Welsh Terrier Tales: Back Yard Browsing by Felix

Welsh Terriers were bred to hunt rats, but since we don't have any rats in our neck of the woods, Felix, our Welshie, browses the yard for other, more culinary delights.

Top on his list are the strawberries. Two years ago I planted a few and now, because they spread, we have a whole section of the garden dedicated to them. When they ripen, Felix is up to his knees in green, searching out the red delicacies. His black and tan colors and his hunched over posture make him look like a little browsing cow. Because neither my wife nor I was getting our share, I boxed them off and put plastic chicken wire over them. Felix is expert at getting under the wire to claim what is his.

Next on the menu are raspberries. Many of these grow high enough to be out of his reach, so we get some, too. Our little terrier loves them, and they don't have to be ripe. Green and tart are fine by Felix, and he'll often grab a whole bunch and back up and stretch the branch until he strips the berries off. The blackberries appeal to him too.

He ate half of a cucumber this year, the first year that I planted them. Mr. Squirrel, Felix's arch nemesis, ate the other half.

I am a fanatical grower of tomatoes. This year I had nearly forty plants and gave away over 1500 tomatoes. They are so plentiful that they are apparently not up to Welsh Terrier standards of delight anymore. Occasionally, Felix will carry one around or use it as a ball, but he rarely actually eats one.

We have a nice herb garden. It has basil, garlic, chives, oregano, thyme, dill, and other delights. As I periodically weed it, our Felix the Black and Tan is right next to me, sampling the young, tender shoots of grass. The cat likes it when he comes inside, smelling of catnip.

Once, as I crouched and dug the ground to place some onion sets, I heard a swoosh next to me, and looked up to see Felix running off with the net full of bulbs, trailing them though the yard as he pranced away.

You might ask, don't you discipline your dog? Yes, of course I do, but my feeling about the garden is, plant it, let it grow, and let the animals have their share, whether they be friends like Felix, or the rabbits and squirrels that he so loves to chase.