Vocal Voices

by **Lozzles** » 15 May 2013, 09:26

I know Jasper is a cocker spaniel, so maybe this is normal behaviour. I have just dragged Jasper in from the garden where he was trying his best to catch/eat a young blackbird

He is now going mad to get out again to finish the job. I popped outside and the bird and it's frantic parents are nowhere to be seen now, so I hope they have left the area. I'm guessing we have a nest in the garden and that Jasper has discovered it and will continue to be on the lookout for further prey

Last year I twice caught him in the garden killing a pidgeon. Not nice, but what can I do?

by **meriad** » 15 May 2013, 11:08

In all honesty Loz, short of putting a bell (or probably even two) on his collar so the birds get some pre-warning that he's coming or clapping your hands when you let him out to warn and shoo the birds away, there isn't much you can do.

Animals are animals - and as much as we have domesticated them there are times when their basic instincts will always take over and catching and killing is unfortunately one of the things that is part of that.

I suspect that the poor little bird fell out the next last night in the winds (well it was very windy where I am)... but hopefully as you say it's managed to get away.

by **Diflower** » 15 May 2013, 11:58

Pigeons are too stupid meriad, we rattle the door handle, open and close the back door, clap, and still they look dumbly around. Minnie erupts out of the door, I've no idea what she'd do if she actually caught one!
We've tried all sorts to stop her but it really is impossible.

We had a baby blackbird left behind when Min charged out one day Loz, Mr B was on the wall shrieking, but it had tucked itself behind a shrub and she didn't see it.
It's the reason I wouldn't have a cat any more, the garden's small and walled so the poor birds are literally sitting ducks/blackbirds/pigeons...

by **JoM** » 15 May 2013, 12:04

Bill's a bird chaser. He's been going crazy in the window this morning watching a magpie hop around the close. John took him up the Chase one morning over the bank holiday and said he was after a pheasant.
He's never yet managed to catch anything though, maybe because he's got two tags on his collar which jangle quite a bit.

by **Lozzles** » 15 May 2013, 13:55

Jasper thinks it's all a game and as you say, it's only natural for him I suppose. I'll just carry on doing what I can but I just want the baby birds to have a fighting chance.
He's such a monkey