# After your dog catches a rabbit...



## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

...then what?

I had to cover an early morning shift today, so I was up before the sun. My pup and I were out there in the dark - him waiting while I cleared the snow off my car. 

I was wondering why he wasn't pestering me with the frisbee. When I went to my usual tossing spot, there was a rabbit lying there. Not covered in snow, so I assumed my boy caught it and broke the rabbit's neck. Poor little critter.

I ignored it and we carried on with the frisbee. After we were done, I went to move the carcass. Strangely, its head was almost severed. I googled around and it seems that this is what a cat or a coyote will do to a rabbit.

So now I'm wondering: did my dog actually kill the rabbit, or did he find the fresh kill? Or is it just a coincidence that this was were the kill was made? Very odd. I'll never know what really happened, since it was pitch black and snowing so any other tracks wouldn't have been seen. 

But have any of your dogs tried to decapitate a rabbit once it was caught? I'm wondering if he did catch it in the first place, but would he start eating it too? He's not raw fed. He lives with a cat and rats - not that this would have much bearing on wildlife. But still...hmm...thoughts?


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## Sp00ks (Nov 8, 2013)

With our old Shepherd the routine was that I got up at 5am, let the dog out, started the coffee pot, let the dog back in and so on. 

This one morning opened the back door to let the dog in, it's pitch black, I saw something in her mouth and couldn't tell what it was. "What do you have girl?" she immediately went into the GSD death shake. Needless to say, I had blood all over me, she had blood all over her white coat, my porch and the back of the house looked like a mass murder took place. 

I can't tell you if she she tried to decapitate it but it was certainly shredded. She was fed kibble, not raw, we had a smaller dog in the house but no cats or rats. She did chase mice, lizards, birds though.

Oh and that was a lovely way to start a morning before my first cup of coffee.


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

It is very likely a coyote or bird killed it and dropped it there. 

My dog doesn't usually jump in to eating new dead things. We came across a deer carcass the other day and she was suspicious, not hungry. Same with the birds my cat "kills" (that sick little creature!)


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Then, you never sing Hound Dog to him again.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I suppose you can skin it and feed it to him. But I would then give him some type of wormer, because rabbits can carry tape worms. Any time mine imbibe in something not on the general menu, I usually will worm them just to be safe.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

My dog has never been on a raw diet but whenever he catches be it a bird or a rabbit…..to him it's dinner time.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i think if your dog caught the rabbit you would have heard it.


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

Rabbits are the most natural prey for wolves. Dogs chase them being driven by sheer instinct, as well as they have a habbit of digging the ground - because mice are their natural prey as well. But I don't think that it was your dog, because you would hear him barking prior to killing. He, without any experience, would only injure the rabbit. It wasn't a coyote or a big cat, because the rabbit wasn't even partly eaten. Most likely it was another dog, experienced in hunting and killing them. His owner left the body for wildlife to eat healthy food, or to poison some wildlife representatives.


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## Mister C (Jan 14, 2014)

My girl Maddie never caught a rabbit but she did make a deal with them when she got older. See here.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/stories/401810-dog-made-deal-rabbits.html

I've seen plenty of dogs eat wild game such as rabbits, chipmunks, and squirrels and it didn't seem to have any ill effects. I am still reading up on raw diets but fresh live game doesn't seem much different to me than a raw diet. 

Maddie once caught a crow. She crested a hill and pounced on the crow before it even saw her. But she really didn't know what to do next. So she looked at me while standing on the crow. I gave her the OUT! command and she backed off letting the crow fly away. She was such a good girl.

For many years after that all the crows cleared the park when we arrived and then starting yelling at us. Crows are pretty smart.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

I was worried about worms. Or whatever a rabbit can infect a dog with. I even kept it, just in case... DH will have a fit when he finds out what's in that box, lol! 

I don't know if there was any noise, because I was making lots of noise myself. Between the snow and the cursing, lol. Geez, I've shoveled twice again today. Make it stop!!!

ETA: I just remembered I gave my pup hamburger on the weekend! Argh, it's true!!! He's tasted blood!!!!


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

My last GSD caught and ate a bunny in our yard. Like many other posters, I heard nothing but he was too quiet. Yard looked like a huge blood bath, all that was left was the ears and toenails. My vet was not worried as at that time I was giving Heartguard which had wormers in it.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

A raw supplier in my general area sells rabbit...and one choice is ground rabbit head...so I guess they might enjoy it.

Doggiedad's comment about hearing it is most certainly my experience....first time my pooch caught a rabbit, I thought a baby was being killed...it was crazy loud and amazing a little wabbit can make such sounds. I do know they use a rabbit in distress sound to call in coyotes. If you have never heard a rabbit making this sound, you will be blown away the first time you do.

I used to have a plague of rabbits in my fenced in backyard years ago, they'd eat everything pretty much. Then a new sheriff showed up....no more rabbits.


SuperG


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

I'm not very happy with the rabbits right now. They've girdled our apples trees and one was just starting to bear fruit last year. Very very unhappy. I guess it's all this stinking snow, since they've left them alone for the past 2 winters. Boooo. 

