What can I do? Hedgehog related.

[Fools Motto]

My garden luckily isn't big, fully fenced and I thought I had blocked off all holes/gaps under the gate to stop the hogs coming in... why? My whippet x is ferocious with them. Months ago she killed one, and injured several others while out doing her night wee... we then escorted her out for weeks, patrolled the garden first for any prickly visitors and assumed they had read the memo and better not enter (somehow!). We now just put on the security light and watch rather than being with the dog, (this works better for performing her night wee - she's shy on the lead). Last night she zoomed out, which isn't unusual as she patrols for the neighbouring cats every day, but before we could say 'oi' she was at a poor hog I didn't see hiding in the shadows of our shed. It's exhausting, and very sad. She doesn't mind getting prickled, she's really in it for the kill. She's so gentle and friendly and obedient as every other thing, but hogs and cats in the garden she turns into a serious killer, and unless we physically get to her, she will not stop. Obviously the cats are smart and jump up on the fence/shed, so I'm not bothered about them. She is walked twice every day, very fit, and happy in all ways.
Can I do anything?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Could you pop a muzzle on her before letting her out last thing?

 

[KittenInTheTree]

A basket muzzle would seem the simplest solution.

 

[Fools Motto]

Never thought of a muzzle - thank you. She'll still knock it about, but if that's the worst, then I think it's all I can do. Amazing what instinct does on an otherwise very friendly wee soul..

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

One of our labs is the same. They have direct access from the kitchen into their own paddock that is extremely securely fenced both top and bottom. This Alcatraz type of containment was done as she is also a dedicated runner.

To our horror one night she caught a beautiful big chubby hedgehog and ran around throwing it in the air like a prickly football. My son managed to catch her and get it from her, and luckily hoggy didn't appear to be injured so we released it into the under growth the other side of the dog's paddock.

Next evening after a quick check around the silly beast was back again snuffling slugs on the grass! We eventually tracked down where it was getting in, a very small 2 to maximum 3 inch high gap under a 6 foot wooden fence that had very thick undergrowth the other side. I had no idea that they could squeeze themselves under such a small gap, but obviously they can, since putting a line of hefty rocks along the gap hoggy hasn't been back.

Very distressing isn't it when they catch one.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Longline, muzzle, take her for a walk to clean herself or just go out with her and verbally admonish/chase her down if you see her going for something. The minute she thinks about coming back to you, change emotion and run backwards/party time.
She's had two kills now so she'll be thinking about that rather than toileting/will be harder to overcome.

 

[planete]

One of my foster lurchers killed a squirrel while wearing a muzzle. Broke its back. Sorry, small prey is very fragile. You will need very close control to stop casualties, even with a muzzle. I would take her for a short lead walk outside the garden to toilet if possible.