crazy dog behaviour

[sue2009]

I have a ten year old border collie who spends all her time chasing bees in the garden and killing them. She never seems to get stung and if she does it doesn't stop her. She has always done this and I can't understand it. Otherwise she is gentle natured and loves all other animals (except cats!) and is obedient and intelligent in all other respects.In the evening i go out and collect up all the corpses. My garden is a bee graveyard. Thank goodness the summer is usually short! Anyone had a similar experience or can see the logic in it?By the way she won't touch wasps!

[Nosha123]

How very bizarre!!!!!!

I guess its true when they say cats are the smart ones and dogs are dumb! (as cute as they are though!!!!)

I guess the Bee thing is her vice!! Funny how she can tell the difference with wasps though!!! Maybe not so dumb after all!

Poor old bees though!!!!

[carmalee]

I also have a BC and the behaviour is typical of the breed - they are so bright its unreal but this does mean they are prone to picking up bad habits just as quickly as good habit.s my maniac's mission in life was to eradicate the squirrel population - everything else was perfectly safe, baby bunnies, cats sheep, goat, alpacas ********** anything and everything except the 'grey peril'. she was raised on an animal rehoming centre so was exposed to most things but squirrels, sorry they most definitely didn't make the cut. can't explain it. great dogs aren't they?

[wolf63]

carmalee - what's a ********** ? Are you from far away in the USA? racoons?

[wolf63]

Not a BC but my first dog (bullmastiff/GSD) used to run up to bikes/cycles and swerve at the last minute. By this time the cyclist has frozen in terror and the bike (and cyclist) would fall over. He would just sit and snigger.

Dogs are crafty creatures. Cats are devious.

[Nosha123]

Aaah - Zacmaster.. he sounds totally full of character and very bright!!!!!
Animals eh.... gotta love em!!!

[carmalee]

hi wolf - have no idea what a ------------ (or similar!) is thought I'd typed something like 'just about anything.' Obviously a gremlin in the keyboard - or the collie's been on here again and no, I'm not in the states - deepest east sussex.

[carmalee]

Zacsmaster not sure what the growly dance your beastie does is but I guess that's what makes um what they are - go well

[Meg]

My border collies (sadly one now) would chase and kill anything. They were from working stock in the lakes, goodness knows how they would have been with sheep like their predecessors were trained to herd. Meg is 14 now, still snaps at flies, wasps and bees. She killed a duckling the other day which I was not best pleased about but it is their instinct. I think they are an exceptionally clever dog, I think mine could read my mind.

[sue2009]

Many thanks for all your entertaining replies yesterday. Jessie is already on duty in the garden. When I gave her a very loud "NO" she flopped down in the shade first in shock and then deep disappointment as though I had really let her down or thrown her favourite toy in the bin.!
Still laughing at zacsmaster's reply to the question about red wormy things.

[leelapops]

Just this morning our BC Jack "caught" a gawky baby crow that'd fallen from the trees; his predatory skills are so poor it's the only way he'd ever get one, all the squirrels are very safe! Anyway, I told him to leave it, and I couldn't believe my eyes when he did, and the crow just hopped off, feathers ruffled but otherwise fine...

Jack is more than a little crazy: he has a number of obsessons (sticks, balls), and a few quirks (hates kids, hates scooters), but I adore him! I love to hear other BC stories too.

x

[paraffin]

Hi sue:

We have two border collies (1 of each!) and the bitch cannot abide the soud of flies and is for ever trying to catch them should any drift in during the nice weather when lots of windows, doors are open. The dog, on the other hand, takes no interest.

I don't think she has ever actually caught one and therefore don't know what she'd do, unlike your bitch who clearly feels the need to send them to their maker!

Maybe she needs muzzling at those times? Hee hee.

[Andyvon]

Hi Sue,

I used to have a Jack Russell who was an expert at catching wasps. He used to chase and leap after them until he caught one (very few got away). Then he would sit there chomping merrily away on the wasp before swallowing it! It used to terrify me as I always imagined him being stung in the throat but he never did get stung.

[wolf63]

My late cat was old when I got him - he had limited moblility due to back problems.

But he could catch spiders, I woke one morning to hear him crunching away - pretty pleased with himself for getting back to his predatory roots.

Yuck

[leelapops]

Jack is an expert fly-chaser: the habit makes him look even more crazed than he actually is! The one time he ever caught one, though, he looked so appalled that he promptly spat it back out!

x

[devilspawn]

Mine is a Japanese Akita cross Staffy - bred to kill anything in her path... and she does! Watching her after a blue bottle fly is absolutely hilarious....but the downside is telling her off when a stupid cat comes into the garden....
If you want to take on a dog then live with the consequences of it... Mine is now 13 and i got her at 9 yrs old. She is a bolshy old bitch, but that is what makes her mine :-)

[devilspawn]

by the way - on a serous note check out www.companyofanimals.co.uk as they sell stuff to help animals with behaviourable problems