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Original poster

I think my dog may have killed a rabbit :-(

27 replies

tulpe · 29/03/2011 14:23

My dog was left to play in the garden for a few minutes whilst I took a phone call. When I went outside to her she was nudging this poor little mite of a rabbit with her nose :(

I am assuming it is a wild rabbit - it is greyish-brown and we live across the road from some fields so not beyond the realms of possibility.

Might sound odd but do I need to "do" anything? Aside from confirming with neighbours that nobody is missing a rabbit, do I need to be worried about my dog getting a "taste for the kill"? She is a gun dog if that makes any difference at all.

I have covered it up in anticipation of DH moving it (cannot bring myself to do so) and the dog is going mental, pining and pawing at the back door to be let back out to it.

Sorry if this is dramatic am just desperately upset by this.

OP posts:
Pootles2010 · 29/03/2011 14:52

Is it definitely dead?

DooinMeCleanin · 29/03/2011 14:55

It's just instinct. I cannot count the number of pigeons my Mum's little lab managed to kill and eat, she was never a danger to people. She was the sweetest most gentle dog you could ever have known.

Original poster
tulpe · 29/03/2011 14:56

it is definitely dead. It is laying flat on its' side with its back legs & tail are twisted the wrong way around, so its back must have been broken.

OP posts:
Original poster
tulpe · 29/03/2011 14:58

Thanks for replying DooinMeCleanin.

I just feel so bad about it. She is a very gentle dog - she soft mouths everything rather than bites except for when we are doing tugging games with her - and even then she responds quickly to the "leave it" command.

I just cannot deal with the fact that she has killed this poor little creature.

OP posts:
DooinMeCleanin · 29/03/2011 14:59

My sister tells me that dogs instinctibly throw their prey into the air and catch it again in order to kill them by breaking the back or neck. This is why her Lurcher puppy 'kills' it's toys by thrusting them into the air and almost knocking me out Hmm

Original poster
tulpe · 29/03/2011 15:00

That is exactly the way she plays too: tossing her soft toys (even bones and tuggy ropes) into the air.

OP posts:
Pootles2010 · 29/03/2011 15:01

Oh dear. Afraid not much help with dog knowledge, but my cat kills the beautiful house martins that nest in my house every year, I hate it. Only ever managed to save one, he must have killed at least 10.

Original poster
tulpe · 29/03/2011 15:42

Pootles - my cats are the same but with mice. Thankfully only witnessed one bird murder and that was from my girl cat.

Just seems so brutal - a dog killing a rabbit. I don't know why but it seems so much worse than cat behaviour.

OP posts:
ExitPursuedByALamb · 29/03/2011 15:45

Hey tulpe - no sweat. My spaniels count is currently at one goose and three ducks. Blush

CMOTdibbler · 29/03/2011 15:52

My cats drag in dead rabbits reasonably frequently at this time of year I'm afraid. Its just natural for them to do it.

Original poster
tulpe · 29/03/2011 15:53

Exit - how sad.

Is there any legal obligation upon me to make my vet aware or anything? As I say, you hear stories about dogs being PTS because they have harmed other creatures......or is that an urban myth?

OP posts:
ExitPursuedByALamb · 29/03/2011 15:59

Crikey - I hope not. When the goose incident occurred I reported it to the onsite wardens as the goose was still alive - but they did not go and look for it until the next day by which time it had disappeared - presumably a fox. If I had know I would have gone back after taking the dog home.

Roy Hattersley was fined when his dog killed a Canada Goose in a Royal Park though so maybe we are liable. Eek

I do try and keep him in check, and I avoid anywhere with water from the first signs of nesting wildfowl until well into the Autumn. (I only found out after buying a spaniel that ducks moult once they have reared their young and cannot fly)

A friend of mine's collie ripped the throat out of a grey squirrel whilst a bloke was taking a photograph of it! She just shouted sorry and made a hasty exit. Dogs eh - don't you just love 'em......

violetwellies · 29/03/2011 16:00

Dogs are still allowed to kill rabbits - just not your neighbours pets :)

Original poster
tulpe · 29/03/2011 16:23

okay so I have just made a short note to put through neighbours' doors asking if they have lost their rabbit, even though I am fairly certain it is a wild one (not a rabbit expert but just has the wild bunny colours).

