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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

He has tasted blood.... Help :(

146 replies

WhyHavePets · 28/10/2010 20:37

Ok, this is very identifiable so I have namechanged, if any of you recognise me please don't out me. Bella, yes it is me.

My wonderful, bonkers, over-active dog was staying at a friends house today whilst I work, this happens quite regularly (well, it did), she is very experienced with dogs. They also have guinea-pigs....can you guess what comes next? I can't even bring myself to write it Sad

Obviously I feel terrible. Friend is being fabulous, sad and upset but also realistic and reasonable. Sorry doesn't cover it, there is nothing I can say to make this ok.

The question I am hoping you can help with though is about my dog, he has always had a very high prey drive. He loves to chase small dogs, cats or anything else that moves, never aggressive but definitly focused...as he has now moved on from chasing and into catching do I assume that he will catch anything - including small dogs? Is my only option now to keep him on a lead or muzzled? Is this a behaviour that a behaviourist can help with or is it just too instinctive?

He is in no way aggressive and is simply hunting, I have no concerns about his character....just his ability to control himself around small fluffies. Oh, and to add to my concern we have a cat.

I would be grateful for any suggestions (ideally sensible ones, he is not going to eat my children and I am not going to have him PTS or rehomed - just to get that bit out of the way!)

OP posts:
Bellaween · 28/10/2010 21:55

Got a vivid mental image of Scruff with long grey feathers sticking out his mouth [hgrin]

Is it an African Grey, Dooin? Is old Bella psychic???

DooinMeCleanin · 28/10/2010 21:58

We used to have an African grey funnily enough, he was a recue bird and very old. But no this one is a Macaw. And thankfully caged when Scruff visits.

DinahRod · 28/10/2010 22:06

Friends live at a farm and have lurchers which are family pets, the younger one brings back rabbits and the occasional bird, the older one would if he could and am not sure a guinea pig looks much different. They have farm cats and geese which the lurchers know not to bother. On walks the owner can bring both dogs back if they go off after something but if his wife walks them, she has them muzzled. Obviously this behaviour is part of the breed and they are countrified, can imagine it might be more shocking this is an urban GR family pet but dogs do do this sort of thing.

Merryseveredlegs · 28/10/2010 22:07

I have a whippet who would absolutely chase and kill a guinea pig/rabbit/any other small furry. He has chased cats. He has never caught one, but not for want of trying. He wouldn't eat it. It is all about the chase. He has never chased other dogs of any size - no matter how tiny. He seems to know they are dogs. He has never chased children. Lots of dogs 'taste blood' - raw meat/roadkill. Doesn't make them killers.

JaxTellersOldLady · 28/10/2010 22:11

ah yes OP, the old 'cloth ears' scenario...

I know it well Blush

Bellaween · 28/10/2010 22:15

Brain scans have shown that when dogs are sufficiently interested in something, they physically cannot hear you. Not ignoring you, but genuinely unable to hear you.

My youngster was transfixed by a child waving at her today - I tried calling and whistling to no avail. Moved into her line of sight and she ran straight to me, as if to say 'Where the hell were you ' [hgrin]

Lotster · 28/10/2010 22:21

Look, my gorgeous dog killed my lovely rabbit. It was sad but he was still the perfect gentleman with people/kids and other dogs.
We can't control every aspect of their natural urges- doesn't make him a monster. He just needs extra vigilance from you.

Bellaween · 28/10/2010 22:30

Anyhow WHP (working hunter anyone???) you know that if you had followed my advice and got one of these you wouldn't be in this situation [hwink]

AnyFuleKno · 28/10/2010 22:34

scuttle I am very shocked that you say your dog has killed two cats..did I read that right?

I wish I hadn't ventured on to this thread, I find this frightening

Lotster · 28/10/2010 22:35

Now that's just precious.

withorwithoutyou · 28/10/2010 22:38

Bit baffled by this thread.

What exactly did the dog do to the guinea pig(s?)?

Was it a playful shaking or a tearing limb from limb kind of thing?

How old are your children?

