cintinative Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 (edited) We are new dog owners. Our dog that we adopted in December is very good at tracking scents. I believe that before he was rescued he might have been on his own for awhile. We think he is maybe a year old. He is a Carolina Dog (we think) or a mix of that with German Shepherd. He seems fine with other dogs as long as they are not aggressive. He doesn't chase cats or birds of any size. He does show interest and watches them, but has never pulled and chased while on the lead. In the back yard he does chase squirrels if they dare to come within his view. He doesn't chase squirrels or chipmunks on lead. That said, I have been taking him to an undeveloped field recently to walk and he loves to sniff around. He digs snout holes and looks for critters. In the last two days he has caught a vole twice. Both times he dug a snout hole and then tracked down a vole and snatched it out. I removed the animal from his mouth and we left the area. (Note: snout pits are normal for Carolina Dogs). Now I am worrying that perhaps I shouldn't be letting him do this "hunting." I know he really enjoys it but maybe I am really messing him up? Is this going to lead to bad behavior with other small domesticated animals? Edited March 1, 2019 by cintinative Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 My hound mix hunts and digs up moles all the time and it hasn't changed his disposition around other animals or people. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 I grew up with a border collie/German shepherd mix who caught voles. It was pretty amazing how she could pinpoint the vole's location. She would stare intently at the ground with her head cocked, then start digging furiously. (Poor voles, though!) She was never aggressive to any other animals. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted March 1, 2019 Author Share Posted March 1, 2019 2 minutes ago, ScoutTN said: My hound mix hunts and digs up moles all the time and it hasn't changed his disposition around other animals or people. My husband would be thrilled if he can de-mole the yard this spring but possibly not as thrilled about all the holes. 😃 I was just reading something online that said to discourage the hunting instinct and now I am so confused. I thought scent work was really good for them. Up until yesterday he has never actually caught anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted March 1, 2019 Author Share Posted March 1, 2019 (edited) 3 minutes ago, Selkie said: I grew up with a border collie/German shepherd mix who caught voles. It was pretty amazing how she could pinpoint the vole's location. She would stare intently at the ground with her head cocked, then start digging furiously. (Poor voles, though!) She was never aggressive to any other animals. Yes! Exactly this! He will stare and stare and then suddenly dive his nose into the grass/weeds and start digging. I do find it totally fascinating. Edited March 1, 2019 by cintinative 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 I've had a couple of dogs who loved hunting moles and voles, and have known many more. I've never known it to be a problem for anything other than moles and voles. And this seems to be a prime time of the year for it--one of my dog's best friends is a Doxie who lives up the street, and her nose stays dirty lately. Ditto my BIL and SIL's dog's nose. I love watching them staring at the ground, moving their heads this way and that way, and then digging furiously. I can't imagine what it must be like to have senses like that. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 I wouldn't let him do it for the sake of the voles, but other than that, I wouldn't expect it to be a problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 (edited) Dogs know the difference between voles and people, and voles and dogs, etc. I promise. Honestly, my only thought is what a very lucky dog to get this opportunity. Also, it maybe a seaosonal thing - there was a dog at the dog park doing this same thing yesterday! (with an owner following diligently behind with a shovel to refill all the holes, lol). I personally believe that dogs getting to be dogs and use their senses and such is only a good thing for them as far as behavior and temperament. He's meant to track and hunt and kill. He's getting to do that, and he's not doing it in an unacceptable way. Win Win. Edited to add: I would not adopt or bring home any small furry pets though - no guinea pigs/rats/etc pretty please. He very likely WOULD go after those. Edited March 1, 2019 by Ktgrok 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 I'm just glad I'm not the only one who finds it fascinating and actually fun to see a dog doing what it was meant to do. I felt kind of weird yesterday that I was so happy for the GSP doing it. Apparently usually the owner has people yelling at him and his dog, to the point he thought one guy was going to attack his dog (they just left). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted March 1, 2019 Author Share Posted March 1, 2019 Thanks so much everyone! This just goes to show you can't trust what you read on the Internet because there were several sites saying I should discourage this. He really does love it so much. It is so peaceful just walking around the field with him sniffing too. It's good to get away from civilization sometimes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 9 minutes ago, cintinative said: Thanks so much everyone! This just goes to show you can't trust what you read on the Internet because there were several sites saying I should discourage this. He really does love it so much. It is so peaceful just walking around the field with him sniffing too. It's good to get away from civilization sometimes. Too many people try to humanize dogs, rather than look at it from the dog's point of view. