"War on the Horizon!"

No human word seems to have a more behaviour-altering effect on a dog than "squirrel". Even the most relaxed canine can transform into a ravenous beast in the blink of an eye. However, my little group of min-pins are always on the lookout for tree rats. Simply opening the front door unleashes all the fury of hades. Although merely four in number, these pooches seem to go in twelve different directions, hitting the woodline in an all-out assault, causing squirrels to scramble for the safety of the trees, their peaceful lives interrupted by an unexpected attack. Ozzy and company did not realize things were about to change.

Apparently the squirrels have decided they have had enough, and are taking the fight to the dogs with a vengance. Ozzy's world was turned on it's head this morning, as he an his cohorts received an unexpected response from our fuzzy-tail tree rodent population. The day began as usual, with the front door opening wide, and the little dogs hitting the woodline barking in all directions. Suddenly the vicious assault turned into a dead silence; there were no squirrels. Standing in disbelief, Ozzy and company weren't sure what was up. Then without warning, a squirrely scream from above unleashed a bombardment of acorns and pinecones. Cries such as "Give me liberty, or give me death" echoed through the trees. My favorite was "dang the pinecones, full speed ahead" (a southern squirrel, no doubt). In short order, the dogs in a panic came running out of the woods, squalling and reeling in disbelief. Their pride wounded, I let the defeated group back into the house.

After they gathered their wits, plans for a counterattack were underway. Ozzy tried to drag a shotgun out of the firearm safe, and the others attempted to arm themselves with anything they could find (I thought I heard Spazz say "This ain't happening"). It is no longer a game of chase between canines and tree rats; it is total WAR! I offered to act as a mediator between the two combatants, but Ozzy said this has been taken to another level, and unless it is met with force, chaos will reign in our backyard. He says it is now time to unleash the "Dogs of War", and he fully expects to have control of the situation within hours.

Whether this skirmish escalates into a full-blown revolution is uncertain, but there is one thing I am sure of: I just witnessed the "Shot Heard 'Round the World", and unless this squirrel rebellion is crushed, it may soon be coming to a neighborhood near you.