Number 3 bag

I came back early from flying to give Hope her third lesson in making a living. I gave John a rifle and I took my pistol just in case. When I weighed her, she weighed 942 grams. I keep watching her weight climb, and watching her reactions to it, and there is no reaction. She is still willing and totally focused on the job.

The last time the rabbit we wounded took refuge under a Sage Bush, and Hope was eyeing every bush that we walked by. Unfortunately the Rabbits were about 30 yards further out, so she wasn't seeing them. Our first attempt resulted in a stone dead rabbit, that Hope fortunately didn't see.

I was walking through the Sage when she flashed off my fist and down on the ground. I looked and she had a Lizard gathered up in her foot. I was trying to get my camera out as she shifted her grip to eat it. The Lizard which was only wrapped up in her foot got loose and showed her what speed really was.

After walking around being thwarted by Rabbits that wouldn't volunteer to hold still, I finally got a clear shot with my 22 pistol. Hope saw him and took off after him around a bush. I thought I heard her hit him, but when I got there it appeared that she mistook a black rock for the Rabbit, as she was sitting on the ground looking around. The Rabbit was no where to be found, so we kept on in the direction that we had been going. After a bit we found him again, and this time he tried to take refuge in a Grease wood bush, but Hope was not to be denied.

I pulled both of them out of the bush and killed the Jack. This time after the Jack was dead, I offered her a front leg and she stepped to the fist in a short time. I fed her two front legs and part of a back one in the field. When I got her home, I gave her a head to dismantle.

The first time we went out, Hope rode the fist well. I tossed some tidbits down and called her to the fist a couple of times. The second time she was looking for places where she could be called. This time she was peering into every Sage bush just in case there was a Rabbit hiding in them. I am continually amazed at the obvious ability to reason as to what it takes to get food into her belly. I am able to feed her tidbits from my fingers while she is locked into a dead Rabbit with no fear of being grabbed. The total focus on her part to the work at hand is nothing less than amazing at this point. Hopefully she will continue on this path in the months ahead.