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Margaret in CO said: We have dogs who bond with lambs, protect the flock, visit with the heifers, etc. and are death to coyotes and voles! Dogs know what is prey and what is not. They even know which are OUR cats and which are feral. The feral ones don't last long. The only problem with catching mice and voles is that you'll need to worm for tapeworm regularly. It's not a big deal. my sil lived in eastern Oregon farm country for years. just down the road were sheep fields, with great pyrs who had been given to the ewes as young puppies to raise. the pyrs meandered around with the sheep, and the sheep ignored them... but when a coyote came around, their instincts would kick in and they'd hunt it down and kill it. my GSD was more gentle and caring with a newborn kitten she brought home one day than the momma cat... (we took it back.) but mice, etc. - she went nuts. eta: - the neighbors cat was proudly displaying its live vole for the owner to admire - and she ate it. the cat was "but, but,...that was mine..." - she was also known to hold down the cat while she gave it a bath. Edited March 1, 2019 by gardenmom5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 I might discourage this if you have animal this dog might legitimately confuse for those voles - pet rats or gerbils, or perhaps even cat or rabbit kittens. However, I think it is very unlikely that allowing your dog to hunt voles will increase the risks that it'll suddenly lunge at your children. Humans have kept hunting dogs for years, and hunters are rarely celibate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 Our previous two dogs would hunt for voles and moles. We also had two cats and a guinea pig. It was never an issue. They ignored the pig and lived peacefully with the cats. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted March 2, 2019 Author Share Posted March 2, 2019 He has met my parents' cat multiple times and only showed curiosity. They actually touched noses. He seems fine. 😃 We don't have any pet rodents. We do have frozen rodents because we also have a corn snake. We are cautious about him with the snake. The snake is not aggressive at all but we don't let them interact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 I have a hound mix, and she goes after moles and mice too. She views cats as intruders in her yard, but ignores them if we're out walking. She's our first dog and is seriously the most cuddly animal I've ever been around and is super friendly. She loves the vet, the man who fixed the heat pump, my landlord, etc. etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 16 hours ago, Ktgrok said: Too many people try to humanize dogs, rather than look at it from the dog's point of view. People do this with horses, too. Drives me nuts when I see horses who spend most of their time shut up in stalls, when that is not how they are meant to live. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 Can he come here please and catch all the moles that are destroying our 3 acres! I wold LOVE if my German Shepherd did that but he doesn't. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 We have a red heeler and she’s very snout-y too. A good indoor game for her to use her sniffing abilities is hide-and-go-seek snacks. I hide several snacks in a big room, let her in, show her an obvious snack, and then tell her to ‘find the snacks!’ She loves it. Might be a good game for your little guy when he can’t be outdoors vole hunting. 🙂 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted March 2, 2019 Author Share Posted March 2, 2019 14 minutes ago, mmasc said: We have a red heeler and she’s very snout-y too. A good indoor game for her to use her sniffing abilities is hide-and-go-seek snacks. I hide several snacks in a big room, let her in, show her an obvious snack, and then tell her to ‘find the snacks!’ She loves it. Might be a good game for your little guy when he can’t be outdoors vole hunting. 🙂 We did that once in our basement. The boys hid the snacks and then we let him down and he went looking. He loved it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 4 hours ago, mmasc said: We have a red heeler and she’s very snout-y too. A good indoor game for her to use her sniffing abilities is hide-and-go-seek snacks. I hide several snacks in a big room, let her in, show her an obvious snack, and then tell her to ‘find the snacks!’ She loves it. Might be a good game for your little guy when he can’t be outdoors vole hunting. 🙂 They also make "snuffle mats" that are really more of a carpet made of rags, and you scatters snacks/kibble in it and the dog snuffles and finds them. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 On 3/1/2019 at 3:43 PM, Ktgrok said: I'm just glad I'm not the only one who finds it fascinating and actually fun to see a dog doing what it was meant to do. I felt kind of weird yesterday that I was so happy for the GSP doing it. Apparently usually the owner has people yelling at him and his dog, to the point he thought one guy was going to attack his dog (they just left). I love watching dogs do what they love. A hound on a scent, a border collie moving sheep, and my dogs were SOOO excited any time we brought in a new sheep. They just couldn't stand it, they were so excited. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 57 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said: I love watching dogs do what they love. A hound on a scent, a border collie moving sheep, and my dogs were SOOO excited any time we brought in a new sheep. They just couldn't stand it, they were so excited. Yes! It made me so happy to see my labrador retrieving. She was so thrilled to bring back the ball, every.single.time! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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