[Raiko]

My friend just got a german shepard husky mix pup from a shelter. The puppy lives with a cat.. and its really obvious too because she plays like her big momma cat plays.

Anyway her favorite game is to bat at the grass until a moth flies out and then chase it all over the yard. She never went after squirrels or rabbits, i guess cuz she could never catch them but she loves the moth game because she always wins. {and the moths here can be pretty big, look up polyphemus moth if u wanna see what we got here, big as my hand"} anyway since this game seemed harmless we never corrected her for it, but she does know the leave it and drop it commands because she enjoys picking up mulch which isnt good for her. So anyway she knows not to touch mulch now =]

But recently her moth game has expanded to the 'shiny yellow things that make a funny noise" and I obviously cant be staring at the ground constantly makeing sure there isnt a wasp right there to tell her leave it.. not to meantion shes got a pretty short attention span right now which makes teaching her to never touch something harder..

I guessed that the reason most adult dogs dont touch wasps was the same as why kids dont either, the get stung at one point or an other. but I dont want to risk it. I dont think she is allergic because she got stung by some red ants pretty badly on the paw and ants are very close relatives of wasps and the chemical make up of the venoms are very similar, but still I would rather teach her not to touch them than let her find out what ouchies come with the fun yellow things.

Anyone have any experience with this?
and any of you out there that have dealt with stings on dogs how do you treat it?

(I hope my poodle pup doesnt like wasps T_T)

 

[T o d d]

I think you may have missed my post from the other day It's new post here too

My dog Moose got stung by a wasp on his lip or in his mouth it didn't swell up noticeable but he was batting at it, and rubbing it on the ground. I called the vet and then gave him benedryl... and he's been fine ever sense.

 

[Raiko]

Okay, thanks. That solves half my problem, treating the sting. but what about preventing it lol. My breeder says when I get my puppy I should pop a toy in his mouth when he sees wasps, my only concern is.... what if he thinks the wasp is a better toy :O

 

[T o d d]

IMHO they will learn NOT to mess with something that stings them.

Moose ate a big ant once too it LATCHED ON to his tongue and wouldn't let go.. it was pretty darn funny watching him try to get it out. I eventually grabbed it off his tounge and he's left them alone ever sense. He knows the "leave it" command... which luckily for us works good on pretty much everything except deer and rabbits he likes to chase (working on that!).

 

[Raiko]

I feel like a horrible person just letting my pup find out bees are bad not fun yellow noise makers. But I guess thats how wolves would find out in the wild isnt it?

 

[T o d d]

It's how people find out too... how many times do you tell a kid or someone not to do something because of the result you have experienced prior... probably a lot? Yet most of the time you find them doing it and learning for themselves

 

[Raiko]

Lol I used to be scared of wasps after falling into a hornets nest, but after finding out how docile certain breeds are I have an unusual practice.. I capture a female in the spring and wait for her to build a small nest, after she has ample amounts of workers I take the tank outside and place it above my garden, the hives get 60+ workers and being so close to the garden they keep it free of catterpillars.

Of course, when I figure out where and when to get my puppy Ill stop rearing wasps, nobody rlly eats anything out of the garden anyway except our herbs ._.

 

[Pamela]

Ginger is allergic to bee stings - her whole face swells up. I give her benedryl and then take her to vet for a shot. she has to be on the benedryl for at least a day.

 

[Shereen]

Jake tried to eat a wasp once. He hasnt done it again, but he still tries to eat moths. I think your boy would underdstand pretty quick!!

 

[dlearyous]

Mine likes to hunt moths, grasshoppers, etc too. The other day I saw him looking at something but kept backing up and then going back in to investigate it. After awhile out came a big ole bumble bee. Seems he instictively knew better than to go after that one!

 

[Raiko]

Well I certanly hope my pup doesnt try to be a badass and hunt wasps lol, he better learn,