Eating dead/decomposed baby birds/update 7-29

CreamyShibaMomCreamyShibaMom
edited June 2009 in Behavior & Training
So our crazy shiba pup keeps finding dead (fledgling?) birds and eating them. These are the naked ones?

I’ve decided I am going to bring plastic gloves with me when on walks so I can pull these things out…but it’s just disgusting! She even ate a clearly decayed one..or two…where it was all black and all you saw were legs and it smelled horrid....the ONLY time she spit one out, (the same one twice) on the drop command was when it was green colored bloated one.

My question is: how to do I curb this? I know it’s “nature” but I’m a bit perplexed as to why there are so many of these birds laying around. I understand the beginning of spring, or right after a storm, but she ate two this morning and it’s been beautiful the past two days…should I be more concerned than I am?

We have a pretty crazy raccoon sitation in our neighborhood too, so I’m always on the lookout for things on the ground, but the birds are a bit much…legs dangling and all out of Shao New’s mouth as she refuses to drop it first thing in the morning is getting a bit much…..any help / advice would be much appreciated, thank you!

Comments

  • brandon_wbrandon_w
    edited November -1
    I'm not sure it's ever good for a dog to eat anything that is decomposing. I'd keep an eye on her stool to make sure there are no worms or anything in it. How exactly to curb the behavior I am not sure. I can't get anything out of Nemo's mouth once he decides he wants to eat what he has found. You could try keeping her leash real short and only letting her sniff when you can closely supervise the immediate area she is in.

    I have to wonder why so many birds are dying in your neighborhood.
  • CreamyShibaMomCreamyShibaMom
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the input Brandon_W, worms never entered my mind--until now..I'll have to look more carefully....I do need to keep that leash tigher walking down the driveway of the complex (she's picked up 3 there so far--we have really old trees overhanging) and around bushy areas..usually she gets only the 1 -2 feet, but that's usally enough if I'm not looking.

    I thought about just saying NO and walking away (this works in the house and she freaks)...but I'm afraid to do it outside in case she freaks but sees a squirrel and bolts.

    She also knows I don't like this so she'll try to chomp really quickly when i go near her muzzle, and today i heard her gag on the 2nd one, so I stopped trying to force her into dropping and just prayed she'll drop it--but to no avail... Hopefully the tight leash and some rubber gloves will help me a bit.
  • tjbart17tjbart17
    edited November -1
    Eow! Gross! Disgusting! Nasty! Although, my Phillipino/Chinese (i have a very diverse 1/2 Italian, 1/2 something else family in the US now) eat those eggs with the baby chicks or birds in them. It's so nasty. They gobble them up. It's a delicacy I'm told.
  • SayaSaya
    edited November -1
    My boxer tried to eat a decomposing mouse I was able to get it out of her mouth luckily I'm sure she would've ate it if I was a second late the gross part is the deap mouse had maggots. >.<

    I'm not sure how to help ya work on the leave it trick alot even when she's good at it I've been doing that with bella because she used to go for bunny poop and deer poop yuck so far she's stoped I'm stll looking on the ground when walking just incase there's poop around sometimes she ignores me, but I'm working it.

    I hope you get answers you need maybe it's cats that are doing it getting the babies and playing with them my cat who is now dead would do that or it could be something else. =\
  • CaliaCalia
    edited November -1
    I hate it whenever one of my guys would grab something gross, like curb tossed roadkill. When they find something they really want to eat, def ears is all they have. We would resort to pulling their mouth open and making it fall from out, while at the same time try to keep the other from picking it up once it hit the ground.

    The best way I have found to keep this from happening is avoidance and an open eye, try to spot it before they do.
  • CreamyShibaMomCreamyShibaMom
    edited November -1
    Tjbart, she does seem to find them pretty yummy, i see the glee in her eye when the bones go crunch.

