My dog killed/ate rabbits. Big deal or not?

[Boilers]

Left our Golden mix with someone last week. They said they let it out for an extended period of time. It's always CHASES squirrels, but never catches one.

But they said they think it caught and picked clean up to FOUR RABBITS!

Anything worth worrying over about this? I'm not worried.

I always joked that if I died, I tell our dog... "I know you'd EAT ME!!!"

 

[Benny]

I guess it is a bit weird; my GSD would make you pee your pants if he found you as a threat and flipped his switch...But I think he'd just be more interested in playing with a rabbit he found.



Maybe he needs steampot dinner.

 

[Boilers]

steampot rabbit dinner? Makes me think Fatal Attraction...

 

[hotfarmboy1]

My lab mixes kill animals on an almost regular basis and eat them. I swear we finding a coon or possum around here every couple of weeks or so that's dead. Not many rabbits around the farm though.

 

[Turn Key]

My English Springer Spaniel killed a squirrel (I'd thought) in the backyard last week and brought in into the house and layed it down in front of his dog crate.

There was a rug where the squirrel lay so I went to roll it up to take it outside and the damn thing jumped right at my face. Scared the living G-Rated out of me! It must have been playing possum but it was really nearly dead. After getting the squirrel outside it got a .177 pellet in the neck prior to the can. No live fire in the city...

TK

 

[FordMan08]

Nothing to worry about unless he has a run in with someones Yorkie.

 

[Benny]

Nothing to worry about unless he has a run in with someones Yorkie.

Since when is having a dog that gets rid of rodents a problem?

 

[Wabatuckian]

I don't see it as a problem, unless the retriever refuses to bring the rabbit to you, or turn it over to you. Then there's a problem.

Otherwise, the Golden is doing what it was bred to do: retrieve game. Retrieving is only a step below catching, killing and eating an animal - that part has been arrested through breeding - just like a pointer's point is a step away from charging the animal to kill and eat it - again, arrested through breeding.

If the dog is in charge, left on its own, the arrested development could very well manifest itself fully and you end up with dead bunnies.

My mixed breed (lab, wolf, huskie) will regularly tree coons and squirrels, but will leave off when she sees me come up, and she will get behind me when she sees the firearm coming into play. Only part of that is training; the rest is working with her instinctual behavior.

Josh <><

 

[Benny]

I don't see it as a problem, unless the retriever refuses to bring the rabbit to you, or turn it over to you. Then there's a problem.

Plus Juan.

 

[XMil]

My Boston Terrier loves nothing more than killing and eating little animals. He got into a nest of rabbits one day and swallowed the first one whole! I would have never guessed it would have fit. In another incident he brought a baby bunny into the house, that DID NOT go well with the Mrs. I however couldn't stop laughing.

He did get an intestinal tract infection once after eating a bird.

 

[dice dealer]

I'd be worried if he was my hunting dog , not worth a crap if he eats all we kill ....

 

[jeremy]

No worries...

I actually encourage my dogs to kill unwanted pests on my property. Great way to keep critters out of your garden.

Now if I could just get my wife to quit feeding the dogs tomatoes...

 

[bigus_D]

I'd say not a big deal...

My GSD found some babby rabbits once... He mostly wanted to play around with them... but that ended up being the end of the rabbits since they were so small.

He also once spotted a possum in the back yard. He charged it hard and gave it a good swing with his paw. After rolling over a couple of times, the possum decided to stand his ground. After that my GSD wasn't sure what to think so I called him in and let the possum be on its merry way. It was really a pretty funny exchange.

 

[Turtle]

sounds like your dog had fun. tell him he is a good dog.

 

[Boilers]

I was wondering if it pointed to inadequate feeding/eating by us/it?

Will the dog want to eat more now with the taste of blood?
No diseases from wild vermin?
etc.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Left our Golden mix with someone last week. They said they let it out for an extended period of time. It's always CHASES squirrels, but never catches one.

But they said they think it caught and picked clean up to FOUR RABBITS!

Anything worth worrying over about this? I'm not worried.

I always joked that if I died, I tell our dog... "I know you'd EAT ME!!!"

You should measure his ears immediately and keep a record of the length for at least a month to ensure there are no permenant affects. If they start to grow and continue for more than 30 days take him to the vet right away.

Be sure to keep an eye on any unusual hopping tendency and log it in the same journal in case the vet needs to know.

 

[Clay]

No worries, its a natural thing. Wild dogs never got their food from a bag or a can

 

[Mgderf]

You should measure his ears immediately and keep a record of the length for at least a month to ensure there are no permenant affects. If they start to grow and continue for more than 30 days take him to the vet right away.

Be sure to keep an eye on any unusual hopping tendency and log it in the same journal in case the vet needs to know.

Absolutely HILARIOUS! +1 and Rep's to you!
"measure his ears immediately"! YOU, sir, are one sick puppy, just the kind I like!

 

[Crystalship1]

Since when is having a dog that gets rid of rodents a problem?

Yorkie = Barking Rat!!!!

 

[Mgderf]

I'm STILL laughing at "..measure his ears.."
I forgot. Simply put, K-9's eat rodents. It's a fact of nature. I'd be MORE worried if he DIDN'T eat it.