puppy prey drive

[1st5]

Jess is the snail hunter! At 15 weeks she is the bane of snails in the yard. I don't know what to make of it. She eats them, shell and all. It doesn't seem to have an adverse effect on her but I am a little concerned if I should let her continue this or not. What do you think?

[caro]

I think I would discourage this.  Not sure if snails carry anything that could hurt her, but better to be safe.  However, I had a Dobie who loved to eat locusts.  One year we had so many she would go around the yard munching away at them.  They never harmed her.
Caroline

[lilacocelot]

Harley loves to eat snails too. I thought it is harmless as long as the snails in question were not being poisoned with snail bait. Afterall, these are the same kind of snails used for Escargot.

Now the bad stuff, that Marge the breeder told me to not let him eat is chicken poop.

[Keeper]

Regarding the snails:

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nurspest/snails.htm

"...they can carry diseases and parasites detrimental to native snails and animals as well as people. The rat lung worm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which causes eosinophilic meningitis, a potentially lethal human disease, can be transported by snail mucus on leaves or snail meat."

If you check the site you can learn what these diseases are.  I would discourage this behaviour...but then...I am a Shiksa-like nudge.  Oy.  

[melissap]

Thank you for the valuable link and insights about the potential negatives on snail consumption - Ewwww

LOL Have to laugh at your "Shiksa like" personification - you are not Shiksa like, U R a Shiksa!
Nothing wrong with being prudent about the health of your dogs and sharing that knowledge with us

Good Luck redirecting Jess. Hopefully, your RR will continue to mature and find some squirrels to chase!
Melissa

[1st5]

Thanks. My wife found some info that snails can carry parasites like lungworms. Worming can fix it as well as a couple of other meds. As far as discouraging her...she is quick about it! We'll have to do snail patrol...which we do anyway since we're gardeners...more often to beat her to her snail snacks.

[sarah yates]

i had a puppy that brought chameleons into the house for the house keeper- chameleons are bad luck in kenya. i think ZZ has on occasion also nabbed a pigeon in the back yard. naughty girl.

s

[Keeper]

she wanted Pidgeon under glass...and filet of Chameleon....what a Gour-mutt.   

[Matt]

Huckleberry loves snails, but not as much as he loves stalking people.  From a distance of up to 100 yards or so, when he sees a person, walking, running, or just hanging out, he will begin to stalk.  His ears up in attention, eyes focused, lightly stepping, crouching a bit, stopping and dropping to the ground for a few seconds, theres also a patch of hair at the base of his tail that stands up.  He seems to think that he is a lion, its a very feline-like behavior.  I realize that he is hunting these people, and that is not a good thing so I distract him and its no big deal, but wondering if anyone else has had this sort of thing happen.  He also does this when playing with other dogs, stalk and pounce, and run and wiggle.  Cute with dogs, don't want to find out what would happen with a person.

[Keeper]

one of my current girl's does this...and 2 of my beloved departed dogs did it also. 
2 have done well in tracking.  Maybe you need to start a new sport with your pup.  Could be the making of a great tracking dog - Champion?   

[Keeper]

....We'll have to do snail patrol...which we do anyway since we're gardeners...more often to beat her to her snail snacks.

Being a Green Yardner I have found there are few things that might help:

-Copper stripping around veggie beds (maybe a little pricey) Snails/slugs emit little "electric charges" when their bodies cross copper and "Zap!" Pennies around plants used to work..but I don't think they're pure copper anymore. And I would be afraid that a dog may eat them...hazardous to their health.

-Diotomaceous Earth(shards of remains of ancient sea creatures) that "slice" the bodies of any soft-bodied insect that crawls across the particles.

-Crushed Oyster Shells. Same principle as the DE.

-Sprinkling salt on them.... maybe too cruel, especially if you didn't want to have to kill them in the first place.

-...a low plate with beer...lol...hidden under plants or bushes.  the snails and slugs are attracted to it and drown...but He might find it...and decide to leave the snails alone.  LOL....this could really work.