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SarahJade
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01-06-2011, 03:28 PM

Raw fed dogs and furry friends

Not sure if this is the best place to post this, but thought it would get the best replies of those who do feed raw.

I would love to do a really natural diet with the next dog we get. I am also looking into bird of prey and hunting and that sort of thing. It's not going to be for about 10 years, but I'm really interested in learning as always.
Anyway to get to the point, I want to feed Amber (our future rottie ) whole prey items, such as chicken, rabbit, pigeon or what ever we can get hold of, but we also want other small furry pets, including chickens for eggs.
Is this just aiming for disaster or can we teach her to only eat the dead ones???
Does anyone feed whole food items with feathers/fur and everything else and have a dog who doesn't eat their pet rabbit? Or am I just being stupid in thinking their is possibly a way around this other than never letting Amber near our dear Al and Bino (the ferrets) and One, Two and Three (the chickens) and the bird of prey, which we haven't yet chosen a name for as I currently have very little knowledge about them and hunting with them...
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Wozzy
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01-06-2011, 04:21 PM
I dont have small furries...for one very good reason - the dogs! But my dogs hunt and so see small furries as dinner, and I allow them to eat whatever they catch at a later date. If your rottie didnt hunt and go through the whole process of finding, chasing, killing and then eating things then it perhaps wouldnt make the link. My dogs go through the whole process so the all the links in the chain are there.

Just a theory, dont know if that would be the case or not.
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krlyr
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01-06-2011, 07:40 PM
I know people who've raw-fed, including whole rabbits, and had no problem with their dogs wanting to eat their live pets (including house rabbits). A bit like dogs differentiating between "their" cats and neighbouring cats.
I actually experienced the opposite, my two would eat small furries given the chance (so my pet rats have two doors and an all-metal cage between them and the dogs!) but their first whole rabbit baffled them, Casper took his off to bed and started grooming it
I would say be cautious because they are animals and part of them means an element of unpredictability, but I wouldn't say raw-feeding would turn your dog into killing machines.
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SarahJade
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01-06-2011, 08:09 PM
Well I would intend on bringing her up on eating this, but also have her around live chickens, ferrets and what ever else we have by the time we get her. I know a solid leave command would stop her, but I want her to just accept them as not food from the word go. Would a diet without skin/feathers/fur have any effect, I know Cookie enjoys bones, and has recently started eating raw chicken legs and still views the rats the same. Maybe I'm just hoping for too much.

Maybe a case of them thinking their rabbits are part of the pack and then later fed other unfamiliar rabbits would be ok then?
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smokeybear
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01-06-2011, 08:46 PM
Originally Posted by SarahJade View Post
Well I would intend on bringing her up on eating this, but also have her around live chickens, ferrets and what ever else we have by the time we get her. I know a solid leave command would stop her, but I want her to just accept them as not food from the word go. Would a diet without skin/feathers/fur have any effect, I know Cookie enjoys bones, and has recently started eating raw chicken legs and still views the rats the same. Maybe I'm just hoping for too much.

Maybe a case of them thinking their rabbits are part of the pack and then later fed other unfamiliar rabbits would be ok then?
I would err on the side of caution here until you see what happens.

I would feed your dog raw without wearing its fur coat (or feathers) if I were you. Dogs do not make the connection.

Most competition gundogs I know who are raw fed are not fed prey with their coat on for this very reason!
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SarahJade
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03-06-2011, 07:32 AM
It's quite a while off, all future plans and lots of learning to do first, so unfortunately can't do much about it yet.
In your opioions/experience/knowledge is there any extra value for the dog to eat the prey with coat on?
I may just feed the typical raw most feed, I was just sort of hoping that if I did get into hunting with a bird of prey (probably just rabbits) that I could just feed them whole to the dogs. But maybe I will have to learn how to skin them.
Thanks for your advice people

Any more advice welcome.
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Tegs_mum
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03-06-2011, 02:21 PM
My dog is fed raw and I have a cat and 4 bunnies. He loves all of them, but didn't grow up with any small furries (he was 3 and a half years when I got him, nearly 5 now). I can now leave him loose while the bunnies run round the garden but this took quite a bit of training first. The closest to whole prey I give him is gutted chicken, but no feathers. I think if you have a good no/leave command and she is taught they are a no go then you should be alright, but if you're unsure it's better to be safe than sorry!
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Tupacs2legs
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03-06-2011, 05:51 PM
i think its on the individual dog... ime dogs that will eat small furries (or want to) will do it even if they are not fed raw,and the other way round too,as in dogs that dont eat small furries wont start just because they are fed raw.
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