Our "guardian dog" is faulty.

Written by Prospector.....

Actually, so is our mouse trap.

This all began the other night when SWMBO saw a mouse on the counter and decided to take care of it with 4 strategically placed traps of the standard type and size.

In night one, one trap was disturbed, and a recently deceased mouse was found in it and disposed of. All was well.
Night 2 had 3 traps cleaned of bait, and a mouse in the third trap, caught by his leg. Not as well, but nevertheless, somewhat effective.
Night 3 had one trap disturbed and a mouse, very much alive, caught by the tail.

"Aha!" says I, "A chance to test the mettle of our ferocious guardian dog." I called Bernie over, and ever hopeful for a scrap of something delicious from the counter she bounded alongside me. "Sit" says I. And she, in a most obedient manner did as told.

I put the trapped mouse on the ground in front of her and made angry sounds. She sniffed inquisitively, and as her nose touched it, the mouse lurched and dragged the trap about an inch across the floor. Bernie, on the other hand jumped clear across the room, ran for the door and cowered in a corner. As any good trainer would do, I split my gut laughing.

I picked up the still trapped mouse and took it outside the the stump of death. Bernie followed at a distance, still unsure of herself. Hoisting the axe of deliverance above the mouse, I most swiftly sent it to join the choir invisible (or at least to eat their crumbs). With that nasty bit of business taken care of I called Bernie over. Tail between her legs, she came carefully over, sniffed the mouse, and then turned and ran for the house where she whined and pawed the door to get back inside. This is the dog we got to protect our property from coyotes.

She has been most bravely lying under the bed ever since. I hope there aren't any mice under there.