o why isn’t there just a few million more Khalls out there, then there just wouldn’t be a canine problem of any kind.
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My friend’s lovely lazy lapdog greyhound killed the neighbour’s small fluffy dog when it squeezed into her yard. It was sad, but completely predictable. Certainly there was never, ever a moment’s consideration that my friend would kill her dog over that. Nor would I.
I can understand the OP returning this dog though as there are pre-existing cats on the property.
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I wouldn’t say I don’t mind. The baby bunnies are the worst and I try my best to give them a chance but we have loads of rabbits where I live and my old Dobe had very high prey drive and I just couldn’t save them all. My Jagdterrier is bred to hunt and hunt absolutely everything. It is truly her nature. I can’t get angry with her for doing what she thinks is her job. She has never touched our barn cats though. When my Dobe was still alive he and the Jagd were hell on rabbits, skunks, coyote, possums, raccoons, muskrats etc Skunks and rabbits just keep on coming but most other things avoided my farm after a while. So I couldn’t get too upset. While I do understand that some may find that upsetting nature is cruel and my horses, barn cats and dogs are a higher priority to me.
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Do i mind? Well i don’t enjoy it. But i have 3 terriers. they were bred to hunt. My yard is 1 acre of chain link fence. If the rabbits are so stupid to smell 5 dogs and still enter my yard, they get whatever happens. I don’t hunt, and i don’t teach my dogs to do it. but they have instincts. ALL dogs have instincts. And a cat is pretty similar to a rabbit in the mind of a dog. If a cat got into my yard, i am pretty sure it would be a dead cat. NO Reason to euth any dog for having instincts. there are plenty of GOOD homes where people don’t own cats.
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no accusation throwing and i can see both sides of this but it is SO SO SO uncommon here in the UK to hear of a pet dog killing a pet cat.
i literally know hundreds of people with dogs of all sizes and breeds and not one has ever killed a cat! many of these are loose roaming yard dogs that live with loose roaming yard cats (these are friends, clients and businesses i frequent), many different levels of dog training from full protection through to absolutely zero recall, and yet still-no cats killed.
i just wonder why it is? nature, nurture, terrain…i dunno i just wonder why if anyone has any theories?
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dressagechic, I think you have just either not been aware or have not run into dogs killing cats in the UK. A quick google shows that yes dogs kill cats in the UK. Dogs are predators and cats can often look like prey to them.
thylacine I have no idea why you have an issue with me training my foster dogs. What a ridiculous and personal statement you make, you must feel so good about yourself.
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My childhood dog had a very high prey drive. He would kill raccoons, opossums, squirrels, wild rabbits, ect. However he knew to leave our other pets and livestock alone. It is all in the training, for most dogs at least.
My Mom’s current dog loves to chase the cats. Not to catch or kill, just to chase. In fact, if the cat does not run, dog will whack her with a paw to make her run 
To the OP, I think you made the right choice returning dog to the rescue. I hope you find a dog that works for you and that this dog gets a good home that fits his needs.
I don’t enjoy it, but it’s hard to take the “hunt” out of a hunting dog. Just because my dogs are bird dogs doesn’t mean they can’t/won’t hunt other things. The point of a hunting breed is to take that drive and maximize it while keeping the biddable nature of the dog so that it wants to work with the hunter, not just by itself. Then you add training and you have a hunting partner.
I run my dogs off leash every day; they are hunting even if I am not.
I had my wonderful dog euthanized as a dog killer. Two-time offender. My friend and I lived on a farm and there were all sorts of predators about, so we attributed the first dog death to… well, to anything but my dog. It just wasn’t fathomable. The second time it was unmistakable. The dog she killed was her best friend, raised together.
My vet brought up rehoming. I gave it a lot of thought because of course it would’ve been an easier solution, for me anyway. But I couldn’t help think about what would happen when they relaxed their vigilance – “they” being the new owners, who would be as disbelieving as we were that this bounding smiling loving dog was a killer. No trips to the dog park, no off leash hikes, ever. I wouldn’t do that to the owners, the other dog’s owners, or my dog. My vet at least outwardly agreed with my decision. She was a real dog person so she might’ve done differently but she respected what I was saying.
