HELP!! My dog keeps catching birds and squirrels!

[nkjzmom]

We have 4 large oak trees in our backyard and lately our dog Lady has been catching and killing birds and squirrels. I have actually seen her jump up in the air and catch a bird that came down low enough and just a few minutes ago I heard this awful screeching coming from the backyard and though Lady was hurt. I went running up to the kitchen door and there she was with a squirrel in her mouth tossing it about and growling and the squirrel was making those terrible noises.

She is mostly an indoor dog but we let her out in the morning to go to the bathroom and then she goes out when the kids are playing. This is probably the 8th animal she's gotten in the last few months. It's disgusting and I worry about diseases. I don't even want to let her in the house now...she's got some blood on her face...GROSS!!!

I know she's a dog but can we stop her from doing this and HOW?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I'm sorry, but that is part of her job description. You will have to live with it.

 

[LindaR]

Yep, I agree! That's what dogs do. Certain breeds will be alot more "focused" on this than others! Just make sure you check before your dog comes back into the house so that a critter is not carried in (nice gift) and let loose!

 

[nkjzmom]

I'm sorry, but that is part of her job description. You will have to live with it.

I get that but is there no way to train her NOT to do it? The squirrels really help by keeping the acorns picked up...if they're not around, the acorns get out of control.

I still wonder about diseases though.

 

[Tybug]

I get that but is there no way to train her NOT to do it? The squirrels really help by keeping the acorns picked up...if they're not around, the acorns get out of control.

I still wonder about diseases though.

Give her a bath and grab a rake!

Sorry... sick humor, I know! But really, I doubt there is way to train nature out of her.

 

[robinb]

Look at it this way ... she's getting the dumb ones. Evolution in action.

You may want to keep an eye on your dog's weight. My kitty got tape worm last year from eating a flea on some poor critter he caught.

 

[KristiKelly]

Our dog is too loud to catch anything, she gets down real low, then takes off barking after them but she is about 100 feet away so they have plenty of time to get away. Not the brightest bulb but I'm glad in this case.

Our previous dog chased after a squirrel, the squirrel ran up a tree and our dog ran into the tree (again, not the brightest). After that he would let squirrels walk right up on our deck and just watch them.

 

[nkjzmom]

Our dog is too loud to catch anything, she gets down real low, then takes off barking after them but she is about 100 feet away so they have plenty of time to get away. Not the brightest bulb but I'm glad in this case.

Our previous dog chased after a squirrel, the squirrel ran up a tree and our dog ran into the tree (again, not the brightest). After that he would let squirrels walk right up on our deck and just watch them.

That's hilarious!! I'd trade that for having to pick up dead bloody creatures.

I didn't mind when she'd get one every now and then but she's just gotten so many lately I feel like she'll never stop.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Put a bell on the dog when he goes out. It will warn the potential targets.

 

[goofy!]

Put a bell on the dog when he goes out. It will warn the potential targets.

That's a great idea!

And I agree that it is prudent to worry about diseases. I would call your vet and just ask him what you should watch for and if there are any vaccinations that need to be updated. Many outbreaks are confined to specific locations, but I would call just to make sure.

Around here, they have found bubonic plague in squirrel fleas - so we are being cautioned to keep our dogs away from squirrels in those particular areas. There are always outbreaks of plague in the prairie dog populations, but this is the first time I can remember that squirrels in a city park have carried it.

Also, the raccoons in my particular neighborhood have been carrying distemper, so vets are recommending making sure the dogs are completely up to date with distemper vaccines.

 

[Amlee]

The bell is a good idea.

Also give it some time. The birds and squirrels will learn to leave when she is coming. My mothers little dog is the same way. If he thinks he can sneak up on one he will. My dad started training him to bark when he wants outside. It's sort of a warning for the critters outside. They scatter when they hear it.

Once he caught a bird, when he came back in we really didn't pay all that much attention to him. I did notice he had his head turned so we couldn't see his mouth, but didn't think anything about it. My mother and I thought he went to get a drink of water, so we didn't say anything when he was gone for a long period of time. Later that night when my mother went to get in bed. She got under the covers and ran her hand under her pillow. Champ had brought that dead bird in the house and hid it under my mother's pillow. While it was gross, the reaction my mother had was funny to say the least. As far as I know, he has never brougt one back in the house and hid it. But he has brought them in to show us his catch.

 

[PlutoPony]

Guess you don't want to install a doggie door huh? Can you imagine what you dog would to if she could actually bring her prizes in with her..... .

 

[nkjzmom]

The bell is a good idea. And I'm so thankful she doesn't bring them in...she knows we don't approve of it so when we find her with an animal she'll lower her tail and slink towards us.

We let her out through the sliding glass doors in the kitchen and we always knock on the door before we let her out and then clap our hands or DH makes cawing noises (that's funny to hear and it doesn't scare anything away).

 

[stczt]

I feel your pain. Princess is to loud to catch anything, but Bella catches bunnies. I feel so bad for them. Atleast the dogs have not caught any snakes yet. Only the kids have done that. I just keep waiting for one of the dogs to bring a "prize" into the house.

 

[RNMOM]

Ours picks up dead birds and critters on walks and brings them home. He has such soft, big lips my husband can't even tell he has them in there....

Once he had an entire birds nest in his mouth when they got home. I saw some white fibers in his mouth and kept pulling and pulling till I got this huge thing out that was soaked in dog spittle. EWWwwwww. So far, no new dead animals in the yard.

He had a toad in his mouth last summer and came in coughing, frothing and vomiting. I looked it up and they excrete a toxin. The vet said he would be okay after a few hours and we had to take the garden hose and flush his mouth out. That was the last toad he tried to eat. The toad hopped out of his mouth unharmed by the way. Dogs are disgusting. If it isn't poor little birds and squirrels it is poop.