Yesterday when I got home from work I let the boyz out as usual, and and as
usual they ran to the tree in the far corner of the yard to pee. A magpie
flew over to the tree and started screaming at them. Now, our magpies are
quite rude and annoying, but this was unusual. It perched on a low branch
and started flapping and screeching at Kavik, who thought this was some
great game and started jumping up to see/get? the bird. Suddenly, a black
and white form fell out of the other side of the tree! A baby magpie. It
started hopping away down the fence line. Now my boys are pretty good with
small animals, but I somehow realized this wasn't going to be good. I raced
out the door yelling at the boys NO TOUCH. Kavik was so occupied with the
bird in the tree he had no idea what I was talking about. Toklat ran after
the baby magpie and caught up to it, but didn't pick it up - or at least
hesitated before he picked it up. He is not a "mouthy" dog - he doesn't use
his mouth to investigate things like Kavik does, mostly just his nose and
paws. I was able to grab Toklats ruff before he decided that this bird was
worth using his mouth on. But then Kavik saw the bird, and raced past me
and grabbed it in his mouth. I was yelling at him to drop it and I dragged
poor Tok over there by his ruff, but Kavik didn't drop the bird. I grabbed
Kavik by his ruff and told him to drop the bird again. Well, actually I
screamed bloody murder - something like "NO DON'T EAT THE BIRD BADDOG DROP
IT KAVIK NO" at the top of my lungs. My poor neighbors. He dropped the
bird, but I thought it must be hurt by now because it fell onto the ground
and looked kind of limp. I started walking the boys into the house, holding
both ruffs, one in each hand. About halfway across the yard, Kavik starts
crying like I am killing him, and pulls a Conor, and falls on the ground and
rolls over on his back. I didn't let go of his ruff, thinking this was a
bird eating ploy. Now, I know I didn't hurt him that badly, I was holding
Toklat just the same, and he never cried or acted like I was killing him. I
finally got a different grip on Kavik and told him to "GET UP NOW" and he
did and I was able to secure the boys inside. I turned to investigate the
poor injured magpie baby who was happily hopping around the yard. HAH! I
considered moving the little bugger but four magpies were on the fence line
screaming at me - must be mommy, daddy and two more developed siblings. The
little guy was full size but not fully plumaged. He hopped back over the
tree and eventually hopped back in it. The magpies screamed every time the
dogs came out all night, but luckily the baby stayed in the tree. Lets
hope he flies soon.

So, previously I said that Kavik was not interested in eating birds, but
that was incorrect. Kavik is NOT unwilling to put a bird in his mouth, if
he can catch one, but he is too lazy to catch anything but hopping babies.
Kavik doesn't bear down on hopping babies right away and it is possible to
remove a live bird from a dogs mouth! Toklat is not interested in putting
birds in his mouth unless they come from the supermarket.