[cowpony]

We took the cowponies out for a ride in the snow today. The snow had melted to the point where lots of grass tufts were poking up through the snow. My goodness there were a lot of voles running around! We would startle one, and it would scuttle two or three feet to an opening made by the nearest grass tussock, where it would dive back under the snow cover. They all looked quite fuzzy and plump. Our cocker spaniel (RIP, sniff) would have been on cloud nine on the ride today. He used to love to catch moles & voles and carry them around in his mouth. On more than one occasion I pried open his mouth to liberate a fully beslimed and indignant, but otherwise unharmed, little critter. Our poodle cross, in contrast, wasn't much of a hunter. He'd happily run and chase things, but he'd stop short of catching anything. Does anyone else have a dog who loves vermin hunting?

 

[bigredpoodle]

Our spoos catch and kill the rabbits mice and various other little critters...

 

[ArreauStandardPoodle]

Mine love to bark and carry on if they spot a chipmunk or cat near the property, but I would have a fit if they killed anything, and thankfully they have never tried. My first Whippet killed six ferral cats one year and would leave them at the back door like a trophy, and I would be shook up for days and angry at him, just begin recovering and he would do it again. YUCK!!!

 

[plumcrazy]

My Hannah Banana (Boxer, Cocker Spaniel, Great Pyrenees, Labrador, Miniature Poodle, Viszla mix) is my hunter. She has captured (and killed ) two rabbits and countless young birds in my backyard. Her crowning glory would be to catch a tree squirrel, but they're too crafty for her and sit just high enough in the tree, chattering at her!

I would've thought Juliet, my German Varmint Dog (i.e., Dachshund) would be more of a critter hunter, but she'd rather just dig holes. :lol:

 

[ArreauStandardPoodle]

And I am proud and thankful for Juliets lack of prey drive!

 

[plumcrazy]

And I am proud and thankful for Juliets lack of prey drive!

You and me, both; Arreau!! :lol: I'd rather fill in a few holes in the yard than pick up carcasses. :wacko:

 

[cowpony]

My first Whippet killed six ferral cats one year and would leave them at the back door like a trophy, and I would be shook up for days and angry at him, just begin recovering and he would do it again. YUCK!!!

Ugh! My grandparents used to breed and show gun dogs. One day a neighbor's cat met its demise when it hopped the fence into their yard. Sure didn't help neighborly relations! Cat harassment is going to be a major training no-no when I finally get a puppy. Cats are going to be part of the family, and you don't eat family!

I feel differently about mice and rats. They are so destructive when they get into your dwellings. I don't wish them suffering, but I sure don't want them getting into my food or chewing up my horse tack. The terriers I've known usually dispatch them much more quickly and mercifully than a cat or poison does.

I'm not sure how I feel about a dog going after groundhogs. A couple of the barn dogs (not the barn poodle) routinely catch and kill them. On the one hand, the groundhogs dig burrows, so fewer groundhogs around means less of a chance of one of my horses breaking a leg from a burrow collapsing under us. The dogs are so fast the groundhog barely knows what hit it; it's a quick end. On the other hand, I hate the way these dogs go after anything that's groundhog sized. We're back to the nightmare of catching cats.

 

[flyingduster]

my terrier catches and kills mice if she can get them, but it's rare that she gets a chance! When we lived on the farm she'd be part of the 'pack' of three dogs that'd go out and kill the odd possum, but Riki was young and didn't really actually take part in any killing, she'd just run around like a looney all revved up from the hunt! lol. The retriever was good at it though, one violent shake from the scruff of the neck and it was gone. (note that possums in NZ are not the same as Opossums, they are a major pest in NZ!!!)

 

[taxtell]

Oddly enough our clinic cat is a killer...of bugs! And the occasional mouse that sneaks in.

My old greyhound girl was a fierce killer of rabbits, birds, racoons, anything else she could get her teeth into, but only outside. She knew that the inside critters were off limits.
I have no idea what Flip would do if he caught something, but for now he just tiggerbounces after rabbits and such in our yard.

 

[ArreauStandardPoodle]

I would have no problem if they killed mice and ate the entire thing. Just don't leave body parts for me to discover please!!!

 

[bigpoodleperson]

Riley likes to play with things. I saw him outside oneday pounching and throwing something into the air multiple times. I went out to see what it was. He found a baby field mouse and was playing with it like a killer whale. I made him leave it and took the thing furter into the field where Ry couldnt get it. I doubt it made it, but at least my dog didnt finish it off.

He will eat dead birds in the yard and chase after things. Dont know what he would actually do to something if he caugh it though (his dream of all dreams is finally catching one of those squirrels at the park!!).

 

[mandi]

Paulie stops in the doorway to survey the yard before he exits...he holds one foot up with nose forward and eyes riveted-since there are always squirrels out there...we have 3 tall pines on that side and this neighborhood is "squirrel city" with all the trees. He spots one and runs like crazy-he will catch one eventually but don't know what he will do with it...I really hope he doesn't!

 

[Trillium]

Sport is our hunter. He loves to chase squirrels, chipmunks, cats (though we try very hard to discourage the cats thing) and this summer discovered ducks and geese. He is very dedicated at trying to catch them all he hasn't managed to yet however. He and Jenny will both stalk, kill and eat house flies. Its crazy to see them just about fly across the room after one.

Betty Jo and Jenny don't chase rodents. We are happy about that as it sure makes walking in the park easier.

 

[Spencer]

Our greyhound was staying with my in-laws for a month (they love him, and our old land lords didn't know we had him and were working on the house... hence hiding him!)... and they let him out in the morning to potty. THIS, is the story told to TheFiance and I over the phone.

Pa (what I call my soon to be f.i.l.) let TheGrey out to potty and was standing in the doorway watching him and waiting for him to be done. TheGrey did his business and ran around the yard a few times, doing his usual. There were a few random birds swooping from tree to tree, but no one thought anything of it, as TheGrey usually just watches them and never bothers. Not this morning. He watched a bird leave from the tree, and as it was swooping about a foot from the ground, he burst into action and caught the bird. MID FLIGHT. Pa had to run. outside. in. his. underwear. to get the bird away from TheGrey before he ate it. Ma (m.i.l.) disposed of the body while Pa held on to TheGrey. A solitary feather was left on the grass, and TheGrey angrily went and layed next to it, giving them both the stink eye, and as very huffy the rest of the day towards them both.

Cracks me up AND grosses me out! Ma said (and I quote), "Thank goodness Spencer wasn't here, she would have flipped out!"