yip..then stalk n bounce lol

I'm not sure why there's been a couple of sarcastic responses re the crows, they are known to play dead, and suddenly jump up when a dog goes to retrieve, they can and do cause injuries, particularly to eyes. Most of the Lab people I know won't send a dog for crows, they go and pick them themselves. If you want to send your dog, and you know it's capable of dealing with crows that's fine, but I know many who wouldn't, that's all.

I just don't get that people get all up in arms about hunting deer with dogs, hare coursing, and yet feel it's ok to allow their dogs to chase, and sometimes kill, wildlife. If hunting with dogs is cruel, and causes distress, why is it ok to allow pet dogs to do it? I personally wouldn't let my dogs chase after and kill wildlife, I don't trust they've got the instinct to do it quickly and with as little distress as possible, so I'd rather do it myself for something like a myxi rabbit.

tarimoor... re the crows,if u read my post properly....my boy chases to make them fly,on command when allowed...not to kill!!or catch them...have u not seen a dog do that

Well, I dont think i've ever got up in arms about hare coursing or hunting deer with dogs, although if you mean deer stalking it's not quite the same thing.

My issue with hunting with dogs is when it becomes for sport rather than food for the table or when the animal is chased for miles and run to exhaustion. For me, the cruelty element of it is down to the mentality of the people behind the dogs, not the actual act of what the dogs are doing.

With a lot of people it isn't necessarily a case of 'allowing' it, but being unable to avoid it. If you have a working breed whos' sole purpose is hunt/point/flush game, it isn't exactly easy to stop them from doing so all of the time unless they are kept on a lead.

To be fair, when my dogs chase, it is normally only pest or vermin animals that they are chasing. They are prey animals and their instinct is to run. I think it is quite rare for a dog to capture HEALTHY animals that are not diseased, injured or dying anyway. The only wild animals that my dogs have dispatched have not been healthy at all, so in a way a quick death is better for the animal than a long drawn out one.

I wasnt being sarcastic at all.

I agree entirely with this. Quite often, its one rule for one......

Agree with this totally, whilst I don't encourage Eds to go after game, I don't tell him off, if he catches one, I try and and whistle him back and he does come back usually empty mouthed but he has caught the odd rabbit but he kills them very quickly and then (this is yucky!) eats the guts not nice!!!

Today he did catch a baby rabbit which was really sad, but he killed it almost instantaneously. He then showed a fascinating bit of behaviour and buried the carcass!! I know dogs bury bones, but I haven't heard them doing this before - has anyone else?

I think he would have made a very good gun dog, as he is always flushing out birds, and is always "working". I think to keep him on a lead and stop him from performing behaviour which is clearly "hard wired" into him, (as far as I know he was never trained as gun dog - he just does this naturally) would actually be cruel.

As I said, I don't encourage him to go after game, but I dont tell him off, he is successful.

Also what about cats? they are responsible for millions of small furries and bird deaths and yet you dont hear any objections to that, - why? because it is their nature I guess.

They would have an equally hard time proving intent!

Immaterial, my dog is always on his harness and lead

Have never encouraged my dog to chase birds,cats but she did, when first came home n for a while after(much better now), sorry daft as this might sound(as usual) but is a crow, squirel,pigeon etc. the equivelent to a dog(not all the time, i don't know, just thoughts) the same as an x-box, going to gym or sport activity for a human? That doesn't make any sense at all, sorry To understand a dogs way of thinking is something i wish could learn very much.

Brilliant photos Dawn