Dog instincts

Sometimes it's hard to remember that, though domesticated, a dog is an animal with basic instincts.  Like - if the dog sees a bird in the garden, it is going to try to get the bird.  That's how my day started.  I let Boomer out to do his business.  I heard him making noise and went out to check what was going on.  He saw the bird in the garden and tried to get him.  The poor bird appeared injured and wouldn't stand a chance.  Thankfully another of his instincts - and apparently a higher one - is to do what his master tells him.  So, when I pulled him back and told him to get in the house, he did it - very reluctantly, but he did it.  When I left for my run, I checked the garden and didn't see the bird.  I knew that the bird was going to be prey for some larger animal because it was injured, I just didn't want it to be my animal.  I was glad it was gone from my yard.  At least I thought it was.  I came back from my run and let Boomer in the yard while I started to water flowers.  I saw him near a dark blob in the yard and thought at first it was a pile of poop.  I went to go pick it up.  It was the bird.  Boomer appears to have gotten it in some way.  There are little feathers on the ground, the bird is on it's side and Boomer is drooling.  Again, he did as I told him and went in the house.  He kept looking back as he sadly trudged back in, but he did as I told him.  I told the bird I was very sorry for what had happened - like it understood me.  The poor thing crawled back into the garden.  I'm so sad for that little bird.  I know that's a part of nature, part of life, but it's still sad.  And now I know I'll have to deal with a dead bird when I get home from work.