Back to the OP’s case… I wish everyone kept their cats inside but they don’t. And being a cat person, I am not ready to say that those people deserve to have their cat killed. The cat that was killed by the OP’s dog could’ve belonged to a neighbor and just jumped over the fence on its way back home. Who’s to say that won’t happen again? I would have handled my dog’s situation the same way if her kill had been a cat versus a dog.
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It is possible to train a dog to not chase or harm a cat ( or any other animal for that matter including wildlife) but it takes Constant control of the dog and for at least six months the dog will have to be on a leash , in control at all times - any time a cat is in range for the dog to see you have to YELL - NO - every single time - until the dog knows that he can’t even look at a cat. I have done this and it works But it takes months - up to a year - before you can trust the dog. Other people use shock collars for control - just know this isn’t training - so when the shock collar isn’t on - the dog knows it and commits the bad behavior . I agree with the majority here - return the dog with the explicit explanation that this dog must be in control and No cats. If you go on the site - dogsbite.org you will be appalled at how many dogs are adopted out and proceed to maul dogs , cats and humans - about 36 humans are killed a year in the U.S. by dogs! One woman was just killed by a dog that she adopted from a no kill shelter - he had his cgc ( canine good citizen) title. There are many nice dogs available to be adopted - just walk it by the cat cages to make sure it is good with cats!
After reading some posts - I will say this. I do Not allow my dogs or cats to harass wildlife - and I think it is every pet owners responsibility to not allow their cats to kill birds and baby rabbits - and dogs should not be allowed to kill possums , rabbits, groundhogs, fawns ect ect. So, speak for yourself, I do Not allow my dogs to kill possums - possums are one of the sweetest animals - they eat thousands of ticks , they do not carry rabies and as far as EPM - just about any mammal can carry it - including cats. Wildlife has enough problems in this World without domestic well fed Pets killing them. Forget the high prey drive trendy wording…lots of breeds of dogs and mixed breeds can kill other animals - if everyone would train their dogs to be well behaved and have a perfect recall - we wouldn’t need shelters…
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i just fell in love 
Eh…we’ll have to disagree. And it’s not for any “trendy” reason. The more common post here on COTH is “what to do about my dog that is chewing my furniture?” not “how to stop my dog from eating a baby rabbit.” I own sporting dogs and they need to vigorous exercise. They are run off leash 2x a day because it exercises their brain and body, keeps them healthy, and they love it.
I don’t need to zap them with an e-collar or keep them on a leash so that they don’t eat 3 baby rabbits and a handful of moles a year. Truly, rabbits and moles are not endangered enough that I have to limit my dogs’ off lead exercise to protect them.
I am not out there encouraging them to search out baby rabbits, and, for example, I am doing my best to keep them away from the robins nest in my backyard. But it makes no sense to own dogs and never let them be dogs.
And, really there is no connection with my dogs running off leash with me present and shelter overpopulation. I agree that dogs should not be “loose” and that people should breed responsibly or spay/neuter. My dogs were all bred by breeders and will not be reproducing randomly.
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dog&horsemom: “After reading some posts - I will say this. I do Not allow my dogs or cats to harass wildlife - and I think it is every pet owners responsibility to not allow their cats to kill birds and baby rabbits - and dogs should not be allowed to kill possums , rabbits, groundhogs, fawns ect ect. So, speak for yourself, I do Not allow my dogs to kill possums - possums are one of the sweetest animals - they eat thousands of ticks , they do not carry rabies and as far as EPM - just about any mammal can carry it - including cats. Wildlife has enough problems in this World without domestic well fed Pets killing them. Forget the high prey drive trendy wording…lots of breeds of dogs and mixed breeds can kill other animals - if everyone would train their dogs to be well behaved and have a perfect recall - we wouldn’t need shelters…”
This is such a ridiculous statement and made by someone who obviously does not live and work on a farm.
