HELP!! Jack Russell - caught mouse

HashSlinging · 19-12-2008 12:48am #1

Hi guys, my Jack Russell caught a mouse tonight and killed it, only he's playing with it in his dog box out my back and wont come out.. and keeps throwing the mouse to the back of his dog box every time I try get it ...

I'm not sure how clean this is and am worried that he will pick something up, would it carry a disease ? he's gone over by about 3 months on his booster.

ttm · 19-12-2008 1:10am

LOL - They can be very good ratters too :eek:

I really wouldn't worry about a mouse they are unlikley to manage to bite the dog before the dog kills them; rats on the other hand can bite a dog and the wound can become infected, but in a one to one situation my monies on the Jack Russell, only better thing at catching rats and mice is a Yorkshire Terrier (with or without a pink bow keeping the hair out of its eyes).

Our chickens will eat mice but we don't race them down the vet or stop eating the eggs

. I really wouldn't worry but take the dog down the vet when you get a chance and get the booster and see what they say. I don't even think any of the mouse/rat poisons will cause a problem if the mouse has eaten them (even if the dog does eat the mouse).

The more you try and take the mouse away the more the dog will play with it or even eat it, just ignore it and he will get fed up with it sooner or later.

olaola · 19-12-2008 11:31am

That's basically what JRTs are bred for. Be happy that they'll keep your house mouse free!! You'll sometimes hear them running around the kitchen at night chasing them

I wouldn't worry about disease etc - I'd nearly encourage this behaviour. Cheaper than mousetraps!

Alun · 19-12-2008 11:44am

Exactly ... Jack Russells were initially bred as rat catchers. I saw some program on the TV a while back where they showed a couple of working JRT's that had been brought in by a farmer to get rid of rats in his grain store. It was pretty amazing to watch I have to say ... lightning fast reactions, and they seemed to really enjoy themselves into the bargain.

SuzyS1972 · 19-12-2008 1:16pm

oh join the club lol
So far this week I have had 3 dead mouse presents off the terriers and a dead Thrush - now I dont think they killed the bird - prob dropped by the local cat but not nice all the same.

One of my dogs is mad for hunting and the other not too fussed - it's what they were bred for .

stevoman · 19-12-2008 1:27pm

agreed with the other posters. the jack russell is only doing what its instinct tells it!

whitser · 19-12-2008 2:35pm

good start. wait til he's about 7 or 8 months then let him have a go at the rats. he'll never look back.

lightening · 19-12-2008 2:43pm

There was a program on bbc a while ago, Martin Clunes did it, all about dogs. Anyone see the ratters on that? Amazing, this dude is hired by farmers who have problems with rats eating stock. The were jackers and terrier crosses. Amazing, they were ruthless! Very few rats got passed them, the speed that dispatched the rats was deadly.

I guess its more organic and better for the farm as a whole instead of laying poison or using chemicals.

whitser · 19-12-2008 2:53pm

seen it. ive seen dvds were a ratting team go to a chicken farm and kill about 300 rats in a day, makes your skin crawl looking at rats running up lads legs and all over the place. thats carbon nuetral, enviromently friendly pest control.

Puddleduck · 19-12-2008 2:54pm

Ah I wouldnt worry too much about it. My two got in the habit of killing mice and birds and even the most huge rat. They are generally fine, although they did fight each other over it. Just bring out some food or something to distract him and then take the mouse out.

lightening · 19-12-2008 3:01pm

My house was flooded years ago in East Wall in Dublin, I walked home via Ringsend and crossed the river Dodder. Every floating object was COVERED in rats, I mean anything that was floating by had as many rats you could fit on it. There was a dude in a dinghy, he was surrounded by rats trying to climb on board.

whitser · 19-12-2008 3:07pm

uugh:eek:

iguana · 19-12-2008 3:07pm

Mice do carry fleas and even though we are reaching the end of flea season it might be an idea to give him a flea treatment if he isn't up to date with them. At least keep an eye on him to see if he has fleas over the next few days.

On the bright side if he hadn't caught the mouse you might have been on here 3 days from now asking for advice on how to catch the mouse that's taken up residence in your kitchen.

Alun · 19-12-2008 3:16pm

lightening wrote: »

There was a program on bbc a while ago, Martin Clunes did it, all about dogs. Anyone see the ratters on that? Amazing, this dude is hired by farmers who have problems with rats eating stock. The were jackers and terrier crosses. Amazing, they were ruthless! Very few rats got passed them, the speed that dispatched the rats was deadly.

Ah yes, that was the program I was thinking of that I referred to in my post, thanks!

Here it is on YouTube ...

EDIt: blah beat me to it !!!

blah · 19-12-2008 3:16pm

Here's the Martin Clunes programme about JRTs ratting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QPbZJT1NO0

iguana · 19-12-2008 5:04pm

I think your situations catching. I'm just back from a walk where I have spent 20 minutes trying to get my dogs out of a clump of blackberry bushes where they'd found a dead fox.:( My hands are all cut from trying to get at them through the brambles and I've just had to de-thorn them.

ttm · 19-12-2008 5:19pm

iguana wrote: »

I think your situations catching. I'm just back from a walk where I have spent 20 minutes trying to get my dogs out of a clump of blackberry bushes where they'd found a dead fox.:( My hands are all cut from trying to get at them through the brambles and I've just had to de-thorn them.

Now that could be any dogs, wouldn't have to be a JRT

. Lets face it throw a dead fish in the middle of a bush and most dogs will be more than happy to spend a few minutes so they can bring the smell home with them.

iguana · 19-12-2008 5:40pm

ttm wrote: »

Now that could be any dogs, wouldn't have to be a JRT . Lets face it throw a dead fish in the middle of a bush and most dogs will be more than happy to spend a few minutes so they can bring the smell home with them.

Mine are springers and they are normally fairly gentle with dead things they find, but not poor Renard. I hate seeing dead foxes. I know they are considered vermin but I was a Tom McCoughran fan as a child, so I have a big soft spot for them. I really don't like seeing my dogs excitedly try to tear a dead one apart.:(

I have a childish idea that dogs and foxes should be friends.:rolleyes:

ttm · 19-12-2008 5:54pm

iguana wrote: »

I have a childish idea that dogs and foxes should be friends.:rolleyes:

Nothing wrong with that I had a JRT that would play with foxes. Great game, one would chase her along the field boundary then at a certian point the roles would reverse and she'd chase the fox back again, then repeat untill I got too close to the fox. btw the happiest looking Springer I ever saw was runing off the beach, stub of its tail wagging with a large decomposing fish in its mouth taking it home for its owner

fishfoodie · 19-12-2008 6:59pm

Used to have a yorkie & his favourite toy was a life-sized rubber rat.

Watching him go to work on it was something else, it survived a surprising length of time considering the way it used to get thrashed against walls by its tail.

Only problem was you could never let the bugger off the lead anywhere near water as he'd inevitably end up chasing rats & getting saturated. I always wondered why Yorkies evolved with the coat they have when they get as filty as they do, JRs are much better 'designed' for ratting.

HELP!! Jack Russell - caught mouse

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