– Farmer Dane –

June 10, 2002 – This week's DaDane is a rerun of an earlier DaDane of DaWeek that appeared exactly 5 years ago...

After an animated discussion about Great Danes and squirrels, members of the Great Dane Mail List turned their attention to the issue of Great Danes and birds. I was surprised to learn that many Great Danes are dedicated backyard bird hunters. In fact, some Danes are highly skilled at the craft. There were many fascinating bird-hunting stories, but one story stood out: "My Great Dane of many years ago, Heidi, was a prolific bird catcher. Not only did she catch them on a regular basis, she then buried them – ALIVE! I would see her coming out of the cornfield looking a little sneaky, so I would trace her steps back to a 'dig' spot. There would be a wing sticking out. I would pull out the bird, it would shake itself off and walk away like nothing had happened. I would find full-grown geese, roosters, ducks and pigeons." Well, I have to tell you that when I read this story, I could scarcely believe it. I decided to discuss the implications of such deviant behavior with Merlin and Jabber. I made them sit while I told them the story. I said, "Boys, I want to tell you right now, don't you ever do what Heidi did. Not ever." The two dogs rolled their eyes at me. Merlin spoke first, "You idiot. She wasn't BURYING those birds." Jabber nodded in agreement, "Nope, she was PLANTING them. She was hoping for more." Merlin smiled. "We do the same thing with bones.