Suandpete Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 We would be very grateful if anyone has any suggestions on how to keep hedgehogs away from our garden. We have 2 rescue dogs, one of whom was starving when she was found and she is a natural hunter. In spite of the fact that she has now been here for 2 years and certainly isn't hungry her main sport is catching hedgehogs. Yesterday she caught 4 in our garden (which is in the centre of a village and mostly surrounded by 8ft walls). Obviously we took them off her and all four seem fine - they were relocated but as I understand it wander very long distances and we really don't want her to catch any more.Does anyone know of anything which although harmless to hedgehogs they really dislike - we can maybe dissuade them from reappearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Well, I haven't got an answer to this one, unless someone else comes up with something I think that you will just have to live with the situation. I fully understand, our dog is much the same, kills and eats creatures all the time, although she only sniffs hedgehogs, but anything else, birds, hares, rodents, grasshoppers, all get eaten if caught.(worse than a cat).Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suandpete Posted May 20, 2007 Author Share Posted May 20, 2007 Yes our other dog just sniffs them - but Molly flips them over and goes for their stomachs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 If you don't want a dog to kill, have you ever thought of telling them off, there is such a thing called training. I wouldn't and in fact haven't stood for that sort of behaviour for a minute. It is different when an animal is in the wild but for a pet that is fed there is such a thing as training and discipline. [:@] Sorry but I find it sad that anyone could allow their pet to do this and just give a big shrug and make absolutely no effort in correcting the behaviour. By the way, this is mostly directed towards Chris because it sounds as if Su is at least trying. Su, I assume you scold your dog when you take the hedgehog from him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suandpete Posted May 20, 2007 Author Share Posted May 20, 2007 Of course our dog is not allowed to kill randomly when we are there - however we are not always on the spot when she finds things and so I am looking at ways to reduce the possibility that it can happen and we have a very large garden. It is however a totally natural instinct particularly in a dog which was found starving and pregnant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 Su, I understand and it's obvious it's of concern to you and you are trying to correct or you wouldn't have posted here. To be honest, my comment was directed to Chris. This isn't the first thread that he has proudly proclaimed that his dog kills randomly and it appears he is not interested in training the dog or looking for solutions like yourself. I am sorry if it came across that it was directed toward you. I guess I was trying to be diplomatic and not finger point but stupid really, I should have directed my post to Chris, full stop. I only have respect for someone that rescues a needy dog, particularly one in the state of yours when you took her in. Best of luck with finding a solution, I can understand how you would be feeling about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suandpete Posted May 20, 2007 Author Share Posted May 20, 2007 Thanks for that WJT, it is a difficult situation. I was just hoping that someone knew of some sort of plant or herb that hedgehogs find really distasteful........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 Perhaps you should read my posts, all of them, a little more thoroughly. Our dog is a "liberated" hunting dog which we saved from almost certain death, this was how she used to live before we rescued her, that is when she wasn't locked in a garage for days on end.She cannot be enclosed and as we have plenty of land she has the run of it, she does what she does which is very little different from cats which many people have. Basically when she decides to take after something she is oblivious to everything else, you could probably explode a bomb and she would keep going, she kills swiftly and eats what she kills, that, one way or another is how the world functions. I would be surprised if your food gets such a good death.While I'm at it, I probably do more to protect and save lives of all species than anyone else on this forum, everything is sacred in my world, flies, rats, hornets, you name it, even bacteria. Come and see how I manage my land and my life sometime, that's an invite, and then come to a conclusion.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suandpete Posted May 20, 2007 Author Share Posted May 20, 2007 Well said Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 My apologies Chris. I have seen you post numerous times on your dog killing randomly but I have never read about it being a rescue dog and the actual situation. I am aware of your efforts with wildlife of which I respect and admire. This is why I have been surprised by these comments but haven't said anything until now, with anyone else I would have put my foot in much sooner. [:$] What can I say but offer again my sincere apologies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 The point is that there is no intention on my part for her to go and kill and on the odd occasion that we get the chance we stop her. Last night for example the cat brought a shrew in and just dropped it alive on the floor, the dog grabbed it, I shouted at the dog and she dropped it, I picked the shrew up and took it outside and released it. Anyway, no problem on my part, and thanks.Cheers for now, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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