I know if the rabbit put up a fight there'd be lots of noise. But I've also seen a dog kill a cat, and that was instantaneous. Just a quick catch, with a quick snap, and it was over in a second. This is bugging me, lol. If only it wasn't dark out and I could have seen the tracks!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Blanketback said:


> I'm not very happy with the rabbits right now. They've girdled our apples trees and one was just starting to bear fruit last year. Very very unhappy. I guess it's all this stinking snow, since they've left them alone for the past 2 winters. Boooo.
> 
> I know if the rabbit put up a fight there'd be lots of noise. But I've also seen a dog kill a cat, and that was instantaneous. Just a quick catch, with a quick snap, and it was over in a second. This is bugging me, lol. If only it wasn't dark out and I could have seen the tracks!


Ah you can give the head to the dog, and make a stew out of the rest of it. Wabbit stew is delicious. Just saying, time to make Cujo get out there and earn his keep.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

David Taggart said:


> But I don't think that it was your dog, because you would hear him barking prior to killing. He, without any experience, would only injure the rabbit.


Why would a dog bark before killing a rabbit? My GSD liked to stalk/chase rabbits sometimes and I never once heard her bark at one. She either would stop dead in her tracks and quietly and verrry slowly start to advance on it, or if the rabbit was already alerted and running she would run after it. No barking at all. I always joked she liked the rabbits so much because she was on a rabbit-based diet (due to allergies) LOL.
I also don't think a dog would necessarily only injure a rabbit if they caught it, I think an inexperienced dog could kill a rabbit even if they were just playing around (shaking it hard enough would probably kill it).


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

LOL! You know, back before those trees were so badly damaged, I would have thought differently...now I'm thinking it would be the perfect treat. I'd just like to know (not that I ever will) how the rabbit died.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

David Taggart said:


> Rabbits are the most natural prey for wolves. Dogs chase them being driven by sheer instinct, as well as they have a habbit of digging the ground - because mice are their natural prey as well. But I don't think that it was your dog, because you would hear him barking prior to killing. He, without any experience, would only injure the rabbit. It wasn't a coyote or a big cat, because the rabbit wasn't even partly eaten. Most likely it was another dog, experienced in hunting and killing them. His owner left the body for wildlife to eat healthy food, or to poison some wildlife representatives.


My dogs, both the GSDs and the crosses, chased rabbits silently and efficiently. One, my Sarah, used to find bunny nests and dig them up. I almost always saved the babies from her... Except once... When I got to her, she swallowed two babies WHOLE, just to keep me from getting them from her... it happened so fast and I was so rattled I didn't even have time for a sharp "LEAVE IT!"

Also, when they catch bunnies, the poor babies scream this bloodcurdling scream... Once you hear it, you never forget it.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Well, if the rabbit died of old age or from some terrible sickness, chances are the dog wouldn't have half decapitated it. And it wouldn't bleed much if he did. Heart's not pumping, so...

But your right, I would rather know how the thing died. Of course if you gut it and wash it good and then stew it good and long with some onions, celery, and spices, and then add some potatoes, carrots and turnips in the last half hour, you will probably kill anything that might be lurking...

Go easy on the onion, and if you can't stomach it, you can always feed it to the dog. The dog will LOVE some rabbit stew, potatoes, carrots, and all.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Susan_GSD_mom said:


> My dogs, both the GSDs and the crosses, chased rabbits silently and efficiently. One, my Sarah, used to find bunny nests and dig them up. I almost always saved the babies from her... Except once... When I got to her, she swallowed two babies WHOLE, just to keep me from getting them from her... it happened so fast and I was so rattled I didn't even have time for a sharp "LEAVE IT!"
> 
> Also, when they catch bunnies, the poor babies scream this bloodcurdling scream... Once you hear it, you never forget it.


_Mother _Nature is cruel.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

Chicagocanine said:


> Why would a dog bark before killing a rabbit? My GSD liked to stalk/chase rabbits sometimes and I never once heard her bark at one. She either would stop dead in her tracks and quietly and verrry slowly start to advance on it, or if the rabbit was already alerted and running she would run after it. No barking at all. I always joked she liked the rabbits so much because she was on a rabbit-based diet (due to allergies) LOL.
> I also don't think a dog would necessarily only injure a rabbit if they caught it, I think an inexperienced dog could kill a rabbit even if they were just playing around (shaking it hard enough would probably kill it).


Twice years ago I came outside to find my two canines, each with half a rabbit in his/her mouth. I could only hope the separation was POSTmortem!


