This is a vole:
And these are vole murderers:
Sigh.
I had just had a conversation with a co-worker about how I was so happy the boys had never killed a small animal. At least not intentionally. Once, Lucas accidentally killed a vole by pawing at it. It must’ve died of internal injuries. That incident earned him the nickname Lenny (“I just wanted to petted it, George.”)
Then John and I went to my parents’ house, their house with the giant fenced in yard, wildlife, a pond – basically doggy heaven. We left the boys in my parents’ care and went to a concert. The next morning my mom told us that the boys had dug a GIANT hole in the yard to get at a tiny little vole. Which they killed, apparently by smashing, not biting. Odd. Anyway, my dad told them to “leave it” and they did. He scooped it up and tossed it out.
Even though it wasn’t a tooth-related killing, I was still sort of sad. I think of them as such gentle giants, and I know it’s just instinct. They’re hunters, right? But still.
So this week’s question:
Has your dog ever killed a small animal?? If so, how did you feel about it? If not, how do you think you’d react if he/she did?
By the way, thank you to everyone who took my survey last week! If you haven’t yet and want to weigh in on the content, I’m going to leave it open for a few more days.
Vole image from Martin Pettitt
Two Pitties in the City
Living in Chicago, our dogs don’t really have a chance to “hunt”. The only animals we really see are big city rats. Miss M actually found a rat in a pile of leaves and tried to eat it, but I think it was dead already.
I know it’s natural instinct for dogs. I don’t think I would care too much if it was a rat or mouse, but if it were a rabbit it would make me uneasy. I hear alot of dogs that attack smaller dogs do so because they think they’re rabbits or other types of animals.
Amanda & the Mutts
I don’t think my Shepherd mix, Bailey, has ever intentionally killed anything. He used to chase rabbits, and occasionally when he ran down a rabbit and knocked it over he would bark at it to get it running again. My understanding is rabbits have fairly week hearts, and I would guess some didn’t survive that encounter. He’s probably killed a few voles by “playing” with them.
Miss Lilly, on the other hand, well… the rule generally stands that if you kill it, you have to eat it. If she eats it, at least it wasn’t killed for nothing. She’s happy to help my Dad keep the rabbit nests out of his yard.
My dogs are raw fed, they get whole rabbit whenever I can get my hands on it – them killing rodents doesn’t bother me much.
Now, my fully declawed cat taking down a squirrel – THAT really surprised me.
Amanda & the Mutts
The voles around here look more like this:
http://www.rainbowpestexperts.com/images/vole/vole.jpg
D.K. Wall & The Thundering Herd
Uh, we plead the Fifth Amendment. Queen Natasha is the best (or worst – whichever way you want to call it) as she snatches birds out of the air in mid flight.
Jana Rade
Our Jasmine caught a mouse – twice! She likes hunting mice.
She is completely harmless otherwise. Doesn’t get sprayed by skunks and bunnies don’t run away from her.
But does have thing for mice 🙂
Peggy @Peggy's Pet Place
We don’t have voles here in NY. At least I don’t think so! But my spaniel Kelly has killed snakes in the yard. She picks them up and swings them around and shakes them silly. Sometimes they survive the thrashing.
Roxanne @ Champion of My Heart
Um. In a word … yes. It’s very sad, but a reality of rural living.
brenda yong
ever hunted??? my people loving staffie is a wild life killing machine rabbits, squirrels, moles, foxes, cats, voles, rats, mice, hedgehogs flies, spiders, moths, – anything that lives and isn’t human.
after years of trying to curb this including animal behaviourist sessions, and all sorts of strategies, we have come to accept it as part of country life and after multiple visits to vets with half dead rescued creatures none of which survived we have learned not to interfere unless we can manage to catch him before he catches his victim. he kills them in a couple of seconds, & walks away.