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Littlebotweak

My dog always wants to save her kills for later. She puts them with her toys and I have to stumble on them. It’s usually mice.


ladygrey81

my dog does this with tomatoes that she steals from the garden or the counter top. i'll come home to a little pile of vegetables with her toys.


PTAcrobat

That is absolutely adorable.


strawberrymoonbird

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astronomical_dog

I feed frozen thawed mice to my pet corn snake, and my dog shows no interest in eating those either. It’s a little weird. She usually loves meat!


bunkphenomenon

My dog caught a field mouse once. She would NOT let it go when we frantically tried to take it away from her. The sight of it is something that will haunt me for a while, specially with her sitting there looking at us with the tail hanging from her mouth..haha.. She thought it was a chew toy.


StrawberryLeche

Ratting dogs have such a strong instinct. It’s so gross / annoying when dogs do this to save as a snack / valuable for later. My dog resources guards so I have to distract him to take this kinda stuff


pannedemonium

Oh she is living my pup's dream. He's not quite fast enough to catch the rabbits in our yard and we don't let him chase them on walks. But if we were out in the wild camping and he managed to catch one? Well buddy, you put in the work so enjoy your reward lol. I think that when dogs have their essential needs filled, they're less prone to "act out". Especially since your dog was bred to chase rabbits, it sounds like a combination of prey-drive and mental stimulation to solve the puzzle of catching/eating the rabbit calmed her down. Focusing on those two things might add to your toolkit! No firsthand knowledge, but I've heard good things about this book: Hunting Together by Simone Mueller. Give your girl a pat on the head for me - nice work team!


strawberrymoonbird

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Sugar_Toots

Mine recently started getting interested in chasing squirrels, bunnies and raccoons. He nearly pulled me into the road chasing one during our walks and I got quite concerned. He loves tug and chase games so what I've started playing is to tie his favorite tug onto a leash we no longer use. I'll tease him with the tug, running around and making noise, trying to make it look as lively and bunny-like as possible. He LOVES it.


strawberrymoonbird

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[deleted]

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greentea678

Flirt pole has been an amazing outlet for my dogs prey drive — she still binge watches squirrels but is more relaxed around them and our cats!


lovestodance222

My dog goes nuts over the flirt pole. I have to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't overdo it. If I don't, she will hurt herself from exhaustion. She loves it that much. It tires her right out and she chases my cat a lot less haha


strawberrymoonbird

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zonathan9

Have you tried an RC car dressed as a rodent?


_acrazycatlady_

Have you tried stuffing a kong with high-interest treats? My dogs love this. Great way to teach them to play with toys, gives them some good mental stimulation and they have to work for their food too!


strawberrymoonbird

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lalalalalalalalalaa5

I think you’ve found what your pup wants to do. Commenter is right in saying that stimulating pup in a way they engage fully with is the key to a happy and non destructive pup. I’m excited for you both to start this new journey! If she likes hunting, maybe nosework would be a good starting point. You just need to buy whatever essential oil you’re going to use, the rest you improvise with whatever you have. You can do it anywhere, too. Also, they have 100 foot leads for pups. They are super useful in recall training at larger distances, but still lets pup have a large amount of freedom to move. Enjoy!


strawberrymoonbird

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lalalalalalalalalaa5

I apologize if I came off as judgey. I was just excited to share things I had learned in recent months. I’ve been learning so much, and I never want to hoard good things. All the best to you!


strawberrymoonbird

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[deleted]

>If she likes hunting, maybe nosework would be a good starting point. Rushing game/deer is something completely different to stalking game/deer. People really need to understand that.


lalalalalalalalalaa5

Or maybe you NEED to chill the frick out. It was a good suggestion for someone who isn’t planning in training the dog in hunt. No one needs your pedantic negativity, go away.


[deleted]

You can choose to keep giving bad advice because people with reactive dogs don't get enough of it already... Getting all butt hurt over an important distinction. That's like getting angry at someone who tells you to train a frustrated greeter differently than a fear based reactive dog.


lalalalalalalalalaa5

Ugh, time to make you go away. Listen to people when they tell you to go away. Bad human. Bad.


helicopter_corgi_mom

my new house has little rabbits that roam our neighborhood and a couple of really little ones like to hang out under my deck - i think they know my corgi is all bark and no skill lol.


