AgentOrangina t1_itqswu4 wrote on October 25, 2022 at 4:59 PM

My last dog loved getting the rats but it was unintentional - they would just run out in front of him and he’d give them a good thrashing before I knew what happened. Big issues are the dog getting bit by the rat, getting the dog to give you the rat once he’s killed/maimed it (my dog liked to parade it around and wouldn’t give up the body except for Velveeta cheese), and disposing of the rat body while other people look on in shock. Didn’t have to go there but you also need a plan for dispatching the rat if your dog doesn’t completely kill it. We weren’t trying to kill rats but it happened often enough where we had some experience.

Sienna57 t1_itr4lx7 wrote on October 25, 2022 at 6:14 PM

Finally a use for Velveeta

JustHereForCookies17 t1_its76mb wrote on October 25, 2022 at 10:26 PM

Why was this also my takeaway? Orangina wrote a thoughtful, well-organized comment & I'm over here pondering how portable Velveeta is.

Neilpoleon t1_itsrxtf wrote on October 26, 2022 at 1:02 AM

String cheese is also an easy portable option and it is great for tearing off into small pieces. I have heard of some people putting cream cheese into a squeeze tube for their dogs.

AgentOrangina t1_ittdwuv wrote on October 26, 2022 at 4:06 AM

The velveeta slices are great because you can peel off pieces as needed and then wrap it back up so it doesn’t stick to the inside of your pocket. Or, if my boy really didn’t want to give up the body, I would take the whole unwrapped slice and dangle it above his nose so all he could see was orange gold and then lay it on his muzzle. Pup had some dental issues so we tried to stick with soft foods. Marshmallows were also good but not high enough value when he had caught something he was really proud of (one time he emerged from a shrub with a whole adult crow and there was a lot of cheese involved). Beagles are gonna beagle.

JustHereForCookies17 t1_itucw1t wrote on October 26, 2022 at 11:36 AM

And there it is: Beagles gonna beagle.

I've never owned one, as they're a bit too "talkative" for me, but I've met several. I grew up with labs & German shepherds, then worked at horse barns with foxhound, Australian shepherds, and one Pharaoh hound. Those hunting breeds are no joke, no matter how much of a couch warmer they are at home.

AgentOrangina t1_itugsi8 wrote on October 26, 2022 at 12:14 PM

They’re great dogs. But they are stubborn as hell and you’re not training out that prey drive. Every time my dog saw a squirrel run across his path he would zone out like he was having a flashback to Vietnam and then go into kill mode. (Also worked the same way if you put on a squirrel YouTube video)

JustHereForCookies17 t1_ituv5j7 wrote on October 26, 2022 at 2:10 PM

"... flashback to Vietnam" is too real.

I pet-sat for a lady that had 2 obedience/agility Aussies- one she'd had for several years, and one that was only about 18 months old.

The puppy targeted every car that drove by, and wouldn't move on until it was out of sight.

Walks were... interesting.