Hope no one is offended by dead furry things but I'm amazed my little lurcher managed to figure out a way of catching and killing a rabbit while muzzled!!!:? Admittedly the poor rabbits our way are riddled with myxi right now so he's doing them a favour but as I had to muzzle him due to him nipping a man (luckily a very very understanding kind man who didn't kick off!!) I didn't expect Norris to be able to continue his killing spree!! How wrong I was!! He managed to grab it with his front teeth through the muzzle and quick shake and it was gone!! Although he was extreamly frustrated by me not allowing the muzzle off for him to have a munch!!
I've given my lot mixy rabbits with no adverse effects, however, not if they're too far gone and I freeze them well before they get eaten. It doesnt take much to kill a rabbit, they normally die of fright quite quickly.
All mine have been eating them for the past few weeks (thanks to Norris!!) and after my initial reaction of worry I checked and it's safe for them to eat...gross but safe.
Heard of rabbits on lead, but never under muzzle! He must have a fair old prey instinct there, was he ever used for working?
I would just be careful, if he can grab a rabbit with his teeth through the muzzle then he may be able to grab a hand/arm (or even just someone's loose clothes and give them a friend - a dog doesn't have to bite skin to be reported under the DDA), might be worth looking at the greyhound muzzles with the solid parts at the front :?
Funnily enough he ended up with me because as a pup his breeder sold him to work and the gamekeeper returned him as 'useless' at 4 months old!!! (How he thought at that age he'd be able to do a job I'll never know!!). He was then thrown in a cage until 7 months when the breeder asked me to find a rescue place for him. I did but the rescue couldn't take him for 2 weeks so I fostered him for that time...the rest is history as they say!! Lol!! He 'works' now with my JRT who flushes and Norris catches them, as I said they are rife with Myxi so no moving as fast as they would, I doubt very much he'd catch a healthy rabbit while muzzled tbh. Yes I was thinking that myself, it's taken me ages to find a muzzle to fit him because he's such a tiny whippet lurcher so I was pleased to find this one but as you say it's a worry now he'll be able to still grab a bit of someone. I'm hoping to move home soon and I'll be walking them in busier area's so I need to sort him out.
Wonder what past dogs that gamekeeper had then to think that a puppy would be able to do the job of a adult?
Lol! I know he's a muppet, and he said the dog wasn't even worth keeping for showing (apparently he 'knows' lurchers and shows to high levels)...I took him out to his first lurcher show at 11 months and he came first in the puppy class out of 23 dogs, even with me handling him who's only ever done fun dogs shows before so had no clue what to do!! I think Norris was too timid for him tbh, he is a very sensitive dog and does need very quiet and patient handling..been a learning curve for me who's always had staffie types and big loud dogs previously!! I had to learn to not shout!!
I love his name! Is he called after Norris on Corrie? My male Kerry Blue likes to chase the rabbits but I think if they stopped and ran after him he would run away! He's a bit of a soft lad bless him.
I bet he could catch a perfectly healthy rabbit. If my muppet of a pointer can catch a fully grown hare. She won't be as fast as him. She is bluddy fast but, not as fast as a lurcher. I know as I have raced her against them.
Lol!! Yes he was! When I went to collect him from the breeder to take to the rescue, he was huddled in a little cage and looked so worried I just thought he looked like Norris Cole!! Lol!! My Poodle x is the same as yours, he caught one the other day and just stood and looked at it!!! He got in a panic then cos he'd dropped his ball when the rabbit ran out at him so he was more concerned where his ball had gone!!! We had 2 more caught today, the poor rabbits are really very very ill it's not nice. Unfortunately the one Norris caught he couldn't kill so I had to remove the muzzle to let him finish it off, the poor creature had hardly any eyes left it's such a disgusting disease. My JRT got the other one and finished that off terrier style, again it wasn't a healthy rabbit. I don't know if the council are able to do anything but I'm going to ring them later to see, doubt they will be it's horrible to have to see them.
He sounds like a idiot, oh well his loss, don't think that he will ever get a pup who fits his standard though do you.
