Am I in trouble eaten a bird

[hitfreshairagain]

Hi everyone I hope you can help

I have a 6 year old lab I use for picking up pigeon and pheasant and has been pretty much a perfect dog for me ,at the end of the day I throw the birds in the back of the truck with the dog and he never so much as looks at them.until today😬.i got home to find he was eating the breasts out of a cock bird .has anyone come Across this on a trained dog that should be set in his ways .....I hope he is not ruined.

Thanks in advance lee

[motty]

I am sure it was a one off. The dog was probably just very hungry.

[Old farrier]

One off

But to be honest you're half to blame traveling dog and dead game together ☹️️

 

Keep temptations out of his way and he be fine

 

 

All the best

Of

[Grandalf]

A good ****** and he'll be fine again.

(At the time of the crime of course).

Had this with a couple of mine over the years.

[JDog]

This is a dog management problem. Do not put temptation in the dogs way.

[Albert 888]

One of mine ate four duck heads in the back of the van and on another outing tried to de breast a Canadian goose,it must have been very hungry. It's OK now, just make sure it has plenty of food.

[hitfreshairagain]

Thanks very much for your replies fellas taken onboard .

[kennett]

Was he cold and soaked through? Probably just survival instincts cutting in.

[motty]

One of my lab bitches very occasionally helps herself to what ever may be laying next to her in the back of the truck. This is only ever after working hard all day with no food. She has had the opportunity to eat ducks, geese, pigeons and pheasants etc on hundreds of occasions, but will generally not touch a feather.

[Daveo26]

Imagine if you sent him for a bird and instead of retrieving it he headed for the nearest cover and ate it.

That's what my chesie did last season, twice.

He was hungry after a long day, he hasn't done it this season because I'm feeding him a little bit before we go and a little bit at lunch.

I got mine back from this heinous crime, I'm sure yours will be fine

[WGD]

It's not that uncommon, different if he thought about doing it whilst retrieving but as said keep the dog and the shot game separate.

[Grandalf]

I always give my hounds a small amount of food when we stop for lunch.

It might help.

[Guest]

If you don't put any thing the dog can eat so he can get at it .

Then he will not eat it

[scotslad]

Like others have said try not to give the dog the oportinity and problem is solved before it gets any worse.

 

Have heard plenty of stories from folk who have owned dogs that would eat the odd partridge/snipe or even grouse. 1 lad i picked up with his old dog would eat the first few partridge most days, know a grouse keeper who's dog does the same with grouse.

 

Sometimes if the skin over the gut is slightly burst that warm 'gutty' smell seems to make it more appealling to dogs