So I was outside with the dogs yesterday and Flash loves chasing birds. I saw him chasing one in flight and all of the sudden it's like he had afterburners and he picked up the pace and caught a bird mid-flight. It was very cool. He was so upset when I made him drop it, as if saying to me, hey I caught that let me eat it!

What is the point in letting him chase/catch/kill something like this?

While I don't allow my dogs to chase wildlife, I think the OP didn't realize the pup was actually going to get it. I'm not sure their is a point to letting ones dog hunt by themselves because it quickly becomes self rewarding and then the dog no longer needs you to provide their "fun" and "food".

I think for someone to have a "hunting" dog who works with them, it is completely different.

Anyone else with any insights/opinions?

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I think for someone to have a "hunting" dog who works with them, it is completely different.

That's kinda my opinion.

But with the OP it sounded like the bird chasing might be a regular occurrence. Which, IMO, is counterproductive with the dog and not fair to the birds if the dog is just chasing them for fun. So I was just wondering about that.

You guys are looking too deep into this. I was just posting something that I thought was funny of him as I have never seen him do it. I don't regularly let my dogs chase wildlife, we just happen to be in the yard and there were a bunch of birds on the grass and flash went after one (he is a bird dog after all) and he caught it to my surprise. We were not training, he was out playing with my other dogs. I can't prevent birds from coming in my yard and for that matter it is the dogs territory, so they chased them.

Edited by Keith Kaplan (05/28/2010 03:01 PM)
Edit reason: Additional Info.

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all of the sudden it's like he had afterburners

That'll teach those birds whose yard to stay clear of!
Dang Keith, Flash actually caught one!

My female Kaia, chases birds in our yard all the time, but of course she never catches any. Even now that she has had that accident and had FCE, it still doesn't stop her from tryin to get one though! That would be her dream!

Hope you didn't place any money on that guess Rob

In my 100+ acre back yard there are turkey, deer, cats, sheep, plus a myriad of other small critters that would be tantalizing to chase.

Although the oldest has killed a woodchuck or two, my dogs (3 Border Collies who are all pretty darn driven and fast as all get out) learn that other critters are off limits. Off leash runs in the field wouldn't quite work otherwise. Working sheep on the farm and SAR training in the woods wouldn't work too well without it either. That is all prey drive under control.

My response was not to the catching of the bird, but the chasing - which the OP stated that his dog liked doing. I was merely curious as to how and when this was being done, because it can be a bad idea. I've heard enough people get excited about their dog entertaining themselves chasing and harassing animals that I tend to point out that such activity can have a downside. Just because your dog is having fun doesn't mean the other animal is and I think that is something that should be taken into consideration. Not necessarily OP, but for others who are lurking reading the forum.

My intention is not to be a kill-joy - really!

And yes, my dogs are still dogs, they just tend to demonstrate that by rolling in poop, snacking on an old carcass we come across or eating the cat food....

He loved it. I'm not worried about it, I was a proud papa lol. I didn't know he could catch. There were a ton of them. It was a desert dove. They are "repopulating" like crazy right now. I would say the one he caught was a younger one, but still it was quick. Big problem in my area right now between them and pigeons. He sure was a happy dog. Went back to normal today, no more searching for it.

Like I said in an earlier post, I don't let them chase them, but if they are in yard it is inevitable. Plus the bird was fine. He is very gentle.

Hey Keith - I'm really not trying to be an over analyzing kill-joy

I just tend to automatically point that sort of thing out for the benefit of forum lurkers - I totally understand that things happen with small creatures and dogs, but I just want to point out that it's not a good idea to intentionally allow it/encourage it.

Unfortunately I've heard plenty of stories where people do