I had a 'prey driven' dog who I rehomed the instant I saw her reaction to my newborn baby.

I know you want to feel better about this, but bloody hell your dog has just destroyed your friends pet Shock

AnyFuleKno · 28/10/2010 22:42

I'm confused whyhavepets, in your op and subsequent posts you say you're worried about your dog chasing/harming smaller dogs, but when I mentioned that in my post you quite patronisingly said that you weren't worried about it. Can you explain what you mean?

Also, what breed is this dog?

CalamityKate · 28/10/2010 22:42

Stop panicking.

I regularly eat rare steak but the fact I've tasted blood has not, so far, caused me to start biting people. Or indeed cows.

Predatory drift, ie a dog who goes crazy chasing/killing one species carries it over to another, CAN happen but it's not inevitable.

However, the excitement of finally catching something could well exacerbate his drive to chase.

Even these sorts of hard-wired behaviours are fixable, so yes, if you're worried, try a good, positive-method based behaviourist.

Bellaween · 28/10/2010 22:46

If anyone is to 'blame' in this scenario, be it human or canine, it's the OP's friend who would appear (and correct me if I am wrong, OP) to have left the dog unsupervised in the garden in view of the GP hutch.

There was only ever going to be one outcome when a dog that's interested in small furries is left in that situation Sad

Original poster
WhyHavePets · 28/10/2010 22:46

withorwithout you, we don't know, found fur but no blood - and no pig. No-one was there to see.

As for "your dog has just destroyed your friends pet" I understand your point - but no dog, however well trained, will know the difference between a pet and a non-pet. If you are refering to me then, obviously, I am aware of what he did and who it was to Confused

As for my children, trust me if any dog ever looked at a child (mine or anyone elses) the wrong way then I would not have a second thought about taking appropriate action. I am most certainly not one of these "but it is part of my family" type people - he is part of my family, a much loved part, but not at the expense of my dc. This situation is not along those lines although I can understand your concern.

OP posts:
Original poster
WhyHavePets · 28/10/2010 22:52

Anyfule, I appologise if it came across as patronising, it wasn't intended to be. What I meant was that I have not, until today, had any concerns that he would hurt another dog. He loves to play chase but has not made me think he would catch another dog.

However, with today's events, I am worried and I am trying to get a handle on how much of that worry is realistic and how much is just shock and reaction. Today has been bad enough, I am very keen to avoid anything like this happening again but I also don't want to over-react and end up causing a problem - as lots of dog owners do, eg those who drag puppies away from contact with other dogs because they are scared of a fight end up creting a dog who is scared of other dogs and could/would attack them.

OP posts:
withorwithoutyou · 28/10/2010 22:53

So....it appeats that your dog ate your friends guinea pig? And you want to be reassured that it's ok to let it off the lead without a muzzle?

Well it's a no from me.

Bellaween · 28/10/2010 22:55

It's okay withorwithoutyou - if you read her post you'll see that's not what she's asking Hmm

withorwithoutyou · 28/10/2010 22:55

And "no dog, however well trained, will know the difference between a pet and a non-pet"

Believe me, your dog might well struggle to know the difference between and human newborn baby and an animal, so I hope you won't have any newborns in your family anytime soon.

withorwithoutyou · 28/10/2010 22:57

Thanks bellaween I have actually read the OP, which asks:

"he has now moved on from chasing and into catching do I assume that he will catch anything - including small dogs? Is my only option now to keep him on a lead or muzzled?"

Original poster
WhyHavePets · 28/10/2010 22:57

Well, there had to be one Hmm

OP posts:
ZOMBIEEEESywriter · 28/10/2010 22:57

What's PTS?

Original poster
WhyHavePets · 28/10/2010 22:58

Put To Sleep

OP posts:
Bellaween · 28/10/2010 22:58

Sorry - withorwithout you, but that does not equate to 'please reassure me it's safe not to muzzle him' in my comprehension of the English language.

And yes, OP. There's always one Hmm

Lotster · 28/10/2010 22:59

I think you're missing the point WOWY, that rodents are natural canine prey, and humans are not??