My dog just killed a bird and I'm devastated (TW)

[ScrappyAndHungry]

I have a 5 year old cocker spaniel. His recall his excellent and although he will attempt to run after a pigeon if it lands near him he's never even come close before, and he always comes back when I call him.

However today we were walking through the woods and a crow basically just dropped down in front of him (almost like it fell) and before I could react he just grabbed it. I couldn't get the poor thing off him, he just shook it and ripped it apart in front of my eyes. Then he took it off somewhere and came back and allowed himself to be put on the lead where he stayed for the rest of the walk.

I'm so upset. I've always thought myself a good, responsible dog owner and now I just feel like one of those idiots who let's their dog go around mauling wildlife.

Does he need to stay on his lead now he has a taste for it? I just feel nervous and upset with him even though I know it's not his fault, it's his breed. He's my lovely boy and to see him be so vicious broke my heart

Is that not what they do though in their 'dog job'?

Think yourself lucky, one of my cats deposited a dead mouse on my bed this morning .... before I made it!! 😳🤯

I'm afraid that's how animals are. I think maybe cat owners have to learn to be more pragmatic about this sort of thing. Just try and think of it as him being his authentic self.

It’s part of having a dog, I think. Any dog, but particularly those bred for hunting, has that instinct. No matter what you do there will always be times their pray drive takes over.

Ask yourself this; if it has been a cat that killed the bird would you feel so awful?

Unless it’s worrying farmstock, I would just leave him off leash tbh. Is every dog with a prey drive was leashed…then none would ever go off leash and owning a friendly, well trained dog and not having it off leash is cruel. Dogs need more than trotting next to you. They need to run.

I expect the crow had a free-range life and a quick surprise death. Nicer life and death than intensively farmed animals.

He is a dog being a dog. No reflection on you as a dog owner.

It depends where you live.

There are lots of ground nesting birds in some areas (generally marshes and moors) and dogs should be kept on lead there regardless of how good their recall is - because of what you observed today. And on lead around livestock.

Otherwise it depends how comfortable you are with your dog being a dog. I'm guessing you aren't vegetarian so the idea of eating meat is ok for you, just put off by ripping apart and guzzling a living animal.

I think it's nice that you care enough to be upset. I would be upset too (unlike some cat owners who seem to get some weird kick out of saying how many wild animals their pets kill ). But one animal in 5 years is likely an unfortunate anomaly. My dog is fast and has never come close to catching a bird. Hopefully it's not something you need to worry about, but no harm in keeping them on a lead in bird heavy areas. That's what I do around rabbits and foxes.

He's a dog doing what dogs do - what he's been bred for, in fact. And he caught it only because it fell right in front of him; it was likely already injured/dying/dead.

Let it go.

Just found this behind my sideboard..
I heard the squeaking.
I've put it back in the tree as far as near the nest l could.
First time my cat has brought one in.
It's nature.

Took ddogs on a lovely wood walk some years ago.. A stray chicken had gotten out of the allotments...
Enough said.

Dd was hysterical...

Ugh remembering the time my dog "caught" a wild rabbit. He was not a good hunter but always had a go if off lead in the woods. One day a rabbit more or less hopped into his mouth. He was so pleased with himself, but yes it was gross and unpleasant. Part of nature though

When o was 14/15 dog and I were just chilling in the garden and there was a small finch type bird in the grass and my dog just ran up and killed it.

He looked shocked and I think wasn't expecting to do so. Almost like he thought it would fly away but didn't.

I was traumatised but my dad was very much it's what dogs do and discarded the bird. Dog never did it again

That's what spaniels do.

@Unluckycat1 " (unlike some cat owners who seem to get some weird kick out of saying how many wild animals their pets kill )."

You must know some very odd people.

Um. If there are a number of crows in the area, who might have seen it, I would strongly advise against walking your dog there again any time soon. They are known for mobbing enemies, which you could be identified as.

it's bird fledgeling season.
keep your dog on the lead unless in a secure fenced area.

Mumsnetters!

Really, they should bring it back to you! Luckily mine haven't caught anything living yet as they're quite eager to show me what they've found

Op, this is not an ideal thing to happen but cocker spaniels are so called because they were bred to flush woodcock out of small low lying bushes and shrubs. Your dog was merely doing what hundreds of years of breeding have instilled in him.

Quite worrying the amount of posters who think spaniels are bread to kill birds...!!!
That's what shooting is for. Spaniels are bred to flush (startle birds into the air) and retrieve game. I don't want my Gundog killing birds thank you very much, it's a big no no! My lad will bring me live birds without a mark if required. He's incredibly gentle!

@Unluckycat1 Well to be fair, I am quite proud of my orange ratter. Because he helps to protect my neighbours' poultry. But I'm a countrywoman and pragmatic about such things.

My patterdale x would catch and kill anything in his day , too slow now , so he was only allowed offlead in places where I knew he was unlikely to catch anything ( or go down holes ) . He’s offlead most days and always has been .

If the crow dropped suddenly it’s possible it was unwell or injured

If you hunt with spaniels you will know part of the gun dog training, is to train them to bring the burden back without damaging it.

That part isn't often something that they just do. The training is to overcome their natural reaction to grab a bird, kill it and that will cause damage.

If you didn't have to do that training with your dig, you are very lucky. Plenty of spaniels fail at it, because they can't learn to retrieve properly.

this time of year most likely a young fledgeling.