Side Quest: For His Naughty Dog

The Christmas lights were twinkling as I sang along to my favorite Christmas song.

🎶 “For his naughty dog…” 🎶

I’m not sure how old I was when I realized this beloved Christmas song was actually in Spanish—and called Feliz Navidad. Facepalm. It’s still one of my favorites, although now I sing the correct lyrics.

Once our oldest got the official word that we were moving to five acres, he immediately began asking for a dog.

Less than a month after closing, he had picked out an adorable little puppy—half Great Pyrenees, half Catahoula Leopard Dog— promising to be a wonderful livestock guardian dog.

Well…this sweet, big ol’ Good Boy is also a very naughty boy.

Having owned a Catahoula Leopard Dog before and being well-acquainted with their good-natured chaos, we were skeptical—but hoped the Great Pyrenees would bring balance to the Force…

It did not.

Instead, my oldest shovels the displaced dirt back into the holes, and our “livestock guardian” remains on a carefully managed schedule—part inmate, part agent of chaos.

🎶 “For his naughty dog…” 🎶

He doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body.

And yet…his chase instinct wins out every time when presented with a startled bird—

or lamb.

At least three of our chickens have met an untimely end because of it.

So, like any well-run prison, we rotate Yard Time. During the day, this Naughty Dog has his privileges revoked so that the chicken ladies and duck gang can range freely.

This week’s offense?

Digging under the sheep enclosure.

In an apparent attempt to “help” everyone socialize…temptation won out.