On Wed, 09 Jun 2021 18:53:35 +0100, "Commander Kinsey"
wrote:

snip

There was a closed gate and a sleeping large dog. I had to open the gate to get to the letterbox. The dog awoke and very quickly shot out of the garden and ran off out of sight. The woman ran out of the house swearing at me,

I sort of get that, especially if you saw the dog before opening the
gate?

*sleeping* large dog.

Yeahbut how many sleeping dogs have you sneaked up on? I can't move
without ours jumping up.

chased the dog, and took several minutes to get it anywhere near the house, but it wouldn't go on the lead or in the garden. Still waiting in the garden, I crouched down and beckoned to the dog. It came over and played with me.

Like they do when you aren't threatening to the or even better, look
like fun.

I wasn't the one that shut it in a small garden.

Quite.

She shut the gate, stared at me, then said, "That was very stupid!" "What?" "That dog is dangerous! Why did you come in my garden?" "You hid your front door behind the garden." "Get off my property!" "With or without the dog that hates you?" I opened the gate to leave and the dog tried to follow, almost knocking her down when she stopped it.

Hehe. And some people don't think animals can't give consent (or
assent or dissent). ;-)

Met a lady (again [1]) when walking to a mates with the Mrs earlier
who was waling / trainer her 18 month old golden lab. While we were
chatting I was playing ball with the dog and at one point he picked up
my Tilley hat and ran off with it. So I picked up his ball and he
dropped the hat. ;-)

Ah! Bribery!

Well, distraction at least. ;-)

snip

I had a macaw that was in love with an amazon (called Sky).

I really couldn't keep a bird and never have. Seems to be the ultimate
level of imprisonment to me, other than maybe racing pigeons (but
don't agree with those either etc). Of all creatures that deserve to
be free, birds are it.

I don't like them in cages, I keep them in aviaries

Isn't that just a big(er) cage though?

or loose in the house.

Again, 'in', when most birds can fly hundreds (thousands?) of miles a
day? I did see a lady out walking the other day who had a small (live)
parrot of some sort on her head! Assuming it wasn't glued there (and
could fly), I'm guessing it was quite happy or it could have flown
away. On the other hand it might not have been confident in flying
away as it didn't have the support of a flock?

At the moment, there are 6 greys and amazons (out of 8) who have chosen not to come out of the aviaries. The doors are open into the house, and only two regularly come out to explore.

What about the doors to freedom?

I did rescue a Rock Dove that (after treatment by the vet) couldn't
fly so stayed in the garden in the roost I made him / her.

The whippets could typically get to any visiting cat before they could
get near the pigeon. ;-)

If I tried to pick up Sky, the macaw would shout "No! Don't touch! Leave Sky alone!"

And he was completely right of course, unless you left the window open
during the day for it to come and go as it pleased?

They don't understand the dangers of hawks,

Well, possibly not, if they haven't evolved to be aware / avoid them
etc but that suggests they aren't in their natural habitat? Most
animals have an ingrained understanding of what might consider them
for dinner, except us of course with our traps and guns ...

other people, cars, etc.

I'm not sure many animals have fully evolved to deal with either yet,
except some birds possibly because of their mobility and fast reaction
times.

You still get them flying into lorries and windows when they don't
typically fly into cliffs and trees.

Cheers, T i m