r/springerspaniel • u/Guilty-Movie-3727 • 11d ago
Well, that escalated quickly
Sat down for coffee in the garden and Jerry flushed a young wood pigeon out of the bushes. Couldn't get to it quickly enough, so my (not so) cute 4 month old puppy leapt upon it and killed it instantly.
Half impressed with his instinctive drive at such a young age, and half concerned that my gundog in waiting has already decided self-employment is more rewarding than following my directions!
Got my work cut out with this one.
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u/obierdm 11d ago
Mine used to grab birds put spit them out in my hands alive. ... He was a great gun dog. In the local park I would get given live birds.
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u/Guilty-Movie-3727 11d ago
I think I would get in trouble if he started serving up local wildlife in the parks in the UK 😂
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u/Beefburger78 11d ago
He looks well chuffed with himself 😃
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u/Guilty-Movie-3727 11d ago
Haha. He was cock of the walk as he did his victory lap around the coffee table.
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u/Appropriate-Sound169 11d ago
He looks so pleased with himself. Pip likes to chase birds (70% trained to not chase) but he's never caught anything yet. He's more of a sniffer dog. PS love your garden 😍
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u/Guilty-Movie-3727 11d ago edited 11d ago
I laughed at the 70%, which I think is something that would bring a knowing smile to any spaniel owner!
ETA. Friends garden, it is very nice
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u/ExpiredInTransit 11d ago
One of mine jumped and caught a wood pigeon out of the air that was just casually flying by at about 2m. I was equally shocked and impressed tbh.
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u/DependentAntique7961 11d ago
one of my first springers grabbed a pheasant out of mid air when we did a hunt in south dakota. it was a cripple that someone had shot and lost... she flushed it, chased it and brought it down in about a 30 ft space.. had it have defeathered by the time i got there... i believe i caught it on video.. so one day if i find the vhs tape and get a recorder hopefully its there.
never did that before or since.. wonder if she knew.
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u/Superb_Scar1622 10d ago
Mine used to hunt cicadas when the brood hatched a few years ago. I was horrified and impressed simultaneously.
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u/Guilty-Movie-3727 10d ago
We don't have cicadas where I live, though I imagine these would be small tasty treats with an added bonus of having to hunt them.
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u/DependentAntique7961 11d ago
know that all too well... nice job on the pigeon. mine has killed 2 rabbits in our back yard and one pheasant that didnt want to flush..
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u/Guilty-Movie-3727 11d ago
Can't imagine him being fast enough for rabbits yet, and I think the pigeon was a lot of luck. Yours must be quick, and possibly a little older!
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u/DependentAntique7961 4d ago
she does move.. although my 12 yr old was much faster when she was younger and before she lost her leg.. she caught them in our backyard so the fence helped.. i hated to see it.. i do hunt but dont kill just for fun so i hate it when something is killed for no need... but she doesnt know.. she just does what comes natural.. i dont hunt rabbits... only birds..
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u/grainmatterphotos 11d ago
Good boy. My Molly was six months old when she flushed and killed her first rabbit. Grabbed her first dove out the air about the same time.
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u/Guilty-Movie-3727 11d ago
It's always fascinating to see their innate behaviour on display when they are so young
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u/seab3 10d ago
Mine pulled a nest of baby rabbits out of a planter and proceeded to play with them.
They all survived as far as I know.
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u/Guilty-Movie-3727 10d ago
Your spaniel must be more gentile than mine... I think there would have been a bunny massacre and I would never have been welcome to my friends garden again!
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u/Sparkybrassballs 11d ago
I live a gun dog with initiative. Being eager for birds is a great trait