deign to transverse our 1/2 acre.

You would never know from watching him boss them around outside, that the cats rule the house. I have followed the sounds of whimpering dog to find Speedy standing in the hallway, pinned between two cats who have each staked out a doorway, daring him to try and cross past them. But the yard is his domain. He is limited in range by the collar, which warns him with a tone, that he is near the end of his boundary. Kitty Boy senses this range, I'm unsure how, and sits just outside the perimeter and mocks him, taunting Speedy with his ample tail. He strolls back and forth like a sentry, tempting the dog to venture too far and receive a static shock.

Today, Speed Racer wore his electric receiver on his collar after a lengthy absence and roamed the yard at his leisure. Kitty Boy, the neighbor's neutered black and white tuxedo kitty must not have received the memorandum. He has grown accustomed to Speed Racer being confined to a 20 foot line since his electric fence went down in December. But not any more.

Kitty, blissfully unaware of Speed Racer's return to freedom, spied a couple of squirrels raiding our bird feeder, and trotted across to see if he could at least touch the tail of a fleeing tree rodent. Speedy seized the moment and gaining great momentum tackled Kitty Boy, rolling him, and then trotted off triumphantly with his tail flagged in victory. Just because he could.

Kitty Boy returned to his safe perch outside of the perimeter of the electric fence and climbed his favorite tree to survey the horrific scene of his attack, tongue-combing his coat in an effort to remove eau de dog from his ruffled black fur.

I immediately snatched up my camera to take photos of what I had witnessed through the window. I do think Speed Racer was grinning. That's why we love this dog. Notice to cats - he's back!


Speed Racer, gloating over rolling the neighbor's cat after a 4 month hiatus. You'll see Cricket, our Jack Russell fox terrier pup learning the ropes of cat herding in the upper corner.