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

Ideally cats she be kept in at dawn and dusk to reduce the death of small birds and rodents. Not full proof obviously.
You can also get quick release collars with a bell on that will come off if the cat gets tangled in a tree etc

Hopefully its family dont all remember him forever.
I always worry that if one of my dogs ever catches a crow or magpie, that they will remember and get revenge

I'm really shocked at this thread on two counts:

1. crows and magpies will remember those who harmed their flock and hold a grudge!
2. the amount of replies that are sympathetic and say that with the best of intentions a dog will be a dog. This is a relief as I always thought mumsnet to be a place where you were a terrible, irresponsible owner if you hadn't trained your dog to solve world peace and retrieve bodies from burning buildings.

I'm surprised about the first one and relieved about the second!

Being the owner of sight hounds for many years you have my sympathies 😂

Natural selection still manages to find a way to take its course even these days with all the perfectly trained dogs we have out there!! 😉

You don’t need a trigger warning on this. It devalues actual PTSD sufferers.

@Floralnomad I have a Patterdale cross too. Never caught anything but I think he’d love to. This terrifies me but is part of terrier breeding.

My 2 year old dog caught a rabbit a few weeks ago - complete fluke… he ran around with it flopping in his mouth for about ten minutes and I rather assumed it was RIP rabbit.. he got bored and dropped the rabbit which sat up, looked around and scarpered into the bushes completely unharmed - he’s a retriever so naturally very soft-mouthed