[Annaourpoodle]

Is this normal behavior? Anna just turned two years old. Thirty pound standard.

 

[Skylar]

Yes. My neighbors two cockerpoos have done this several times when baby bunnies have entered their fenced yard.

Not all dogs will. My minipoo wouldn’t

 

[Asta's Mom]

So far, Asta has only chased baby bunnies although we have many on our property. If he gets one, I am sure to see the happy dance.

 

[Liz]

Yes, poodles are keen hunters, and rabbits are easy prey (it's why they have so many young).

 

[fjm]

Not just poodles - Sophy the papillon has caught and eaten several...

 

[PeggyTheParti]

My parents' poodle/dachshund mix ate a whole nest of them. It was horrific.

So yes, normal. But still upsetting to see. I'm sorry.

 

[lily cd re]

I know someone who has friends with standards that have caught and killed (really killed) adult opossums. There are two and I gather they tag team it to get larger quarry, but they also eat a fair amount of bunnies. We have bunnies in the yard this year that have been really using us as their home base. Bunnies have been chased but not caught so far. Peeves is just too slow as an oldster. Lily is too polite. She has a prey drive, but leaves the chickens and the bunnies if I tell her to. Javelin has a strong prey drive, but better obedience including a super recall and will return to me if I see him take off after a little critter.

 

[Mfmst]

I don’t know if he would or not. He certainly enjoys chasing them. He makes no attempt to eat the opossums he catches and “kills”. He carries them around until he’s bored, and miraculously they come back to life and disappear. He has eaten a baby squirrel and a frog, sights I would like to un-see.

 

[twyla]

Well not rabbits but my poodles kill mice

 

[VanessaC]

Yep! Pretty normal.. I would fast her tonight to give her a chance to digest her prey completely before feeding again.

 

[Olive Love]

Pretty normal, please do not allow this since it is not an ethical thing to do to a baby animal. Dogs are already given food and do not need to kill and eat animals. Avoid leaving your dog alone in the yard, not only will it save countless lives of small critters, it can protect your dog from larger animals, people and the elements.