Brave Dog

Lightning is a sad case. He showed up as a stray in the autumn of 2012, and he was slow to tame. We put a heating pad in a doghouse for him and began putting his meals there, and pretty soon he made that his home, but three years later we still cannot touch him. He walks with us, he comes when we call, but he needs his vaccinations, and we know from the way he coughs that he has heartworms.

We always know when someone drives in because Lightning goes ripping out of his house and across the porch as soon as a car comes off the blacktop. He would make a great squirrel dog because he can follow a squirrel from tree to tree. I even saw him catch one on the ground once.  Last night Lightning was barking loudly, so I went out to see what the problem was, and he was barking at a skunk that was just below the porch.  I went for a rifle, and by the time I was out the door Lightning was halfway across the yard with the skunk out in front of him.  He was staying back twenty feet, but he kept the pressure on.  He drove that skunk across the road without triggering him to spray.  Good Dog! We put extra treats in his bowl.