Hunting Dogs on the Loose

[slugcatcher]

Right I think I have calmed down enough to be able to work my keyboard!!!!!!!!

dont really now where to put this either Pets or wildlife or as a follow up to my picture, any way.

If you all saw/or not my picture headed "Can you spot all five" it was about five little ducklings and there Mum. Yesterday (Sunday) I went and had a look at them and there was only2 left. I had a good look round and could only find 2.
Then after about 5mins there was such a rumpus two hound type dogs (good swimmers) went diving into the water chasing these remaining ducks. You have never heard a noise like it the mother duck was giving it all and the dogs had a real hunting sound about them..

I am throwing stuff at the dogs with no luck so went looking for the owner. No sign of him any where. A good half mile away i found him when the dogs came hurtling past me with that satisfied barking.
I had to stand away from this bloke (because i didnt want to hurt him) and asked him what the F*** (sorry) he thought he was doing if he cannot control the dogs why are they not on leads. i told him about the ducks and he said I now thats why I was up the other end. i said you was but the dogs wasnt.
The way he was I think he knows that his dogs have had the other ducklings and probably the remainder, I will have a look today. He just didnt seem bothered one way or the other. These people make me so made those dogs are totally out of control.

I am sorry to waffle on but I had to let it all out some where, (think I have done well only one swear word)

Ron

[Roy Bham UK]

What a sad story, maybe a phone call to your local RSPCA, Council Dog Warden or both may stop him in his tracks, as far as I am aware dogs should be kept on a lead in public places and Dog Wardens are there to enforce that law.

[waggi]

at the end of the day its not the dogs fault - my collie tries to round up ducks and gets very distressed when they are not in a lovelly formal group

its the responsibility of the OWNER to have there dogs under proper control

i am working towards getting the silver good citizen award with one of my dogs (we are waiting to be tested on our bronze) and my other dog is rarelly let off the lead due to his aggression with other dogs

[Heldi]

Slugcatcher that is awful. I'm not surprised you were so upset .  I'd be very upset if my dog did something like that . I've always tried to be sensible enough to keep her away from temptation. For example, I won't take her to my new allotment because there are chickens nextdoor and I don't know if I could trust her not to try and get at them. Some people don't ever think things through enough unfortunately.

[Marianne]

Unlike what Roy says, the RSPCA will NOT assist you in any way.  I know because they refused me help in a similar way 

It seems they are only there to take the money that comes their way ......

But at the end of the day, it is NOT the dogs' fault.  The owner of the dogs should have kept them on the lead in order for this not to happen.  But having said that, the owner thought he was only doing the right think in letting his dogs loose along the lake/water.

I am afraid this is nature at its worse ......  And no-one can do anything about it ....

[slugcatcher]

I know it is not the dogs fault, that is why I had a go at the owner. It seemed he new that there was a duck with young, he admitted that he took them the other way but the dogs was totally uncontrollable, as I said the owner was at least half a mile away.

Any way I have been again today and mother and the two ducklings are back together and it looked like dad had come along for support, (typical fella, hey ladies, come along when the fuss is over)

Ron

[Merlins Mum]

Ron, if you only swore once at the owner you did a lot better than I would have done.  It is down to the owner to control their dog/s.  The owner should not have let his dogs off the lead.  He must have known they would go in search of the ducks.  Oh people make me so mad.

MM

[BAGGY]

So often dogs do get a bad name for being dogs.  I firmly believe that the owners should be responsible for the actions of their dogs.  When I had my dog i used to walk him over a recreation ground.  I was warned by the other dog walkers to look out for the 'black b@@@ard' that was the bane of the rec.  He would go for any dog on a lead and was left locked out in his garden and would jump the fence and go on the rampage even chasing the school kids.  He even had a go at my sister's dog when she had him on a lead and she was very heavily pregnant at the time, resulting in her falling over.  She phoned the relevant people and nothing was done.  In the end my puppy grew up into a very large Alsatian cross wolfhound and the next time he came sniffing I let him off the lead and my dog chased him home.  (to cheers of the other walkers).  Boy did he shift !!!  Despite all that I still think it was down to the owner.  If  the black dog had been socialised at puppy classes he would never have been the neighbourhood terror.  Thankfully my dog waslabelled a hero and not a horror from then. It could have easily gone the other way it the uninitiated had seen the chase.

[Val]

Oh Baggy really feel for you having to see it, I would've probably done the same but my dog ...years ago...did the same with water voles, I'm not proud of it especially as  we don't see them much now. He was completely out of hand and wild when he got the scent and was on the hunt. Us humans just didn't exist, yet at other times he was gentle and loving....except to men ..Nature can be very cruel.