None of our dogs have ever encountered an opossum, but then our dogs are never left to run loose.

Earlier, I could hear animals walking in my orchard in my front yard, through the open window. I ran Althea out the side door, into the front yard. She immediately got on a hot trail, at a fast run and then hooked back about 100 degrees, before making about a 70 degree turn back again. I figured 2 trails crossed. I saw eyes set like an opossums, at the base of an apple tree disappear and figured it treed up and found an opposum in the tree.

I called Althea over, thinking she could keep it treed while I grabbed a 22, but she went running past, close to the road around the house the opposite way we entered the yard. Seconds after she ran by, a decent sized cottontail rabbit ran about the way she did.

I went back the way I came to figure out what Thea was doing and to get the 22. When I called her she would run about half way to me and then back to my porch. When I got near the porch, I could see Thea had deposited an adult opposum on the ground nearby. It was very clear she wanted me to open the door, so she could take the opposum in to give to Diane, who was in bed already.

I made Thea leave Diane's present outside, much to Thea's disappointment. Grabbed the 22 and took care of the opossums.

I am positive that if I let Thea take the opposum inside, she would of dumped in on top of Diane in bed.




Keith

Our German shepherd pup has a soft mouth. He likes to pick up things and bring them to us unharmed. there is one chicken he seems to really like and has brought over to mywife or daughter several times. she is always unharmed. He also will catch mice if one gets away from my daughter or escapes . Again they are never hurt and he will give them to you when told otherwise he just likes to pack them around.



Glad your down another possum. I hope your wife likes the gifts.

Mine will shake until dead and then shake some more.
Hates them.

I don't let my dog play with possums...he is on a line 99% of the time unless in a fenced yard.

poor dog never able to run free and kill opossums. guess we are the opposite. only time mine are on a lead is if going to town, vet, being worked, or it's a pup not trained with rock solid recall yet. O and when they are getting a bath outside because none seem to like getting sprayed with the hose.

everyone has a rock solid recall until it is not so solid.....because there is no such thing if you have a driven working breed dog that is not fully trained and even then......

golden doodles are e-z to train.....


thats like all the off leash pit bull owners whose dogs came close to seeing the after life when they came over by me & my paddy. they all said their dogs were very well trained as we approached....

I expect my dogs to kill problems on my farm. However, Thea doesn't kill, or probably even hurt opossums. She just throws them on Diane. She's done that 4 times in the last year or so. I have no doubt Thea would have dropped the opossum on Diane, in bed, if she was allowed to bring it in, like she wanted to.

I find it hilarious every time Thea hits Diane with an opossum. I was tempted to let Althea carry the opossum in, but didn't want to have to clean green opossum gunk off the bedding.

Probably almost nobody ever expects a dog to run up out of the darkness and throw a live opossum on them, except Diane.

Keith

Not at all. The little ankle biter the missus picked up went the other way when I put one in her face this morning.

Don't believe my old Border Collie ever crossed paths with a possum, but she was death on coons and woodchucks, I'm sure a possum would have met the same fate...

Oscar (JRT+ Patterdale}worked it until he got a good neck Grip,

Buggs (JRT)got bit on the face. LOL

have 3 terriers to protect the livestock and birds at night ive threw 10 to 15 out of the yard this summer the last one 3 days ago was pure white they treed the biggest coon i ever seen last night when i went fishing at the river last night a mile from the house and ive seen a lot of coon no one has trapped in my area for 5 to 10 years

Wait till they bring back a skunk by mistake. It happened to my buddy here......jk

Lots of disease in possum ,dont want them around my animals .Chicken people think they eat Tics .LOL

apparently by jumping on them and barking

they couldn't actually get to the possum so I am not entirely sure , it was under the storm window I use for my cold frame , which was stored leaned against the back of the garage , they broke the window jumping on it trying to get the possum.

luckily the dogs didn't get cut , drug them back inside and use the hay fork to escort the possum outside the fence then cleaned up all the broken glass before going back to sleep.

I was probably a sight out there in my boxers and house shoes with a flash light in one hand and a pitch fork in the other.

why can I never find a head lamp when I need one.