    I think I'm gonna give up, suck it up and just stick my hands in there and pull them out--should she get to them that is-- damn it I'm gonna walk her with an iron fist around that leash LOL....knowing me by the time i get gloves on she would have devoured them and pooped them out.
  • tjbart17tjbart17
    edited November -1
    Bring gardening gloves with you in your back pocket. Nice and thick rubber. Eow again.... :p
  • CreamyShibaMomCreamyShibaMom
    edited November -1
    LOL how did you know I was thinking full on surgical gloves and perhaps some scrubs too?
  • yukidomariyukidomari
    edited November -1
    I think you should teach the dog a reliable "drop it" or "leave it" command! You can practice with increasingly desirable munchies or moving objects like balls. Practice it everyday like you would for basic obedience and you'll be able to avoid the gross dead rotting birds... :S
  • StaticNfuzzStaticNfuzz
    edited July 2009
    Well grabbing anything of high value from a Shiba or dog who has a high prey drive is really pushing your luck once the primal mode kicks in. Trade for another stinky item and like Yukidomari suggests practice "leave it" and "drop it" and use the trade good to back that up. Make sure the trade is of equal to high value. Some dogs are more intense than others so you will have to weigh the behavior.

    Snf
  • CreamyShibaMomCreamyShibaMom
    edited November -1
    oh, she does know the drop command, it's just when it's these birds it's only worked in one out of 7 instances... but you're both right, i've never practiced with a replacement item...it's usually just drop it and a "good girl". I'll start doing that tonight with her percious carrots ;-)
  • lindsaytlindsayt
    edited November -1
    Balut has to be up there with eating insects.

    Errryuck about the bloated green hatchlings. Beebe has a super fun habit of poo diving on walks. I ended up fishing lots of literal crap, gum and roadkill out the back of her throat, but mostly because I was pissed that she ignored my request to leave it and I didn't want her to "win".

    We practiced walking up and down the street after I dumped a bunch of tempting garbage and kibbles all over. After a few tries Grasshopper (mostly) took to heart what "leave it" ment when she was outside of the house. It was important that she didn't ever get to "win" by sneaking a goodie. When the real goodies come up on walks now, she will surrender them very easily and let me inspect her mouth or longingly eyeball them. I treat her and praise when she manages to look the other way.
  • wliu003wliu003
    edited November -1
    i trained my dog to split or drop food without question. i decided to train her to do this because ive also had problems with her eating birds, and strangers feeding her food without my consent. the drop command is important, i would give her a treat, and while shes chewing i'll tell her to drop, when she does i let her finish it up. this trick only took a with tries.

    right now im trying to train her to open her mouth so i can brush it or inspect it, this trick is a little more challenging.
  • CreamyShibaMomCreamyShibaMom
    edited November -1
    what's worked so far i've noticed is her own poop! if i drop the bag of poop in front of her she SPITS whatever she has in her mouth and freaks LOL. I know, this works if I happen to have it but I thought i'd do an update on our "progress". Still working on a proper drop and treat in the meantime.
  • tjbart17tjbart17
    edited November -1
    LMFAO!!!!
  • CreamyShibaMomCreamyShibaMom
    edited November -1
    So Spuds has eaten a total of 7 baby birds, and within the last week we've seen 4 dead adult birds....she didn't get any of them (she didn't see them) except for the one today, which she seemed to drop well, but then got the crazies in her eye to try and pickup again.

    Needless to say these birds are getting reported to the city, as now I'm worried since it's adult birds. I have a feeling it's people trying to poison slugs, and the birds are eating them then dying...we'll see!
  • StaticNfuzzStaticNfuzz
    edited July 2009
    Uggh...I would rightfully be concerned with so many dead adults are being found. Certainly keep Shao New away from ingesting.
    The city should be investigating I would think. I recall that our city was collecting data several years ago when crows kept turning up dead.
    Turns out west nile virus was causing problems among that species. Hopefully there is a more simple and less serious explanation in your town.

    Snf
  • CreamyShibaMomCreamyShibaMom
    edited November -1
    SnF, wouldn't suprise me if it was west nile, I just checked the city's positive test results through 7/27, 3 areas tested positive, above me, below me and right next to me...and being that we're by the wildlife preserve it's only a matter of time before our zip gets a positive. They also have stopped taking individual reports, just clusters. Who knows, but today it's being reported by the maintance guy at the school where we found it, so maybe they'll take that a bit more seriously.

    But yes, no doubt these guys i'll rip out of her mouth in a hurry if she doesn't drop..I'll pump her tummy too if i have to LOL.
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