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

my dog caught at rabbit when he was 4 months old by stalking. he was very quiet. he stalks everything. he even stalks me. if your dog killed a rabbit you most likely wouldnt hear anything. 

he didnt chew on the head though. thats just weird. he went for the meaty part first. he actually brought it inside and put it on his bed to eat. i let him until he shook the rabbit and its poop went flying. you definitely look at your dog in a different light when you realized it killed another animal.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I have heard coyotes kill a rabbit and it's the most bone chilling sound. I never want to hear it again ever. I don't think your dog killed it if you didn't hear anything and it would be hard to miss


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

boomer11 said:


> my dog caught at rabbit when he was 4 months old by stalking. he was very quiet. he stalks everything. he even stalks me. if your dog killed a rabbit you most likely wouldnt hear anything.
> 
> he didnt chew on the head though. thats just weird. he went for the meaty part first. he actually brought it inside and put it on his bed to eat. i let him until he shook the rabbit and its poop went flying. you definitely look at your dog in a different light when you realized it killed another animal.


My dog probably killed a dozen rabbits in the backyard...and I heard everyone...and I mean HEARD it..

I suppose a sneak attack where the dog dispatched the rabbit instantly might not yield any "screaming" but that would be the rarity in my backyard.

SuperG


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

a rabbits scream is high pitch and hard to miss but it does depend on the rabbit and if he was surprised. if the kill is quick the rabbit has no time to scream. if the dog pins the rabbit down in his paw then yeah you'll hear some high pitch whines


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## OriginalWacky (Dec 21, 2011)

boomer11 said:


> my dog caught at rabbit when he was 4 months old by stalking. he was very quiet. he stalks everything. he even stalks me. if your dog killed a rabbit you most likely wouldnt hear anything.
> 
> he didnt chew on the head though. thats just weird. he went for the meaty part first. he actually brought it inside and put it on his bed to eat. i let him until he shook the rabbit and its poop went flying. you definitely look at your dog in a different light when you realized it killed another animal.


I never really looked at my dogs in a different light when they caught and killed something, it's a natural thing to do.

I also agree that if you hear a rabbit death scream, you will NOT forget it. However, rabbits don't always get a chance to make that scream, and even an inexperienced dog can take out a bunny without giving it a chance to scream.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

One time I was hiking in the forest when one of the dogs came out of the brush carrying a dead rabbit, his head held high and moving with this victory trot. The other dogs seemed to be in awe and so was I with this accomplishment. Then I noticed the rigor mortis in the rabbit....He "fooled" all of us. I didn't want him to eat the rabbit. Parasites, poison?


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

Poison was my first thought, since I know my neighbor puts poison down for rodents and I've found them dead in my yard. It freaked me out, finding all these dead mice, until I googled it and learned that the poison dehydrates them - all of them must have been taking their last steps to my little pond, because that's where I found them. Otherwise, I figured the rabbit must be healthy, since the weather is way too harsh right now for an ill animal to survive, I'd think.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I truly think if your pup killed the rabbit, he would have at least brought it to you. It would have been a game and he would have wanted you to enjoy it as well. 

Ya'll might have surprised another critter when y'all came out and it dropped it's prize and ran off into the shadows. If you had left the rabbit, I wouldn't be suprised it would be gone by the time you got home. 

Now...the question is, what kind of Sasquach was lurking in the shadows waiting for it's decapitated meal.............?


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## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

Sp00ks said:


> With our old Shepherd the routine was that I got up at 5am, let the dog out, started the coffee pot, let the dog back in and so on.
> 
> This one morning opened the back door to let the dog in, it's pitch black, I saw something in her mouth and couldn't tell what it was. "What do you have girl?" she immediately went into the GSD death shake. Needless to say, I had blood all over me, she had blood all over her white coat, my porch and the back of the house looked like a mass murder took place.
> 
> ...


You certainly have a way with words, Spooks. Lmao that is terrible... But funny. 

*-*Summer*-*


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## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

doggiedad said:


> i think if your dog caught the rabbit you would have heard it.


This. Have you ever heard a rabbit get caught by something? It's a terrible scream that lasts a very long time depending on how quick the dog/coyote/etc. broke it's neck.

*-*Summer*-*


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

LOL! It can't be very big, or the box would be gone by now. 

The thing is, I have my dog out there with me whenever I'm shoveling and he's got a "Go on" command to get him off the driveway and let me finish the job before we play. If he's pestering me to play and I'm not done, then he gets a warning that he'll be put back inside. And the carcass was on my 'spot' exactly - since we have 4' of snow in the yard, this is where I won't fall through since I've cleared it and packed it down. I'll never know.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Blanketback said:


> And the carcass was on my 'spot' exactly - since we have 4' of snow in the yard, this is where I won't fall through since I've cleared it and packed it down. I'll never know.


Ewwww...maybe Sasquach left *you* a love gift!!:wub:


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

Well, it beats a dead mouse on my pillow...thanks cat, job well done - sort of.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I'll be outside at 4:30 in the morning and my barn cats will bring up their latest catch. Seriously, they go through the entire scenario of the kill, tossing it in the air, rolling over on their backs, stalking it....it's disgusting. But, I always say, "Really? And then what happend?" Eventually, they'll start crunching on it and I retreat back into the house.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

Good kitties! Yeah, I can understand not sticking around for the crunching, lol. I remember being a bit freaked out when I went to pick up a mouse carcass and it was missing it's head. I can't count how many mice my cats have killed over the decades, but this was the only one that was ever consumed.


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