Photo Me and Bouncer on the  front porch Kalkadoon Hotel kajabbi

Bouncer on Patrol

Around Quarter past seven on Friday, I was working on the computer, and Bouncer was dozing in the back room. I heard a warning “Woof” from Bouncer, followed by the sound of dogs fighting (three). This was closely followed by the horrible sound of a continuing ‘ AAAARGH – AAAARGH – AAAARGH’ sound that I instantly recognised as the sound of a dog with another dog cutting off its air supply.
It is difficult to recognise exactly which dog is making this ‘AAAARGH’ sound when a dog is making it. I rushed into the back room (the outside door was open). It was dark. There was no moonlight. I barely made out three dogs. I hurled myself into the fray anyway. (STUPID) But Bouncer would have done the same for me!
I split the dogs up, and the three rushed outside and into the yard. I grabbed a short piece of poly pipe and followed them out onto the road.
One of the Dogs began emitting an Awful screaming continuously. Again I had no clue what dog. . I had a vague impression that one of the dogs was equal in size to Bouncer, and the other was a smaller dog (not fully grown up).
Once again, I charged into the fray, swinging the poly pipe, but I seemed to miss everything. It was dark, and I could not see them. It went quiet, and I made out the three dogs running into the bush.
At this stage, I was quite worried about Bouncer, as the dogs had all disappeared. I consoled myself with the thought that nobody has ever recorded dogs being kidnapped by other dogs. . . So, presumably, Bouncer had followed the fleeing dogs of his own free will.
There is a road crew with dogs camped a few hundred yards into the bush. They have a grader, a loader, and a big water tanker. I was tempted to go across, but I figured that the dogs they had over there were probably to protect the camp when they were working. I reluctantly decided to leave the dog problems to Bouncer.
I spent the night occasionally walking around outside. I never saw Bouncer until the following morning, about ten o’clock. He looked pretty sore and battered. It is Monday morning now, and he still has a very sore ear. (He is sleeping with a pillow.)
The Bouncer is at least eight years old; he keeps himself pretty fit, wandering the local bush and dragging home the remains of kangaroos and whatever else he can find. He is a lovely-natured Dog. He loves everybody; he even smiles at the kangaroos hopping past as the evening shade creeps across the lawn (He is not fast enough to catch them anyway) . . . But he does not approve of strange unaccompanied dogs walking through his house, and tough enough to back up his Disapproval.

 

More bouncer

Bouncer, when employed as the Pub Dog at the Kalkadoon Hotel, was a big dog but very mild-mannered. On many occasions, visitors would stop at the small gate and look cautiously for him; quite regularly, Bouncer would sneak under the pub and check them out. On many occasions, hearing a visitor shout “Hello”. I would go to the gate, and they often asked if it was okay to come in because of the dog. “He is right behind you”, I would regularly tell them. . .

Bouncer was quite content with strangers wandering in and out of the pub and the yard as long as they acted normally. On one occasion, a council worker who knew the Bouncer quite well decided to shower. It had been a hot day, and the worker seemed quite jubilant about the prospect of a cold shower. In exuberance, the fellow slipped off his thongs and threw them into the air. Unfortunately, one of the thongs landed on the toilet roof. This was fine with the Bouncer as he had observed stupid people for many years. After completing his shower, the Council worker decided to get his thong back; he moved an old 44-gallon drum and climbed onto the roof. Bouncer decided that this was not acceptable behaviour. I had to get the help of two other council workers drinking in the bar to help lock the Bouncer away before the man on the roof could dismount.

Some weeks later, the same worker called in for a beer, and a bouncer walked around him, his teeth clearly exposed and a continuous low guttural growl.

I always found Bouncer to be a lovely dog, but he never tolerated whatever he decided was intolerable behaviour.

 

                                                                  CHUCK BERRY

Chuck Berry was belting out ‘Johny B Goode’ At full blast on my radio. (I was jumping about a bit) The Bouncer seemed to recognise this crazy Chuck Berry phenomenon and launched onto my lounge chair, forcing it to fall backwards. For about one millisecond, Bouncer looked at me with an expression of ** oops!. .** Then Bouncer decided Rock n Roll was fun and did the same to the other chair.     

 

Observation:  There is no point in playing ‘Mantovani’ To a Blue Dog.