George Shirley wrote:

> Kathleen wrote:
>
>> Mark Thorson wrote:
>>
>>> Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have never, nor would I ever unless faced with starvation, eat dog.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I sure would. It's on my list of stuff I've got
>>> to eat before I die. Ahead of ortolan, behind whale.
>>>
>>> I finally killed the rabbit in my garage today!
>>> I thought it was gone, because I hadn't seen it
>>> for several weeks. I got some ultrasonic critter
>>> repeller devices which I thought were frauds but
>>> this web site convinced me they might be worth
>>> trying.
>>>
>>> http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/antwars.htm
>>>
>>> Did not work for rats and gophers. Seemed to
>>> work on the rabbit until last week, when I noticed
>>> it was back. Put a trap in the hole-in-the-wall
>>> it was using to get in. The trap was tripped twice
>>> with no result. Three's the charm. Big guy, for
>>> a wild rabbit. Normally, they're small. This one
>>> I estimate at three pounds. I tossed it where
>>> scavengers routinely pick up dead bodies. They'll
>>> probably be a happy coyote tonight.
>>
>>
>> Cooper, our JRT, is quite adept at keeping our yard free of bunnies.
>> It's amazing to see a 14 pound lap dog run down and kill a full grown
>> rabbit.
>>
>> And it is a testament to the preventative powers of the ivermectin in
>> Heartgard that none of the three dogs have required treatment for
>> tapeworms, in spite of ingesting Cooper's prey.
>>
>> At least Cooper's depredation of the adult population have prevented
>> any nests this year. That's REALLY upsetting. If you manage to avoid
>> hitting them with the lawn mower, you're minding your own business,
>> washing the dishes and looking out the window, and you see the dogs
>> out there, scarfing something down like single-serving snack packs
>> (seriously, who can stop at one?), and it's not until one of them
>> flips something into the air and catches it it to swallow whole that
>> you realize what they've got...
>>
> Praise them. They're doing what they were bred for. My rat terriers have
> always been good at catching rats, squirrels, and the odd rabbit that
> used to show up before we put up the board fence. None of them cared to
> eat them and always brought them to me. I generally would cook them up
> some squirrel or rabbit and they would then eat it. More discerning
> palates than those rough-neck JRT's I guess.

I don't praise him, but I don't reprimand him, either. He does get to
eat what he kills, though. And the kids egg him on, holding him to look
out the back door, whispering... "Cooooper... What IS that? See it?
I think it's a buuuunny... Reeeady? GET 'EM!"

The border collies are allowed to tug-o-war over whatever he doesn't
finish but I don't think either of them has ever initiated a kill. I
have, however, seen Zane cooperate with Cooper during a hunt, by cutting
ahead of a rabbit heading for a gap in the fence. It was probably just
his herding instinct kicking in but it allowed Cooper to nail the bunny,
which he was willing to share.

Zane was neutered at 11 months due to an undescended testicle but he
still got a piece of tail.