She got a rat!

[Skhosu]

Closing up the chooks today, our cairn/shixh tzu was v. interested in an old hutch, lifted it and a HUGE rat shot out, she was straight after it, caught it, not sure if she killed it first or second try, then disappeared off with it. Very impressed, it's amazing what instinct tells them to do (she has previously caught a mouse that I've seen, but we've never trained her)
Only thing slightly worried is she is chasing the chickens and cats and can be very cute when called off (ears down cute look, you know, don't tell me off!) .
Should we be concerned she might try and take them on? At the moment the chickens are at minimum 16weeks so as big/bigger than her.

 

[severnmiles]

Aww good girlie! Unforunately chicken houses really seem to attract them

The inuits go wild for them, Nero has not even ever been bitten...JRT has though

 

[severnmiles]

P.s....re the chickens, I think you have to watch all dogs with them, are they free range as in completely free to roam around or free range in a run?

Also watch she doesn't try to eat the rat, they're poisenous!

 

[foxviewstud]

good dog, however i think i would of ran off screaming at the sight of a rat lol horrible things. i would def keep an eye on her with the chickens just in case she thinks she could get away with it

 

[Skhosu]

woah..hang on, she did disappear with said rat-and was gone perfeclty long enough to eat it, how poisionous are they?
Chooks are 100% free range, we had one dog kill one, next time he had one the nearest thing to hand was a bridle and he got clunked with that and now they can steal food from his mouth, we do keep an eye on them but they're often not supervised really.

 

[dingle12]

Our guard dog eats them all the time she is so dirty, never had any probs with her, think there only poisionous if they have been eating rat poison.

 

[severnmiles]

[ QUOTE ]
Our guard dog eats them all the time she is so dirty, never had any probs with her, think there only poisionous if they have been eating rat poison.

[/ QUOTE ]

No, nothing to do with poison, its a disease(bacteria) the rats carry. Don't let her eat anymore!!

 

[Skhosu]

txted to make sure, she's fine and caught another one this morning but didn't eat it, will make sure of that in future.thanks for the heads up

 

[severnmiles]

[ QUOTE ]
txted to make sure, she's fine and caught another one this morning but didn't eat it, will make sure of that in future.thanks for the heads up

[/ QUOTE ]

Beano (mums JRT) just caught one and missed 3!

 

[MurphysMinder]

Rats do carry leptospirosis, but if your dog is vaccinated against it she should be fine. Most dogs, and even cats tend not to eat rats I have found.

 

[severnmiles]

You must be careful with vaccinations though, like Pavo some dogs can still contract all of the symptoms even if they get it more mildly than if they weren't vaccinated.

Aslong as they don't it the rat its highly unlikely they would catch it.