An all natural diet... (not for the squeamish)

[zefi]

You know how poodles are really DOGS and dogs are predators and scavengers and all that....

Well... the other day I let the girls out after I got home from work and at one stage I looked outside to see what they were doing (I always keep an eye on them to make sure they're not wrestling or digging up the garden). I saw them at a 'stand off'. Pagan lying on the ground. Montana sitting opposite her. A dead bird between them. Apparently the bird was dead on the other side of the fence in the morning and Pagan got it somehow.

Anyway, I called them, thinking get them inside, dispose of the bird. Montana came first, then Pagan. Montana waited till Pagan was on the porch before turning around, running down off the porch, swooping down without slowing down to pick up the bird and she was off. Then I was following her round the yard trying to convince her to give it up. No way. She'd pick it up, carry it a while, then drop it like 'mm... wierd texture'... but as soon as I got close she'd grab it again.

At one stage I got close enough to grab her so rather than give up the bird she crunched on it. Ewww. She crunched it in half! I picked up one part of the bird while she munched down on the other side. Something fell out - guts with maggots!!!!!!!!!!! GROSS!

The bird wasnt long dead but obviously in the heat... ugh.

Anyway, as I stood there helplessly Montana crunched and munched and ate that bird - feathers, feet, beak and all!!!! It was disgusting. Yeech.

Pagan has killed birds and lizards before but she never eats them. I just couldnt believe that girl! 

[Helen]

  eeeeewwwwwww!!!!   

[zefi]

Yep. That pretty much says it all!

[auntie c]

my beautiful maxwell once ate a day of chicken that someone had decided to take to the dog beach... this stupid woman comes up to screaming, your dog and eaten my chicken.... i never even seen her bloody chicken..
but two onlookers did...

i politely apologised, got her address. turned up at her house the next day with 2 frozen chickens... plucked and ready to bake.

carlene, harry who and pearl the girl
australia

[zefi]

LOL well, at least it was a dead chicken! I mean plucked and all! LOL

[Michael]

Yuk...that had to be hard to look at, Zefi. Yeesh. I always keep my girls on leash when they are outside their run area here, as there is WAY too much to get into. We have a dead deer carcass in the far end of the one field here right now. Plenty of dead critters in the woods, and deer, bear, and whatever other poop all over too. Can't be too careful with all *that* too get into. Yuk. but maggots....that almost makes the stomach turn on a dime.

[zefi]

Apparently maggots are clean... go figure. Disgusting, but clean. Eww.

Thing is... She ate another dead bird the other day. I think this one was a kookaburra. I am sure it was a 'fresh' one this time. I found feathers and a foot. She ate the rest. Eww... What is going on with my pretty girls? They seem to be tag teaming it. One kills, the other eats the spoils.

I'm seriously considering getting a greyhound muzzle (one of those light wire cages) for Pagan. Really. I cant put a soft cloth muzzle on her. I have one of those. I use it as punishment when she/they go outside and bark too much. If they carry on when they go out at night to pee they go out with muzzles on. But those muzzles are only good for short periods of time. Whereas the greyhound wire cages are lightweight and easy, she could open her mouth and pant through it an drink water. The only thing she couldnt do is actually catch and kill a bird or lizard.

Speaking of which, yeah, another blue tongue lizard bit the dust yesterday. Sheesh. I got that away before either of them ate it. Yeech.

Even with a muzzle though I believe Pagan's days are numbered. One of these days it'll be a tiger snake she goes for, only that time it'll be her who's dead at the end of the showdown... And there's no way I can stop that from happening now she's learned that she can easily kill lizards. To her a snake would be no different from a lizard. Just a bit longer. Sheesh.

[auntie c]

you can get rubber ones, just like the ones the grey hounds use. they would be a lot softer on her face.

carlene, harry who and pearl the girl
australia

[Michael]

Oh Zefi.....that is hard to think. I sure hope the girls stay away from anything that poisonous, but I know what you're saying. They've not developed the most positive routine in this respect...ugh.

[Fluffy]

Yep, they might be fluff, diamantes and bows on the outside but they are all dog on the inside !

[zefi]

A friend of mine recently lost her dog and she sent me a greyhound muzzle. Its very lightweight, very fine, and it fits Pagan perfectly. I've been putting it on her now when she goes out at night so I am sure nothing will be caught and killed! LOL Really, its taken a huge load off my mind. She loves being outside at night and I'm always so worried about wildlife that might get into the yard. With this muzzle I can let her out as long as she wants to be out there. And she doesnt mind it at all! Its almost like she isnt wearing anything at all. I love it. And the wildlife loves it! 

[crickette]

I love the comment........diamantes on the outside but all dog inside!
Cricket, my 6mth old miniature found an old dead blackbird somewhere in the garden.....we are surrounded by native bush.
I discovered the carcass laying on the sitting room carpet...  Later my grandson came home from school & was aghast...He had seen the head of the blackbird on the sofa.. . For some reason I found this amusing.
All this is so natural for my dog..
Why she should bring them and lay these pieces out in such a dramatic way, I don't know.  She certainly doesn't eat in this room.   She did not appear to have bitten into it.  Poor blackbird.

[zefi]

That reminds me of a story... we often see Deb and Doug (who own little Zefi, one of the pups from my last litter) either at their house or ours. Well, one day we went over there for dinner and Deb told us that they'd got home earlier to find the girls covered in blood. She frantically searched them all and didnt find any injuries, then later Doug found a torn up lizard in the yard. But no head.

Later that night as I sat on the couch little Zef brought me a present. THE HEAD! LOL

Isnt that sweet? 

[Mutley]

Hi Zefi,
Gross indeed!!!

I came home to a disemboweled turkey and a bald one - both former pets!! Laura hadn't touched them for months, but one one harsh day she did, indeed, do them in!! Panda, mini, was caught entering the house with a freshly caught Lorikeet. The hunter lurks within their innocent looking poodle bodies.......They never hunt while we are around - as they know it is forbidden.
Merryl

[zefi]

Pagan loves to hunt unfortunately so it takes a bit of managing to make sure she doesnt catch anything. I usually let Montana out in the dark first to scare things away! LOL