WARNING – DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU ARE OF A SQUEAMISH DISPOSITION…..

But Teddy had an amazing day, today.  He was what Mum always wanted him to be – “a proper dog”.  He killed his first wild bunny rabbit.

Pepper flushed the rabbit out and it came racing down the hill towards me. Ted was with me and ran in a straight line, working out as he went the best way to intercept the quarry, and he was right on the mark.

Seconds later, it was dead.  It was an efficient and correct terrier kill.  Ted’s instincts have finally kicked in.

And then Pepper let the side down and quickly stole dead rabbit from him carrying it all the way home, while feeling very proud of herself. To be fair, Ted had already lost interest.

Pepper didn’t want to let “her” quarry go and so Ted and I went into my shed for the afternoon….

…. while Pepper sat outside in the cold northerly wind and rain. Her choice, not mine.

In the end, and mostly because it was not an afternoon to be outside, I told Pepper it was “dead” (a gundog command she knows that means “let it go now”) and she did give up the rabbit without a fuss and I threw it onto a shed roof for the seagulls.

The minute it was gone, Pepper lost interest too and went back to her day job of pestering me while looking incredibly cute.

Anyway, well done Ted.  He’s a proper dog. It’s official.

(and I’m sorry if all that was gross, but I am very pleased with Ted. Good job! That’s what terriers do and they should do it expertly too).