If it does transpire to be someone's pet (and I really do not want to think about that) does anyone know what happens then? It isn't as though she has dragged it from an enclosed cage or anything. Poor thing was obviously thinking it would have a little snack from my garden.

OP posts:
kampakat · 29/03/2011 16:34

awwww Tulpe. I am afraid it is just one of those things - hopefully it isn't a neighbours pet but their is nothing that they can do about it even if there is - your dog is perfectly within it's rights to chomp through anything that wanders into your garden!

If it had jumped into your neighbours pond and tried to kill their duck in front of them it's a different story - they tend to shout and scream at you then - I blame my SIL she bought him a fluffy duck toy that went HONK!!

We've moved now....

DooinMeCleanin · 29/03/2011 16:34

You won't be legally liable. It was on your land. The onus is upon the owner of the rabbit to keep it secure. If it wasn't your dog it would have been a fox.

It does sound brutal, but that's just the way dogs are. My sister wants to train hers to hunt wild game. Her and my Dad wanted my Whippet to help, but she does not have it in her. She is afraid of rabbits and seems to think she is a cat Hmm. My terrier is a different story, but he is no use to them either as they wanted to catch things to cook and eat. My terrier would eat anything he caught on the spot. Plus I don't want my dogs to be trained to kill.

hogsback · 29/03/2011 16:42

I have a great recipe for rabbit in mustard sauce if you want it. We usually shoot them though as the dog just wolfs down the ones he catches.

poshme · 29/03/2011 16:47

If it makes you feel better I have lost count of how many rabbits my lab has caught- we live in a rural area so there are loads and she is quick on her feet. Better to be dead though than staggering around your garden like a pigeon we once had.
She also kills quite a few rabbits when they have mixamatosis- but I think that's probably a good thing for them.
She is lovely with people though and the calmest dog I have ever seen when around kids (mine and others) and really tolerant of them. Hth

FellatioNelson · 29/03/2011 16:49

It's baby rabbit season and unfortunately they are too young a gullible to recognise a predator and run away. Sad I have this all the time, sometimes with my dogs but mostly my bloody cat. Angry He can take ages to kill them and it's very stressful. He dragged one through the downstairs loo window the other day (God knows how he jumped up there with it in his mouth but he did.)

The dogs were sitting outside the loo and staring at the door obsessively so I opened it, and before I could do a thing one of my dogs grabbed it and took it to his bed, guarded it jealously, licked it for a bit, then ate it. Every scrap. Shock

Not nice, but you get used to it when you live in the country!

poshme · 29/03/2011 16:49

Hogsback my lab doesn't eat them she brings them to me!

TheMonster · 29/03/2011 16:52

You don't need to do anything. Animals are animals, I'm afraid.

My dog ran off with a greyhound once (in the park, not to set up home together) and killed a fox between them. Urgh the mess was disgusting.

QuickLookBusy · 29/03/2011 16:52

That was helpful hogsbackHmm

Tulpe, don't worry at all.

Our little dog has caught ducklings and rabbits in our gardenSad. At this time of year I tend to shout a bit as I let her out, in the hope that any ducklings/little rabbits will run and hide. My neighbours do the same, as their dogs try to get the ducklings, so I'm not the only one!

JamInMyWellies · 29/03/2011 17:10

Am always catching my dog with various bits of rabbit in his chops. My neighbours keep chickens and they wander into our garden all the time which is another thread he is desperate for one of them. But if you live in a rural area its to be expected. Circle of life and all that.

Abr1de · 29/03/2011 17:14

It's a wild rabbit. Chances are a fox would have killed it in a similar way. Sad, but they are not exactly dying out in the wild.

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 29/03/2011 17:23

Aw, try not to take on so. It is undeniably sad, but just one of those things.

They are a meat eating predator, it is only to be expected, I'm sure whatever she is having for her tea tonight will contain some kind of meat, we are just used to being a bit further removed form what they are eating (though mine tonight is having rabbit Blush.