# Black Lab X Collie Eating dead rabbit



## pippindog (Nov 4, 2009)

Our lab x collie is becoming a nightmare eating dead rabbit, poo, dead bird....pretty much anything he can find. It's very difficult to keep an eye on him all of the time as being exercised on a large estate and he often disappears into the bushes to find something horrid to eat. He has a good diet when at home and is exercised 3 times a day but he is now giving himself heath problems through his eating habits. Whilst out on this mornings walk he was sick two massive bits of rabbit fur :mad2: and he's currently on a diet of rice after eating something last week. We have considered a muzzle as lead walking is just not practical. Any advice would be greatly received.


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## k8t (Oct 13, 2009)

Hi

I do empathise with you, one of my dogs used to eat everything he could get his hands on, including one day human poo!!!! (don't ask how I knew, I just did!).

We kept having to do special diets and getting the vet to give us some liquid to help things through, not sure what it was and ultimately having to have Xrays. In the end I decided to get really tough - he was a sensitive dog, so therefore this was reletively easy.

When he was on the lead, or flexi, he wouldn't do it so much, so I got a long line and set him up, the line had to be loose along the floor. I started off with food treats and bits of other food on the floor, calling him to me and then reinforcing with a tug if he didn't respond and this was OK for a bit, but wasn't really reliable, This was a dog I could drop at a long distance, but couldn't stop eating stuff!!! 

I then got a dead rabbit from a friend who does field trials and put it in a field before I got him out the car. It was really open and quite rightly he made a beeline for it and I let him, as he went to get it, I went ballastic, shouting, waving my arms and screeching 'AH AH' and yanked the line hard quickly and sharply before letting it go again - timing was very imprortant and I must have got it right, before the point of no return, but not too soon that he didn't get the association. He was so shocked, he looked really worried and just looked at me, so I then went all nice (I am a bit Jekyll & Hyde!), and he came over I made a big fuss, got his ball out etc. etc. He stayed quite near after that and I do feel a bit guilty for it now when I look back.

I continued to take him for walks on the line and if he attempted to eat something would shout 'AHHHHHHHHHH AHHHHHHH' really loudly and yank him - a bit harsh, but it had to be done. I would then be all sweetness and light as he came back to me and reward him and let him go off. Because he was quite sensitive it was fairly effective and he really started to know that AH AH was aversive and meant business. I used to see the stuff he wanted and use it to train him around it - one day I was out in the car and found a dead bird!!! I took it home and used that on a walk!!!!

Things generally improved on the line and I could also use this AH AH off the lead and sort of stamp towards him and he would stop eating what he was eating, although would sometimes he would still grab a mouthful and gulp it down quickly!

Frankly, I didn't let him out of sight if I could, I would do lots of games, recalling him, treating him and getting him to find a ball - which he loved in the bushes (this ball was a red one and only for our walks so very special), so this gave him an interest other than the dead and decaying rabbit.

I know we should be so interesting that our dogs want nothing but us, but I obviously don't compare to something decaying in the eyes of my dog.

Sadly, he passed away at the good old age of 15 years, a screwed up collie 4 homes by the time he was 7 months and came to me, as he was on the PTS list at the rescue and I wanted a dog to work for sheep. He stopped biting people after a couple of years  (cost hubby a few bottles of whiskey in the office though). He never worked sheep particulary well - much too fast on his outrun but was a fantastic agility dog. Bless him.

I don't know what is worse, eating it or rolling in it!! Now my terrier, she just loves rolling......but that is another story!!  Apparently tomato ketchup gets rid of the smell of fox poo - :shocked:

Kate

P.S On thinking about it, you could set him up with stuff sprinkled with Chilli Powder and Bitter Apple etc., although not sure how effective this would be long term. You always have the option of using your voice with an aversion.

You could also train the word AH or whatever like you would training discs, but you may have to be careful with this, as the dog could desensitise, or if you tuned it too harshly could become fearful. I know someone who tuned their dog into a 'thunderer' whistle (like a refs whistle), which would stop them doing something. OK if you are not going anywhere where there are football matches too often!!!

Kate


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## Guest (Nov 4, 2009)

Excellent advice from K8t.
I would definitely consider a muzzle in the meantime if it is affecting his health


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

what do you consider a good diet i.e which food?

My pup was very much like your dog when he was on JWB (which is considered to be very good food!) He was hungry and would eat anything/everything he stopped once we changed his food!


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## hutch6 (May 9, 2008)

Distraction techniques will only get you by until your distraction isn't equal or above the value of the reward of doing what the dog wants to do.

Teach the "Leave" command or "No" command to a fine art, get a training line if required (a washing line works just as good as the expensive long leads, never gets heavy when wet, is cheap and very durable) and teach the dog the pack area it is allowed in and you shouldn't have to worry about distraction. Takes time but you send that with your dogs anyway


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## gougher (Oct 28, 2008)

Daynna said:


> what do you consider a good diet i.e which food?
> 
> My pup was very much like your dog when he was on JWB (which is considered to be very good food!) He was hungry and would eat anything/everything he stopped once we changed his food!


i'm pretty sure i read somewhere that this could be because of minerals etc missing from the food that the dog gets from the dead animal/poo etc.

Although i might be completely lying.  can't remember exactly i'm afraid.

I assume this is why switching foods stopped it. - Makes sense to me


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## Sylvestris Kennels (May 12, 2009)

Your dog is a lab cross - Labs are very food orientated and will eat and eat - even if it is full - I suspect food/hunger is not an issue with this dog and you need to get used to these sorts of things.

Whilst teaching the dog the leave/no command is useful, as are distraction techniques - for a lab cross you will find that when it comes to dead animals - you will need to see the risk before the dog. 

If you go for distraction I suggest a very special treat that the dog loves and is only given on these special occasionsif it does not eat the dead animal.

Good luck.


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