During my walk with Hattie this morning she saw an injured Crow in a field so off she went to investigate but I quickly recalled her successfully. The bird continued to flap it's way across the field so Hattie thought she would go and have another look but she just stood watching the bird again I recalled her and she returned instantly. Now if this had been a Pheasant I am not sure the outcome would have been quite so favourable. So what's the difference a free meal is surely a free meal, do dogs really care about what kind of bird it is? Just interested. Thanks xx
The smell is very different (so I'm told!). Game birds smell completely different from crows etc. which my gundog trainer says smell of carrion.
Good girl Hattie anyway! It is odd though - Poppy's favourite game is to startle pheasants out of hedgerows - she doesn't chase them, but just loves to scare them up into the air. However, if we pass chickens in a field or hedge, she will completely ignore them. Similarly, although she retrieves shot duck, she will walk through ducks next to a pond in a park or farm without so much as a step toward them... I think pheasants are completely satisfying to dogs, the way they make that noise when startled...
Even Charlie will sniff out pheasants with enthusiasm but I can't get him remotely interested in crows. I want to practice my stop whistle you see, so I try to get him to flush crows on the Common. No chance. He could not care less.....
Thank you Karen I was quietly chuffed Could be the smell and sound. We had free range chickens, ducks, rabbits etc. etc. in our garden Hattie had full access to them and she NEVER EVER chased them. It's odd indeed!! xx
On one of the parks that i walk on there is a large population of crows who get fed by people they are very tame and brave. They will chase dogs they don't like and gang up on them. my dogs know they have food and if they see a crow they will run up to them to see if they can scare them into dropping what they have. They also drop things on your head as they fly pssed one dropped a dead bird on me once. they are such clever funny birds
My dogs will retrieve Carrion, I will make sure that they are dead first. Crows, magpies and the like are quite dangerous to dogs as they will turn over on to their backs and peck at the dogs eyes. Not nice birds...
Penny is like this with seagulls! She's ace at clearing a field of seagulls but pigeons or anything else she will just ignore! She could get a job on a beach as one of those dogs that keeps seagulls away hahaa!
