When we still had Champ, he and Riley would "co-hunt" for moles. They were quite a team. Champ would watch the ground and listen for the little buggers to move. Then he'd pounce on the correct spot and dig it up. It was amazing. That dog could move some dirt. Well, then once he got the mole, he didn't know what to do with it. Cue Riley. . .she'd take it and "dispatch" of it with a quick flick of her head. Done! Poor Riley can't really move much dirt so moles would escape her. She's got tiny little feet and it just doesn't work like having 100 pounds behind Champ's big paws so this was teamwork at it's best. It cracked me up. The tag teamed moles on a regular basis. Well, now that we no longer have Champ, mole hunting has been a fruitless endeavor for the little white dogs.
Last night, Riley and Rhys were scopeing out my mom's front yard. Riley is drawn to this one particular area and then just stops. She glances around and does the head-cocked, listening intently thing. Then all of a sudden she pounces and starts digging like mad. Well, she dug and dug and I had all but given up on her and was about to call her off, when all of a sudden she runs by me with this big ol honkin mole. Oh it was priceless. I swear this thing was almost as big as her head. . .well, at least half it's size. Flick, shake, flick, and done. Then she spit out a whole bunch of dirt and grass that she had to accumulate in the catching of it. Much praise was had for ridding us of the evil vermin. She did perfect earthdog form-minus the barking but I can live with that.
So why is she like the only terrier that will hunt above ground but not below? She is a "go to ground" breed. . .but apparently, she doesn't know that.