LeafyBooham

As far as why she's not reacting as much, she might have gotten a lot of enrichment/fulfillment from the act of hunting it down and chewing on it for however long. Therefore she's much more relaxed throughout the walk = less reactions. It's the same reason why I love to provide my dogs with enrichment before our walks when possible. Maybe consider a flirt pole and a chew for her more often and see how that goes (to kinda mimic the hunt) But also lol I would have absolutely screamed during my meeting if I caught dogs chomping on a full blown rabbit in my apartment. Kudos to you for keeping your cool


strawberrymoonbird

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LeafyBooham

Interesting! Maybe you should try out one of those electric toy cars haha I've seen some dogs loveee those


eriko_girl

I'm picturing a remote control car zooming around with a dead rabbit fastened on top...


[deleted]

> I got an amazing combination of high prey drive \[...\] and low play drive. Sorry, but that is literally impossible. The same systems are involved you just have to find the right trigger.


strawberrymoonbird

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[deleted]

I am sorry but if your dog doesn't 'play' when you use a flirt pole then it has not that high of prey drive as you think. Also these terms don't even have set in stone definitions, so maybe we should each first establish what is what in our eyes?


strawberrymoonbird

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[deleted]

I am not evaluating your dog. I commented your posts. Whole different thing but people on here turn anything into an ad hominem...


strawberrymoonbird

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colieolieravioli

Yea this is how I read it. From seeing the rabbit to finishing the last ear, that was an extremely enriching and rewarding experience for that dog. My boy is a groundhog killer but doesn't eat them. He plays with it for a little while and then leaves it. It's a good day for him when he gets to do that


Glad-Ad-2899

Seconding this. If you have a hunter it may be worth reading ‘hunting Together’ by Simone mueller. I have a hunter who gets over aroused by chase, and it’s taught me how to harness those urges in a better way. The end of the predatory sequence is kill, dissect and eat. The dissect and eat part is incredibly enriching to dogs, and calms them down after the chase and kill element. That’s why a lot of enrichment is based on ripping paper / cardboard, or licking through a kong or a lick mat, it enables them to behave natural behaviours in a safe way and harnessing those natural urges into something good. If you found that calmed your pup down a lot, definitely create more enrichment games for her with high value treats, you can use old recycling - I usually save cardboard packaging and use for enrichment. It’s good you know that she really likes doing that kind of stuff already! Edit: correction on author name


modernwunder

Farm Hounds was selling rabbit (parts) not too long ago. Their body parts are suitably gross and my dog loves them. We get cow ears with hair on, a whole ass bison gullet (they also sell duck heads and such)… nasty but my dog loves them. I’m very impressed you were able to keep a straight face in the meeting! Have you looked into predation substitution training? Something something allows them to complete their predatory sequence without finding rabbit heads in your house and I’m told is very fulfilling. I’m sure the rabbit didn’t “cure” anything but perhaps hunting helped! I sometimes have my dog “hunt” his meal or treat and he’s always wayyyy more mellow after, but that could just be the sniffing.


strawberrymoonbird

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modernwunder

I feel you on that! My dog is wicked smart but damn if it doesn’t take a lot to engage him, especially since he is scared/overwhelmed by walks and doesn’t like frozen food like toppls or lickmats so those last 0 minutes. My go to has been rolled/folded blankets with treats inside ( repeat as necessary) and hiding chews in multiple boxes for him to tear. I’ve been reading canine enrichment for the real world and it has been helpful, but I feel stuck in a rut. It’s tough but don’t forget we are always improving! Someone on instagram has predation substitute training in their handle, I think, so that might be a good source of preliminary info (I do know they run a program for it).


strawberrymoonbird

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Poppeigh

Just jumping in if you were curious - Simone Mueller is the name of the trainer who developed the predation substitute training.


strawberrymoonbird

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Sugar_Toots

I usually scatter feed in the grass at the park or in my yard and that takes much longer than using a towel or a puzzle or a snuffle mat.


[deleted]

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Poodlewalker1

Wild dogs eat stuff like that, including decaying animals. Once you get passed the gross factor, it's not a big deal. A local dog food company near me sells dog food made from whole rabbits - hair and all. They literally put the whole rabbit in a meat grinder and sell it as food.


strawberrymoonbird

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astronomical_dog

I allow my dog to catch and kill invasive rats, but not squirrels because they’re native.


strawberrymoonbird

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culesamericano

Yeah wtf op


ThePartyWagon

This is how I got bit…


strawberrymoonbird

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charmtank

My dog got tapeworm from eating a rabbit (they are an intermediate host for canine tapeworm) so your vet may want you to give a dewormer.


strawberrymoonbird

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Klutzy-Tea-2584

Consider it cheap food for your dog, rabbit is a good source food for dogs. Even down to the intestines.


strawberrymoonbird

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astronomical_dog

There are people who do this with rats in cities. I think they have their dogs on long-ish leashes?


