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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,724
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Originally Posted by
labradork
I agree. It is irresponsible IMO. Having witnessed
two separate greyhound attacks on small dogs (one a toy poodle, one a Yorkie) led me to believe that when in prey/chase mode, dogs make mistakes. Mistakes that can be fatal for the victim animal. The two separate greyhound incidents I have witnesses have been when the dogs were off lead and unmuzzled.
So I don't buy that dogs know the difference between a cat, small dog, rabbit or rodent in that situation. They chase first and ask questions later.
Excellent point
Originally Posted by
greyhoundk
You'd have thought the cat would have more sense than to come in the in garden with dogs there anyway, cats are treated as wild animals in the law as they can't be kept from wandering. If the cat keeps coming in the garden when it knows dogs are there then it knows it will get chased then thats the risk it takes imo.
Originally Posted by
greyhoundk
I put my dog on a lead because obviously its not the done thing to let your dog kill another ! She doesn't get the chance to chase anything inappropriate as you put it. My dog is spayed but no i would not allow her to mate if she wasn't
Actually - to answer your question yes i have had to take my neighbours dead cat round to her house after my cat killed in in MY garden - satisfied ???? have you ? incidentally i do not encourage my dog to chase cats !
Yes I have and I felt awful but I didn’t think the cat should have had more sense and known there was a dog there, its their natural instinct to wander, also some cats do live with dogs and don’t seem to realise that not all dogs are going to be fine with them – it was a very sad accident and one I would avoid if at all possible, although like you I do not have mine muzzled in the garden but do on walks – you never know when a hidden cat can suddenly dash out – one snap and its gone.
I do feel though especially with greys encouraging them to chase rabbits but not cats can give very mixed messages
Originally Posted by
stunt monkey
i wouldnt want my dogs to kill a cat,but nor do i want cats in my garden like i said we had a rabbit and a guinea pig and if it wasnt for our dearly departed lab jess then the cats would have killed them(they tried to get into the hutch many times)i understand that you dont like dogs to hunt and kill but you have an animal and nobody can stop their natural animal instincts 100% would any dog let a cat chew its bone in the garden i dont think so.IMHO.
But why did you have a problem with cats following their natural instincts but actively encourage your dogs to chase cats?
Again then do you stop your dogs from following any of their natural instincts or stop some of them and encourage others?
Surely its also not exactly a natural instinct or behaviour for a rabbit to live in a hutch.
Originally Posted by
stunt monkey
my dogs are chasing cats out of MY garden i do not let them roam the area looking for cats,i know people who have had cats kill their koi carp, a farmer friend of mine has a big problem with cats killing his baby pheasants cats are qouted as being the "perfect killers" in the animal world.i am sure that cats kill more animals domestic and wild than dogs ever will.
But why is it a problem for cats to do what its their natural instinct to do – ie kill fish, your rabbits etc but its fine for a dog?
Originally Posted by
ClaireandDaisy
I think the original topic was about letting a dog obey its instincts. In fact, dogs have had these instincts shaped by us over hundreds of years. A gundog has been bred to be soft enough to give up the game, not eat it. So to stop a gundog breed killing, you train it.
Other breeds have different traits bred into them, so need different handling. My Hound is not let off lead around game. His instincts and breeding over-ride any training when a prey is in sight.
Dogs are predators and carnivores, so it is normal for them to chase and kill. In their eyes they are not doing wrong. It is our morals that are outraged at the sight of a dog killing an animal because we are so protected from the more brutal side of nature. Maybe if we had to slaughter our own cattle we would feel differently?
I stop my dogs from following their natural instincts for their own safety and the safety of other animals.
I assume that GK has perfect recall with her grey – something Ive not yet achieved with many of mine and so I don’t let them hunt especially a hare or deer which could run for miles.
Nope I think I would feel just the same if I had to watch any animal slaughtered it certainly would not make me think it was fine for my dogs to go ahead and kill a rabbit, cat, hare or whatever.