Hedgehog issue

[ArcticHeron]

We've been getting a fair few hedgehogs through our garden the last few years. The numbers definitely dropped since hibernation season started in October, but we still get one at least once a fortnight.

Got no issue with the little guys, but my dog keeps getting hold of them and bringing them into the house. He's a greyhound so his drive is quite high and whilst I doubt he ever intends to hurt them (usually just brings them in to show me), there's been a few occasions where I've put them back outside and they've unfortunately been found dead the next morning.

I've checked the fences around the garden and honestly have no idea how they're getting in. Anyone know of a humane deterrent to keep them away?

 

[ArcticHeron]

Will be shock killing them I would say.

Do you have a food source for them, anything outside they may be after?

For starters try to get rid of any gaps they may be using.
If you can fit your fist through then most hogs will fit.
They can climb to some extent, but not that well so if you can seal off where they may be walking in, and ensure no food available you should keep the wanderers down.

No food available in the back garden for them to scavenge, though we do get an obscene amount of slugs which could be a draw?

I'll have to check the fences again tonight. I initially thought they might be nesting in the compost heap but it's pretty well contained and I turned it towards the end of the summer, nothing in there.

 

[ArcticHeron]

Easier said than done but teaching your dog not to touch them would be the best long-term solution IMO.

Does he show much interest in them once he's shown you them?

He's a greyhound, ex racer so his prey drive is exceptionally strong. We've managed to train much of it out of him to the point where he responds to commands off the lead when smaller dogs or squirrels are around, but it's one thing doing it in a foreign environment and another doing it on 'his' territory, especially when it's dark out and he sees or smells something at the top of the garden before you get the chance to respond. Had an unfortunate incident earlier this year where he got hold of the neighbors cat. Sadly the cat died but thankfully we have understanding neighbors...

With hedgehogs it more a case of being excited to show you the catch. He's responsive to commands and drops them once showing them off, but I wouldn't put it past him to ragdoll one before they get a chance to ball up.

Training the prey drive out of sighthounds isn't impossible, but it is extremely difficult.

 

[ArcticHeron]

edit i've just seen your other reply, it is our fear that one day he'll catch a cat, he's been close a couple of times which is why we try to check the garden before letting him out but in summer the door is open most of the time

Really not a fun experience that one. Even before then I made a point of whistling a few times as I opened the door to let him out at night as I'd seen a few local cats about. Unfortunately the cat in question was only a year old and pretty naïve. Our gardens pretty long and by the time the dog got up to speed there was no way she was getting away.

I'll spare you the grizzly details but yeah, not nice at all. Saddest part was when he brought her to me and I got upset, he looked so bloody guilty. Cowered in his crate for a good few hours after. Poor bugger.

They're amazing pets, genuinely the most loveable animals I've ever known but stuff like that gives people the wrong impression. Even the vet at the time recommend I take him to a specialist to train the 'vicious characteristics' out of him. Such ignorance. Changed practices not long after that.

 

[ArcticHeron]

should have kept quiet about the cat thing

Not really. I even started a thread here the morning it happened asking for advise, most responses where very reasonable.

My dog had the breeding in him to hunt Lions ,Rhodesian Ridgeback ,Bull mastiff cross but he wouldn't hurt a fly. we would see him corner a rabbit, sniff it then run from it, cats he would wind up and always came out worse with a clawed nose

The difference being a century of breeding where that behavior was no longer trained into them compared to a dog that chased down a toy rabbit not 3 years ago.

 

[ArcticHeron]

Sorry but vicious characteristics seems a pretty reasonable way to describe something like mauling a cat/other mammals. That isn't saying it's the dog's fault, but that's clearly accurate, I'm interested in how that is an ignorant thing to say.

By definition sighthounds have a high preydrive. It's an ignorant statement in as much as it disregards the context of what happened. Most dogs will chase down a cat or small mammal on their own territory, the difference is most animals especially cats would be able to outrun them but with a greyhound that just isn't possible in a straight line. If my dog had bolted off the lead to chase down a cat in the street that would be a different matter. As I said, he's not particularly interested anymore, even when he's off the lead and we've trained him to respond well to commands (though we still muzzle him).

Edit: Deleted my previous quote post as it sounded needlessly callous. It's early and I need about 3 more cups of coffee...

 

[ArcticHeron]

With the greatest respect, that, to me, is a dog out of control. If I were you, I would muzzle it, before you get a neighbour that takes huge exception to their loved pet being killed. I mean, it's just not right to let your dog kill anything that wanders in to your garden.

He doesn't 'kill anything that wanders into our garden'. It's not like I'm having to watch as he tears them apart, scared that if I intervene he might take a chunk out of me. They curl into a ball, he picks them up, looks amused when he shows me then buggers off into his crate for his 9th nap of the day whilst I put the poor thing back outside.

With regards the cat issue, as much as I was upset at the time and had every sympathy for the owner, if you're worried about your cat getting hurt on someone elses property then keep it inside. We had a cat growing up that would mercilessly hunt the magpies in our back garden, should we have muzzled her too?

 

[ArcticHeron]

Where do you draw the line? Should the dog be muzzled 24/7 just in case the neighbours cat decides to climb into an open window in the middle of the night? As much as it sucks, if you have a cat who you're happy to let roam, then you have to accept the fact that something might happen to it.

Funnily enough that very same cat walked straight into our living room last summer through the conservatory window. As I mentioned previously she was very young and inquisitive. Thankfully greyhounds sleep like the devil and we where able to coax her out without him even noticing.

If you don't care about their pet, they aren't going to see things your way. They sure as heck aren't going to care about yours.

I did care when the cat was killed. I was distraught. We did all the things you should do in a situation like that and upon finding out who's cat it was I went round that evening and explained the situation, even offering to cover costs for cremation.

 

[ArcticHeron]

Tricky one to be honest.
Whilst most dogs will not stand much chance with a cat (either fight or faster to flee short distances) a trained dog is going to be a bit different, trained to chase I mean.

Personally if I was OP I would pay a little more attention before letting out at night and day. I mean its not the OPs fault, but just for the good of Hedgehogs (they are struggling as a species) and also potentially neighbours cats.
Owning an outside cat you recognise risks are there, plenty of them, and roaming into a dogs space is one of them.

We talked last night about fencing the end of the garden off to allow them to roam free around or across it as they never really come that close to the house (hedgehogs I mean, a cat will go where it wants).