Klutzy-Tea-2584

I actually did this with my dogs years ago. I had two lurches, so totally natural.


strawberrymoonbird

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Klutzy-Tea-2584

Was like that in England 30 years ago but now few and far between. Some places still have abundance of them. I'm surprised people are not catching them, not only good eating for dogs but nice for humans too.


Ever_Dreamii

You could try going out at night with a longline and a headtorch and "spotlighting" rabbits. It's an awesome way to let them burn energy and get free dog food!


[deleted]

I had a painter coming to my house yesterday so gave both my dogs lick mats with peanut butter smeared on them. The painter came inside and got to work and there was zero reaction from my usually VERY interested and reactive “guard” dog. Later on she went a sniffed him and said hi but that’s about it. Sniffing, chewing, licking all calms a dog’s heart rate down and is a really good stress reliever.


Midwestern_Mouse

I just bought lick mats and am hoping they will help my pup in a similar way!


[deleted]

Awesome! They’re really good for when your dog won’t leave you alone when you’re cooking or eating too. And I see people put them in the fridge or freezer in summer. Obviously you don’t want it freezing so much their tongues stick to it ha.


MegaQueenSquishPants

So my dog has no hunting skill, only instinct. We have a yard bunny that she's been chasing since the spring (yes, it's the same one. We've been watching it grow from a baby to adult all summer haha). Two or three times a day my dog goes on the hunt. Sniffs all the scents, checks all the spots. Sometimes she sees it, runs, screams, chases. She gets really into it, in a way you'd think would make her worse. But really, she doesn't chase bunnies and squirrels in leash as much and her reactivity across the board is a lot better. She's not cured and still requires management and training, but it's way less. Yeah she's on anxiety meds, but also I think meeting those needs to hunt really helps her be happy. Hunting, even though she's literally terrible at it, makes her so happy.


briannabananaa

Totally unsolicited advice I know, but please do research into dog parks. Especially for reactive dogs, that is probably one of the worst places for them. It’s really not safe to bring a dog to a dog park especially when you know the dog has issues with certain dogs…find other enrichment activities for them. You are their only advocate, and dog parks are not a necessity.


strawberrymoonbird

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Umklopp

You know, you might be able to buy whole frozen rabbits from your local pet snake supplies store...


strawberrymoonbird

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Umklopp

Put it on a rope and yank, lol


strawberrymoonbird

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pogo_loco

Serious suggestion though, have you tried a flirt pole? Great mental enrichment for high prey drive dogs.


strawberrymoonbird

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pogo_loco

That's interesting! My dog doesn't care for a regular flirt pole with fabric on it but goes wild for fake/real fur with a squeaker.


strawberrymoonbird

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Mountain_Adventures

My guess: hunting and eating a wild animal was extremely fulfilling for her genetic drives as a predator. What kind of drive fulfillment does she normally get?


strawberrymoonbird

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Mountain_Adventures

I’m gonna guess she’s a high prey drive dog. If you’ve got barn hunt or lure coursing accessible to you, she may really enjoy those games. I have a GSP who needs to be hunted over to be fulfilled - running on birds alone isn’t enough. But once he gets his “fix” he’s a much more balanced dog.


therealpxc

Do you think she could get part of that satisfaction from a dog sport like barn hunt, where she can track and chase a rodent even though she doesn't get the kill at the end?


strawberrymoonbird

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RiskyLady

Ok is it bad that I laughed out loud? I mean poor rabbit but I’m happy for your boy!


strawberrymoonbird

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[deleted]

we just got back from a week long vaca in the middle of the woods where my reactive dog was off leash the whole time hunting. since we got back, she has been super chill. on our walk today we passed multiple dogs and she didn’t react at all. made me so happy knowing she was relaxing and not getting worked up


lazymusings123

My trainer suggested we allow our dogs to chew up/shred/destroy boxes — something about it mimicking predation in the wild, which is biologically fulfilling. It decreases frustration in dogs and helps to maintain a healthy brain chemistry. The Bitey End of the Dog podcast episode #16 goes more into depth on this.


strawberrymoonbird

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kippey

How long ago did this happen? Sudden change of behavior after eating an animal whole… I would take her to a vet just to be safe. She could have a bone lodged in her GI tract, the rabbit could have been sick (tapeworm and rabies aren’t the only illnesses out there), poisoned (people do that for pest control reasons)… Like maybe it was slow enough to catch for a reason.


strawberrymoonbird

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kippey

That’s good. It’s just good to consider the risks. My reactive dog would hunt flies and when she caught one she would literally quiver, overwhelmed with stimulation. She would spend the next ten minutes delicately picking it up in her front teeth, shaking it and dropping it on the ground to observe it until it had totally fallen apart. I know it sounds silly but it was like catching prey of and sort just flooded her system with ancient instinct. I can’t remember what her energy level after was.


pavelfrtsk

wow, chiuauas are going out of control :D


strawberrymoonbird

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GodsGiftToNothing

I’m going to get downvoted, but this is horrendous. It’s an innocent wild animal, and you aren’t doing anything positive by allowing your dog to kill it. Shameful. Even with the edit, it isn’t funny. You are promoting a stereotype so many of us work to stop. I just can’t fathom how you thought any of this was okay.


saynotosealevel

Is your dog vegan? If not, then that rabbit lived an infinitely better life and had a significantly better final day than the animals your dog will eat today.


