I feed my dogs raw and my Harvey has not got any inclination to chase any animals or kill them, he isn't even interested when squirrels run in front of him. I don't think feeding dogs raw has anything to do a dog having a hunting instinct. Tess eats raw too and just loves the chase, she especially likes duck and will swim around a pond all day chasing them until they fly off. She is not interested in killing them, I know this as she has caught one before but doesn't know what to do with them when she has. I just make sure I put her on lead near water, especially with the babies about at the moment. Wouldn't want her to kill them with her big paws.

Well on all the forums dedicated to sighthounds the people on them are extremely cautious and very well aware of the law .
However if people enjoy seeing their dogs killing defensless animals good for them I can get pleasure from other things

The law is that you can use two dogs to flush game but any more is classed as a pack. also rabbits are not covered by the law (i think because they are classed as pests not sure though) only hares so lamping rabbits is perfectly legal. My Brother in law is a gamekeeper and works with a number of farmers to control pests. wood pigeons are the bane of his life at the min . . .

A good working dog will not kill anything just catch it and bring it back to you. Its up to us to make sure the kill is clean and then we either take the bunnies home to eat (us or the dogs) or most lately we leave for Mr Fox (who follows at a distance) as they have been diseased.

I was not saying that raw encourages the killing instinct - i was trying to get a point across that i don't think a dog catching prey of its own accord would heighten the prey instinct, comparing it to feeding raw.

I don't hunt intentionally with my dog so i am not that up on the laws concerning this - i do however keep my dog on a lead around livestock. I am not going to keep her on a lead or muzzle her because there are rabbits around. Who said anything about enjoying seeing a dog catch prey ? if it happens it happens i don't particularly get excited by it.

Dogs killing defenseless animals - its their natural instinct, what about foxes, badgers etc etc. Can i ask do you eat meat ? and what about dog food ?

Dogs chasing wild animals is natural, they are carnivores at the end of the day. As stated above, i'm very cautious around livestock but i'll be damned if i'm keeping my working breeds on a lead just because a rabbit might be munching some grass along our walk. Rabbits etc are prey animals and unfortunately for them, it's all part of mother natures laws.

I dont like my dogs killing things and I would prefer them not to do it, it always makes my heart sink but i'm worldly enough to realise the kind of breeds I own and what is likely to happen on the odd occassion when we are out.

Why is it that dogs are condemned for such acts yet nobody thinks twice about cats killing thousands of song birds every year. Apparantly, they are one of the biggest causes in the decline of such birds in the UK yet people get tetchy when you say your dog has killed a rabbit which is a pest. Thats what I find hypocritical.

I allow my dogs to eat what they catch simply because I dont want the kill to be in vain. It would be far worse for them to catch something and me just toss it aside where it might just rot. I'm a vegetarian so I dont eat it myself.

If you are going to use this method then make sure the rabbits you 'use' are wild coloured otherwise your dog may think black no kill, wild kill!

There has to be an intention to hunt and that has to be proved by the prosecution as has been set by a recent court case.
My poodles are adept at hunting. I don't encourage them to as it is a pain having an obsessed hunter but I don't suppress them either. They usually give up the chase once the animal has disappeared apart from likkle bunnies because they can be dug out.
You have to remember that prey animals such as rodents/rabbits etc are bred to cope with the stresses of being chased, that is why they are usually very alert and disappear at the slightest sight/sound of anything suspicious. Besides looking at the big smile on their faces after having a little 'hunt' is magical!
Becky

No I don't eat meat .

Your dogs eat dog food i assume - are not cows, chickens, lambs etc etc "defenseless animals" ? - ok dogs haven't actually killed them but they have still been killed for consumption

I think killing animals in a humane way which have been reared for humans to eat is a bit different from allowing your well fed dogs to kill for fun .