I have a barn cat to help control the mice population, that is his job. In order to do his job he is loose to move around the barn, there are birds that nest in and around my barn. Their chicks once fledged will fly out landing on the ground to be killed by the cat, the dogs, sometimes getting stepped on in the stalls by the horses and often drowning in the water buckets. Am I supposed to keep my horses out or with no water while the fledglings learn how to properly fly? Am I supposed to train my cat not to kill them when he is supposed to be a hunter (you know cats are predators!) of mice, same with my dogs. The birds, squirrels and rabbits are free to move somewhere else, yet they nest or raise young in and around my farm and barn. I am not responsible (though I often do try to put the baby birds back into a nest not knowing if it is their nest usually to have them jump right back out) for them raising their young in such an inappropriate area. We have lots more land that is not near our barn for rabbits and mice and birds to raise their young.
It is my farm dogs’ job to run the coyotes off our property, that is to help keep my barn cat safe and years ago was to keep my son (he was 4 when we moved here) safe. In order to do their job they need to be able to move around the farm (though all but one are only out supervised, my big old guy goes out on his own to make the rounds, broke his elbow 18 months ago stepping in a hole chasing a coyote) in their movement they will often chase after the grey squirrels that are in abundance on our farm. They will occasionally catch one, about one a year or so. They rarely catch a rabbit, they are just too fast, my old dog will kill armadillos that he comes across (these are an introduced species in GA and as such have no business here, they also do much damage to our flower beds) they rarely come across possums or raccoons, and would not want to tangle with the bobcats we occasionally see. They are vaccinated for rattlesnakes and we do kill those we come across, have had one of my horses bitten and my son came within 6" of stepping on one.
My dogs are not allowed to harass our neighbor’s goats or go after my horses or go onto our neighbors property to harass their dog. Now if the dog comes onto our property to harass my horses, then they are allowed to chase her off. They are also not allowed to harass my barn cat, the ferals are on their own. My small animals are working pets and as such have a job to do. They all have pretty dang good recall, though not perfect. They love the life of a farm dog and are taken well care of for their service. All are rescues with 3 of the 4 found on the roads around our farm.
My foster dogs are rarely let loose at least and until they learn the ropes of living on the farm. I have a safe turnout area for them and they are only out and about when I am around usually on leash or closely watched. Now the little puppies do get to run around loose, but again they are closely watched and learn their manners of recall and basic obedience.
My dogs are some of the fittest and healthiest dogs living the life they do. One of my joys is to see them run flat out as they chase those squirrels who most often get away. I am not going to cry over the odd squirrel my dogs might catch over the years, there are plenty more out there.
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I’ve given up trying to save baby birds. Other birds often toss the babies out of the nest and take it over or lay their own eggs in them. I’ve put them back, or made them new little nests nearby (since some are too high to reach) and they always end up dead anyway. Wild animals can be just as “cruel” as domestic ones.
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DOGS HUNT. My Terriers are chosen bc they are the right breed for me. Their personalities match our family. I refuse to yell at them for doing what is totally instinctual. I always tell them they are good, and trade them a treat for the dead animal. Then I dispose of the dead animal. Those who think you can “train” the instinct out of them are fooling themselves.
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who is suggesting that instinct should be trained out?
looks like someones post hit a nerve or 4. :lol:
Trained out, or inhibited…what’s the difference?
I agree that encouraging a dog to kill indiscriminately for sport would be wrong, and I certainly don’t do it. I also don’t support "loose dogs’ just doing whatever they want, whether it’s killing animals or chasing cars.
No trendy “prey drive” wording here…but most dogs like to hunt. And hunting dogs love to hunt. “Forbidding” them to kill an animal is sort of a bizarre point of view. Also I think that “perfect recall” is an ideal, not usually a reality, especially with hunting breeds. It can be done of course (usually with compulsion, which most people also condemn.) Maybe just easier not to own a dog if they can’t be off lead where hunting might occur, and you can’t use compulsion to train them?
FWIW, my dogs have never killed an opossum, so not sure where that is coming from except that I said most of COTH would be happy if their dogs did kill them; I believe COTH recommends they be shot on sight; not sure how that is any better.
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That would be Dog&Horsemom. For one. but there were others. read thru the entire thread and you’ll find them.
We ended up getting a lab mix puppy. He’s already being socialized with the cats. Being the good cats that they are, they are great teachers of what is acceptable and what is not 
Not to say he won’t chase them later, but for now he knows that they will kick his ass if he tries anything!
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