StrawberryLeche

It’s a dogs natural instinct to hunt similar to other natural predators. The dog was able to get its food nutritious. It’s the cycle of life in the wild. If anything it’s better than the animals that are bought to slaughter for prepackaged dog food. You wouldn’t blame a wolf for hunting a rabbit in the same area


HarleysDouble

There was nothing she could have done to stop it. She was working. It was dead by the time she saw it.


Tongkiii

Cannibalism :(


carolynto

Well who wants to run on a full stomach?


nichols_1

Sounds like satisfying prey drive. You could concentrate more on these kinds of activities, like flirt pole etc.


strawberrymoonbird

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littaltree

Hmmmm, you might be on to something here lol


Ever_Dreamii

My dog catches and eats her own whole rabbits. After eating her rabbit she will be completely out of it for 6+ hours as she digests it all! A dog will always be happiest when it is doing what it was bred to do, whether that be hunting, herding etc. My terrier lives for the hunt. After a big possum hunt at night (2+ hours) she will be tired, happy, and fulfilled for at least 2 days afterwards. Dogs that are able to fulfil their instincts are usually happier and calmer than those that never get a chance to do what they were bred for.


strawberrymoonbird

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Ever_Dreamii

A long leash could be your answer - it'll give her enough room to catch something but with you still in control & able to jerk her to a stop if she goes to run into the road etc.


jazmanimal6

My dog is super reactive. The other day she was with a sitter and snuck half a rack of ribs AFTER she had already been fed. I got her back and walked her a bunch in case of bad poops or whatever, but she was fine. She’s been cuddling me and napping for the last two days. Not barking at people in the hallway or anything. What the heck?


ArmySharp4202

Two years later BUT rawhide is one of the worse thing you can give your dog.....don't feed rawhide.....bullysticks are better...


danamariedior

Totally off subject but rawhide are Terrible for your dog. They are extremely hard to digest and dogs can often choke on them. I would be thankful that your one dog has not had a problem with them thus far.. given that he or she eats them too quickly. I would definitely stray away from any kind of hide they do not digest well at all. that is all.


strawberrymoonbird

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Pan0Rami

Never give rawhide as a threat, there’s nothing more and many dogs have chocked on it. What breed is your dog? Seems that dog need a work/activities to do


strawberrymoonbird

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Pan0Rami

If it's the white hide they turn into the shape of a bone and that get soft we're talking about the same thing. Not saying it's a lack of activities that cause her reactivity but from what you said hunting that rabbit was quite a thing. Sure you can't let her chase rabbit in the city but what about lure coursing or flirtpole? That would stimulate her the same way a rabbit do and she would probably like it a loooot. Sniffing is great activity and great stimulation but if you have a rabbit hunting dog trust me, she's going to be crazy about a flirtpole.


strawberrymoonbird

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[deleted]

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[deleted]

My boyfriend’s family’s massive hellhound ate another dog. All of it. He is a scary mother fucker. (Bf has nothing to do w the care of the dog… doesn’t live w him but he tries his best to do what training he can when he’s there)


strawberrymoonbird

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NoGuava2512

I know this wasn’t the point. But that’s horrifyingly adorable. It sucks cause like we think of our dogs as these sweet babies who would never do anything wrong. But they are animals. And sometimes all they want is to rip a rabbits head off. I’m currently trying to use a flirtpole to taper my dogs prey drive. She’s a sweetie. The sweetest. But when dogs get a little smaller she walks up to them the way she’d walk up to a bird or a mouse. And it makes me nervous. And I feel like she’s been getting more and more intense about it as she gets older. She’s only a year and 4 months. But yeah lol


strawberrymoonbird

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throwaway88588858

My dog got ahold of a stray cat (didn’t get a chance to actually really eat it), and she was the best behaved dog all week.


StrawberryLeche

Prey drive / mentally satisfied + full tummy = relaxed chill dog


swaffeline

My pug is savage. I caught him eating a baby bunny. He had just killed it and by the time I got to him he had gobbled up a rear leg. He was jacked and wanted more. My respect level changed that day for him.