Laserschwert said:
Nah, not completely dog-free, as the next shot (of the car driving into the distance) contains 30 or so prairie dogs scattering out of the way. But that shot makes sense, as it explains why there's a mound of dirt, and all the offensive dog-shots will be gone.

Yeah, definitely - that shot is really inoffensive compared to the other prarie-dog sequences, and never bothered me at all in the theatrical cut. And like you say, in your edit, it will give justification for the presence of a dirt mound in the first scene.