# My Golden killed a rabbit today



## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

He's doing what hunting dogs are supposed to do.


----------



## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

Sounds like a good catch!...and that's about as much as I'd dwell on it!!

Don't worry about it! Unless some other stuff happens I'd chalk it up to the rabbit wasn't fast enough!


----------



## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Nope-just being a dog and a Golden. In one of my old Golden books, it talks about Goldens being used on fur as well as feather, and shows a picture of a Golden with a rabbit in it's mouth. Mine always try to get a rabbit but have not yet succeeded.


----------



## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Unpleasant for us, but normal, yes. Be happy at least that you have a golden that's in tip top shape and CAN catch a rabbit


----------



## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

Yep,as distressing as it may be, they are just fulfillling their dreams. Squirrels are my babies nirvana. Dead or alive.


----------



## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

Very normal, my Spice and Charlie killed me a rabbit a few years back, the rabbit lost, they where faster!


----------



## CaliGuy (Mar 19, 2009)

Thanks for the info all! I'm not worried about the rabbit (not heartless, I just think that's the life cycle). I actually dumped the carcass in an open area (not private land) so the carcass could be eaten and continue the life cycle. I was mainly worried about the behavior. I know they were born bird killers, but wasn't aware that they killed furred mammals as well.


----------



## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Rabbits are kind of dumb, honestly. When I'm with Daisy outside, I can't believe how close they let Daisy get to them before they take off. Daisy's got her eye on a resident chipmunk too but I think they're quite a bit smarter.


----------



## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

Welcome to the forum!!! 

Yep, my goldens killed a rabbit last summer and Biscuit ate it. The only thing that you should be concerned about is the fleas that rabbits can have. They are carriers for tapeworm. I didn't know about this until AFTER Biscuit ate the rabbit.


----------



## wabmorgan (May 6, 2008)

Nothing to worry about. 

Jr has not caught a rabbit yet..... but it is probally only a matter of time. 

Jean-luc though... I remember I had came in one night and I went to open the rear window to the garage to pet him and here he comes... jumpa up with 1/2 a rabbit in his mouth.... it was like.... "Look What I caught Daddy!!!!!!!!!!"

I even saw Jean-luc take one down right in frount of me. He simply out ran it and nailed it. I don't think it ever had a chance.


----------



## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

Jo Ellen said:


> Daisy's got her eye on a resident chipmunk too but I think they're quite a bit smarter.


My first golden used to catch and eat the chipmunks that lived in the stonewall in the back yard. She spent one whole summer keeping watch over that wall...poor little chipmunks


----------



## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

you sound just like me a few months ago!! Heartbroken, devastated, my sweet dog....

few weeks later he killed a mole (I was "yeah, Bridger!" for that) -- 
like your guy, he brought 'em right to a spot by the house - where he brings sticks, ball - so I feel comfortable that he'll show us any catches he gets

i was reminded that he was probably pretty disappointed when the squeaker didn't work anymore

ever heard old Elvis Presley famous song: _You ain't nutt'n but a Hound Dog?_ "you ain't never killed a rabbit & you ain't no friend of mine"?

I just heard that song this weekend -- new appreciation since my "hound" did kill a rabbit, so he could be a friend of mine


I'm keeping him close to me around small dogs/cats - I'm not comfortable


----------



## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Welcome to the forum. I think you have the answer to you question. You do know that we require pictures of your rabbit killer here.


----------



## jennifer_rachel_2004 (Jul 7, 2008)

Welcome to the forum.

Sounds like you have a completely normal golden on your hands. My Neo loves squirrels. I think if I let him off a lead on our walks then he would catch them. Please post pics of your baby!!!!


----------



## CaliGuy (Mar 19, 2009)

Oaklys Dad said:


> Welcome to the forum. I think you have the answer to you question. You do know that we require pictures of your rabbit killer here.



Here's a pic of the homicidal golden...Maximus!

He was helping me sell some car parts here


----------



## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

Did it taste like chicken to him?


----------



## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

This has NOTHING to do with dog aggression, and it certainly has nothing at all to do with human aggression! Don't worry! Just use some caution around unleashed toy breed dogs, like at dog parks, which he may not realize at first glance are actually dogs.


----------



## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Very normal..mine do it quite a bit.


----------



## Fidele (Sep 17, 2008)

Welcome to the forum! You have a handsome guy there! And looks proud that he now is an official rabbit "patrol/control officer"


----------



## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Gosh, I don't think Lucky could catch a rabbit. But he did get a bird once...one of those junior birds that were just mature enough to leave the nest. They are a little too trustworthy.

I was on the porch the other day and a young bird...grown but with the hint of spots on its breast flew down right by me. He started walking towards me checking me out. So now I know how Lucky got his bird.


----------



## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

Rabbits, moles, mice, anything furry or has feathers...and even turtles, are fair game here (except OUR cats...they would kill a stray cat that ran, however). I worm them at least 2x a year because of it. 

I'd suspect he may show a tapeworm in a month or so....since he caught the rabbit, and they have fleas, he may have ingested a flea, which is the source of a tapeworm. So be prepared. Little pieces that look like rice are tapeworms.


----------



## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

spruce said:


> you sound just like me a few months ago!! Heartbroken, devastated, my sweet dog....
> ever heard old Elvis Presley famous song: _You ain't nutt'n but a Hound Dog?_ "you ain't never killed a rabbit & you ain't no friend of mine"?


Love this post- it made me laugh. My Finn, who is so gentle with Delilah the kitty and all small dogs, killed a squirrel and brought down a big seagull at Ferry Beach(that was horrifying to the human in me, I'm not going to lie). I dont think he meant to hurt the seagull bc he wrestled it down and put his paw on it and just pinned it there, but he definitely killed the squirrel on purpose.


----------



## Waggily Tail (Jan 11, 2009)

Geez, they look so sweet & innocent...

We practice recalls on our walks & Maggie's getting really good at it, but this morning she was sniffing away & totally ignoring me. I walked over only to watch her gulp down something. Nothing new. Yesterday it was a chicken bone. No big deal as I knew I could hold on to it & wait her out. Well, today there was a tail hanging out of her mouth. Freaked me out because I didn't know the dead or alive status, but as a mother, I felt like I should do something. Of course she wouldn't give it up for praise or treat. I eventually pried open her mouth & out popped a mouse who did two 360s only to be scarfed up once again by Maggie. This happened 2 more times until I was able to drag her away. We left the little rodent twitching and scratching at his head. I never looked back. Maggie is a hunter & back-to-nature kind of girl. Hope we don't have to worry about parasites...very gross.


----------



## Joanne & Asia (Jul 23, 2007)

Asia gently mouthed a mouse to death once and looked quite upset when she dropped it for the 10th time and it stopped trying to run aay. I felt sorry for the slow death of the rodent but the look of concern and confusion on her face was priceless. She also does this with large bugs, gently picks them up and throws them in the air and then bats them around to make them "play" Then she rolls in the dead carcass. Dogs will be dogs...


----------



## NuttinButGoldens (Jan 10, 2009)

Yep. Normal. Much as we may dislike it. Our furbabies ARE animals after all 

Ronin, the Siamese, brought SIX birds into the house in a single day last year.

Luckily I haven't seen one since. But it's spring again...



CaliGuy said:


> This is my first post here and I am mildly concerned about my dog. Today he killed a rabbit that was in our back yard. He has never killed anything before (to my knowledge, but possible birds--him or cat). He brought the rabbit to the door to show us...
> 
> I am wondering if this is anything I should be worried about or if this is normal "instinctual" behavior? He lives with 2 other dogs and 2 cats. They all get along very well, in fact, he loves the cats more than anything.
> 
> My golden is 7 years old, male, un-neutered (if that helps any). He has had some aggression issues with other males, but nothing that caused either dog any harm (I assume this is normal due to hormones and instinct).


----------



## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Normal, normal, normal. My old girl Carmella killed a crow, 3 rabbits, and a mole in her time, and she was about the gentlest animal on the planet. It's just in their blood.

I know my parents are waiting with bated breath for Flora to begin hunting down rabbits. They're relentless about chewing up our garden plants.


----------



## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Fortunately, mine will chase the squirrels in the backyard, but I don't think they would have a clue what to do if they actually caught one! We have baby birds in the yard this time of year and they have always been interested but walk away as soon as I say Leave It. Even Jasmine, who has the strongest prey drive, if that's what you want to call it in her. She will chase and bark at squirrels and cats outside. But never messes with my own cats.


----------



## Selli-Belle (Jan 28, 2009)

I had heard a few months ago, that Goldens were also used to hunt rabbits and when I told Selli she was so happy! She LOVES hunting bunnies, but she just wants to sniff them, really. Last winter we had over 16" of snow and she chased a rabbit who could not get away from her due to the snow. The rabbit froze and Selli went to town sniffing the poor thing. She flipped the rabbit over with her nose so she could sniff its under sides. Then the rabbit decided it could get away and away it went. I held Selli and Duff until it was safely away and let them chase it again.

Selli would fail as a wild dog, she does not like dead things, so she would need to rely on her friends for food.


----------



## goldensmum (Oct 23, 2007)

Is it possible that shock could have led to bunny's demise??

Ginny and Holly always chased wild rabbits - never got them though, this is Ginny with one of my rabbits


----------



## my4goldens (Jan 21, 2009)

Rabbits, baby possums, unfortunate baby birds who fell out of nests, and oh so many squirrels. Ah, the squirrels. They never learn that a fall from an oak tree stuns them, and a pack of goldens finishes them off. We did have one one minor injury to the youngest dog, he just happened to get in between a half dead squirrel and one of the other dogs, the crazed squirrel bit him on the face and we ended up in the emergency vet. I just wish the squirrels would pass the word to their friends to stay out of our yard, so far the luck has definitely not been on the squirrels side.


----------



## Sam Adams (Jul 15, 2011)

> The only thing that you should be concerned about is the fleas that rabbits can have. They are carriers for tapeworm. I didn't know about this until AFTER Biscuit ate the rabbit.


If you give your dog monthly heart worm chewable and Advantix you're all right?

Sam appears to have caught an adult rabbit dropping the fresh headless kill at my feat.


----------



## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

WOW 5 year+ old bump going on here haha.


----------



## Sam Adams (Jul 15, 2011)

Yeah page 3 of this thread was a top Google search result. Sam has brought us baby bunnies dead and alive before but always intact. This time I was presented with a headless adult rabbit, very much like the original poster described.

*Edit* Oy, he is on quite the spree this evening he just caught another rabbit a complete young this time.


----------



## wjane (Oct 12, 2013)

I adopted my girl Autumn at 8 - she was a puppy mill breeder dog- rarely out of the kennel - well about a couple of months after I had her she disappeared into my neighbors yard and came back with a groundhog hanging out of her mouth-deader than a doornail and she had blood all over her face. Boy was she proud of herself. One of the most gentle dogs I've ever had


----------



## Coco's Mom (Jun 2, 2014)

My 5 months old puppy has been trying to catch the rabbits for awhile now, never succeed. They are too quick for her


----------

